Part 10: Arguments for and against initiation

After hearing this Puruṣasiṃha said respectfully, “This dharma has been well shown to me like a treasure to a poor man. However, householders can not practice it, for householdership is the best pregnancy-whim of the tree of saṃsāra. O Blessed One, give me mendicancy, the royal residence of King Dharma. I am disgusted with dwelling in the poor village of existence.”

Then the Blessed One, Sūri Vinayanandana said, “This desire of yours is good, productive of a wealth of merit. O you with a noble nature, very intelligent, discerning, having firm resolution, you are fitted for the burden of the vows. We will grant your wish. But go and take leave of your parents devoted to their son, since they are to be honored in the world above (all) men.” Then he went, bowed to his parents with his hands folded in submission and said earnestly, “Permit me to take the vow.” They said: “Mendicancy is fitting, son. However, the observance of the five great vows that must be observed in this is very hard to bear. Indifference to one’s own body, abstention from eating at night, food free from forty-two faults when you eat, always energetic, free from affection, deprived of possessions, devoted to virtue, one must always keep the five kinds of carefulness and the three controls. Pratimā, lasting for one month, etc., must be made according to rule; resolutions also in regard to substance, place, time, and state of mind. As long as yon live, no bathing, sleeping on the ground, tearing out of hair, no care of the body, always living in your guru’s house, enduring with delight trials and attacks and observing the eighteen thousand kinds of good conduct.^[1] When mendicancy has been undertaken, O delicate prince, these red chick-peas must be eaten constantly; the boundless ocean must be crossed by the arms; walking on sharp sword-blades must be done with the feet; flames of fire must be drunk; Meru must be weighed, supported on scales; and the Gaṅgā must be crossed against the current when it is flooded. The strength of very strong enemies must be conquered by one alone and the rādhavedha^[2] must be performed on a whirling wheel, alas! Much character, much fortitude, much intelligence, much strength (are necessary), when mendicancy that has been undertaken is observed throughout life.”

After listening to this, the prince replied cleverly: “Honored parents, it is true that mendicancy is such as you describe. However, I say one thing. Is a hundredth part of the trouble arising from existence seen in it (mendicancy)? For instance, to say nothing of the manifest pains of hell, hard for words to describe and for ears to hear, in this world there are seen excessive binding, cutting, beating, etc., very hard to bear, of innocent animals. Men too have pains caused by diseases, leprosy, etc., by imprisonment, cutting off limbs, skinning, burning, beheading, etc. Even the gods suffer separation from friends, insults from enemies, pain hard to bear from knowledge of (future) falling.”