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Long before the Blessed One had attained enlightenment, self-mortification had been the custom among those who earnestly sought for salvation. Deliverance of the soul from all the necessities of life and finally from the body itself, they regarded as the aim of religion. Thus, they avoided everything that might be a luxury in food, shelter, and clothing, and lived like the beasts in the woods. Some went naked, while others wore the rags cast away upon cemeteries or dungheaps. 1
When the Blessed One retired from the world,[Pg 90] he recognized at once the error of the naked ascetics, and, considering the indecency of their habit, clad himself in cast-off rags. 2
Having attained enlightenment and rejected all unnecessary self-mortifications, the Blessed One and his bhikkhus continued for a long time to wear the cast-off rags of cemeteries and dung-heaps. 3
Then it happened that the bhikkhus were visited with diseases of all kinds, and the Blessed One permitted and explicitly ordered the use of medicines, and among them he even enjoined, whenever needed, the use of unguents.4
One of the brethren suffered from a sore on his foot, and the Blessed One enjoined the bhikkhus to wear foot-coverings. 5
Now it happened that a disease befell the body of the Blessed One himself, and nanda went to Jvaka, physician to Bimbisra, the king. 6
And Jvaka, a faithful believer in the Holy One, ministered unto the Blessed One with medicines and baths until the body of the Blessed One was completely restored. 7
At that time, Pajjota, king of Ujjen, was suffering from jaundice, and Jvaka, the physician to king Bimbisra, was consulted. When king Pajjota had been restored to health, he sent to Jvaka a suit of the most excellent cloth. And Jvaka said to himself: "This suit is made of the best cloth, and nobody is worthy to receive it but the Blessed One, the perfect and holy Buddha, or the Magadha king, Senija Bimbisra." 8
Then Jvaka took that suit and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, and having respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him and said: "Lord, I have a boon to ask of the Blessed One." 9
The Buddha replied: "The Tathgatas, Jvaka, do not grant boons before they know what they are."10
[Pg 91] Jvaka said: "Lord, it is a proper and unobjectionable request." 11
"Speak, Jvaka," said the Blessed One. 12
"Lord of the world, the Blessed One wears only robes made of rags taken from a dung-heap or a cemetery, and so also does the brotherhood of bhikkhus. Now, Lord, this suit has been sent to me by King Pajjota, which is the best and most excellent, and the finest and the most precious, and the noblest that can be found. Lord of the world, may the Blessed One accept from me this suit, and may he allow the brotherhood of bhikkhus to wear lay robes." 13
The Blessed One accepted the suit, and after having delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the bhikkhus thus: 14
"Henceforth ye shall be at liberty to wear either cast-off rags or lay robes. Whether ye are pleased with the one or with the other, I will approve of it." 15
When the people at Rjagaha heard, "The Blessed One has allowed the bhikkhus to wear lay robes," those who were willing to bestow gifts became glad. And in one day many thousands of robes were presented at Rjagaha to the bhikkhus. 16
When Suddhodana had grown old, he fell sick and sent for his son to come and see him once more before he died; and the Blessed One came and stayed at the sick-bed, and Suddhodana, having attained perfect enlightenment, died in the arms of the Blessed One. 1
And it is said that the Blessed One, for the sake of preaching to his mother My-dev, ascended to heaven and dwelt[Pg 92] with the devas. Having concluded his pious mission, he returned to the earth and went about again, converting those who listened to his teachings. 2
Yasodhar had three times requested of the Buddha that she might be admitted to the Sangha, but her wish had not been granted. Now Pajpat, the foster-mother of the Blessed One, in the company of Yasodhar, and many other women, went to the Tathgata entreating him earnestly to let them take the vows and be ordained as disciples. 1
And the Blessed One, foreseeing the danger that lurked in admitting women to the Sangha, protested that while the good religion ought surely to last a thousand years it would, when women joined it, likely decay after five hundred years; but observing the zeal of Pajpat and Yasodhar for leading a religious life he could no longer resist and assented to have them admitted as his disciples. 2
Then the venerable nanda addressed the Blessed One thus: 3
"Are women competent, Venerable Lord, if they retire from household life to the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline announced by the Tathgata, to attain to the fruit of conversion, to attain to a release from a wearisome repetition of rebirths, to attain to saintship?" 4
And the Blessed One declared: "Women are competent, nanda, if they retire from household life to the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline announced by the Tathgata, to attain to the fruit of conversion, to attain to a release from a wearisome repetition of rebirths, to attain to saintship.5
[Pg 93] "Consider, nanda, how great a benefactress Pajpat has been. She is the sister of the mother of the Blessed One, and as foster-mother and nurse, reared the Blessed One after the death of his mother. So, nanda, women may retire from household life to the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline announced by the Tathgata." 6
Pajpat was the first woman to become a disciple of the Buddha and to receive the ordination as a bhikkhun. 7
