ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 31.23

31.23

After that he led his five hundred friends of the same age to go for refuge and established them in the fundamental precepts.

“Lord,” the monks inquired of the Blessed One, “what action did the householder’s son take that ripened into his birth into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth; that he pleased the Blessed One, did not displease him, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship; and that by entrusting themselves to him both his parents and his friends of the same age saw the truths, and likewise pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?”

“It came about by the power of their prayers,” replied the Blessed One.

“Lord, where did they make these prayers?”

“Monks,” recounted the Blessed One, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years, and the totally and completely awakened buddha endowed with perfect knowledge and perfect conduct, the blessed one, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Kāśyapa was in the world, there lived a certain householder in the city of Vārāṇasī.

“One day a child was born to him who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. When he grew up he found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, went for refuge, and took the fundamental precepts. On the day he was born five hundred children were born to other householders as well. When they had grown and been educated in the eight types of examination, each of their parents had them join a social club.

“One day in the spring