The Blessed Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, when a householder living in Śrāvastī took a wife of equal caste and together they played with, took pleasure in, and amused one another. The wife with whom he had played, taken pleasure, and amused himself then gave birth to a son, upon which occasion the householder said, “Mistress, as we must repay our debts and build our wealth, I shall go to trade in another land.”
EN
“Son of a lord, do as you wish.”
EN
With that, he set out for another land to trade, and in this land he suffered misfortune. His wife gave guardianship of their son to relatives while supporting and providing for him through her own industry. Once he had grown, she placed him under the tutelage of a court scribe. While other boys of the lad’s age had already learned their letters and had begun to study the grammar treatises, he was still struggling to learn his letters. His mother went to the court scribe and said, “Lord, whatever the other boys of the lad’s age may offer you, I too will give you. Those boys have already learned their letters and have begun to study the grammar treatises, while this lad is still learning his letters.”
EN
The court scribe replied, “There are two factors in honing one’s intelligence. The first is a sense of modesty, which pertains to oneself; another is a sense of propriety, which pertains to others. This lad has no modesty nor does he have any sense of propriety. For this, you too are at fault, for you object when I strike him.”
EN
“I am guilty of that, as you say,” she responded, “and I do object to your striking him.”
EN
Another time, the court scribe struck him and the lad went off crying to his mother. His mother asked him, “Son, why are you crying?”
EN
“Mother, the court scribe struck me.”
EN
His mother then struck him too, prompting the lad to think, “Both are at fault. Before I was only struck in one place. Now I am struck in both. I cannot bear being hurt in both places so I will run away.”
EN
With that, he set out for Jetavana, where he saw a novice picking flowers and said, “Noble one, you look so happy. Why?”
EN
“It is because I have gone forth. Why don’t you go forth?”
EN
“Noble one, who can allow my going forth?”
EN
The novice said, “Come, let us go before a preceptor,” and led him away. When they arrived before a preceptor, the novice said, “Preceptor, this son of noble family wants to go forth. I ask that you allow his going forth.” And with that, the preceptor allowed his going forth.
EN
His mother went to the court scribe, who asked, “Where is the lad? Today I struck him.”
EN
“I too struck him today,” she replied.
EN
“He has run away,” the court scribe said. “You should go and look for him.”
EN
She went searching for the boy, asking for word from the ascetics in the forest, among the tīrthika communities, and in other places; but wherever she asked, no one had heard any word of him. She went to Śrāvastī and waited at the gate. In the morning, the novice put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī with the ascetic follower novice in tow. When she saw her son, she beat her fists on his chest and cried, “Son! I went searching for you among the ascetics in the forest, among the tīrthika communities, and in other places but everywhere I looked, no one had heard any word of you. Why have you gone forth among these thieving sons of the Śākya? Come back!”
EN
Grabbing him with both hands, she dragged him home. When that proved to be an impediment to monkhood, the state of having gone forth and been ordained in the well-proclaimed Dharma and Vinaya, the monks appealed to the Blessed One.
EN
The Blessed One thought, “All those shortcomings ensue from monks allowing going forth without consulting the saṅgha. That being the case, monks should not allow going forth without consulting the saṅgha. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, have him ask the saṅgha. If you allow going forth without consulting them, a breach occurs.”
The Blessed Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, when a householder living in Śrāvastī took a wife of equal caste and together they played with, took pleasure in, and amused one another. The wife with whom he had played, taken pleasure, and amused himself then gave birth to a son, upon which occasion the householder said, “Mistress, as we must repay our debts and build our wealth, I shall go to trade in another land.”
EN
“Son of a lord, do as you wish.”
EN
With that, he set out for another land to trade, and in this land he suffered misfortune. His wife gave guardianship of their son to relatives while supporting and providing for him through her own industry. Once he had grown, she placed him under the tutelage of a court scribe. While other boys of the lad’s age had already learned their letters and had begun to study the grammar treatises, he was still struggling to learn his letters. His mother went to the court scribe and said, “Lord, whatever the other boys of the lad’s age may offer you, I too will give you. Those boys have already learned their letters and have begun to study the grammar treatises, while this lad is still learning his letters.”
EN
The court scribe replied, “There are two factors in honing one’s intelligence. The first is a sense of modesty, which pertains to oneself; another is a sense of propriety, which pertains to others. This lad has no modesty nor does he have any sense of propriety. For this, you too are at fault, for you object when I strike him.”
EN
“I am guilty of that, as you say,” she responded, “and I do object to your striking him.”
EN
Another time, the court scribe struck him and the lad went off crying to his mother. His mother asked him, “Son, why are you crying?”
EN
“Mother, the court scribe struck me.”
EN
His mother then struck him too, prompting the lad to think, “Both are at fault. Before I was only struck in one place. Now I am struck in both. I cannot bear being hurt in both places so I will run away.”
EN
With that, he set out for Jetavana, where he saw a novice picking flowers and said, “Noble one, you look so happy. Why?”
EN
“It is because I have gone forth. Why don’t you go forth?”
EN
“Noble one, who can allow my going forth?”
EN
The novice said, “Come, let us go before a preceptor,” and led him away. When they arrived before a preceptor, the novice said, “Preceptor, this son of noble family wants to go forth. I ask that you allow his going forth.” And with that, the preceptor allowed his going forth.
EN
His mother went to the court scribe, who asked, “Where is the lad? Today I struck him.”
EN
“I too struck him today,” she replied.
EN
“He has run away,” the court scribe said. “You should go and look for him.”
EN
She went searching for the boy, asking for word from the ascetics in the forest, among the tīrthika communities, and in other places; but wherever she asked, no one had heard any word of him. She went to Śrāvastī and waited at the gate. In the morning, the novice put on his under robe, picked up his begging bowl and robes, and was preparing to beg alms in Śrāvastī with the ascetic follower novice in tow. When she saw her son, she beat her fists on his chest and cried, “Son! I went searching for you among the ascetics in the forest, among the tīrthika communities, and in other places but everywhere I looked, no one had heard any word of you. Why have you gone forth among these thieving sons of the Śākya? Come back!”
EN
Grabbing him with both hands, she dragged him home. When that proved to be an impediment to monkhood, the state of having gone forth and been ordained in the well-proclaimed Dharma and Vinaya, the monks appealed to the Blessed One.
EN
The Blessed One thought, “All those shortcomings ensue from monks allowing going forth without consulting the saṅgha. That being the case, monks should not allow going forth without consulting the saṅgha. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, have him ask the saṅgha. If you allow going forth without consulting them, a breach occurs.”
Sutraya