What does the word śrāvaka mean in Sanskrit and Pali?
Śrāvaka (Sanskrit) or sāvaka (Pali) means "hearer" or, more broadly, "disciple." The term is used in both Buddhism and Jainism to describe those who listen to and follow religious teachings.
Questions about Śrāvaka
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who are the two Chief Disciples of the Buddha in Theravada Buddhism?
The Pali canon identifies Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna as the Buddha's two Chief Disciples, designated by the Pali term aggasāvaka. They are also named among the four pairs of disciples the Buddha identified as having no compare.
What are the four stages of enlightenment for a śrāvaka in Buddhism?
The four stages are Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmin, Anāgāmin, and Arahat. For each stage the tradition identifies a pair of disciples: one on the path (maggattha) and one who has achieved the stage's fruit (phalattha), giving eight types of noble individuals in total.
How many foremost disciple categories did the Buddha identify in the Etadaggavagga?
The Buddha identified 80 foremost disciple categories in the Etadaggavagga (AN 1.188-267): 47 categories for monks, 13 for nuns, 10 for laymen, and 10 for laywomen.
What is the role of a śrāvaka in Jainism?
In Jainism, a śrāvaka is any lay Jain male who hears the discourses of monastics and scholars and follows Jain literature. A śrāvaka's conduct is governed by texts called śrāvakācāras, and he progresses spiritually through eleven stages called pratimas, after which he may become a monk.
How did Mahayana Buddhism view śrāvakas differently from bodhisattvas?
In Mahayana Buddhism, śrāvakas were contrasted unfavorably with bodhisattvas. Asaṅga's 4th century work Abhidharmasamuccaya described śrāvakas as having weak faculties and focused on their own liberation, while Mahāyāna practitioners were portrayed as having sharp faculties and oriented toward the liberation of all beings.