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Alara Kalama ( Pāḷi & Sanskrit Āḷāra Kālāma/ Arāḍa Kālāma]), was a hermit and a teacher of sāṃkhya philosophy and meditation. [1] [2] [3] He was a śramaṇa and, according to the Pāli Canon scriptures, the first teacher of Gautama Buddha. [4]

History

After Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic, he went to Alara Kalama, who was a teacher that taught a kind of early meditation at Vessali. [5] Alara taught Siddhartha meditation, especially a dhyānic state called the "sphere of nothingness" (ākiñcaññāyatana). [6] [7]

Gautama eventually equalled Alara, who could not teach him more, saying, "You are the same as I am now. There is no difference between us. Stay here and take my place and teach my students with me." [4] Gautama was not interested in staying. After leaving, the Siddhartha found a new teacher, Uddaka Rāmaputta. [8]

References

  1. ^ Wynne 2007, p. 10.
  2. ^ Laumakis, Stephen. An Introduction to Buddhist philosophy. 2008. p. 8
  3. ^ Upadhyaya, K. N. (2017). Managing Diversity in Organizations: A Global Perspective. Wisconsin, USA: María Triana. p. 163. ISBN  113891701X.
  4. ^ a b "Ariyapariyesana Sutta,translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu". Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  5. ^ Eliade, Mircea (2009). Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body, and Mind. Boston, USA: Wisdom Publications. p. 8. ISBN  9780861713356.
  6. ^ Wynne 2007, p. 76.
  7. ^ "Ālāra Kālāma". Article on Palikanon.com. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  8. ^ "The Buddha's First Teachers". Article on Buddhanet.net. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

Bibliography