Mahakashyapa (Skt. Mahākāśyapa; Tib. འོད་སྲུང་ཆེན་པོ་, Ösung Chenpo, Wyl. 'od srung chen po) — one of the principle disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni and the first of the seven patriarchs who upheld the Dharma and succeeded to the Buddha as heads of the Buddhist community. He was responsible for holding the Three Buddhist Councils | first Buddhist council in Rajagriha. It is said he attained the state of an arhat only eight days after his first encounter with the Buddha. Mahakashyapa was known as the foremost of the Buddha's disciples in terms of ascetic discipline.
Category of Historical Masters Category of Buddha Shakyamuni's Disciples