ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 22.9

22.9

cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.”

A Story about Kāśyapa

Once, when the Blessed One was in Rājagṛha, Venerable Mahā­kāśyapa had spent a long time in a retreat hermitage. After the hair on his head and face had grown long and his clothes were worn out, he went to see the Blessed One. At that time the Blessed One sat amid a company of hundreds teaching the Dharma to the saṅgha of monks. The monks saw Venerable Mahā­kāśyapa from a distance and felt contempt for him. They thought, “A person who has gone forth—a monk—with long hair on his head and face, and so carelessly dressed, in such shoddy clothing! Where does he come from?”

The Blessed One directly apprehended their thoughts and reflected, “After my parinirvāṇa, the monk Kāśyapa will fulfill the purpose of my teaching. He will recount the Sūtras, Abhidharma, and Vinaya, yet these monks feel such contempt for him. I must settle this objection for them, for he will become a worthy object of worship and reverence, and be spoken of with respect by all the world with its gods and humans.”

The Blessed One addressed the monks, saying, “Monks, you should not feel such contempt for this monk. After my parinirvāṇa he will recount my teaching. He will perfectly recount the Tripiṭaka and propagate the way of the Dharma.”

Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Mahā­kāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, come along! Welcome, Kāśyapa! Share this seat with me. Let us examine which of us first went forth—you or me?”