Śrāvaka (Sanskrit) or Sāvaka (Pali) means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple". This term is used in Buddhism and Jainism. In Jainism, a śrāvaka is any lay Jain so the term śrāvaka has been used for the Jain community itself (for example see Sarak and Sarawagi). Śrāvakācāras are the lay conduct outlined within the treaties by Śvetāmbara or Digambara mendicants. "In parallel to the prescriptive texts, Jain religious teachers have written a number of stories to illustrate vows in practice and produced a rich répertoire of characters.".[1]
In Buddhism, the term is sometimes reserved for distinguished disciples of the Buddha.
See also: The ten principal disciples. In early Buddhism, a śrāvaka or śrāvikā is a disciple who accepts:
In the Nikāya, depending on the context, a sāvaka can also refer to a disciple of a teacher other than the Buddha.
In Theravada Buddhism, a śrāvaka or śrāvikāt refers to one who followed in the tradition of the senior monks of the first Buddhist sangha and community. In the Pāli Canon, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":
Buddhist texts further mention four types of disciples based on spiritual accomplishment:[2] [3]
In the Pali commentaries, the term ariyasāvaka is explained as "the disciple of the Noble One (i.e. Buddha)".[4] Accordingly, Soma Thera and Thanissaro Bhikkhu translate this term as "The disciple of the Noble Ones"[5]
However Bhikkhu Bodhi interprets this term as "noble disciple", and according to him, in the Pali suttas, this term is used in two ways:
The canon occasionally references the "four pairs" and "eight types" of disciples.[6] This refers to disciples who have achieved one of the four stages of enlightenment:
In regards to disciples achieving arahantship, Bhikkhu Bodhi writes:For each of these stages, there is a "pair" of possible disciples: one who is on the stage's path (Pāli: magga); the other who has achieved its fruit (Pāli: phala). Thus, each stage represents a "pair" of individuals: the path traveler (Pāli: maggattha) and the fruit achiever (Pāli: phalattha). Hence, the community of disciples is said to be composed of four pairs or eight types of individuals (Pāli: cattāri purisayugāni attha purisapuggalā).
In the "Etadaggavagga" ("These are the Foremost Chapter," AN 1.188-267), the Buddha identifies 80 different categories for his "foremost" (Pāli: etadagga) disciples: 47 categories for monks, 13 for nuns, ten for laymen and ten for laywomen.[7]
While the disciples identified with these categories are declared to be the Buddha's "foremost" or "chief" (Pāli: etadagga), this is different from his "Chief Disciples" (Pāli: aggasāvaka) who are consistently identified solely as Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna.
| The Buddha's Foremost Disciples (Based on AN 1.14) | |||||
| CATEGORY | Bhikkhu | Bhikkhuni | Upāsaka | Upāsikā | |
| Eldest | Kondañña | Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī | — | — | |
| Great Wisdom | Sāriputta | Khemā | — | — | |
| Psychic Powers | Mahāmoggallāna | Uppalavaṇṇā | — | — | |
| Asceticism | Mahākassapa | — | — | — | |
| Divine Eye | Anuruddha | Sakulā | — | — | |
| High Clan | Bhaddiya Kāḷigodhāyaputta | — | — | — | |
| Sweet Voice | Bhaddiya the Dwarf | — | — | — | |
| Lion's Roar | Piṇḍolabhāradvāja | — | — | — | |
| Dhamma Speaker | Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta | Sakulā | Citta | — | |
| Expounder | Mahākaccāyana | — | — | — | |
| Mind-made Body | Cullapanthaka | — | — | — | |
| Wholesome-Mind Development | Cullapanthaka | — | — | — | |
| Wholesome-Perception Development | Mahāpanthaka | — | — | — | |
| Free of Conflict | Subhūti | — | — | — | |
| Worthy of Offerings | Subhūti | — | — | — | |
| Forest-Dweller | Revata | — | — | — | |
| Meditator | Kankhārevata | Sundarinandā | — | Uttarānandamātā | |
| Energetic | Soṇa Koḷivisa | Soṇā | — | — | |
| Beautiful Conversationalist | Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa | — | — | — | |
| Receiver of Gifts | Sīvali | — | — | — | |
| Inclined to Confidence | Vakkali | Singālamātā | — | — | |
| Liking the Training | Rāhula | — | — | — | |
| Confidence in Going-Forth | Raṭṭhapāla | — | — | — | |
| First in Food Tickets | Kuṇḍadhāna | — | — | — | |
| Extemporiser | Vaṅgīsa | — | — | — | |
| Altogether Pleasing | Vaṅgantaputta | — | — | — | |
| Assigner of Living Quarters | Dabba Mallaputta | — | — | — | |
| Dear and Pleasing to Gods | Pilindavaccha | — | — | — | |
| Speed in Knowledge | Bāhiya Dārucīriya | Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā | — | — | |
| Beautiful Speaker | Kumārakassapa | — | — | — | |
| Analytic Knowledge | Mahākoṭṭhita | — | — | — | |
| Great Deep Knowledge | — | Bhaddakaccānā | — | — | |
| Learned | Ānanda | Khujjuttarā | — | — | |
| Mindful | Ānanda | — | — | — | |
| Good Behavior | Ānanda | — | — | — | |
| Courage | Ānanda | — | — | — | |
| Attendant | Ānanda | — | — | — | |
| Large Retinue | Uruvelā Kassapa | — | — | — | |
| Pleasing to Families | Kāḷudāyī | — | — | — | |
| Health | Bakkula | — | — | — | |
| Recalling Past Lives | Sobhita | Bhaddā Kapilānī | — | — | |
| Discipline | Upāli | Paṭācārā | — | — | |
| Instructor of Monks | Mahākappina | — | — | — | |
| Instructor of Nuns | Nandaka | — | — | — | |
| Sense-Door Restraint | Nanda | — | — | — | |
| Skilled in the Fire Element | Sāgata | — | — | — | |
| Extemporising | Rādha | — | — | — | |
| Wearing Coarse Robes | Mogharāja | Kisā Gotamī | — | — | |
| First to Take Refuge | — | — | Tapusa and Bhalika | Sujātā | |
| Supporter | — | — | Anāthapiṇḍaka | Visākhā | |
| Four Bases of Sympathy | — | — | Hattha Āḷavaka | — | |
| Loving-Kindness | — | — | — | Sāmāvatī | |
| Excellent Alms Donor | — | — | Mahānāma | Suppavāsā | |
| Attending with Medicinal Drink | — | — | — | Suppiyā | |
| Pleasant Supporter | — | — | Ugga | — | |
| Community Attendant | — | — | Uggata | — | |
| Unwavering Faith | — | — | Sura Ambaṭṭha | Katiyānī | |
| Individual with Faith | — | — | Jīvaka Komārabhacca | — | |
| Confidence in the Traditions | — | — | — | Kāḷī | |
| Trustworthy | — | — | Nakulapitu | Nakulamātā |
In addition, in SN 17.23,[8] SN 17.24[9] and AN 4.18.6,[10] the Buddha identifies four pairs of disciples "who have no compare" and who should thus be emulated. These four pairs are a subset of the 80 foremost disciples listed above, identified in the sub-section 14 of AN 1 (i.e. AN 1.188-267). These four pairs of disciples to be most emulated are:
In Buddhism, there are two main communities (Pāli: sangha):
For an example of a traditional stock reference to the sāvaka-sangha in the Pali canon, in "The Crest of the Standard" discourse (SN 11.3), the Buddha advises his monks that, if they experience fear, they can recollect the Buddha or the Dhamma or the Sangha; and, in recollecting the Sangha they should recall:
"The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples [''sāvaka-sangha''] is practising the good way, practising the straight way, practising the true way, practising the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals...."[13]
A similar phrase can also be found in the lay disciple's daily chant, "Sangha Vandanā" ("Salutation to the Sangha").[14]
In Mahayana Buddhism, śrāvakas or arhats are sometimes contrasted negatively with bodhisattvas. [15]
In the 4th century abhidharma work Abhidharmasamuccaya, Asaṅga describes those who follow the Śrāvakayāna. These people are described as having weak faculties, following the Śrāvaka Dharma, utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, being set on their own liberation, and cultivating detachment in order to attain liberation.[16] Those in the Pratyekabuddhayāna are portrayed as also utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, are said to have medium faculties, to follow the Pratyekabuddha Dharma, and to be set on their own personal enlightenment.[17] Finally, those in the Mahāyāna "Great Vehicle" are portrayed as utilizing the Bodhisattva Piṭaka, as having sharp faculties, following the Bodhisattva Dharma, and set on the perfection and liberation of all beings, and the attainment of complete enlightenment.[18]
According to Vasubandhu's Yogacara teachings, there are four types of śrāvakas:[19]
The transformed and the converted (Buddhist) are assured of eventual Nirvana in the Lotus Sutra.
According to Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism:
See main article: Śrāvaka (Jainism). A śrāvaka in Jainism is a lay Jain. He is the hearer of discourses of monastics and scholars, Jain literature. In Jainism, the Jain community is made up of four sections: monks, nuns, śrāvakas (laymen) and śrāvikās (laywomen).
The term śrāvaka has also been used as a shorthand for the community itself. For example, the Sarawagi are a Jain community originating in Rajasthan, and sometimes śrāvaka is the origin of surnames for Jain families. The long-isolated Jain community in East India is known as the Sarak.
The conduct of a śrāvaka is governed by texts called śrāvakācāras,[20] [21] the best known of which is the Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra of Samantabhadra.
A śrāvaka rises spiritually through the eleven pratimas. After the eleventh step, he becomes a monk.
Jains follow six obligatory duties known as avashyakas: samayika (practising serenity), chaturvimshati (praising the tirthankara), vandan (respecting teachers and monks), pratikramana (introspection), kayotsarga (stillness), and pratyakhyana (renunciation).