With Soṇa · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu viharati kuraraghare pavatte pabbate. Tena kho pana samayena soṇo upāsako kuṭikaṇṇo āyasmato mahākaccānassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain. And the layman Soṇa of the Sharp Ears was Mahākaccāna’s attendant.
Atha kho soṇassa upāsakassa kuṭikaṇṇassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “yathā yathā kho ayyo mahākaccāno dhammaṁ deseti nayidaṁ sukaraṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasatā ekantaparipuṇṇaṁ ekantaparisuddhaṁ saṅkhalikhitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyan”ti.
Then as Soṇa was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “As I understand Master Mahākaccāna’s teachings, it’s not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and pure, like a polished shell. Why don’t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from lay life to homelessness?”
Atha kho soṇo upāsako kuṭikaṇṇo yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho soṇo upāsako kuṭikaṇṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:
Then Soṇa went up to Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what he was thinking. Then he said,
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘yathā yathā kho ayyo mahākaccāno dhammaṁ deseti nayidaṁ sukaraṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasatā ekantaparipuṇṇaṁ ekantaparisuddhaṁ saṅkhalikhitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyan’ti. Pabbājetu maṁ, bhante, ayyo mahākaccāno”ti.
“May Master Mahākaccāna please give me the going forth!”
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahākaccāno soṇaṁ upāsakaṁ kuṭikaṇṇaṁ etadavoca: “dukkaraṁ kho, soṇa, yāvajīvaṁ ekabhattaṁ ekaseyyaṁ brahmacariyaṁ. Iṅgha tvaṁ, soṇa, tattheva āgārikabhūto samāno buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ anuyuñja kālayuttaṁ ekabhattaṁ ekaseyyaṁ brahmacariyan”ti. Atha kho soṇassa upāsakassa kuṭikaṇṇassa yo ahosi pabbajjābhisaṅkhāro so paṭipassambhi.
When this was said, Mahākaccāna said to him, “It’s hard to lead the spiritual life as long as you live, eating in one part of the day and sleeping alone. Come now, Soṇa, while remaining a layperson just as you are, devote yourself to the instructions of the Buddhas, leading the spiritual life at suitable times, eating in one part of the day and sleeping alone.” Then Soṇa’s aspiration to go forth died down.
Dutiyampi kho …pe… dutiyampi kho āyasmā mahākaccāno soṇaṁ upāsakaṁ kuṭikaṇṇaṁ etadavoca: “dukkaraṁ kho, soṇa, yāvajīvaṁ ekabhattaṁ ekaseyyaṁ brahmacariyaṁ. Iṅgha tvaṁ, soṇa, tattheva āgārikabhūto samāno buddhānaṁ sāsanaṁ anuyuñja kālayuttaṁ ekabhattaṁ ekaseyyaṁ brahmacariyan”ti. Dutiyampi kho soṇassa upāsakassa kuṭikaṇṇassa yo ahosi pabbajjābhisaṅkhāro so paṭipassambhi.
For a second time, while in private retreat the thought came to Soṇa that he should go forth, but the outcome was the same.
Tatiyampi kho soṇassa upāsakassa kuṭikaṇṇassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “yathā yathā kho ayyo mahākaccāno dhammaṁ deseti nayidaṁ sukaraṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasatā ekantaparipuṇṇaṁ ekantaparisuddhaṁ saṅkhalikhitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyan”ti. Tatiyampi kho soṇo upāsako kuṭikaṇṇo yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho soṇo upāsako kuṭikaṇṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:
For a third time, as Soṇa was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “As I understand Master Mahākaccāna’s teachings, it’s not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and pure, like a polished shell. Why don’t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from lay life to homelessness?” For a third time, Soṇa went up to Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what he was thinking. Then he said,
“Idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘yathā yathā kho ayyo mahākaccāno dhammaṁ deseti nayidaṁ sukaraṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasatā ekantaparipuṇṇaṁ ekantaparisuddhaṁ saṅkhalikhitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyan’ti. Pabbājetu maṁ, bhante, ayyo mahākaccāno”ti.
“May Master Mahākaccāna please give me the going forth!”
Atha kho āyasmā mahākaccāno soṇaṁ upāsakaṁ kuṭikaṇṇaṁ pabbājesi. Tena kho pana samayena avantidakkhiṇāpatho appabhikkhuko hoti. Atha kho āyasmā mahākaccāno tiṇṇaṁ vassānaṁ accayena kicchena kasirena tato tato dasavaggaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātetvā āyasmantaṁ soṇaṁ upasampādesi.
Then Mahākaccāna gave Soṇa the going forth. Now at that time the southern region, including Avanti, was short of monks. It took three years and much struggle and difficulty before Venerable Mahākaccāna was able to assemble from here and there a Saṅgha consisting of ten monks and give Venerable Soṇa the full ordination.
Atha kho āyasmato soṇassa vassaṁvuṭṭhassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “na kho me so bhagavā sammukhā diṭṭho, api ca sutoyeva me: ‘so bhagavā īdiso ca īdiso cā’ti. Sace maṁ upajjhāyo anujāneyya, gaccheyyāhaṁ taṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhan”ti.
Then as Venerable Soṇa was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “I have not personally seen the Buddha. I have only heard reports that that Blessed One is like this or like that. If my mentor allows, I should go to see that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.”
Atha kho āyasmā soṇo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā soṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:
Then in the late afternoon, Soṇa came out of retreat, went up to Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what he was thinking. Then Mahākaccāna said,
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