Who's A "disciple"?
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People of the Pali Canon |
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| Pali | English |
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Community of Buddhist Disciples |
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| Monastic Sangha | |
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Bhikkhu, Bhikkhunī |
Monk, Nun |
| Laity | |
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Upāsaka and Upāsikā |
Lay devotee (m., f.) |
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Related Religions |
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Samaṇa |
Wanderer |
In the Pali canon, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":
- monks (Pāli: bhikkhu)
- nuns (Pāli: bhikkuṇī)
- laymen (Pāli: upāsaka)
- laywomen (Pāli: upāsikā)
Buddhist texts further mention three types of disciples based on spiritual accomplishment:
- "Chief Disciple" (Pāli: aggasāvaka; Sanskrit: agraśrāvaka):
- In the Pali canon, the Chief Disciples are Sāriputta (Pāli; Sanskrit: Śāriputra) and Mahāmoggallāna (Pāli; Sanskrit: Maudgalyāyana).
- "Great Disciple" (Pāli: mahāsāvaka; Sanskrit: mahā-śrāvaka):
- Examples of Great Disciples are Mahākassapa (Pāli; Sanskrit: Mahākāśyapa), Ānanda, Anuruddha and Mahākaccāna.
- "Ordinary Disciple" (Pāli: pakatisāvaka; Sanskrit: prakṛtiśrāvaka):
- Ordinary disciples, who constitute the majority of disciples, while devoted to the Buddha and his teaching and while having planted seeds for future liberation, have not yet irreversibly entered the path to emancipation and are still subject to infinite rebirths.