I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. And on that occasion Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana was living among the people of Avantī on Pavatta Mountain near the Osprey Habitat. And at that time the lay follower Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana's supporter. Then as Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to his awareness: "According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?"

So he went to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and on arrival, having bowed down to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, "Just now, venerable sir, as I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to my awareness: 'According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?' Give me the going-forth, Master Mahā Kaccāyana!"

When this was said, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana said to Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa, "It's hard, Soṇa, the life-long, one-meal-a-day, sleeping-alone holy life. Please, right there as you are a householder, devote yourself to the message of the Awakened Ones and to the proper-time [i.e., uposatha day], one-meal-a-day, sleeping-alone holy life." And so Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa's idea of going-forth subsided.

Then a second time as Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to his awareness: "According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?"

So he went to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and on arrival, having bowed down to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, "Just now, venerable sir, as I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to my awareness: 'According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?' Give me the going-forth, Master Mahā Kaccāyana!"

When this was said, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana said to Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa, "It's hard, Soṇa, the life-long, one-meal-a-day, sleeping-alone holy life. Please, right there as you are a householder, devote yourself to the message of the Awakened Ones and to the proper-time, one-meal-a-day, sleeping-alone holy life." And so Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa's idea of going-forth subsided a second time.

Then a third time as Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to his awareness: "According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?"

So he went to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and on arrival, having bowed down to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, "Just now, venerable sir, as I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to my awareness: 'According to the Dhamma that Master Mahā Kaccāyana teaches, it's not easy living at home to practice the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness?' Give me the going-forth, Master Mahā Kaccāyana!"

So Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana gave Soṇa Koṭikaṇṇa the going-forth.

Now at that time the southern country of Avantī was short of monks. So only after three years — having gathered from here & there with hardship & difficulty a quorum-of-ten community of monks[1] — did Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana give full admission to Ven. Soṇa. Then, after having completed the Rains retreat, as he was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to Ven. Soṇa's awareness: "I haven't seen the Blessed One face-to-face. I've simply heard that he is like this and like this. If my preceptor would give me permission, I would go to see the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened."

So, leaving seclusion in the late afternoon, he went to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, "Just now, venerable sir, as I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought appeared to my awareness: 'I haven't seen the Blessed One face-to-face. I've simply heard that he is like this and like this. If my preceptor would give me permission, I would go to see the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened.'"

"Good, Soṇa. Very good. Go, Soṇa, to see the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened. You will see the Blessed One who is serene & inspires serene confidence, his senses at peace, his mind at peace, one who has attained the utmost tranquility & poise, tamed, guarded, his senses restrained, a Great One (nāga). On seeing him, showing reverence with your head to his feet in my name,[2] ask whether he is free from illness & affliction, is carefree, strong, & living in comfort, [saying: 'My preceptor, lord, shows reverence with his head to your feet and asks whether you are free from illness & affliction, are carefree, strong, & living in comfort.'"] [3]

Saying, "As you say, venerable sir," Ven. Soṇa — delighting in & approving of Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana's words — got up from his seat, bowed down to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, circled him to the right, set his lodging in order, and — taking his bowl & robes — set off wandering toward Sāvatthī. Wandering by stages, he arrived at Sāvatthī, Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. He went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, my preceptor, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, shows reverence with his head to the Blessed One's feet and asks whether the Blessed One is free from illness & affliction, is carefree, strong, & living in comfort."

"Are you well, monk? Are you in good health? Have you come along the road with only a little fatigue? And are you not tired of alms-food?"

"I am well, Blessed One. I am in good health, Blessed One. I have come along the road, lord, with only a little fatigue and I am not tired of alms-food."

Then the Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda, saying, "Ānanda, prepare bedding for this visiting monk."

Then the thought occurred to Ven. Ānanda, "When the Blessed One orders me, 'Ānanda, prepare bedding for this visiting monk,' he wants to stay in the same dwelling with that monk. The Blessed One wants to stay in the same dwelling with Ven. Soṇa." So he prepared bedding for Ven. Soṇa in the dwelling in which the Blessed One was staying. Then the Blessed One, having spent much of the night sitting in the open air, washed his feet and entered the dwelling. Likewise, Ven. Soṇa, having spent much of the night sitting in the open air, washed his feet and entered the dwelling. Then, getting up toward the end of the night, the Blessed One invited Ven. Mahā Soṇa,[4] saying, "Monk, I would like you to recite the Dhamma."

Responding, "As you say, lord," to the Blessed One, Ven. Soṇa chanted all sixteen parts of the Aṭṭhaka Vagga.[5] The Blessed One, at the conclusion of Ven. Soṇa's intonation, expressed high approval: "Good, monk. Very good. You have learned the Aṭṭhaka Vagga [verses] well, have considered them well, have borne them well in mind. You have a fine delivery, clear & faultless, that makes the meaning intelligible. How many Rains [in the monkhood] do you have?"

"I have one Rains, Blessed One."

"But why did you take so long [to ordain]?"

"For a long time, lord, I have seen the drawbacks in sensuality, but the household life is confining with many duties, many things to be done."

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed: