Verses on Dhamma 5.15.p6

5.15.p6

Dārako vuddhimanvāya sattavassikakāle mātaraṃ āha – ‘‘amma, therassa santike pabbajissāmī’’ti. ‘‘Sādhu, tāta, pubbevāhaṃ ‘na mayā puttassa ajjhāsayo bhinditabbo’ti manaṃ akāsiṃ, pabbaja, puttā’’ti theraṃ nimantāpetvā tassa āgatassa bhikkhañca datvā, ‘‘bhante, tumhākaṃ dāso ‘pabbajissāmī’ti vadati, imaṃ ādāya sāyaṃ vihāraṃ āgamissāmā’’ti theraṃ uyyojetvā sāyanhasamaye mahantena sakkārasammānena puttaṃ ādāya vihāraṃ gantvā therassa niyyādesi. Thero tena saddhiṃ kathesi – ‘‘tissa, pabbajjā nāma dukkarā, uṇhena atthe sati sītaṃ labhati, sītena atthe sati uṇhaṃ labhati, pabbajitā kicchena jīvanti, tvañca sukhedhito’’ti. ‘‘Bhante, ahaṃ tumhehi vuttaniyāmeneva sabbaṃ kātuṃ sakkhissāmī’’ti. Thero ‘‘sādhū’’ti vatvā tassa paṭikūlamanasikāravasena tacapañcakakammaṭṭhānaṃ ācikkhitvā taṃ pabbājesi. Sakalampi hi dvattiṃsākāraṃ kathetuṃ vaṭṭatiyeva. Sabbaṃ kathetuṃ asakkontena pana tacapañcakakammaṭṭhānaṃ kathetabbameva. Idañhi kammaṭṭhānaṃ sabbabuddhānaṃ avijahitameva. Kesādīsu ekekakoṭṭhāsesu arahattaṃ pattānaṃ bhikkhūnampi bhikkhunīnampi upāsakānampi upāsikānampi paricchedo natthi. Abyattā bhikkhū pana pabbajentā arahattassūpanissayaṃ nāsenti. Tasmā thero kammaṭṭhānaṃ ācikkhitvā pabbājetvā dasasu sīlesu patiṭṭhāpesi.

As the boy grew up and reached the age of seven years, he said to his mother, “Mother, I desire to become a monk under the Elder.” “Very well, my dear son; long ago I decided not to interfere with the inclination of my son; become a monk, my son.” So she invited the Elder to the house. When he arrived, she presented him with alms and said, “Reverend Sir, your servant says that he wishes to become a monk. I will come to the monastery this evening and bring him with me.” Having dismissed the Elder, she waited until evening, and then, taking her son with her and bearing rich gifts and offerings, she went to the monastery and committed him into the Elder’s hands.

The Elder talked with him as follows, “Tissa, the life of a monk is a hard life; when he would like what is warm he gets what is cold, and when he would like what is cold he gets what is warm; those who become monks live a wearisome life, and you are delicate.” “Reverend Sir, I shall be able to do all that you enjoin upon me.” “Very well,” said the Elder. So he taught him the Formula of Meditation on the first five of the constituent parts of the body, by way of fixing in his mind the thought of the impurity of the body, and then made him a monk.

(The entire Formula involves the recitation of all of the thirty-two constituent parts of the body, but those who are unable to recite all may recite the first five. The Formula in full is that invariably employed by all the Buddhas, but there is no limit to the number of monks and nuns and lay disciples both male and female who have attained Arahatship by meditating upon the hair and other parts singly. Inexperienced monks frequently make it impossible for their candidates to attain Arahatship. For this reason the Elder taught the boy only a part of the Formula before receiving him into the Order, and then established him in the ten moral precepts.)