Budhism : — Laws of the Budhist Priesthood. 127 



Watt'hun, and arriving there abode in a Nigrodha grove. 

 The mother of Rahula (Goutama's wife prior to his becoming 

 a priest,) said to Rahula, Your father is come, go and ask for 

 your inheritance. Then Prince Rahula went to Budha, and 

 standing before him said, Pleasant is your shadow, Samana. 

 Budha then rose from his seat and departed ; but Rahula fol- 

 lowed him saying, Samana, give me my inheritance ! Samana, 

 give me my inheritance ! Then Budha called Sariputta and 

 said, Sariputta, admit Prince Rahula into the priesthood. 

 Sariputta enquired in what manner he should ordain him : 

 upon which Budha assembled the priests, and said : 



44. Priests, I direct that a Samanero shall be ordained 

 by thrice repeating the Saranas. And thus shall he be 

 ordained. First, let the head and beard be shaved, yellow 

 robes put on, and one shoulder being bared, let (the candidate) 

 worship the feet of the priests, kneel down and with joined 

 hands say, I take refuge in Budha, I take refuge in the doc- 

 trine, I take refuge in the priesthood. A second time I take 

 refuge in Budha, a second time I take refuge in the doctrine, 

 a second time I take refuge in the priesthood. A third time 

 I take refuge in Budha, a third time I take refuge in the 

 doctrine, a third time I take refuge in the priesthood. I direct 

 priests, that by this thrice repeating the Saranas, a Samanero 

 shall be ordained. 



Sariputta accordingly ordained Prince Rahula a priest. 



The king Suddhodano, Budha's father, came to him and 

 having worshipped him sat down and said, I have to solicit a 

 boon. He then stated that he experienced much sorrow 

 when Goutama became a priest: that this was much increased 

 when Ananda joined the priesthood, and that the ordination 

 of Rahula, whom he loved with the most tender affection, was 

 like tearing off the skin and crushing the bones and marrow ; 

 and requested that in future no person should be admitted 

 into the priesthood, unless he had first obtained the consent of 

 his parents. Budha consoled his father by explaining his 

 doctrines to him, and when the king retired, he assembled his 

 priests, and said ; 



