09 November, 2013

Conversion of Upali, the Barber. - Buddha and his dhamma,

:: 1. Conversion of Upali, the Barber. ::
1. While going back Upali, the barber thought: "The Sakyans are afierce people. If I go back with these ornaments they will kill me thinking that I have killed my companions and run away with their ornaments. Why should I not go the way these young men of the Sakya clan have gone ?" 
2. "Why indeed should I not?" asked Upali to himself. And he let down the bundle of ornaments from his back, and hung it on a tree, saying: " Let him who finds it take it as a gift," and returned to follow the Sakya youths.
3. And the Sakyans saw him coming from afar, and on seeing, they said to him: " What have you come back for, good Upali ? "
4. Then he told them what he felt and they replied: " Thou has done well, good Upali, in that thou did not return; for the Sakyans are fierce, and they might have killed thee." 

5. And they took Upali the barber with them to the place where the Blessed One was. And on arriving there, they bowed down before the Blessed One and took their seats on one side. And so seated they said to the Blessed One : 
6. " We Sakyans, Lord, are haughty. And this Upali, the barber, has long been an attendant, Lord, upon us. May. the Blessed One admit him to the Order before us, so that we may render him respect and reverence, and bow down with outstretched hands before him as our senior and thus shall the Sakyan pride be humbled in us !" 
7. Then the Blessed One received first Upali, the barber, and afterwards those young men of the Sakya clan, into the ranks of the Order.

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