Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

When Buddha went back to Kapila after the attainment of Great Wisdom, many noble men of Buddha family left their home to be bonzes. At that time, the leading figures were the cousins of his paternal line. Among the figures, Bhadrika was the Rāja of Sakyamuni family at that time, Aniruddha and Ānanda became two of Ten Great Disciples later. Devadatta was a problematic person, but gives us many insights on the first state of Buddhism. In spite of their importance, the position of Buddha's cousins in Sakyamuni family is so confusing that we suffer some difficulty in its clear comprehension. Therefore, the close examination on the "8 sons" centering Buddha and Nanda as well as the "4 men" who were their fathers must be essential to understand Buddha and the fundamental Buddhism. Through the examination of "4 men 8 sons", we can see more clearly the background concerning the Buddha's family and the conversion of Sakyamuni noble men as well as their position in the original Buddhism. Moreover, as it shows an aspect of competitive structure that arose from the early days of Buddha, it may suggest us a solution of such problem. Of course, the Buddhism is not the religion of Sakyamuni family only. In spite of it, the influence of Sakyamuni family to the original Buddhism and early Buddhism was really enormous. Therefore, the consideration on the "4 men and 8 sons" is indispensable in understanding the Buddhism.