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After lunch, being sent by his mother, Prince Ráhula came to the Buddha and said,
"Sramana! Pleasant is thy shadow."
The Buddha left the place. But Rāhula follow ed him shouting,
"Sramana! Give me my paternal property. Give me my paternal property".
The Buddha did not ask the prince to go back, nor did the kinsmen prevent him from going with the Buddha. He came upto the Buddha's camp. The Buddha thought,
"The treasure he is asking for is wordly treasure. It is liable to destruction. Why don't I bestow on him seven noble treasures (viz., devotion, conduct, humility, fear of public censure, knowledge of scriptures, renunciation and wisdom) (38) by inducting him into the order. I shall make him the master of this unusual realm".
At once, he called Sāriputta and said, "Initiate Prince 'Rāhula as a monk."
Sariputta - "Bhante! By what mode should I initiate Prince Rahula ?"
On this issue, the Buddha delivered a sermon, and then addressing the monks, he said,
"Bhikṣus! I order an initiation called srāmanera for him. This prescribes the seeking of shelter with three. It involves the following practices: the hairs on the head and the beard need be cut; saffron clothes need be put on; a piece of cloth needs be placed on the shoulder; then he should be made to bow at the feet of the monks; then he should be made to sit in the utkatuka posture, and with folded hands, he should say,
I take shelter with the Buddha
I take shelter with the Dharma
