ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 28.2

28.2

“Lord, if permitted we wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete our novitiates, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, we too wish to practice the holy life.”

With the words “Come, join me, monks!” the Blessed One led all twelve thousand sages to go forth as novices, conferred on them full ordination, and instructed them. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, they manifested arhatship. The head sage went forth along with them, but once again he attained nothing at all.

Hearing of their accomplishment, he studied and began to make effort such that before long he had mastered the Tripiṭaka, and become a proponent of the Dharma with all the eloquence of wisdom and freedom. One day the thought came to him, “I’ve taught the Dharma to thousands upon thousands of beings, but I am not considered a Dharma teacher. Since hearing that all my friends achieved arhatship I’m not sure what to do. I haven’t achieved anything of significance. I will put aside study and meditation for a while, and just concentrate on this.”

He reflected on all that he had learned, pondered it, thought it through, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship. As an arhat, free from the attachments of the three realms, his mind regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of his hands as like space itself. He became cool like wet sandalwood. His insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. He achieved the insights, superknowledges, and discriminations. He had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. He became an object of offering, veneration, and respectful address by Indra, Upendra, and the other gods.

Then the monks requested the Blessed One,