English
when you were lying on the royal couch in the shade of the rose-apple tree, I saw the shade of the rose-apple tree did not move, and I worshipped your feet. This was my second worship. Now, seeing this miracle, never seen before, I worship your feet. This is my third worship." When King Suddhodana worshipped the Blessed One, those who had not worshipped... From then on, not a single Sakyan remained, all of them paid homage. Thus, the Blessed One, having made his relatives pay homage, descended from the sky and sat on the prepared seat. When the Blessed One was seated, the gathering of relatives reached its peak, all assembled with one mind. Then a great cloud rained a lotus-shower, red-colored water, roaring, went downwards. Not even a single drop fell on anyone's body. Seeing that, all were filled with wonder and amazement. The Blessed One said: "Not only now, at this gathering of my relatives, does a lotus-shower rain, it rained in the past too." With this occasion, he recounted the Vessantara Jātaka. Having heard the Dharma discourse, all rose, paid homage, circumambulated, and departed. Not a single king or royal minister said, "Tomorrow, please accept alms from us," and then left. On the second day, the Blessed One, accompanied by twenty thousand monks, entered Kapilavatthu for alms. No one came forward to invite him, nor did anyone take his bowl. The Blessed One, standing at the city gate pillar, reflected: "How did the Buddhas of the past go for alms in their family city? Did they go to the houses of the wealthy in an irregular order, or did they go house-to-house in sequence?" Then, seeing no Buddha had gone in an irregular order, [he thought]: "I too must now uphold this lineage, this tradition. And in the future, my disciples, following my example, will fulfill the alms-round practice." So, starting from the house at the end of the street, he went for alms house-to-house in sequence. "Indeed, Prince Siddhartha is going for alms!" The great populace, opening the lion-windows in palaces of four stories and so forth, were busy watching. Even Queen Rāhulamātā [thought]: "Indeed, my noble son, who in this very city used to travel with great royal splendor in golden palanquins and so forth, now, having shaved his hair and beard, dressed in saffron robes, with a bowl in hand, goes for alms. Does he look good, or not?" Opening a lion-window, she gazed at the Blessed One, who was radiant with various kinds of detachment... having illuminated the city streets with the radiance of his body, and seeing him shining with the glory of a Buddha, he praised him with eight verses called the Lion-Man Verses, from the crown of his head down to the soles of his feet. Then he went to the king and reported, “Your son is going for alms.” The king, with a startled heart, adjusting his robe with his hand, hurriedly went out, and quickly approaching, stood before the Blessed One and said: “Why, Venerable Sir, do you put us to shame? Why do you go for alms? Did you think that food could not be obtained for so many monks?” “This is our lineage custom, Great King.” “But Venerable Sir, our lineage is called the Great Elect Warrior Lineage, and in it, not even one warrior has ever gone for alms.” “This lineage, Great King, is your lineage. Our lineage, however, is the Buddha Lineage, and all Buddhas were alms-goers.” Standing right in the middle of the street, he then said this verse: “One should arise, not be heedless, one should practice the Dhamma well; The Dhamma-practicer sleeps happily, in this world and in the next.” At the end of the verse, the king realized the fruit of stream-entry. “One should practice the Dhamma well, one should not practice it badly; The Dhamma-practicer sleeps happily, in this world and in the next.” Having heard this verse, he became established in the fruit of once-returning. Having heard the Dhammapāla Jātaka, he became established in the fruit of non-returning. At the time of his death, lying on his royal couch beneath the white parasol, he attained Arahantship. The king did not have to strive for exertion by dwelling in the forest. Having realized the fruit of stream-entry, the king took the Blessed One’s bowl, and led the Blessed One with his retinue up to the great palace, and served him with exquisite hard and soft foods. At the end of the meal, all the women of the royal harem came and paid homage to the Blessed One, except for Rāhula’s mother. Though she was told by her attendants, “Go, pay homage to your noble son,” she said, “If there is any virtue in me, he himself "My lord's son will come, I will worship him when he arrives," she said, but did not go. Then the Blessed One had the king take the bowl, and with the two chief disciples, went to the royal daughter's bedchamber. He said, "The royal daughter, worshipping as she pleases, should not be told anything," and sat on the prepared seat. She came quickly, took hold of his ankles, and turning her head on the top of his feet again and again, worshipped as she wished. The king spoke of the royal daughter's qualities of affection and reverence towards the Blessed One. The Blessed One said, "It is no wonder, great king, that now, with mature wisdom, the royal daughter, protected by you, protected herself. She, unprotected before, wandering at the foot of the mountain, with immature wisdom, protected herself." Having said this, he related the Candakinnarī Jātaka. On that very day, five great festivals took place: Prince Nanda's hair-cutting, the tying of the headband, the house-warming, the wedding, and the anointing ceremony. The Blessed One had Nanda take the bowl, spoke a blessing, and rose from his seat and departed. Janapadakalyāṇī, seeing the prince going, said, "Please, my lord's son, come back quickly!" and stretching out her neck, looked after him. He, unable to say to the Blessed One, "Please take the bowl," went straight to the monastery. The Blessed One ordained him, even though he was unwilling. Thus, the Blessed One, having come to Kapilavatthu, ordained Nanda on the second day. On the seventh day, Rāhula's mother adorned the prince and sent him to the Blessed One, saying: "Look, dear son, at that ascetic, surrounded by twenty thousand monks, of golden complexion, with the beauty of Brahma. This is your father. He had great treasures. Since his going forth, we have not seen them. Go and ask him for your inheritance. 'I, dear son, will be a universal monarch, raising the parasol. I have need of wealth. Give me wealth. For a son is the owner of his father's property.'" Prince Rāhula, having gone to the Blessed One, immediately received his father's affection. with a joyful mind, saying, "Pleasant is your shade, ascetic!" and stood there speaking many other things suitable to himself. The Blessed One, having finished his meal, made the anumodanā, and rose from his seat and departed. The prince also followed the Blessed One, saying, "Give me the inheritance, ascetic! Give me the inheritance, ascetic!" Therefore it was said: "Wandering by stages, where Kapilavatthu... give me the inheritance, ascetic!" Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Sāriputta. The Blessed One did not turn the prince back, nor did his retinue dare to turn back one who was going with the Blessed One. Then, having gone to the monastery, [the Blessed One thought:] "This wealth that he desires from his father is subject to the cycle of existence, and brings destruction. Come, I will give him the seven kinds of noble wealth obtained at the Bodhi-maṇḍa. I will make him an owner of the supramundane inheritance." Thus he addressed Venerable Sāriputta. And having addressed him, he said: "Therefore, Sāriputta, ordain Prince Rāhula." The meaning is: Since he asks for an inheritance, ordain him for the attainment of the supramundane inheritance. Now, that ordination and higher ordination which the Blessed One had permitted in Bārāṇasī by means of the three refuges— since then the higher ordination was rejected and, being made weighty, was permitted by a ñatti-catuttha kamma, but the ordination was neither rejected nor permitted again— therefore, in the future, doubt will arise among the bhikkhus: "This ordination, in the past, was similar to the higher ordination. Should it now also be performed by a kammavācā like the higher ordination, or by means of the refuges?" Knowing this matter, the Blessed One desired to permit the sāmaṇera ordination again by means of the three refuges. Therefore, the Dhamma-senāpati, knowing that intention of the Blessed One, and desiring to have the Blessed One permit the ordination again, said: "How, venerable sir, shall I ordain Prince Rāhula?" Then Venerable Sāriputta ordained Prince Rāhula. The prince's... Then Venerable Moggallāna cut his hair, gave him the saffron robes, and gave him the refuges. Venerable Mahākassapa was his instructor. But since ordination and full admission are rooted in the preceptor, the preceptor is the master there, not the instructor. Therefore it is said: “Then Venerable Sāriputta ordained Prince Rāhula.” Thus, having heard “The prince is ordained,” with a heart overcome with emotion, then Suddhodana could say all that he said. There, since for one who has gone forth and lives by gleaning alms, without distinction, when it is said, “I ask for a boon,” the saying “Ask!” is inappropriate, and not the custom of Buddhas, therefore it is said: “The Tathāgatas, Gotama, have passed beyond boons.” “Whatever, Venerable Sir, is fitting, and whatever is blameless, whatever is fitting for you to give, and is blameless, and by my acceptance of it will not be censured by the wise, that I ask for,” is the meaning. Similarly, concerning Nanda, and even more so Rāhula: Just as the soothsayers had declared on the auspicious day that the Bodhisatta would be a Wheel-turning Monarch, so too they declared that Nanda and Rāhula would be. Then the king, eager to see his son’s sovereignty as a Wheel-turner,