WHO ARE OUR ROLE MODELS? - Hatthaka of Āḷavī, foremost at gathering a following (non-returner)

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there. For Buddhist practitioners, the Buddha is our most eminent role model, teacher and the Perfectly Enlightened One. And there are also many noble and great disciples of the Buddha.

Today we will focus on male lay disciples of the Buddha, and one in particular, Hatthaka of Āḷavī, who was declared by the Buddha foremost among his male lay disciples who gather a following by means of the four bases of kindliness (catūhi saṅgahavatthūhi parisaṁ saṅgaṇhantānaṁ) - AN 1.251.

Hatthaka of Āḷavī is praised along with Citta the householder as the standard and measure for male followers and as role models for mothers who have sons. The Buddha tells the monks precisely how we should remember Hatthaka - as having 8 good qualities, some of which align with the trainee (sekha) qualities. He realised Path and Fruit of a non-returner, was reborn in Avihā (one of the five pure abodes) and we have a wonderful account of his visit to the Buddha as a young deva, where we learn some useful things.

Suttas mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk include:

• – Chaṭṭhavagga (AN 1.251)
• – Saṅgaha Sutta (AN 4.32)
• – Āyācanavagga (AN 2.132)
• – Āyācana Sutta (AN 4.176)
• – Gotamabuddhavaṁsa (Bv 27)
• – Ekaputtaka Sutta (SN 17.23)
• – Hatthaka Sutta (AN 3.35)
• – Paṭhamahatthaka Sutta (AN 8.23)
• – Dutiyahatthaka Sutta (AN 8.24)
• – Sekha PāṭipadaSutta (MN53)
• – Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16)
• – Samaṇa Sutta (AN 4.241)
• – Hatthaka Sutta (AN 3.127)

In learning about such noble beings, we can delight in their lives and accomplishments; recognise the importance of seeing them as worthy role models; and use it as inspiration towards progress on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

Bohoma pin to the person who requested this talk.

The VIDEO with slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series podcast channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BubToHGjqc AND on Spotify as a video podcast.

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai