{{Short description|Teacher of Samana Gotama before his Enlightenment}} {{Buddhism}} '''Alara Kalama''' (Pāḷi & Sanskrit ''{{IAST|Āḷāra Kālāma/ Arāḍa Kālāma]
}}''), was a hermit and a teacher of meditation.{{sfn|Wynne|2007|p=10}}<ref>Laumakis, Stephen. ''An Introduction to Buddhist philosophy''. 2008. p. 8</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Upadhyaya |first= K. N. |title= Managing Diversity in Organizations: A Global Perspective |year= 2017 |publisher= María Triana |location= Wisconsin, USA |isbn= 978-1138917019 |page=163 }}</ref> He was a śramaṇa born in Brahmin-family (Buddhacarita) and, according to Buddhist scriptures, the first teacher of Gautama Buddha.<ref name="ariyapariyesana">{{cite web|title=Ariyapariyesana Sutta,translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu|url=http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html|access-date=2014-06-29}}</ref><ref name="buddhaspace">{{cite web|title=阿羅邏迦藍|url=http://buddhaspace.org/dict/fk/data/%25E9%2598%25BF%25E7%25BE%2585%25E9%2582%258F%25E8%25BF%25A6%25E8%2597%258D.html}}</ref>
== History == Various recensions of the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta and other texts give an account of the Buddha being approached by a minister to the Mallas named Putkasa (Pali: Pukkusa) who told him about his teacher Alara Kalama's skill in meditation. One day, while deep in meditation, Alara did not hear the sound of a caravan of five hundred wagons that passed by him. The Buddha shared a similar experience; while in the village of Ādumā, a rainstorm had frightened four cowherds and two workmen to death, while the Buddha remained calm due to his prowess in meditation.<ref name="wisdomlibrary">{{cite web|title=Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra: The Miracle of Ādumā|date=22 August 2018 |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/book/maha-prajnaparamita-sastra/d/doc225649.html}}</ref>
The intrigued Gotama went to Alara Kalama, who taught a kind of early meditation at Vaiśālī.<ref>{{cite book |last= Eliade |first= Mircea |title= Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body, and Mind |year= 2009 |publisher= Wisdom Publications |location= Boston, USA |isbn= 9780861713356 |page= 8}}</ref> Alara taught Gotama meditation, especially a jhāna state called the "sphere of nothingness" (''{{lang|sa-latn|ākiṃcanyāyatana}}'').{{sfn|Wynne|2007|p=76}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/aa/aalara_kaalaama.htm|title=Ālāra Kālāma|access-date=2014-06-29|work=Article on Palikanon.com}}</ref>
Gotama eventually found himself on par with Alara, who could not teach him more, saying, "It is a gain for us, my friend, a great gain for us, that we have such a companion in the holy life ... As I am, so are you; as you are, so am I. Come friend, let us now lead this community together."<ref name="ariyapariyesana"/> Gotama was not interested in staying, as Alara's dharma did not lead to freedom from samsara. After leaving, Siddhartha found a new teacher, Udraka Rāmaputra.<ref name="The Buddha's First Teachers">{{cite web|title=The Buddha's First Teachers|url=http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/lifebuddha/13lbud.htm|work=Article on Buddhanet.net|access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref>
After attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha went to search for Alara Kalama to teach him the Dhamma, only to find that he had died seven days prior.<ref name="ariyapariyesana"/>
== References == {{reflist}}
== Bibliography == {{refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=Wynne|first=Alexander|title=The Origin of Buddhist Meditation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ElIupyX_SYAC&pg=PP10|date=16 April 2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-09741-8}} {{refend}}
Category:Early Buddhism Category:Ancient Indian philosophers Category:Buddhist ascetics Category:Indian yoga teachers Category:Samkhya