Life of the Buddha

While the Buddha stayed at the Deer Park in Benares, a rich young man called Yasha came to see him. Yasha listened to the Buddha’s teachings and was so enthralled by them that he became a monk (bhikkhu).

Towards evening, an elderly man came to the Buddha and told him that his son had left home that morning saying he was going to visit the Buddha, but he had not returned. Both he and his wife were worried, thinking robbers must have killed him. The Buddha told the father not to worry and that his son had become a monk. Then he started to explain his teachings to Yasha’s father and soon he too became a follower.

Yasha had fifty-four friends who were presented to the Buddha to hear his teachings. They too became monks. In this way in a short time there were sixty followers.