English
Then one day he asked his mother: "Upāsikā, do you have no brother or sister? Do you not see any relative?" I see." "Son, I am a slave woman of a family in Anuradhapura. I ran away with your father and live here." The virtuous monk, thinking, "My ordination is impure," felt a sense of urgency. He asked his mother the name and clan of that family. He came to Anuradhapura and stood at the gate of that family's house. Even when told, "Pass, venerable sir," he did not pass. They came and asked, "What is it, venerable sir?" "Do you have a slave woman named so-and-so who ran away?" "Yes, venerable sir." "I am her son. If you permit me, I will obtain ordination. You are my masters." They, delighted and pleased, said, "Venerable sir, your ordination is pure." They freed him and had him reside in the Great Monastery, attending to him with the four requisites. The elder, residing dependent on that family, attained arahantship. The story of the slave is finished. The story of Kammārabhaṇḍu and others Kammārabhaṇḍu means a goldsmith's son, a boy with a topknot, a young lad with five tufts of hair, it is said. "To ask the Saṅgha for the 'bhaṇḍu-kamma'" means to ask the Saṅgha for permission for the 'bhaṇḍu-kamma'. This is the method of asking for permission: Gather the bhikkhus within the boundary, bring the ordination candidate there, and say, "Venerable sirs, I ask the Saṅgha for the 'bhaṇḍu-kamma' of this boy," three times, or twice, or once. Here, it is permissible to say: "I ask for the 'bhaṇḍu-kamma' of this boy," or "I ask for the making of this one into a recluse," or "I ask for the ordination of this one," or "This one wishes to become a recluse," or "This one wishes to ordain." If it is a suitable place, and it is known that ten, or twenty, or thirty bhikkhus reside, one should go to their standing place or sitting place and ask for permission in the same manner as before. Even without the ordination candidate present, one may send young bhikkhus or novices and say, "Venerable sirs, there is an ordination candidate, for him “We ask permission for the shaving ritual,” and so on, it is proper to ask permission in this way. If some monks enter a dwelling or a thicket and sleep, or practice the ascetic life, and those asking permission, even searching, do not see them, and think, “All have been asked permission by us,” then ordination is a light act. Therefore, the one ordained is well-ordained, and there is no offense for the one ordaining. However, if it is a great monastery, an abode of thousands of monks, it is difficult to gather all the monks, let alone ask them one by one. Or, one may stand at a boundary marker, or go to a river or sea, and ordain. But if one is newly shaven, or confused, or one of the Nigaṇṭhas and others, or has hair two finger-breadths long, or less than two finger-breadths long, there is no hair-cutting ritual for him. Therefore, it is proper to ordain such a person even without asking permission for the shaving ritual. But one who has hair longer than two finger-breadths, even if he wears only one topknot, must be ordained only after asking permission for the shaving ritual. The story of Upāli is as stated in the Mahāvibhaṅga. 100. By the plague: by a deadly disease. Where that disease arises, that family, bipeds and quadrupeds, all perish. One who breaks through a wall or roof and flees, or goes to another village, is saved. Similarly, here, the father and son were saved. Therefore, it is said: “The father and son remained.” One who drives away crows: one who, holding a clod in his left hand, sits and is able to drive away the incoming crows and eat the food placed before him, this one is called a crow-driver. It is proper to ordain him. 102. Temporary: a small amount; the meaning is that the stay will be for only a few days. 103. By a diminished group: by a small number of monks. The meaning is: by a small Saṅgha of monks. For life by an incompetent one: here, if he does not find an elder teacher, whether he is sixty or seventy years old in his higher ordination, he should sit on his haunches before even a younger, competent one and join his hands. holding up the joined palms, saying three times, "Venerable sir, be my teacher, I will live depending on the venerable one," dependence should be taken. When asking permission to enter a village, one should sit on one's haunches, hold up the joined palms, and say, "I ask permission to enter the village, teacher." This is the method for all permissions. Regarding the five and six groups (of rules) here, whatever is heard and desired by one free from dependence is stated in the commentary on the instruction of bhikkhunis. It should be understood that one is "little-learned" if it is absent, and "much-learned" if it is present. The rest is in the manner stated. The discourse on the smith's tools and clothing, etc., is finished. The Story of Rahula 105. Here is the sequential story regarding "He set out on a journey to Kapilavatthu." It is said that King Suddhodana, from the day of the Bodhisatta's renunciation, lived with an attentive ear to hear the news, (thinking) "My son went forth, saying 'I will become a Buddha,' has he indeed become a Buddha?" Hearing of the Blessed One's ascetic practice, his enlightenment, the setting in motion of the Wheel of Dhamma, and so on, and hearing, "Now, it is said, my son lives near Rājagaha," he commanded an attendant, "My dear, I am old and aged, please let me see my son while I am still alive." He, saying "Yes, sir," and accompanied by a thousand men, went to Rājagaha, bowed at the feet of the Blessed One, and sat down. Then the Blessed One preached a discourse to him. He, becoming pleased, requested both renunciation and full ordination. Thereupon, the Blessed One ordained him with the "Come, monk" ordination. He, with his retinue, attained arahantship and remained there, experiencing the bliss of fruition attainment. The king, by the same means, sent eight other messengers. All of them, with their retinues, likewise attained arahantship and remained there. No one reported even a bit of news to the king, (saying) "They are not coming for this reason." Then the king, wishing to send Kāludāyi, an attendant who was born on the same day as the Bodhisatta, (thought of) the previous ones. He who asked him, said, "If I am allowed to go forth, I will show him." The king sent him, saying, "Even after going forth, show me my son!" And he, surrounded by a thousand men, went and likewise attained arahantship with his retinue. One day, when all the crops were gathered, the workers in the countryside had ceased their work, the land and water flowers were blooming, and the paths were passable, he paid homage to the Blessed One and described the journey with about sixty verses. The Blessed One asked, "What is this?" "Venerable Sir, your father, King Suddhodana, sent me, saying, 'I am old, show me my son while I am still alive.' Please, Venerable Sir, Blessed One, show favor to your relatives. It is time to set out on the journey." "Then announce to the Sangha, 'The bhikkhus will fulfill the practice of travel.'" "Yes, Venerable Sir," the elder did so. The Blessed One, surrounded by twenty thousand Arahants in all— ten thousand noble sons from Anga and Magadha, and ten thousand from Kapilavatthu— departed from Rājagaha. Traveling a yojana each day, he would reach Kapilavatthu, which was sixty yojanas from Rājagaha, in two months. Thus, he set out on a leisurely journey. Therefore it is said, "He set out on a journey towards Kapilavatthu." When the Blessed One had thus departed, Elder Udāyi, from the day of departure, performed the meal service at the house of King Suddhodana. The king served the elder, rubbed the bowl with scented powder, filled it with excellent food, and placed it in the elder's hand, saying, "Give this to the Blessed One." The elder also did likewise. Thus, the Blessed One consumed the alms-food of the king himself on the way. And the elder, at the end of the meal service, announced to the king each day, "Today the Blessed One has come this far," and with talk connected with the Buddha's qualities, he aroused faith in the Sākiyans towards the Blessed One. Therefore, the Blessed One said of him, "Among my bhikkhu disciples, this one is foremost in... ...as Kāḷudāyī, the foremost among those who gladden families." He placed him at the forefront. When the Blessed One arrived, the Sākiyans gathered, thinking, "We shall see our chief kinsman." They sought out the Blessed One's dwelling place. Noticing that Nigrodha's park was delightful, they had all preparations made there. With perfumes and flowers in hand, they went forth to meet him. First, they sent forth young boys and girls, adorned with all ornaments. Then, princes and princesses, and after them, they themselves went, worshipping the Blessed One with perfumes, flowers, and powders, and led him to Nigrodha's park. There, the Blessed One, surrounded by twenty thousand Arahants, sat on the prepared excellent Buddha-seat. The Sākiyans were of a proud nature, stiff with pride. They thought, "Prince Siddhattha is younger than us, our younger brother, our nephew, our son, our grandson." They told the young princes, "You worship him; we will sit behind you." As they were thus seated, the Blessed One, perceiving their intention, thought, "My relatives do not worship me. Come, I will make them worship me." He entered the fourth jhāna, which is the basis for supernormal powers. Rising from it, he ascended into the air by psychic power. As if scattering dust from his feet on their heads, he performed a miracle similar to the Twin Miracle at the foot of the Kaṇḍamba tree. The king, seeing that wonder, said, "Blessed One, on your auspicious day, when you were brought to worship the brahmin, I saw your feet turn away and rest on the brahmin's head, and I worshipped you. This was my first worship. On the plowing festival day,