Tena kho pana samayena sañcayo paribbājako rājagahe paṭivasati mahatiyā paribbājakaparisāya saddhiṁ aḍḍhateyyehi paribbājakasatehi. Tena kho pana samayena sāriputtamoggallānā sañcaye paribbājake brahmacariyaṁ caranti. Tehi katikā katā hoti— “yo paṭhamaṁ amataṁ adhigacchati, so itarassa ārocetū”ti.
At that time the wanderer Sañcaya was living at Rājagaha with a great company of wanderers, two hundred and fifty wanderers. At that time Sāriputta and Moggallāna were living the spiritual life under the wanderer Sañcaya. They had made a pact: “Whoever reaches the deathless first is to tell the other.”
Atha kho āyasmā assaji pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena samiñjitena pasāritena, okkhittacakkhu iriyāpathasampanno. Addasā kho sāriputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ rājagahe piṇḍāya carantaṁ pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena samiñjitena pasāritena okkhittacakkhuṁ iriyāpathasampannaṁ. Disvānassa etadahosi— “ye vata loke arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā, ayaṁ tesaṁ bhikkhu aññataro. Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyaṁ— ‘kaṁsi tvaṁ, āvuso, uddissa pabbajito, ko vā te satthā, kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesī’”ti?
Then, in the morning, the venerable Assaji dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Rājagaha for alms, pleasing in going forward and going back, in looking ahead and looking aside, in bending and stretching, with eyes cast down, accomplished in deportment. The wanderer Sāriputta saw the venerable Assaji walking for alms in Rājagaha, pleasing in going forward and going back, in looking ahead and looking aside, in bending and stretching, with eyes cast down, accomplished in deportment. Seeing him, it occurred to Sāriputta: “Those in the world who are arahants, or who have entered the path to arahantship — this bhikkhu is one of them. Suppose I were to approach this bhikkhu and ask: ‘For whose sake have you gone forth, friend? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you approve of?’”
Atha kho sāriputtassa paribbājakassa etadahosi— “akālo kho imaṁ bhikkhuṁ pucchituṁ, antaragharaṁ paviṭṭho piṇḍāya carati. Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyaṁ, atthikehi upaññātaṁ maggan”ti. Atha kho āyasmā assaji rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātaṁ ādāya paṭikkami. Atha kho sāriputtopi paribbājako yenāyasmā assaji tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā assajinā saddhiṁ sammodi, sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho sāriputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca— “vippasannāni kho te, āvuso, indriyāni, parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto. Kaṁsi tvaṁ, āvuso, uddissa pabbajito, ko vā te satthā, kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesī”ti?
Then it occurred to the wanderer Sāriputta: “This is not the time to question this bhikkhu. He has entered among the houses and is walking for alms. Suppose I were to follow behind this bhikkhu, a path recognized by those who seek.” Then the venerable Assaji, having walked for alms in Rājagaha and taken his almsfood, returned. Then the wanderer Sāriputta approached the venerable Assaji, exchanged greetings with him, and when they had finished their courteous and polite talk, stood to one side. Standing to one side, the wanderer Sāriputta said to the venerable Assaji: “Friend, your faculties are clear. Your complexion is pure and bright. For whose sake have you gone forth, friend? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you approve of?”
“Atthāvuso, mahāsamaṇo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito, tāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajito, so ca me bhagavā satthā, tassa cāhaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ rocemī”ti. “Kiṁvādī panāyasmato satthā, kimakkhāyī”ti? “Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito, adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena dhammaṁ desetuṁ, api ca te saṅkhittena atthaṁ vakkhāmī”ti. Atha kho sāriputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca— “hotu, āvuso— Appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā bhāsassu, Atthaṁyeva me brūhi; Attheneva me attho, Kiṁ kāhasi byañjanaṁ bahun”ti.
“There is, friend, the great ascetic, a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family. I have gone forth for the sake of that Blessed One. He is my teacher, and it is his Dhamma that I approve of.” “What does your teacher say, venerable sir? What does he teach?” “I, friend, am new, not long gone forth, lately come to this Dhamma and discipline. I am not able to teach the Dhamma at length. But I can tell you the meaning in brief.” Then the wanderer Sāriputta said to the venerable Assaji: “Let it be so, friend. Speak little or much, but tell me the meaning. Meaning is what I need. What will you do with a lot of phrasing?”
Atha kho āyasmā assaji sāriputtassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ abhāsi— “Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, Tesaṁ hetuṁ tathāgato āha; Tesañca yo nirodho, Evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇo”ti. Atha kho sāriputtassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi— “yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti. “Eseva dhammo yadi tāvadeva, Paccabyattha padamasokaṁ; Adiṭṭhaṁ abbhatītaṁ, Bahukehi kappanahutehī”ti.
Then the venerable Assaji spoke this exposition of the Dhamma to the wanderer Sāriputta:
“Whatever phenomena arise from a cause,
their cause the Tathāgata has told,
and also their cessation.
Thus teaches the great ascetic.”
Then, when the wanderer Sāriputta had heard this exposition of the Dhamma, the stainless, immaculate Dhamma eye arose in him: “Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation.”
“This indeed is the Dhamma, even if only this far.
We have reached the sorrowless state,
unseen, passed over
by many tens of thousands of eons.”
Atha kho sāriputto paribbājako yena moggallāno paribbājako tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho moggallāno paribbājako sāriputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ, disvāna sāriputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca— “vippasannāni kho te, āvuso, indriyāni, parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto. Kacci no tvaṁ, āvuso, amataṁ adhigato”ti? “Āmāvuso, amataṁ adhigato”ti. “Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, āvuso, amataṁ adhigato”ti?
Then the wanderer Sāriputta approached the wanderer Moggallāna. The wanderer Moggallāna saw the wanderer Sāriputta coming in the distance. Seeing him, he said to the wanderer Sāriputta: “Friend, your faculties are clear. Your complexion is pure and bright. Have you reached the deathless, friend?” “Yes, friend, I have reached the deathless.” “And how, friend, did you reach the deathless?”
“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, addasaṁ assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ rājagahe piṇḍāya carantaṁ pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena samiñjitena pasāritena okkhittacakkhuṁ iriyāpathasampannaṁ. Disvāna me etadahosi— ‘ye vata loke arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā, ayaṁ tesaṁ bhikkhu aññataro. Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyaṁ— kaṁsi tvaṁ, āvuso, uddissa pabbajito, ko vā te satthā, kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesī’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi— ‘akālo kho imaṁ bhikkhuṁ pucchituṁ antaragharaṁ paviṭṭho piṇḍāya carati, yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyaṁ atthikehi upaññātaṁ maggan’ti. Atha kho, āvuso, assaji bhikkhu rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātaṁ ādāya paṭikkami. Atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, yena assaji bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamiṁ, upasaṅkamitvā assajinā bhikkhunā saddhiṁ sammodiṁ, sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsiṁ. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ahaṁ, āvuso, assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ— ‘vippasannāni kho te, āvuso, indriyāni, parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto. Kaṁsi tvaṁ, āvuso, uddissa pabbajito, ko vā te satthā, kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesī’ti? ‘Atthāvuso, mahāsamaṇo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito, tāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajito, so ca me bhagavā satthā, tassa cāhaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ rocemī’ti. ‘Kiṁvādī panāyasmato satthā kimakkhāyī’ti. ‘Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena dhammaṁ desetuṁ, api ca te saṅkhittena atthaṁ vakkhāmī’ti. Atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ— ‘hotu, āvuso, Appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā bhāsassu, Atthaṁyeva me brūhi; Attheneva me attho, Kiṁ kāhasi byañjanaṁ bahun’ti. Atha kho, āvuso, assaji bhikkhu imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ abhāsi— ‘Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, Tesaṁ hetuṁ tathāgato āha; Tesañca yo nirodho, Evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇo’”ti. Atha kho moggallānassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi— “yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhammanti. Eseva dhammo yadi tāvadeva, Paccabyattha padamasokaṁ; Adiṭṭhaṁ abbhatītaṁ, Bahukehi kappanahutehī”ti.
“Here, friend, I saw the bhikkhu Assaji walking for alms in Rājagaha, pleasing in going forward and going back, in looking ahead and looking aside, in bending and stretching, with eyes cast down, accomplished in deportment. Seeing him, it occurred to me: ‘Those in the world who are arahants, or who have entered the path to arahantship — this bhikkhu is one of them. Suppose I were to approach this bhikkhu and ask: “For whose sake have you gone forth, friend? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you approve of?”’ Then, friend, it occurred to me: ‘This is not the time to question this bhikkhu. He has entered among the houses and is walking for alms. Suppose I were to follow behind this bhikkhu, a path recognized by those who seek.’ Then, friend, the bhikkhu Assaji, having walked for alms in Rājagaha and taken his almsfood, returned. Then I, friend, approached the bhikkhu Assaji, exchanged greetings with him, and when we had finished our courteous and polite talk, I stood to one side. Standing to one side, I said to the bhikkhu Assaji: ‘Friend, your faculties are clear. Your complexion is pure and bright. For whose sake have you gone forth, friend? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you approve of?’ ‘There is, friend, the great ascetic, a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family. I have gone forth for the sake of that Blessed One. He is my teacher, and it is his Dhamma that I approve of.’ ‘What does your teacher say, venerable sir? What does he teach?’ ‘I, friend, am new, not long gone forth, lately come to this Dhamma and discipline. I am not able to teach the Dhamma at length. But I can tell you the meaning in brief.’ Then I, friend, said to the bhikkhu Assaji: ‘Let it be so, friend. Speak little or much, but tell me the meaning. Meaning is what I need. What will you do with a lot of phrasing?’ Then, friend, the bhikkhu Assaji spoke this exposition of the Dhamma: ‘Whatever phenomena arise from a cause, their cause the Tathāgata has told, and also their cessation. Thus teaches the great ascetic.’” Then, when the wanderer Moggallāna had heard this exposition of the Dhamma, the stainless, immaculate Dhamma eye arose in him: “Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation.” “This indeed is the Dhamma, even if only this far. We have reached the sorrowless state, unseen, passed over by many tens of thousands of eons.”
Atha kho moggallāno paribbājako sāriputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca— “gacchāma mayaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato santike, so no bhagavā satthā”ti. “Imāni kho, āvuso, aḍḍhateyyāni paribbājakasatāni amhe nissāya amhe sampassantā idha viharanti, tepi tāva apalokema. Yathā te maññissanti, tathā te karissantī”ti. Atha kho sāriputtamoggallānā yena te paribbājakā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu, upasaṅkamitvā te paribbājake etadavocuṁ— “gacchāma mayaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato santike, so no bhagavā satthā”ti. “Mayaṁ āyasmante nissāya āyasmante sampassantā idha viharāma, sace āyasmantā mahāsamaṇe brahmacariyaṁ carissanti, sabbeva mayaṁ mahāsamaṇe brahmacariyaṁ carissāmā”ti.
Then the wanderer Moggallāna said to the wanderer Sāriputta: “Friend, let us go to the Blessed One. He is our teacher.” “Friend, these two hundred and fifty wanderers are living here looking to us and depending on us. Let us ask them first. They will do as they think.” Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna approached those wanderers and said: “Friends, let us go to the Blessed One. He is our teacher.” “We are living here looking to you and depending on you. If you will live the spiritual life under the great ascetic, all of us will live the spiritual life under the great ascetic.”
Atha kho sāriputtamoggallānā yena sañcayo paribbājako tenupasaṅkamiṁsu, upasaṅkamitvā sañcayaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavocuṁ— “gacchāma mayaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato santike, so no bhagavā satthā”ti. “Alaṁ, āvuso, mā agamittha, sabbeva tayo imaṁ gaṇaṁ pariharissāmā”ti. Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho sāriputtamoggallānā sañcayaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavocuṁ— “gacchāma mayaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato santike, so no bhagavā satthā”ti. “Alaṁ, āvuso, mā agamittha, sabbeva tayo imaṁ gaṇaṁ pariharissāmā”ti.
Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna approached the wanderer Sañcaya and said: “Friend, let us go to the Blessed One. He is our teacher.” “Enough, friends. Do not go. All three of us will lead this company.” A second time they said the same thing, and a third time Sāriputta and Moggallāna said to the wanderer Sañcaya: “Friend, let us go to the Blessed One. He is our teacher.” “Enough, friends. Do not go. All three of us will lead this company.”
Atha kho sāriputtamoggallānā tāni aḍḍhateyyāni paribbājakasatāni ādāya yena veḷuvanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu. Sañcayassa pana paribbājakassa tattheva uṇhaṁ lohitaṁ mukhato uggañchi. Addasā kho bhagavā sāriputtamoggallāne dūratova āgacchante, disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi— “ete, bhikkhave, dve sahāyakā āgacchanti, kolito upatisso ca. Etaṁ me sāvakayugaṁ bhavissati aggaṁ bhaddayugan”ti. Gambhīre ñāṇavisaye, Anuttare upadhisaṅkhaye; Vimutte appatte veḷuvanaṁ, Atha ne satthā byākāsi. “Ete dve sahāyakā, Āgacchanti kolito upatisso ca; Etaṁ me sāvakayugaṁ, Bhavissati aggaṁ bhaddayugan”ti.
Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna took those two hundred and fifty wanderers and approached the Bamboo Grove. And hot blood rose from the mouth of the wanderer Sañcaya right there. The Blessed One saw Sāriputta and Moggallāna coming in the distance. Seeing them, he addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, these two companions are coming, Kolita and Upatissa. This will be my pair of disciples, the chief, the auspicious pair.”
In the deep field of knowledge,
unsurpassed, in the wearing away of acquisitions,
freed, they reached the Bamboo Grove,
and then the Teacher declared of them:
“These two companions
are coming, Kolita and Upatissa.
This will be my pair of disciples,
the chief, the auspicious pair.”
Atha kho sāriputtamoggallānā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ— “labheyyāma mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyāma upasampadan”ti. “Etha bhikkhavo”ti bhagavā avoca— “svākkhāto dhammo, caratha brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā”ti. Sāva tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ upasampadā ahosi.
Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna approached the Blessed One, placed their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, and said: “Venerable sir, may we receive the going forth in the Blessed One’s presence? May we receive full ordination?” The Blessed One said: “Come, bhikkhus. The Dhamma is well proclaimed. Live the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering.” That was the full ordination of those venerable ones.