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Anuruddha - "But seven years is too long a time. I cannot wait for such a long period".
Bhaddiya reduced it to six years. But, for Anuruddha, who was keen for initiation, even a six-year period was too long. So he protested. Bhaddiya cut it down, by stages, to five years, then to four, three, two, one, to six months, five, four, three, two, one, and at last to a fortnight. But even a fortnight was too long for Anuruddha. So he rejected this too, and insisted on him to get ready at once. Bhaddiya said at last,
"Give me at least a week's time so that I may properly give charge of my kingdom to my sons and brothers".
"Anuruddha agreed. As the week went out, the Śākya king Bhaddiya, Anuruddha, Ananda, Bhrgu, Kimbila, Devadatta, and a barber named Upali, these seven were taken to the park accompanied by the four-fold army. After the procession had covered a great distance, the army was ordered to return. Thereafter, the seven moved on. Having crossed into another kingdom, they took out their ornaments and valuables and tied them in a piece of cloth. Then they entrusted the bundle to Barber Upali and said,
"You go back from this place. These will be encugh to support you through life".
Upali returned with the bundle. While still on the road, he thought,
"The Sākyas are by nature haughty. When they will know that I have returned with ornaments and valuables, they will at once suspect that I have murdered the princes and robbed them of their valuables and jewels. They will at once kill me. If Bhaddiya, Anuruddha and others, who are princes, are going to be initiated, then, why should I not follow them"?
Having thus taken a firm decision, he hanged the ornaments from a tree and shouted,
"Whosoever sets his eyes on these may take these".
Upāli started back and soon overtook his companions.
| SR No. | 022804 |
| Book Title | Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Nagaraj Muni |
| Publisher | Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers |
| Publication Year | 1986 |
| Total Pages | 804 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |