Uddaka Rāmaputta


Uddaka Rāmaputta was a sage and teacher of meditation identified by the Buddhist tradition as one of the teachers of Gautama Buddha. 'Rāmaputta' means 'son of Rāma', who may have been his father or spiritual teacher. Uddaka Rāmaputta may have been a Jain, and taught refined states of meditation known as the immaterial attainments or formless realm.
After his departure from his father's court, Gautama Buddha first went to Ālāra Kālāma and after following his method was recognized as having equalled his master. Gautama was eager to learn more, and chose to depart to search for another teacher rather than accept a position as co-leader of Ālāra Kālāma's community. He found Uddaka Rāmaputta and accepted him as teacher.
While Ālāra Kālāma accepted the Buddha as an equal and asked him to lead his community alongside him, Uddaka Rāmaputta acknowledged the Buddha as his superior and equal to his predecessor, Uddaka Rāma, who had actually attained the "sphere of neither perception nor non-perception," which Rāmaputta had not reached. Uddaka Rāmaputta asked the Buddha to take sole leadership of his students and community, but the Buddha preferred to travel on.
Following his awakening, the Buddha first thought of Uddaka Rāmaputta as someone who would be able to understand and realize his Dharma, but he realized that Uddaka Rāmaputta had already died. Despite this confidence, in other texts the Buddha disparaged Uddaka Rāmaputta as someone who claimed attainments and understanding without having achieved them for himself.