________________
402
KULLAVAGGA.
XII, 2, 3
where the venerable Revata was, and said to him : 'Let the venerable Thera receive at our hands these requisites of a Samana's life.'
But he refused to receive it, saying, 'Not so, my friends. I have all the things I want.'
Now at that time a Bhikkhu named Uttara, who had been twenty years admitted into the Order ?, was the attendant upon the venerable Revata. And the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Vesali went to him, and said: 'Let your reverence receive at our hands these requisites of a Samana's life.
But he made the same reply.
Then they said : People used to offer such requisites to the Blessed One. If he received them, they were happy. If he did not receive them, they used to offer them to the venerable Ånanda, saying, “ Let the venerable Thera receive these requisites of a Samana's life: that will be just as if the Blessed One had received them." - Let the venerable Uttara receive these things : that will be as if the Thera had received them.'. . Then the venerable Uttara, being thus importuned by the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Vesali, accepted one robe, saying, 'You may tell me, friends, what you want.'
'Let the venerable Uttara say thus much for us to the Thera : " Let the venerable Thera say thus much in the meeting of the Samgha—' It is in the regions of the East that the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are born. It is the Bhikkhus of the East who hold opinions in accord with the Dhamma, whereas the Bhikkhus of the West do not.'”!
1 Literally, 'I have the three robes.' 9 Visativasso; that is, since his upasampada.
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