ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 14.3

14.3

One day his wife conceived, and after nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. When he had grown, he entrusted himself to Venerable Kokālika, found faith in the doctrine of the Blessed One, went for refuge, and took the fundamental precepts. One day he thought, “I will give up living at home to go forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One.”

He went to see Venerable Kokālika and said to him, “Lord Kokālika, if permitted I wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete my novitiate, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, I too wish to practice the holy life.”

“Young man, have your parents consented?” asked Kokālika.

“No, they have not,” he replied.

“Young man, the buddhas and their disciples neither lead novices to go forth nor confer full ordination on young persons without their parents’ permission,” the monk told him. “Go and ask your parents, then come back here. This will make things easier for you later on.”

He said, “As you wish, noble one.” Then he approached his parents and requested, “Mother, Father, I am asking for your kind permission to go forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One.”

His parents replied, “Though death will separate us from you, for as long as we yet live we cannot permit this.”

One day, it so happened that Venerable Kokālika had to go down into the townships on an errand. He presented his students and disciples to Venerable Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, saying, “Lords, I have to travel through the townships for a little while. Lords, please confer upon these monks instruction, advice to ponder, and a topic for further inquiry.” Having thus presented the group to them,