While the Blessed Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, there was a householder living in Śrāvastī with a clever servant who was industrious, assured in his work, and the first to any task, no matter how small. At a certain point the householder insulted his servant, prompting the servant to think, “This householder is hard to please and I cannot guard my mind against his abuse. I ought to run away. But leaving one’s own land behind is hard, so instead I shall go forth among the ascetic sons of the Śākya, for they have secured from the king the liberty of a prince.”
EN
With that he went to Jetavana, where he approached a monk and said, “Noble one, I want to go forth.”
EN
After allowing his going forth and ordaining him, the monk gave him instructions. To these, the former servant applied himself with diligence, energy, and exertion so that he abandoned all disturbing emotions and actualized arhatship, becoming an arhat free of attachment to the three realms, for whom filth was equal to gold, for whom space was equal to the palm of his hand, whose emotions had been cooled as if treated by a balm of sandalwood, and whose knowledge had rent open the shell. He attained knowledge, clairvoyance, and discerning wisdom. He turned his back on worldly gain, desires, and esteem, and was venerated, honored, and saluted by Indra and the gods who attend him.
EN
The householder, meanwhile, was feeling regret: “If my servant was first to all of my tasks, no matter how small, why did I insult him? If I see him now, I will beg his forgiveness.” With that he sat down at the gates to Śrāvastī.
EN
The next morning, the monk put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī when the householder saw him and said, “Sir, if you have gone forth, who will attend me? Come back!” As the householder reached out to grab at him, the monk, like a kingly swan taken to wing, flew up into the sky above, blazing and brilliant, as a miraculous show of rain and thunder began.
EN
Because ordinary beings are quick to heed a miracle, the householder dropped like a felled tree at the monk’s feet and asked, “Noble one, have you found such a store of qualities?”
EN
“I have.”
EN
The householder provided the monk with all the provisions he would need, and word spread everywhere that the servant of this householder had gone forth and attained a store of qualities. When Prasenajit, the King of Kosala, heard that this servant had gone forth and attained a store of qualities, he summoned his ministers and said, “Gentlemen, as the ruler of all anointed kṣatriya kings, I declare that henceforth any servant who should wish to go forth shall not be prevented from doing so.”
EN
In Śrāvastī there lived a different householder with a clever servant who was industrious, assured in his work, and first to any task, no matter how small. At a certain point the householder insulted his servant, prompting the servant to think, “This householder is hard to please and I cannot guard my mind against his abuse. I ought to run away. But leaving one’s own land behind is hard, so instead I shall go forth among the ascetic sons of the Śākya, for they have secured from the king the liberty of a prince.”
EN
With that he went to Jetavana, where he approached a monk and said, “Noble one, I want to go forth.”
EN
After allowing his going forth and ordaining him, the monk trained him for the next two or three days in his regular duties, and then said, “Sir, game does not eat other game. The whole of Śrāvastī is your field and fatherland, so seek out alms and live on them.”
EN
The householder, meanwhile, was feeling regret: “If he was first to all of my tasks, no matter how small, why did I insult him? If I see him now, I will beg his forgiveness.” With that he sat down at the gates to Śrāvastī.
EN
The next morning, the monk put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī when the householder saw him and said, “Sir, if you have gone forth, who will attend me? Come back!” As the householder reached out to grab at him, the monk said, “The king has given us a prince’s liberty. If you touch me, I shall cut your hand off at the wrist!”
EN
As such words put to flame the virtuous ways of the ascetic sons of the Śākya, and put to flame the ways of brahmins, the allowing of this servant’s going forth was denounced, disparaged, and criticized. The monks then asked the Blessed One about it, and he thought, “All those shortcomings ensue from monks allowing the going forth of servants.”
EN
Then he decreed, “That being the case, monks should not allow the going forth of servants. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, ask him, ‘You are not a servant, are you?’ If you allow going forth without asking this, a breach occurs.”
While the Blessed Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, there was a householder living in Śrāvastī with a clever servant who was industrious, assured in his work, and the first to any task, no matter how small. At a certain point the householder insulted his servant, prompting the servant to think, “This householder is hard to please and I cannot guard my mind against his abuse. I ought to run away. But leaving one’s own land behind is hard, so instead I shall go forth among the ascetic sons of the Śākya, for they have secured from the king the liberty of a prince.”
EN
With that he went to Jetavana, where he approached a monk and said, “Noble one, I want to go forth.”
EN
After allowing his going forth and ordaining him, the monk gave him instructions. To these, the former servant applied himself with diligence, energy, and exertion so that he abandoned all disturbing emotions and actualized arhatship, becoming an arhat free of attachment to the three realms, for whom filth was equal to gold, for whom space was equal to the palm of his hand, whose emotions had been cooled as if treated by a balm of sandalwood, and whose knowledge had rent open the shell. He attained knowledge, clairvoyance, and discerning wisdom. He turned his back on worldly gain, desires, and esteem, and was venerated, honored, and saluted by Indra and the gods who attend him.
EN
The householder, meanwhile, was feeling regret: “If my servant was first to all of my tasks, no matter how small, why did I insult him? If I see him now, I will beg his forgiveness.” With that he sat down at the gates to Śrāvastī.
EN
The next morning, the monk put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī when the householder saw him and said, “Sir, if you have gone forth, who will attend me? Come back!” As the householder reached out to grab at him, the monk, like a kingly swan taken to wing, flew up into the sky above, blazing and brilliant, as a miraculous show of rain and thunder began.
EN
Because ordinary beings are quick to heed a miracle, the householder dropped like a felled tree at the monk’s feet and asked, “Noble one, have you found such a store of qualities?”
EN
“I have.”
EN
The householder provided the monk with all the provisions he would need, and word spread everywhere that the servant of this householder had gone forth and attained a store of qualities. When Prasenajit, the King of Kosala, heard that this servant had gone forth and attained a store of qualities, he summoned his ministers and said, “Gentlemen, as the ruler of all anointed kṣatriya kings, I declare that henceforth any servant who should wish to go forth shall not be prevented from doing so.”
EN
In Śrāvastī there lived a different householder with a clever servant who was industrious, assured in his work, and first to any task, no matter how small. At a certain point the householder insulted his servant, prompting the servant to think, “This householder is hard to please and I cannot guard my mind against his abuse. I ought to run away. But leaving one’s own land behind is hard, so instead I shall go forth among the ascetic sons of the Śākya, for they have secured from the king the liberty of a prince.”
EN
With that he went to Jetavana, where he approached a monk and said, “Noble one, I want to go forth.”
EN
After allowing his going forth and ordaining him, the monk trained him for the next two or three days in his regular duties, and then said, “Sir, game does not eat other game. The whole of Śrāvastī is your field and fatherland, so seek out alms and live on them.”
EN
The householder, meanwhile, was feeling regret: “If he was first to all of my tasks, no matter how small, why did I insult him? If I see him now, I will beg his forgiveness.” With that he sat down at the gates to Śrāvastī.
EN
The next morning, the monk put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī when the householder saw him and said, “Sir, if you have gone forth, who will attend me? Come back!” As the householder reached out to grab at him, the monk said, “The king has given us a prince’s liberty. If you touch me, I shall cut your hand off at the wrist!”
EN
As such words put to flame the virtuous ways of the ascetic sons of the Śākya, and put to flame the ways of brahmins, the allowing of this servant’s going forth was denounced, disparaged, and criticized. The monks then asked the Blessed One about it, and he thought, “All those shortcomings ensue from monks allowing the going forth of servants.”
EN
Then he decreed, “That being the case, monks should not allow the going forth of servants. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, ask him, ‘You are not a servant, are you?’ If you allow going forth without asking this, a breach occurs.”
Sutraya