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12. Nagasena, called in Chinese Wa'er Luohan, or
"The Ear Cleaning Arhat."
Nagasena means "Dragon Army" (so he is also called Long Jun in Chinese). He was considered to be a great teacher, and some think he was the speaker in the famous Buddhist book The Questions of King Milinda, in which he answers a king's questions regarding the Buddha's teaching.
So why is he cleaning his ear in almost every representation? Well, naturally, the only way to become a great teacher was to be a very good listener when the Buddha spoke! Remember, all of the Buddha's disciples are called shravakas or hearers, and Wa'er was among the best.
So why is he cleaning his ear in almost every representation? Well, naturally, the only way to become a great teacher was to be a very good listener when the Buddha spoke! Remember, all of the Buddha's disciples are called shravakas or hearers, and Wa'er was among the best.