Mahakasyapa

Mahakasyapa was one of the Buddha’s earliest disciples, entering the monastic order three years after the Buddha had attained enlightenment. Mahakasyapa was born into a Brahmin family, the aristocracy. Even before he became a disciple of the Buddha, he was known for his noble bearing. He was aloof to worldly desires and material pursuits. When his parents pressured him into marrying, he and his wife agreed to have a celibate relationship and slept in separate beds. Later on, Mahakasyapa overheard the Buddha propagating the Dharma at the Bamboo Grove Monastery. At the moment, faith arose and he became a Buddhist.
After the Buddha entered final nirvana, Mahakasyapa inherited the Buddha’s robes and alms bowl and organized the First Buddhist Council. Afterwards, he handed the Dharma transmission to Ananda and travelled to Kukkutapada Mountain, where he entered a deep state of meditative concentration to await the arrival of Maitreya Buddha. Among the Buddha’s disciples, he was known as foremost in austerities.