Vinaya (2): The Mahavagga
by T. W. Rhys Davids | 1881 | 156,382 words
The Mahavagga (part of the Vinaya collection) includes accounts of Gautama Buddha’s and the ten principal disciples’ awakenings, as well as rules for ordination, rules for reciting the Patimokkha during uposatha days, and various monastic procedures....
Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 48
1. At that time a certain smith[1] who was bald-headed, having had a quarrel with his father and mother, had gone to the Ārāma and received pabbajjā with the Bhikkhus. Now the father and mother of that bald-headed smith, searching after that bald-headed smith, came to the Ārāma and asked the Bhikkhus: 'Pray, reverend Sirs, have you seen such and such a boy?'
The Bhikkhus, who did not know him, said: 'We do not know him;' having not seen him, they said: 'We have not seen him.'
2. Now the father and mother of that bald-headed smith, searching after that bald-headed smith, found him ordained with the Bhikkhus; they were annoyed, &c.: 'These Sakyaputtiya Samaṇas are shameless, wicked, and liars. They knew him and said: "We do not know him;" they had seen him and said: "We have not seen him." This boy has been ordained with the Bhikkhus.'
Now some Bhikkhus heard the father and mother of that bald-headed smith, who were annoyed, &c. Those Bhikkhus told the thing to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that the Saṃgha's permission is asked for having (the new coming Bhikkhus) shaved.'
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Buddhaghosa explains kammārabhaṇḍu by tulātaramuṇḍako (read tulādhāram.) suvaṇṇakāraputto. At Dhammapada, v. 239, kammāra is said of a silversmith. There was probably no distinction in these early times between gold, silver, copper, and iron smiths; the same man being an artificer in all kinds of metal.