Reading: The Life of Buddha, Part D

The Buddha was convinced by Brahma to find disciples and spread his knowledge to the world, so the Buddha began looking for a worthy disciple who could grasp the complex nature of the Law and who would not keep the knowledge to himself.

The Buddha's first thought was of Rudraka, the son of Rama, who he had encountered earlier in his travels. Rudraka was a good man who the Buddha believed would understand his teachings and spread them liberally throughout the land. Rudraka, however, had died 7 days earlier.

The Buddha then thought of Arata Kalama, the master he briefly followed after leaving his father's kingdom. Arata Kalama was an intelligent and virtuous man who the Buddha trusted would teach others how to find Nirvana. Arata Kalama, however, had died 3 days earlier.

The Buddha finally came to the decision to find his five former disciples. The disciples had left the Buddha after he gave up his practices of sever austerities. When the men were following the Buddha, he realized that since he was not able to reach the great knowledge he was seeking with the extreme practices he had already performed depriving himself of all food and comfort was not the way to enlightenment. Therefore, the Buddha began eating his fill of food and stopped his other austerities. His disciples thought that he had given up seeking enlightenment and given in to greed, so his five disciples left him.

The Buddha believed that these men would be able to understand the Law and teach it to others, so he headed to Benares where his former Disciples were living.

On his way to Benares, the Buddha met a monk named Upaka. Upaka was awed by the radiance of the Buddha, and asked who the Buddha's master was.

The Buddha explained that he had no master and that he is unique in the world as the only one who knows the Law.

Eventually the Buddha reaches the Ganges and tries to hire a boatman to ferry him across the river. The boatman asks for payment, so the Buddha flies across the river. The boatman is left miserable that he did not help such a great man.

Bibliography.
The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold Translator Paul C. Blum, Part 2 Chapter 3. Source

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