Ep.16 : The First Novice in Buddhism | The Life of the Buddha

Ep.16 The First Novice in Buddhism Rahula, who was seven years old, was ordained by the Buddha and became the first novice in the Buddhist tradition. (A novice is someone who is in training but has not yet taken the full vows of a monk or nun.) Besides Rahula, the Buddha also converted his step-brother Nanda and several princes of the Sakya clan. Among them were his cousins Ananda and Devadatta. Another of the Buddha's cousins also became a monk. His name was Devadatta. But he was envious of the Buddha and competed with him, trying to take over the leadership. Devadatta was very conceited, and was jealous of the two chief disciples of the Buddha. So he left the Sangha (the community of monks and nuns) and made friends with the crown-prince Ajatasattu, son of King Bimbisara. The prince built a private monastery for Devadatta. Devadatta then persuaded the prince to kill his father, King Bimbisara, and make himself king. The prince followed Devadatta's evil scheme and starved his father to death so he could become king.