19th Century Pair Bronze Burmese Monk Statues seated in a non-meditative position with stone eyes. Monk statues are frequently seen in pairs, they represent the Buddha’s chief disciples Sariputta and Maudgalyayana. Sariputra was born into a Brahmin family in Upatissa near Rajagriha and Maudgalyayana was born in Magadha in today’s Indian state of Bihar.
Although the Buddha had many disciples there were special disciples that played prominent roles in his life. Depictions of the Buddha frequently show him surrounded by five of his chief disciples known as Kaundinya, Ashvajiti, Vashpa, Bhadrika, and Mahanaman, these disciples were believed to be his ascetic companions for six years.
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Two merchants Tapussa and Bhallika are traditionally regarded as the first disciples of the Buddha. They met the Buddha just after his enlightenment, when he was sitting under a rājāyatana tree, and offered him his first meal of honey cakes. They also received eight hairs of the Buddha as relics, which they enshrined in a stupa in their city.
There are different accounts of where Tapussa and Bhallika came from. Some sources say they were from Ukkalā, a region identified with modern Odisha in India. Other sources say they were from Balkh, a city in modern Afghanistan. Some also claim that they were from Burma (Myanmar) or Gandhara (Pakistan).
Tapussa and Bhallika are credited with bringing Buddhism to Central Asia, where they built the first Buddhist stupa. They are also revered in Sri Lanka, where they are said to have donated the hairs of the Buddha to King Okkāka, who built the Mahiyangana Stupa to house them.
Tapussa and Bhallika are examples of how Buddhism spread across different regions and cultures through the devotion and generosity of its followers. They also show how the Buddha accepted lay disciples who took refuge in the Dharma, even before he established the Sangha of monks and nuns.
One day these two men passed by the outskirts of a village in Bodh Gaya when they saw the Buddha meditating. Impressed by his serene and peaceful demeanor they approached him with offerings of food. After the Buddha had finished eating the merchants asked if they could become his disciples and his Dhamma, at this point, the Sangha had not yet been formed. The Tipitaka contains almost no other information about these two individuals.
In the commentary on the Anguttara Nikaya, the Buddha describes Bhallika and Tapussa as “the first persons to take Refuge and in the Theragatha (verses of Elder Monks), there is a verse by Bhallika, although it is not certain if this is the same Bhallika as the one who met the Buddha at Bodh Gaya.
