________________
On seeding the barber return so soon, the princes asked,
"Upali! Why have you come back"?
343
Upali apprised them with his own thinking and narrated to them how he had disposed off the ornaments.
The Sakya princes approved his action and added,
"You are very correct. The Sakyas are, by nature, very haughty. Your apprehension is not baseless".
With Upali in their company, the Sakyas came to the
Buddha. They saluted him and sat in one corner. They submitted,
'Bhante! We, the Sakayas, are a proud people. This fellow, Barber Upali, has for ever been our servant. Please initiate him first so that (being senior in initiation), we shall be liable to salute him, revere him and tender him our services. If this is done, then alone our pride in being Sakyas will be duly tempered".
The Buddha accepted the request of the Sakya princes. Upali was the first to be initiated as a monk, and then the other six princes followed (40).
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Notes on Chapter Ten
Aupapâtik-sutra 10; Kappa Sutta Su. 134-135
Dharmananda Kosambi, Bhagavan Buddha, p. 154
Ibid, pp. 153-54.
Based on Ganadhara-vada; Avasyaka Niryukti, Gatha
17-65.
Cf. sami ya imam etārūvam abhiggaham abhigenhati cauvviham dabbato 4: davvato kumase suppa-konenam khittao eluyam vikkhamvaitta kalao niyattesu bhikkhayaresu bhavato yadi rayadhuya dasattanam pattaniya labaddha mundiyasira royamani attham-vattiya abam kappati sesam na kappati kalo ya posa-bahula