The Silent Flame: Sacred Journey of the Venerated Śāriputra (vegan), Part 1 of 3

Venerated Śāriputra (vegan), one of the foremost disciples of the enlightened Master Worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha (vegan), holds a prominent place in Buddhist history. He is renowned for His profound wisdom and deep understanding of the Dharma. There isn’t a single, complete account of Śāriputra’s life in the Tripiṭaka, or Pāḷi Canon, which refers to the Buddhist canons. However, we can learn about Him through various stories scattered across the Buddhist texts, as Śāriputra’s life was closely connected to the Buddha’s. He was a compassionate friend and protector of the monastic community. Known as the “General of the Dharma,” He was deeply devoted to preserving and spreading the Buddha’s teachings. Śāriputra was patient, humble, and performed many acts of kindness. He is recognized as the disciple foremost in wisdom, and even among the Enlightened Ones, He shone like a bright, full star. In Buddhist art, Śāriputra is often depicted beside the Buddha, usually on His right.

According to the Pāḷi Canon, in the distant past, Śāriputra was born as a wealthy man named Sarada, who eventually renounced His wealth to become an ascetic, attracting a large following. The future Maudgalyāyana, also virtuous, was born into another family and named Sirivaddhana. They became close friends as children. When Sarada inherited His father’s wealth, He began thinking about life and death and decided to leave His worldly life behind to seek freedom from the cycle of rebirth (samsara).

Sarada’s way of life inspired 74,000 others to also become ascetics. He gained special powers and deep meditation skills, which He taught to His followers. During this time, the Worshipped Anomadassī Buddha (vegan) appeared in the world. According to the Buddhavaṃsa of the Pāḷi Canon and its commentary in Theravāda Buddhism, Anomadassī Buddha was the 10th of the 27 Buddhas who preceded the historical Buddha Gautama. He was also the first Buddha of the Vara-Kalpa, in which three Buddhas were born. One day, after emerging from deep meditation, He surveyed the world and saw the ascetic Sarada. He realized that if He visited Sarada, a profound Dharma discourse would take place that would greatly benefit the people, with many attaining enlightenment by the end of the teaching.

Sarada then asked His students to collect the most beautiful and fragrant flowers to create seats for the Buddha and the monks. The flowers formed a magnificent throne for the Buddha, along with smaller seats for the chief disciples and the other monks. Seated upon the floral throne, the Buddha entered deep meditation for seven days, with His disciples meditating alongside Him. Throughout this time, Sarada stood unwavering, holding a floral umbrella over the Buddha, sustaining Himself not with food but with the joy of devotion.