Choosing the Right Disciples in Buddhism : หน้า 194/263

so many lifetimes in his past of pursuing Perfections, still had to waste six years in the discovery of the Dhamma, stak- ing his own life for the knowledge — how much harder would it be for others to understand? He would have to con- sider his first disciples carefully, because if his first sermon gave no effect, his dispensation would immediately founder on the rocks. His decision about suitable disciples was also important because the way he chose his disciples would later be used as an example by others when choosing who to teach in places never exposed to Buddhism before. We see that he didn't base his decision on himself, or the majority, but on Dhamma itself. If he were to make the decision based on himself (i.e. selfishly) then surely he would choose his own relations or those closest to him at the time before his renun- ciation as first priority — to teach to Yasodharā or Rāhula first. However, the Buddha used the quality of inner experi- ence as the most important in his decision. He had to ask himself who was the most adept in the Eightfold Path. He asked himself "who, in this age, is the most free from de- filements? Who has made the most progress in their medi- tation?" He could think of two such persons: Ālára Kalama Hermit: who had been the meditation teacher who had been able to impart to him the way to attain the akīncāññāyatana (third) level of arūpajhāna. If in the words of Luang Phaw Wat Paknam, we could say that Ālára had made significant progress in his medi- tation because he had already attained the subtle human body, the angelic body, the Brahmā body and the form- less Brahmā body. He would be almost on the brink of attaining the Dhammakāya. The Buddha thought to teach this hermit first, but having checked with the knowledge of the Dhammakāya he found that Ālára had