ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 18.21

18.21

the study of seals, lending, deposits, and commerce; and the examination of cloth, jewels, gems, incense, medicine, elephants, horses, and arms and armor. He became skilled in writing, skilled at reading, learned, decisive, and industrious, a master of the eight types of examination.

One day, the Blessed One saw that the time had come for the young man to go forth, so he reminded the charioteer Subhadra, “Subhadra, before this child was born you offered him to me. The virtuous keep their promises, do they not? Didn’t you yourself make such a promise?”

“Yes, Blessed One,” Subhadra replied, “I did make just such a promise.” As he said this, he took the child by his two hands, offered him to the Blessed One, and told him, “Child, before you were born, I offered you to the Blessed One. Therefore go, and be an attendant of the Blessed One.”

“This will be of benefit to me,” the child said, and with those words he followed the Blessed One away.

The Blessed One instructed, encouraged, inspired, and delighted him with a great variety of Dharma teachings. Then the Blessed One led the child away and traveled to the monastery. There, the Blessed One led him to go forth as a novice, conferred on him full ordination, and instructed him. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, he manifested arhatship.

After achieving arhatship he thought, “The Blessed One has dispelled so many kinds of suffering and anguish, brought me so many kinds of happiness and bliss,