Who was Devadatta, and why did he challenge the Buddha?

Devadatta was a Buddhist monk and a cousin of the Buddha who joined the sangha approximately 20 years into the Buddha’s ministry.1

He challenged the Buddha primarily due to a desire for leadership and a belief that the monastic community required a more rigorous lifestyle. His conflict with the Buddha manifested in several ways:

• Leadership Struggle: Devadatta formally proposed that the Buddha retire and transfer leadership of the sangha to him. When this was rejected, he sought to undermine the Buddha’s authority.1
• Ascetic Reform: He advocated for the implementation of stricter ascetic rules for all monks. When the Buddha refused these mandates, Devadatta led a schism, persuading roughly 500 followers to secede from the main community.1
• Hostility: According to tradition, Devadatta’s resentment escalated into violent attempts on the Buddha's life, including hiring assassins, rolling a boulder at him, and inciting a mad elephant to attack him.1

His actions represent a fundamental betrayal of the ethical principles of nonviolence and community harmony central to the Buddha's teachings.1