Sixteen Arhats
Sixteen Arhats or Sthaviras (Tib. Néten Chudruk; Wyl. gnas brtan bcu drug; Skt. ṣoḍaśa sthavirāḥ). The Sthaviras or Elders were disciples of the Buddha who vowed at the time of the parinirvana to remain in the world and maintain the Dharma until the time of the future Buddha Maitreya. To visualize the Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of bodhisattvas generates great merit and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.
- Angaja (Tib. Yenlag Chung; Wyl. yan lag ‘byung)
- Ajita (Tib. Ma Phampa; Wyl. ma pham pa)
- Vanavāsin (Tib. Nagna Né; Wyl. nags gnas)
- Mahākālika (Tib. Düden Chenpo; Wyl. dus ldan chen po)
- Vajrīputra (Tib. Dorje Möbu; Wyl. rdo rje mo’i bu)
- Śrībhadra (Tib. Pal Zangpo; Wyl. dpal bzang)
- Kanakavatsa (Tib. Sergyi Be'u; Wyl. gser gyi be’u)
- Kanaka (Tib. Serchen; Wyl. gser can)
- Bakula (Tib. Bakula; Wyl. bakkula)
- Rāhula, the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin; Wyl. sgra gcan 'dzin)
- Chulapanthaka (Tib. Lamtren Ten; Wyl. lam phran)
- Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja (Tib. Dza Sönyom Len; Wyl. bha ra dva ja so nyom len)
- Panthaka (Tib. Lamten; Wyl. lam pa)
- Nāgasena (Tib. Lü De; Wyl. klu sde)
- Gopaka (Tib. Bé Chépa; Wyl. sbed byed)
- Abhedya (Tib. Michépa; Wyl. mi phyed pa)
Further Reading
In Tibetan
- Mipham Rinpoche, 'phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus