This is as I heard from the Blessed One. Those days, The Blessed One was living in the province of Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Park, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. At that time, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna was living in the country of Avantī, on Pavatta Mountain, near the city of Kuraraghara. Those days, the lay follower Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was Venerable Mahā Kaccāna’s supporter. One day, Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in meditation, this thought came to his mind, “According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?”
He went to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna and, having worshiped Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, “Just now, Bhante, as I was alone in meditation, this thought came to my mind: ‘According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?’ Please make me a monk, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna!”
Then, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna said to Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa, “It’s hard, Soṇa, the life-long, one-meal-a-day, celibate, monk life. Please, practice the Dhamma at home alone, during suitable times (Uposatha days), take one-meal-a-day and practice the celibate life.” After, Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa’s idea of becoming a monk subsided.
A second time as Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in meditation, this thought came to his mind, “According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?”
He went to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna and, having worshiped Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, “Just now, Bhante, as I was alone in meditation, this thought came to my mind: ‘According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?’ Please make me a monk, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna!”
When this was said, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna said to Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa, “It’s hard, Soṇa, the life-long, one-meal-a-day, celibate, monk life. Please, practice the Dhamma at home alone, during suitable times1, take one-meal-a-day and practice the celibate life.” After, Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa’s idea of becoming a monk subsided a second time.
Then a third time as Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in meditation, this thought came to his mind, “According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?”
He went to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna and, having worshiped Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, “Just now, Bhante, as I was alone in meditation, this thought came to my mind: ‘According to the Dhamma that Venerable Mahā Kaccāna teaches, it’s not easy to practice the Dhamma, perfectly, purely, like a polished shell, at home. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on dyed robes, and become a monk?’ Please make me a monk, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna!”
Then, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna made Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa a monk.
Those days, the southern country of Avantī was short of monks. After three years, having gathered ten monks with hardship and difficulty, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna give high ordination to Venerable Soṇa. Then, after having completed the Rains retreat, as he was alone in meditation, this thought came to Venerable Soṇa’s mind: “I haven’t seen the Blessed One in person. I’ve simply heard that he is like this and like that. If my teacher would give me permission, I would go to see the Blessed One.”
Leaving meditation in the late afternoon, he went to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna and, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, “Just now, Bhante, as I was alone in meditation, this thought came to my mind: ‘I haven’t seen the Blessed One in person. I’ve simply heard that he is like this and like that. If my teacher would give me permission, I would go to see the Blessed One.’”
“Good, Soṇa. Very good. Go, Soṇa, to see the Blessed One. You will see the Blessed One who is serene and gives calmness, his senses at peace, his mind at peace, one who is perfectly tamed, guarded, his senses restrained, a Great One2. Seeing him, worship him with your head to his feet and in my name, ask whether he is free from illness and sickness, strong and living in comfort, while saying ‘My teacher, Bhante, worships you with his head to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness and sickness, strong and living in comfort.’”
Saying, “As you say, Bhante,” Venerable Soṇa happily accepted Venerable Mahā Kaccāna’s words, got up from his seat, bowed down to Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, circled him to the right, set his lodging in order, and taking his bowl and double-layered robes, set off toward Sāvatthī. He arrived at Sāvatthī and went to Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, in Jeta’s Park. He went to the Blessed One and, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “Bhante, my teacher, Venerable Mahā Kaccāna, shows reverence with his head to the Blessed One’s feet and asks whether you are free from illness and sickness, strong and living in comfort.”
“Monk, are you well? Are you in good health? Have you come without difficulty? Are you not tired of alms-food?”
“I am well, Bhante. I am in good health, Bhante. I have come without difficulty, Bhante, without being too tired and I am not tired of alms-food.”
Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Ānanda, saying, “Ānanda, prepare a lodging for this visiting monk.”
Then this thought occurred to Venerable Ānanda, “When the Blessed One tells me, ‘Ānanda, prepare a lodging for this visiting monk,’ he wants to stay in the same lodging with that monk. The Blessed One wants to stay in the same lodging with Venerable Soṇa.” He prepared a bed in the lodging that the Blessed One was staying in for Venerable Soṇa. Then the Blessed One, having spent much of the night outside, washed his feet and entered the lodging. Likewise, Venerable Soṇa, having spent much of the night outside, washed his feet and entered the lodging. Then, getting up toward the end of the night, the Blessed One invited Venerable Soṇa, saying, “Monk, I would like you to recite the Dhamma.”
Responding, “Yes, Bhante,” to the Blessed One, Venerable Soṇa chanted all sixteen parts of the Aṭṭhaka Vagga3 beautifully. The Blessed One, at the end of Venerable Soṇa’s recitation, rejoiced saying, “Good, monk. Very good. You have learned the Aṭṭhaka Vagga well, have wisely considered them, and have kept their meaning in your mind. The words you said are incredibly good. You said them clear and faultless, making the meaning arise. How many rains retreats4 do you have?”
“I have one, Bhante.”
“But why did you take so long to become a monk?”
“For a long time, Bhante, I have seen faults in sense pleasures, but the household life has many troubles, responsibilities, and many things to do. That is why I took so long to become a monk.”
Then, on realizing the bliss of Nibbāna, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
“Having seen the drawbacks of worldly things,
having understood Nibbāna as the only peace,
the noble one does not delight in evil.
A pure person never delights in evil.”
