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BUDDHISM. 



And so the second time the mother and father of Sudinno 

 said to Sudinno, Thou art, O child Sudinno, our only son, 

 well-beloved, surrounded by pleasures, and tenderly nourished. 

 Thou art unacquainted with grief. And the third time, Sudin- 

 no said to his mother and father : — O mother, O father, by 

 some means or other, I have heard the Dhamma proclaimed 

 by Bhagawa, (but) it is not easy to practise the holy, complete, 

 holy, and spotless Brahmachariya, by those who are house- 

 holders and dwell in the lay state. I wish (therefore) having 

 shaven my head and beard, assumed the yellow robe, and 

 separated from the laity, to become a mendicant cleric. Give 

 permission that I may separate from the world, and become a 

 mendicant cleric. And the third time the mother and father 

 of Sudinno said this to Sudinno :— -Thou art, O child, our only 

 son, well-beloved, surrounded by pleasures, tenderly nourish- 

 ed, and unacquainted with any grief. Even by death we can- 

 not desire to be separated from you. What then ! shall we 

 consent, while you are still living, that you should separate 

 from the laity, and become a mendicant cleric. 



Then Sudinno thought : — My mother and father do not 

 consent that I should become a mendicant cleric, separate from 

 the laity: and fell down there on the bareground (saying) 

 Either here will I die, or become a mendicant cleric. Then 

 Sudinno did not partake of one meal, 2 meals, 3 meals, 4 

 meals, 5 meals, 6 meals and 7 meals. Then the mother and 

 father of SudinnOj said this to Sudinno : — Thou art, child* 

 our only sOn, well-beloved, surrounded by pleasures, tenderly 

 nourished and unacquainted with any grief ; even by death we 

 cannot desire separation from you. What then, shall we 

 consent, while you are still alive, that you should separate from 

 the laity, and become a mendicant cleric. Get up, O child, 

 Sudinno, eat and drink, and surrounded by your companions 



