The History of Buddhist Thought c11.s2.12

c11.s2.12

The elder Yasa (one of the earliest converts of Buddha and now over 165 years old) was going for alms in Vesālī and found that the monks of the place had set up a bronze bowl filled with water and was asking the lay people for contributions in money. He warned the people that the sons of Buddha were not allowed to accept gold and silver. Nevertheless the monks collected the money and offered Yasa a share, which he refused. They therefore carried an act of expiation against him, requiring him to go and apologize to the laity for his action. He went, but he defended himself before the people with such effect that they concluded he was in the right. Then the monks decided to carry an act of suspension against him, but he rose in the air and flew to Kosambī, where he summoned a meeting of the monks of Pāvā, Avanti, and the south. They met on Ahoganga hill and decided that as it was a difficult and delicate matter they had better get the elder Revata on their side. Revata was at Soreyya, but he heard them with his divine ear, and not wishing to be involved in a dispute decided to keep out of their way. He went from place to place, until they caught him up at Sahajāti, and there they succeeded in getting a satisfactory answer from him on the ten points.