Various recessions of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and other texts give an account of the Buddha being approached by a minister to the Mallas named Putkasa (Pali: Pukkusa) who told him about his teacher Alara Kalama's skill in meditation. One day, while deep in meditation, Alara did not hear the sound of a caravan of five hundred wagons that passed by him. The Buddha shared a similar experience; while in the village of Ādumā, a rainstorm had frightened four cowherds and two workmen to death, while the Buddha remained calm due to his prowess in meditation.[6]
The intrigued Gautama went to Alara Kalama, who taught a kind of early meditation at Vaiśālī.[7] Alara taught Siddhartha meditation, especially a dhyānic state called the "sphere of nothingness" (ākiṃcanyāyatana).[8][9]
Gautama eventually found himself on par with Alara, who could not teach him more, saying, "It is a gain for us, my friend, a great gain for us, that we have such a companion in the holy life ... As I am, so are you; as you are, so am I. Come friend, let us now lead this community together."[4] Gautama was not interested in staying, as Alara's dharma did not lead to freedom from samsara. After leaving, the Siddhartha found a new teacher, Udraka Rāmaputra.[10]
After attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha went to search for Alara Kalama to teach him the Dharma, only to find that he had died seven days prior.[4]
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