ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 28.8

28.8

He left and wandered the countryside with his disciples. Eventually he returned from wandering the countryside, and the ministers informed King Bimbisāra that he had gone forth.

“Your Majesty, Citra Mounted on an Elephant has gone forth, and has no children. Since he has no children, everything he owns is Your Majesty’s to command.”

“I only have authority over the wealth of the dead,” the king replied. “I have no authority over the wealth of the living. But this noble child yet lives, and it’s always possible for sages to reverse course and become householders once again.” So the king would not take anything from his house.

Citra Mounted on an Elephant’s wife heard that he had arrived in Rājagṛha with his five hundred attendants, and when she heard this she invited him and his five hundred disciples to the house and offered them food. His wife wondered, “Has he done what was before him, or is he just an ordinary person? If he is an ordinary person, I shall devise a means of bringing him back.”

As he was eating his food she dropped in front of him a copper pot from the roof of the house, and he was startled by the sound. He began to poke idly at the copper pot with his knife as he ate his food. Seeing all this, the wife thought, “He’s no arhat. Since he’s just an ordinary person, I’ll be able to bring him back.”

She bowed at his feet and said, “My lord, our wealth has been dwindling on account of your absence. So, lord, please permit me to request you and your five hundred disciples to come here for your meal again tomorrow.” Citra Mounted on an Elephant assented to his wife by his silence.

The next day she offered food to one hundred and fifty of his attendants, and on the following day she only invited one hundred. In this way the woman gradually reduced the number of his attendants, until on the last day