One of the two teachers to whom Gotama, after his renunciation, first attached himself, the other being Uddaka Rámaputta. In the Milindapańha (p.236) Álára is mentioned as Gotama's fourth teacher. The ThigA. (p.2) says he went to Bhaggava before going to Álára. The Mtu. (ii.117f.) and the Lal. (330f), give quite different accounts.
In the Ariyaparivesána Sutta (M.i.163-5; also 240ff; ii.94ff, 212ff) the Buddha describes his visit to Álára. Gotama quickly mastered his doctrine and was able to repeat it by heart; but feeling sure that Álára not only knew the doctrine but had realised it, he approached him and questioned him about it. Álára then proclaimed the Ákińcańńáyatana, and Gotama, putting forth energy and concentration greater than Álára's, made himself master of that state. Álára recognised his pupil's eminence and treated him as an equal, but Gotama, not having succeeded in his quest, took leave of Álára to go elsewhere (VibhA.432). When, after having practised austerities for six years, the Buddha attained Enlightenment and granted Sahampati's request to preach the doctrine, it was of Álára he thought first as being the fittest to hear the teaching. But Álára had died seven days earlier (Vin.i.7).
The books mention little else about Álára. The Mahá Parinibbána Sutta (D.ii.130; Vsm.330) mentions a Mallian, Pukkusa, who says he had been Álára’s disciple, but who, when he hears the Buddha's sermon, confesses faith in the Buddha. Pukkusa describes Álára to the Buddha as one who practised great concentration. Once Álára was sitting in the open air and neither saw nor heard five hundred passing carts though he was awake and conscious.
As already stated above, the aim of Álára’s practices is stated to have been the attainment of Akińcańńayatana, the stage of nothingness. Whether this statement is handed down with any real knowledge of the facts of his teaching, it is not now possible to say. Asvaghosa, in his Buddhacarita (xii.17ff), puts into the mouth of Áráda or Álára, a brief account of his philosophy. It has some resemblance - though this is slight - to the Sánkhya philosophy, but in Álára’s teaching some of the salient characteristics of the Sánkhya system are absent. In reply to Gotama's questions about the religious life and the obtaining of final release, Álára describes a system of spiritual development which is identical with the methods of the Buddhist monk up to the last attainment but one. The monk reaches the four jhánas and then attains successively to the states of space, infinity and nothingness. The last three stages are described in the terms of the first three of the four Attainments. (For a discussion on this see Thomas, op. cit., p.229-30; see also MA.ii.881; VibhA.432). According to Buddhaghosa (AA.i.458), Bharandu Káláma was a disciple of Álára at the same time as Gotama and is therefore described as the Buddha's purána-sabrahmacárí (A.i.277). Buddhaghosa further tells us (DA.ii.569) that in Álára Káláma, Álára was his personal name. He was so called because he was dígha-pingala (long and tawny).