Yasa was the first disciple to become a monk after the initial five ascetics. He was a wealthy young man from Varanasi who became deeply dissatisfied with his luxurious life and left home soon after the Buddha’s first sermon.
According to the traditional account, Yasa encountered the Buddha near the Deer Park at Sarnath. The Buddha taught him progressively, beginning with generosity and moral conduct before explaining the nature of suffering and liberation. Yasa attained an advanced stage of realization and requested ordination. The Buddha accepted him, making him the sixth monk in the Buddha’s community.
Yasa’s conversion was followed by that of his father, who became the first lay follower to take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Yasa’s mother and former wife also became early lay supporters. Later, fifty-four of Yasa’s friends joined him, rapidly expanding the Sangha beyond the original five monks.
A common mix-up is confusing Yasa with Ānanda, Upāli, or Sona, all important later disciples. Yasa’s special distinction is his position immediately after the first five ascetics.