Dhammapada 3.5.p3

3.5.p3

So laddhūpasampado sabbappakāraṃ vattapaṭivattaṃ akāsi. So buddhānaṃ uppannena lābhasakkārena katipāhaccayena thūlasarīro ahosi. Tato cintesi – ‘‘kiṃ me bhikkhāya caritvā jīvitena, gihī bhavissāmī’’ti. So vibbhamitvā gehaṃ pāvisi. Tassa gehe kammaṃ karontassa katipāheneva sarīraṃ milāyi. Tato ‘‘kiṃ me iminā dukkhena, samaṇo bhavissāmī’’ti cintetvā puna gantvā pabbaji. So katipāhaṃ vītināmetvā puna ukkaṇṭhitvā vibbhami, pabbajitakāle pana bhikkhūnaṃ upakārako hoti. So katipāheneva punapi ukkaṇṭhitvā, ‘‘kiṃ me gihibhāvena, pabbajissāmī’’ti gantvā bhikkhū vanditvā pabbajjaṃ yāci. Atha naṃ bhikkhū upakāravasena puna pabbājayiṃsu. Evaṃ so iminā niyāmeneva chakkhattuṃ pabbajitvā uppabbajito. Tassa bhikkhū ‘‘esa cittavasiko hutvā vicaratī’’ti cittahatthattheroti nāmaṃ kariṃsu.

Then he thought to himself, "Why should I live on food obtained by making alms-pilgrimages? I will become a layman once more." So back he went and entered his house. After working in his house for only a few days, his body languished. Thereupon he said to himself, "Why should I endure this suffering any longer? I will become a monk." So back he went and became a monk again. But after spending a few days as a monk, becoming discontented once more, off he went again. Now when he was a monk, he was a helper of the other monks. After a few days he became discontented again and said to himself, "Why should I live the life of a layman any longer? I will become a monk." So saying, he went to the monks, bowed, and asked to be received into the Order. Because he had helped them, the monks received him into the Order once more. In this manner he entered the Order and left it again six times in succession. The monks said to themselves, "This man lives under the sway of his thoughts." So they gave him the name Thought-controlled, Elder Cittahattha.