Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Khandhaka >> Mahavagga >> First Khandaka >> 1.9
Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg
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MAHAVAGGA
FIRST KHANDHAKA(THE FORMATION OF THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS)
Chapter-9 : Story of the Ordination of the Four Laymen, the Friends of Yasa.
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, Subahu, 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(i.e. monkhood).' 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 Lord Buddha was; having approached him and having respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, he sat down near him. Sitting near him the venerable Yasa said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, here are four lay-friends of mine, belonging to the setthi(rich businessman) families of Benares and to the highest after the setthi families; their names are Vimala, Subahu, Punnagi, and Gavampati. May the Lord Buddha administer exhortation and. instruction to these four persons.
3. Then the Lord Buddha 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 Lord Buddha: 'Lord, let us receive the pabbajja(initiation) and upasampada ordinations from the Lord Buddha.'
'Come, O Bhikkhus(Monks),' said the Lord Buddha, 'well taught is the doctrine; lead a holy life for the sake of the complete extinction of suffering.'
Thus these venerable persons received the upasampada ordination. And the Lord Buddha administered to these Bhikkhus(Monks) exhortation and instruction by discourse relating to the Dhamma. While they received exhortation and instruction from the Lord Buddha by discourse relating to the Dhamma. their minds became free from attachment to the world, and were released from the Asavas(desires/wants).
At that time these were the eleven Arahats in the world.
Here ends the story of the ordination of the four laymen.
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