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was having the central gatehouse plastered. Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's father saw Venerable Raṭṭhapāla coming from afar. Having seen him, he said this: "By these shaven-headed ascetics, our only son, dear and beloved, has been made to go forth!" Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, at his father's house, received neither alms nor a refusal; he only received abuse. Now at that time, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's relative-slave woman was about to throw away some stale porridge. Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla said to that relative-slave woman: "Sister, if this is to be discarded, pour it into my bowl here." Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's relative-slave woman, as she poured that stale porridge into Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's bowl, recognized the marks of his hands, his feet, and his voice. 300. Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's relative-slave woman approached Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's mother. Having approached, she said to Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's mother: "Please, mistress, know this: 'Young master Raṭṭhapāla has arrived!'" "If, my dear, you speak the truth, I will make you a free woman!" Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's mother approached Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's father. Having approached, she said to Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's father: "Please, householder, know this: 'It seems Raṭṭhapāla, the young man of the family, has arrived!'" Now at that time, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla was eating that stale porridge leaning against the base of a wall. Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla's father approached Venerable Raṭṭhapāla. Having approached, he said to Venerable Raṭṭhapāla: "Is it true, my dear Raṭṭhapāla, that stale porr... Will you eat for a month? Isn't it, dear Raṭṭhapāla, that you should go to your own home? Where is our home, householder, for us who have gone forth from home to homelessness? We are homeless, householder. Indeed, we came to your home, householder, and there we received neither alms nor a refusal; we only received abuse. Come, dear Raṭṭhapāla, let's go home. Enough, householder, my meal for today is done. In that case, dear Raṭṭhapāla, accept tomorrow's meal. Indeed, the venerable Raṭṭhapāla accepted by silence. Then indeed, Raṭṭhapāla's father, knowing Raṭṭhapāla's acceptance, went to his own dwelling; having gone there, he had a great heap of gold and silver made, covered it with mats, and addressed Raṭṭhapāla's former wives: Come, you daughters-in-law, adorn yourselves with the ornaments with which you were formerly dear and pleasing to the young man Raṭṭhapāla. 301. Then indeed, Raṭṭhapāla's father, after the passing of that night, having prepared excellent hard and soft food in his own dwelling, announced the time to Raṭṭhapāla: It is time, dear Raṭṭhapāla, the meal is ready. Then indeed, the venerable Raṭṭhapāla, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, went to his father's dwelling; having gone there, he sat down on the seat prepared for him. Then indeed, Raṭṭhapāla's father, having uncovered that heap of gold and silver, said to the venerable Raṭṭhapāla: This, dear Raṭṭhapāla, is your mother's wealth, other is your father's, other is your grandfather's. It is possible, dear Raṭṭhapāla, to enjoy possessions and to do meritorious deeds. Come, dear Raṭṭhapāla, having returned to a lower state, enjoy possessions and do meritorious deeds. to load it.” “If you, householder, would do as I say, you should load this heap of gold and silver onto carts, take it out, and cast it into the current in the middle of the Ganges river. For what reason? Because, householder, from that arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.” Then, the former wives of Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, each taking him by the feet, said to Venerable Raṭṭhapāla: “What kind of nymphs are they, dear husband, for whose sake you lead the holy life?” “We do not lead the holy life, sisters, for the sake of nymphs.” “Our dear husband Raṭṭhapāla addresses us as sisters!” They then fainted and fell down right there. Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla said to his father: “If, householder, food is to be given, give it; do not trouble us.” “Eat, dear Raṭṭhapāla, the meal is ready.” Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla’s father personally served and satisfied Venerable Raṭṭhapāla with choice hard and soft foods. 302. Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, having eaten, with his bowl put away and hands washed, standing there, uttered these verses: “See this adorned image, a body built of sores; Sick, full of many thoughts, for which there is no lasting stability. “See this adorned form, with jewels and earrings; Bones covered with skin, it shines with clothes. “Feet reddened with lac, face smeared with powder; Enough to delude the fool, but not one seeking the far shore. “Hair arranged in eight braids, eyes smeared with collyrium; Enough to delude the fool, but not one seeking the far shore. “Like a new collyrium box, adorned, a putrid body; Enough to delude the fool, but not one seeking the far shore. “The hunter set the snare, the deer did not approach the bait; Having eaten the bait, we go, while the deer-catchers lament.” Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla Having stood, having spoken these verses, he approached the deer park of King Korabya. Having approached, he sat down for a day-rest at the root of a certain tree. 303. Then King Korabya addressed the deer-keeper: “Cleanse, friend deer-keeper, the deer park, the pleasure ground; let us go to see the good land.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” the deer-keeper, having assented to King Korabya, while cleansing the deer park, saw the venerable Raṭṭhapāla sitting for a day-rest at the root of a certain tree. Having seen him, he approached King Korabya. Having approached, he said to King Korabya: “Your deer park is clean, Your Majesty. And there is here the noble son named Raṭṭhapāla, the son of the foremost family in this very Thullakoṭṭhika, whom you often praised; he is sitting for a day-rest at the root of a certain tree.” “In that case, friend deer-keeper, enough for today with the pleasure ground. Now we shall attend upon that venerable Raṭṭhapāla.” Then King Korabya, having said, “Release all the food and drink prepared there,” had fine carriages yoked, mounted a fine carriage, and departed from Thullakoṭṭhika with fine carriages, with great royal splendor, to see the venerable Raṭṭhapāla. As far as the ground was suitable for a carriage, having gone by carriage, having descended from the carriage, on foot, with a large retinue, he approached the venerable Raṭṭhapāla. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Raṭṭhapāla. Having exchanged courteous and memorable talk, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, King Korabya said to the venerable Raṭṭhapāla: “May Venerable Raṭṭhapāla sit on this elephant-rug.” “Enough, great king, you sit; I am seated on my own seat.” King Korabya sat down on the prepared seat. Then King Korabya, seated, spoke to the venerable Raṭṭhapāla thus: 304. "There are these four impairments, good Raṭṭhapāla, by which some here, endowed with these impairments, shave off their hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness. Which are the four? The impairment of old age, the impairment of sickness, the impairment of loss of wealth, the impairment of loss of relatives. And what, good Raṭṭhapāla, is the impairment of old age? Here, good Raṭṭhapāla, someone is old, aged, decrepit, having reached the end of his life, having attained old age. He reflects thus: 'I am now old, aged, decrepit, having reached the end of my life, having attained old age. It is not easy for me to acquire wealth not yet acquired, or to increase wealth already acquired. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness?' So, endowed with that impairment of old age, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on saffron robes, and goes forth from home to homelessness. This, good Raṭṭhapāla, is called the impairment of old age. But the venerable Raṭṭhapāla is now young, youthful, with jet-black hair, endowed with the prime of youth, in the first stage of life. That impairment of old age is not present for the venerable Raṭṭhapāla. What has the venerable Raṭṭhapāla known, or seen, or heard, that he has gone forth from home to homelessness? "And what, good Raṭṭhapāla, is the impairment of sickness? Here, good Raṭṭhapāla, someone is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. He reflects thus: 'I am now afflicted, suffering, gravely ill. It is not easy for me to acquire wealth not yet acquired, or to increase wealth already acquired. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness?' So, endowed with that impairment of sickness, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on saffron robes, donning robes, from home to homelessness he goes forth. This is called, O Raṭṭhapāla, decline due to sickness. But Master Raṭṭhapāla is now free from illness, free from affliction, endowed with a balanced digestion, neither too cold nor too hot. That decline due to sickness Master Raṭṭhapāla does not have. What then, Master Raṭṭhapāla, having known or seen or heard, did you go forth from home to homelessness? And what, O Raṭṭhapāla, is the decline due to wealth? Here, O Raṭṭhapāla, some person is rich, of great wealth, of great possessions. His possessions gradually diminish. He reflects thus: ‘Indeed, I was formerly rich, of great wealth, of great possessions. But my possessions have gradually diminished. It is not easy for me to acquire wealth not yet acquired, or to increase wealth already acquired. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, don saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness?’ So, endowed with that decline due to wealth, he shaves off his hair and beard, dons saffron robes, and goes forth from home to homelessness. This is called, O Raṭṭhapāla, decline due to wealth. But Master Raṭṭhapāla is the son of a leading family right here in Thullakoṭṭhika. That decline due to wealth Master Raṭṭhapāla does not have.