Mahaparinibbanasutta 5.29.3

5.29.3

“Sace, bhante, aññatitthiyapubbā imasmiṃ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhantā pabbajjaṃ ākaṅkhantā upasampadaṃ cattāro māse parivasanti, catunnaṃ māsānaṃ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. Ahaṃ cattāri vassāni parivasissāmi, catunnaṃ vassānaṃ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājentu upasampādentu bhikkhubhāvāyā”ti.

“Sir, if four months probation are required in such a case, I’ll spend four years on probation. When four years have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, let them give me the going forth, the ordination into monkhood.”