Mahakashyapa

Mahakashyapa (Skt. Mahākāśyapa; Wyl. 'od srung chen po, Ösung Chenpo) — one of the principles disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni and the first of the seven patriarchs who upheld the Dharma and succeeded to the Buddha as heads of the Buddhist community. He was responsible for holding the first Buddhist council in Rajagriha. It is said he attained the state of an arhat only eight days after his first encounter with the Buddha. Mahakashyapa was known as the foremost of the Buddha's disciples in terms of ascetic discipline.

Further Reading

• Nyanaponika Thera, The Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy (Wisdom Publications, 2003).