Raṭṭhapālasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 82

With Raṭṭhapāla · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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for a third timetatiyampi indeedkho of Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālassa family·sonkulaputtassa friendssahāyakā to Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālaṁ family·sonkulaputtaṁ this·sayetadavocuṁ:
you“tvaṁ you are indeedkhosi, dear friendsamma Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāla, mother·fathermātāpitūnaṁ one·sonekaputtako dearpiyo pleasingmanāpo comfort·raisedsukhedhito nurtured with comfortsukhaparibhato, notna youtvaṁ, dear friendsamma Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāla, of anyonekassaci of sufferingdukkhassa you knowjānāsi, even by deathmaraṇenapi yourte mother·fathermātāpitaro unwillingakāmakā withoutvinā they will bebhavissanti.
whatKiṁ thenpana youte thattaṁ while livingjīvantaṁ allow·knowanujānissanti from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ for going forthpabbajjāya?
ariseUṭṭhehi, dear friendsamma Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāla, eatbhuñja andca drinkpiva andca enjoy yourselfparicārehi andca, while eatingbhuñjanto while drinkingpivanto while enjoying yourselfparicārento sense pleasureskāme while indulgingparibhuñjanto meritspuññāni while makingkaronto delightabhiramassu.
notNa thattaṁ mother·fathermātāpitaro allow·knowanujānissanti from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ for going forthpabbajjāya, even by deathmaraṇenapi yourte mother·fathermātāpitaro unwillingakāmakā withoutvinā they will bebhavissanti.
whatKiṁ thenpana youte thattaṁ while livingjīvantaṁ allow·knowanujānissanti from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ for going forth?pabbajjāyā”ti?
for a third timeTatiyampi indeedkho Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo family·sonkulaputto silenttuṇhī wasahosi.

For a third time, Raṭṭhapāla’s friends made the same request. And for a third time, Raṭṭhapāla kept silent.

Then Raṭṭhapāla’s friends went to his parents and said, “Mum and dad, Raṭṭhapāla is lying there on the bare ground saying: ‘I’ll either die right here or go forth.’ If you don’t allow him to go forth, he’ll die there. But if you do allow him to go forth, you’ll see him again afterwards. And if he doesn’t enjoy the renunciate life, where else will he have to go? He’ll come right back here. Please give Raṭṭhapāla permission to go forth.” “Then, dears, we give Raṭṭhapāla permission to go forth. But once gone forth he must visit his parents.” Then Raṭṭhapāla’s friends went to him and said,

get up“uṭṭhehi, dearsamma Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāla, you are permittedanuññātosi by parentsmātāpitūhi from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ for going forthpabbajjāya.
by one gone forthPabbajitena andca thenpana by youte parentsmātāpitaro must be visiteduddassetabbā”ti.

“Get up, Raṭṭhapāla! Your parents have given you permission to go forth from lay life to homelessness. But once gone forth you must visit your parents.”

thenAtha indeedkho Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo clan·sonkulaputto having risenuṭṭhahitvā strengthbalaṁ having regainedgāhetvā whereyena Blessed Onebhagavā there·approachtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ toward·speakabhivādetvā one·sideekamantaṁ down·sitnisīdi. one·sideEkamantaṁ down·sitnisinno indeedkho Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo clan·sonkulaputto to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ this·sayetadavoca:
permitted“anuññāto Iahaṁ, sirbhante, mother·fathermātāpitūhi from the homeagārasmā not·homeanagāriyaṁ for going forthpabbajjāya.
let him give the going forthPabbājetu memaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā”ti.

Raṭṭhapāla got up and regained his strength. He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, I have my parents’ permission to go forth from the lay life to homelessness. May the Buddha please give me the going forth.”

receivedAlattha indeedkho Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo clansmankulaputto of the Blessed Onebhagavato in the presencesantike the going forth,pabbajjaṁ, receivedalattha the ordination.upasampadaṁ.
ThenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā not long after the ordinationacirūpasampanne in the venerableāyasmante Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāle a fortnight after the ordinationaḍḍhamāsupasampanne at Thullakoṭṭhikathullakoṭṭhike as long as he pleasedyathābhirantaṁ having stayedviharitvā to whereyena Sāvatthīsāvatthi by thattena on walking tourcārikaṁ set out.pakkāmi.
stage by stageAnupubbena on walking tourcārikaṁ travelingcaramāno to whereyena Sāvatthīsāvatthi he arrived at it.tadavasari.
ThereTatra indeedsudaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ staysviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monastery.ārāme.

And Raṭṭhapāla received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after Venerable Raṭṭhapāla’s ordination, a fortnight later, the Buddha—having stayed in Thullakoṭṭhika as long as he pleased—set out for Sāvatthī. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Sāvatthī, where he stayed in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo aloneeko withdrawnvūpakaṭṭho diligentappamatto keenātāpī resolutepahitatto livingviharanto before longnacirasseva—yassatthāya gentlemenkulaputtā rightlysammadeva from the lay lifeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ go forthpabbajanti, the supreme culmination of the spiritual pathtadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme with his ownsayaṁ insightabhiññā having achievedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja he livedvihāsi.
ended“Khīṇā rebirthjāti, has been completedvusitaṁ the spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, has been donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, there is nothing furthernāparaṁ for this placeitthattāyā”ti he understoodabbhaññāsi.
a certainAññataro indeedkho venerablepanāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo one of the perfectedarahataṁ becameahosi.

Then Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Raṭṭhapāla became one of the perfected.

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā he approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā one·sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. one·sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
I wish“icchāmahaṁ, sirbhante, mother·fathermātāpitaro to reveal myselfuddassetuṁ, ifsace memaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā allowsanujānātī”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā of venerableāyasmato Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālassa with mindcetasā mindceto around·encompassparicca focused with mindmanasākāsi.
asYathā the Blessed Onebhagavā knewaññāsi:
incapable“abhabbo indeedkho Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo family·sonkulaputto the trainingsikkhaṁ having given uppaccakkhāya to return to a lesser lifehīnāyāvattitun”ti, thenatha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā venerableāyasmantaṁ Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālaṁ said thisetadavoca:
now when“yassadāni youtvaṁ, Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapāla, timekālaṁ you thinkmaññasī”ti.

Then he went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, I would like to visit my parents, if the Buddha allows it.” Then the Buddha focused on encompassing Raṭṭhapāla’s mind. When he knew that it was impossible for Raṭṭhapāla to resign the training and return to a lesser life, he said, “Please, Raṭṭhapāla, go at your convenience.”

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo having risen from his seatuṭṭhāyāsanā the Buddhabhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā respectfully circlingpadakkhiṇaṁ having donekatvā lodgingssenāsanaṁ having set in ordersaṁsāmetvā bowl·robe·takepattacīvaramādāya whereyena Thullakoṭṭhikathullakoṭṭhikaṁ theretena walking tourcārikaṁ set outpakkāmi.
stage by stageAnupubbena walking tourcārikaṁ travelingcaramāno whereyena Thullakoṭṭhikathullakoṭṭhiko it·arrivetadavasari.
thereTatra indeedsudaṁ venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo at Thullakoṭṭhikathullakoṭṭhike staysviharati of the kingrañño Koravyakorabyassa in the deer rangemigacīre.
thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Raṭṭhapālaraṭṭhapālo in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ having robednivāsetvā bowl·robe·takepattacīvaramādāya Thullakoṭṭhikathullakoṭṭhikaṁ for almspiṇḍāya enteredpāvisi.
in ThullakoṭṭhikaThullakoṭṭhike indiscriminatelysapadānaṁ for almsfoodpiṇḍāya wanderingcaramāno whereyena own·fathersakapitu housenivesanaṁ approachedtenupasaṅkami.

And then Raṭṭhapāla rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right. Then he set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Thullakoṭṭhika. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Thullakoṭṭhika, where he stayed in King Koravya’s deer range. Then Raṭṭhapāla robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Thullakoṭṭhika for alms. Wandering indiscriminately for almsfood, he approached his own father’s house.

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