Mahavogga 1.9

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Translated from the Pâli by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg (1881)

1. Now four lay persons, friends of the venerable Yasa, belonging to the setthi families of Benares, and to the highest after the setthi families, by name Vimala, Subâhu, Punnagi, and Gavampati, heard: 'Yasa, the noble youth, has cut off his hair and beard, and has put on yellow robes, and has given up the world, and gone forth into the houseless state.' When they had heard that, they thought: 'Surely that cannot be a common doctrine and discipline, that cannot be a common renunciation of the world, if Yasa, the noble youth, has cut off his hair and beard, and has put on yellow robes, and has given up the world, and gone forth into the houseless state.'

2. Those four persons went to the place where the venerable Yasa was; having approached him and having respectfully saluted the venerable Yasa, they stood by his side. And the venerable Yasa went with his four lay-friends to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and having respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him. Sitting near him the venerable Yasa said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, here are four lay-friends of mine, belonging to the setthi families of Benares and to the highest after the setthi families; their names are Vimala, Subâhu, Punnagi, and Gavampati. May the Blessed One administer exhortation and. instruction to these four persons.

3. Then the Blessed One preached to them,. . . . (&c., as in chap. 8. 2).

4. And having seen the Truth,. . . . (&c., down to:) dependent on nobody else for the knowledge of the Teacher's doctrine, they thus spoke to the Blessed One: 'Lord, let us receive the pabbaggâ and upasampadâ ordinations from the Blessed One.'

'Come, O Bhikkhus,' said the Blessed One, 'well taught is the doctrine; lead a holy life for the sake of the complete extinction of suffering.'

Thus these venerable persons received the upasampadâ ordination. And the Blessed One administered to these Bhikkhus exhortation and instruction by discourse relating to the Dhamma. While they received exhortation and instruction from the Blessed One by discourse relating to the Dhamma. their minds became free from attachment to the world, and were released from the Âsavas.

At that time there were eleven Arahats in the world.

Here ends the story of the ordination of the four laymen.