[XIV. Entry into the City]
[Ordination and Teaching]
29-50 ≠ Mhv 24-41
In the evening an offering of food was brought to the King, then after hearing the Discourse that was spoken by Mahinda, although the Lord of the Earth knew: ‘They will not eat now’, thinking: ‘It is not suitable to eat without having asked,’ and: ‘It is right to ask,’ he invited the Seers to the meal, saying: “What will you eat, venerable Sir?”
“We do not eat now.”
When this was said the King inquired: “What is the right time?”
“Starting from dawn up and till the middle of the day.”
When the right time was told, he spoke thus: “We will go to the city.”
“You go, Great King, we will take up residence here.”
“If that is so, let this young man go with us.”
“This young man has come to Path and Fruit, As stated above in 13.21 he had attained the third Path and Fruit. King, understood the Dispensation, and is seeking the going-forth, therefore he must dwell in our presence, we will give him the going-forth now, but you can go, Lord of the Earth.”
“In the morning I will send a chariot, standing in that you can proceed to the city.”
He worshipped the Elders and led Bhaṇḍu to one side and asked what the Elder referred to, and he told the King all: “God-King! These five monks have destroyed the pollutants, they are Great Elders of great wisdom, who have developed analytic knowledge.” It means the four branches of analytical knowledge: analytic knowledge of meanings, conditions, language and of improvisation.
After rejoicing: ‘The Elders have been received,’ he thought: ‘This is a gain for me.’
Because of Bhaṇḍu’s lay appearance the Lord of Men lost his fear, Although he is said to have already lost his fear above (v. 14), on learning they had come out of compassion. knowing he had the nature of a man.
Saying: “We will let him go forth,” the Elder, in that village boundary, at that very instant, gave to the young man Bhaṇḍu the going-forth and the higher ordination, and at that very instant he also attained Worthiness.
Then the Elder addressed the novice Sumana: “Please announce the time for listening to the Dhamma now.”
“When sounding it, venerable Sir, how far shall I announce it?”
“Over the whole of the Copper-Dust Island,” DPPN: the name given to that district in Ceylon where Vijaya landed after leaving Suppāraka (Mhv.vi.47; Dpv.ix.30). It is said to have been so called because when Vijaya’s followers, having disembarked from the ship, sat down there, wearied, resting their hands on the ground, they found them coloured by the red dust that lay there. and when this was said, he said: “It is good!”
The novice attained a basis in the four absorptions The four absorptions (
The King, who was sitting on the side of the Four Nāgas tank eating, after hearing that roar, sent his ministers to them. Having quickly gone and worshipped them all, they asked: “Is there some danger?”
He said: “There is no danger, the time was being announced to hear the Perfectly Awakened One’s words.”
Having heard the roar of the novice, the Earth-Gods announced it too, and in succession the sound thus rose up to the Brahmā world. With the announcement a great many gods assembled and the Elder taught the Discourse on the Peaceful Mind AN Bk. 2, Sut. 31. On gratitude. in that assembly.
An innumerable number of gods penetrated the Dhamma and many Nāgas and Supaṇṇas were established in the Refuges. Just as when the Elder Sāriputta spoke this Discourse an innumerable number of the gods penetrated the Dhamma, so did the gods who assembled around the Elder Mahinda.