The Buddha is the Young Religious Leader who Set Up a Youth Organization called the Sangha Order

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From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• From a chapter in the book - The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero

A scetic Siddhartha, when he realized Enlightenment, was a group of disciples of sixty persons, including Yasa the householder, was a youthful crowd.

The second group of missionaries, consisting of the thirty Bhaddavaggiya princes, was also made up of young people. Next, he ordained five hundred including the ascetic Uruvela Kassapa, three hundred including Nadi kassapa, and two-hundred including Gaya kassapa. These one-thousand ascetics were all youths.

After this, Koliya and Upatissa were ordained along with their retinue of two-hundred and fifty persons. These two were made the Buddha's Chief Disciples. This, too, was a group of youths. Later on, those ordained at Kapilavatthu, the Sakya Princes Nanda, Rahula, Baddiya, Anuruddha, Ananda, Bhagu Kimbila, Devadatta and Upali the butler, were all young people who were not mature in body, in years, in appearance, in strength and in wisdom. These young monks, numbering about one-thousand and five-hundred, were a group of young missionaries who were young and healthy, were capable of walking hundreds of miles, and had the capacity to resist both heat and cold. Hindu life in India is divided into four stages described as Brahmacari, Gruhastha Vanaprastha and Sannyasi. People remain Brahmacari until marriage. They get married at the proper age and perform their household duties. When they are above fifty or sixty they go to a hermitage or a forest-abode. That is the end of traditional Hindu life.

The Buddha did not recognize this system and built an entirely new religious institution. While he was young himself, a majority of his followers also were young. With the passage of time the members of this young group f monks became elderly. But, we have to accept the fact that, at the beginning the majority were young, and that even in later years, a majority of the people who jiined newly were young. In consequence, there is no harm in characterizing this as an organization of young monks.

All the contemporary religious leaders of the Buddha in India were older than the Buddha, (jinna, vuddha, mahallaka, addhagata anuppatta). They were grown old and decrepit.

Respecting the elderly and the aged was a noble tradition that existed among the Aryans of quite a long time. But, the Buddha never displayed any deference to any elderly person who came to see him. This was because no one was superior to him in wisdom, in moral achievement, and in the discipline of the mind. One day, an elderly, mature Brahmin, by the name of Veranja, came to see the Buddha., he asked the Buddha, "Sir Gotama, I have heard that you do not show deference to elderly Brahmins who come to see you, by worshipping them, by getting up from your seat, and by giving them a seat. Is it true? If it is true, is it not mojor fault?"

The Buddha answered, "I do not see anyone either among godas or men, who should be honoured by me by worshipping and by other gestures. A person does not deserve to be honoured merely because his hair is grey. If someone possesses truth, righteousness non-violence, restraint, wisdom and absence of blemishes, such people should receive veneration as elders."

One day, King Kosala went to see the Buddha, he asked the Buddha, "Sir, do you state that you have attained Enlightenment, which is the highest state?"

The Buddha replied, “Great King, if in truth it has to be said about someone, that he has attained Enlightenment, which is the highest state, it is about me it has to be said. Great King, I have realized Enlightenment which is the highest state."

Hearing this, king Kosala said, "Sir, other religious leaders who have a vast following of ascetics, who are the leaders of groups of ascetics, who have a wide-spread fame and who are venerated by many, do not say that they have realized Enlightenment. But you are young in years. Young is asceticism. Still, you say you have realized Enlightenment. How can I accept this?"

"O Great King, there are four types of people in this world wo should not be denigrated because they are young. These four are the royal prince, the serpent, the fire and the monk. You must not denigrate them because they are young, If you anger the royal prince he will aavenge it whrn he cecomes king. The serpent, though yong, can destroy a human life bu stinging. The fire, though small, an burn your finger. It can expand and destroy a whole region. The monk, though young he may be, if h is high in moral atainment, he is very strong and powerful."

(Samyutta Nikaka _ Kossala Samyutta).

In the Buddhist order, there were only a few persons who became monks when they were elderly. Those who becomemonks in old age are described as "Buddhapabbajita" (those who were ordained when old). It was an old monk by the name of Subhadra who said thus to the monks, weeping at the Demise of the Buddha.

"Don't weep. Feel happy, We can do whatever we want now as we do not have a leader."

Ven. Thulatissa, who received veneration from senior theras, was another of those who became a monk in old age. A monk is well suited to the life of a Bhikkhu when his Bhikkhu life evolves from childhood on. The Buddha did not intend to make his order a home for the Ages. Therefore, he ordained many many people. This Great Order he planned out with vast vision, has continued over 2,500 years, because he gave priority to youth, wisdom and discipline. No organization that does not give the due place to wise, young persons, can become strong or permanent. By the prohibition to ordain blind people deaf people, cripples and the sick, it is evident that the Buddha wanted the Order of Monks to consist of only strong monks. This also indicates that the Order should consist of able, wise people who can perform services.