Ananda
Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings"
Meaning
Ānanda was one of the Buddha's dearest disciples and his close companion in the c. sixth–fifth century BCE. At first only men could join the sangha (the community of monks). It was through Ānanda's mediation that women were later admitted. This matters because it opened the Buddhist path to women as nuns and teachers.
Example
Because Ānanda pleaded on their behalf, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the Buddha's foster mother, became the first bhikkhunī (Buddhist nun). The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta also shows Ānanda asking the Buddha what should be done with his remains after his death.
Don't confuse with
- Ajātasattu: he was a king of Magadha who talked with the Buddha about rival teachers. He was a royal visitor, not a disciple in the sangha.