DESCRIPTION
(Mahā-) Maudgalyāyana, or Maudgalaputra 目犍連 目連; 摩訶目犍連 (or 摩訶羅夜那); 大目犍連 (or 大目乾連) ; 沒特伽羅子 (or 沒力伽羅子); 目伽略 ; explained by Mudga 胡豆 lentil, kidney-bean. One of the ten chief disciples of Śākyamuni, specially noted for miraculous powers; formerly an ascetic, he agreed with Śāriputra that whichever first found the truth would reveal it to the other. Śāriputra found the Buddha and brought Maudgalyāyana to him; the former is placed on the Buddha's right, the latter on his left. He is also known as 拘栗 Kolita, and when reborn as Buddha his title is to be Tamāla-patra-candana-gandha. In China, Mahāsthāmaprapta is accounted a canonization of Maudgalyāyana.
Suggested Reading
Maudgalyayana_Mulian_Brill_s_Encycloped.pdf857.9KB