<p>Yes. Many became arahants (fully enlightened ones) in the Buddha's lifetime.</p>
<p>While the Buddha was living, Venerables <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.4.10.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sariputta</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.3.05.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Moggallana</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.08.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mahakaccana</a>, Mahakassapa, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.088.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Punna</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.030.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anuruddha</a>, Upali, Rahula, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.001.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Khema</a>, Dhammadinna, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.1.10.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bahiya</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.05.10.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Patacara</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Angulimala</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.02.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bhaddiya</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.055.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sona</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.089.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Khemaka</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.12.02.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sunita</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.06.10.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sumana</a>, Vimala, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.05.12.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Canda</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.10.01.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kisagotami</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.07.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Revata</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.6.07.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Subhuti</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.06.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anna Kondanna</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.8.10.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dabba Mallaputta</a>, Ambapali, Subha etc. became arahants.</p>
<p>Ven. Ananda became an arahant after the Buddha's passing away.</p>
<p>You can search for these names in the Palikanon's <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/dic_idx.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names</a> and in AccessToInsight's <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-names.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Index of Proper Names</a>.</p>
<p>You can find sources for these, in various suttas, including in the Theragatha (stories of the elder monks) and Therigatha (stories of the elder nuns).</p>
<p>From &quot;<a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas</a>&quot; by Ven. Bodhi:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Although the Buddha was the pioneer in discovering the path to
liberation, this does not mean that his <strong>arahant disciples</strong> just
selfishly reaped the benefits of the path and did nothing for others.
To the contrary, in the suttas we can see that many of them became
great teachers in their own right who were capable of guiding others
towards liberation. The best known among them are <strong>Sāriputta,
Mahākaccāna, Moggāllana,</strong> and <strong>Ānanda</strong>. There was the monk <strong>Puṇṇa</strong> who went
to the barbarian Sunāparanta country, risking his life to teach the
Dhamma to the people there. There were such nuns as <strong>Khemā</strong> and
<strong>Dhammadinnā</strong>, who were outstanding preachers, <strong>Paṭācārā</strong>, who was a
master of the discipline, and many others. For four hundred years, the
Buddhist texts were preserved orally, transmitted from teachers to
pupils, and obviously there had to be thousands of monks and nuns who
dedicated their lives to learning the texts and teaching them to
pupils, all for the purpose of preserving the good Dhamma and Vinaya
in the world.</p>
<p>The example established by the Buddha's <strong>great arahant disciples</strong> has
been the model for the followers of the arahant ideal throughout
history. While those who pursue this ideal do not make such lofty vows
as do followers of the bodhisattva ideal, they are inspired by the
example of the Buddha and his great disciples to work for the
spiritual and moral uplift of others to the best of their ability: by
teaching, by example, and by direct spiritual influence, inspired by
the Buddha's command to &quot;wander forth for the welfare of the
multitude, for the happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for
the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and human
beings.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-28T11:37:44.847Z
2021-09-30T15:12:13.500Z
2021-09-30T15:12:13.500Z
ruben2020
<p>Did any contemporaries/students of the historical Buddha achieve &quot;full enlightenment&quot; before he passed away?</p>

<buddha>
Enlightment of Early Monks
# Enlightment of Early Monks

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-27)

Did any contemporaries/students of the historical Buddha achieve "full enlightenment" before he passed away?

**Tags:** buddha


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-28. Score: 4

Yes. Many became arahants (fully enlightened ones) in the Buddha's lifetime.

While the Buddha was living, Venerables [Sariputta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.4.10.than.html), [Moggallana](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.3.05.than.html), [Mahakaccana](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.08.than.html), Mahakassapa, [Punna](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.088.than.html), [Anuruddha](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.030.than.html), Upali, Rahula, [Khema](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.001.than.html), Dhammadinna, [Bahiya](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.1.10.than.html), [Patacara](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.05.10.than.html), [Angulimala](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html), [Bhaddiya](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.02.than.html), [Sona](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.055.than.html), [Khemaka](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.089.than.html), [Sunita](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.12.02.than.html), [Sumana](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.06.10.than.html), Vimala, [Canda](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.05.12.than.html), [Kisagotami](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.10.01.than.html), [Revata](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.07.than.html), [Subhuti](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.6.07.than.html), [Anna Kondanna](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.7.06.than.html), [Dabba Mallaputta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.8.10.than.html), Ambapali, Subha etc. became arahants.

Ven. Ananda became an arahant after the Buddha's passing away.

You can search for these names in the Palikanon's [Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names](http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/dic_idx.html) and in AccessToInsight's [Index of Proper Names](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-names.html).

You can find sources for these, in various suttas, including in the Theragatha (stories of the elder monks) and Therigatha (stories of the elder nuns).

From "[Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html)" by Ven. Bodhi:

> Although the Buddha was the pioneer in discovering the path to
> liberation, this does not mean that his **arahant disciples** just
> selfishly reaped the benefits of the path and did nothing for others.
> To the contrary, in the suttas we can see that many of them became
> great teachers in their own right who were capable of guiding others
> towards liberation. The best known among them are **Sāriputta,
> Mahākaccāna, Moggāllana,** and **Ānanda**. There was the monk **Puṇṇa** who went
> to the barbarian Sunāparanta country, risking his life to teach the
> Dhamma to the people there. There were such nuns as **Khemā** and
> **Dhammadinnā**, who were outstanding preachers, **Paṭācārā**, who was a
> master of the discipline, and many others. For four hundred years, the
> Buddhist texts were preserved orally, transmitted from teachers to
> pupils, and obviously there had to be thousands of monks and nuns who
> dedicated their lives to learning the texts and teaching them to
> pupils, all for the purpose of preserving the good Dhamma and Vinaya
> in the world.
>
> The example established by the Buddha's **great arahant disciples** has
> been the model for the followers of the arahant ideal throughout
> history. While those who pursue this ideal do not make such lofty vows
> as do followers of the bodhisattva ideal, they are inspired by the
> example of the Buddha and his great disciples to work for the
> spiritual and moral uplift of others to the best of their ability: by
> teaching, by example, and by direct spiritual influence, inspired by
> the Buddha's command to "wander forth for the welfare of the
> multitude, for the happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for
> the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and human
> beings."


---

