Vol. 11 · pages 161–165

142 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II pure and bright. In whose name, friend, have you retired from the world ? Who is your teacher ? Whose Dhamma do you profess ?” 9. Assaji replied : “There is, friend, the great recluse of the Sakya’s clan ; in this Blessed One’s name, have I retired from the world ; this Blessed One is my teacher, and it is the Dhamma of this Blessed One that I follow.” 10. “And what, venerable Sir, is the doctrine which your teacher holds ? And what does he preach to you ?” 11. “I am only a young disciple, friend ; I have but recently received ordination ; and I have newly adopted this Dhamma and discipline. I cannot explain to you the Dhamma in detail ; but I will tell you in short what it means.” 12. Then Sariputta, the wandering ascetic, said to the venerable Assaji : “So be it, friend, tell me as much or as little as you like, but tell me the meaning, I want just meaning. Why make so much of the letter ?” 13. Then the venerable Assaji explained to Sariputta the substance of the teachings of the Buddha and Sariputta was completely satisfied. 14. Sariputta and Moggallana, though not brothers, were bound together as though they were brothers. They had given their word to each other. He who first attains the truth shall tell the same to the other one. That was their mutual engagement. 15. Accordingly Sariputta went to the place where Moggallana was. Seeing him, he said to Sariputta : “Your countenance, friend, is serene ; your complexion is pure and bright. Have you then really reached the truth ?” 16. “Yes, friend, I have come to know the truth.” “And how, friend, have you done so ?” Then Sariputta told him what happened between him and Assaji. 17. Then Moggallana said to Sariputta, “Let us go, friend, and join the Blessed One ; that he, the Blessed One, may be our teacher.” 18. Sariputta replied : “It is on our account,

143 CONVERSION OF THE HIGH AND THE HOLY II friend, that these two hundred and fifty wandering Parivrajakas live here, and it is we whom they regard ; let us first tell them before taking leave of them ; they will do what they think fit.” 19. Then Sariputta and Moggallana went to the place where they were ; having approached them they said to them, “Friends, we are going to join the Blessed One ; he, the Blessed One, is our teacher.” 20. They replied : “It is on your account, Sirs, that we live here, and it is you whom we regard ; if you, Sirs, will lead the holy life under the great Samana, we all will do the same.” 21. Then Sariputta and Moggallana went to the place where Sanjaya was ; having approached him, they said : “Friend, we go to join the Blessed One ; he, the Blessed One, is our teacher.” 22. Sanjaya replied : “Nay, friends, do not go ; we will all three look after this company.” 23. And a second and third time Sariputta and Moggallana said this and Sanjaya answered as before. 24. Then Sariputta and Moggallana took with them two hundred and fifty wandering ascetics and went to the Veluvana in Rajagraha where the Blessed One was staying. 25. And the Blessed One saw them—Sariputta and Moggallana, coming from afar : on seeing them he thus addressed the monks : “There, monks, arrive two companions,” pointing towards Sariputta and Moggallana, “these will be my chief pair of disciples, and auspicious pair.” 26. When they had arrived at the bamboo grove, they went to the place where the Blessed One was ; having approached him, they prostrated themselves, with their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One : “Lord, let us receive ordination from the Blessed One.” 27. The Blessed One then uttered the usual formula indicating admission, “Ehi Bhikku” (Come Monks), and Sariputta and Moggallana and the two hundred Jatilas became the disciples of the Buddha.”

144 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II § 4. Conversion of King Bimbisara 1. Rajagraha was the capital of Seniya Bimbisara; King of Magadha. 2. Having heard of the conversions of this large number of Jatilas, everyone in the city had begun to talk about the Blessed One. 3. Thus King Bimbisara came to know of his arrival in the city. 4. “To have converted the most orthodox and the most obstinate Jatilas was no mean task.” “Truly so,” said King Bimbisara to himself, “he must be the Blessed, holy, absolute Buddha, proficient in knowledge and conduct, the way-farer, who understands the world, the highest one, who guides men, the teacher of gods and men. He must be teaching the truth, which he understood himself. 5. “He must be preaching that Dhamma which is lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at the end, in the spirit and in the letter ; he must be proclaiming the consummate perfect, pure and holy life. It is good to obtain the sight of a man like him.” 6. So King Bimbisara, surrounded by twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders, went to the place where the Blessed One was. Having approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him. And of those twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders, some also respectfully saluted the Blessed One and sat down near him ; some exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and having done so they sat down near him with complaisant words ; some bent their clasped hands towards the Blessed One and sat down near him ; some made known their name and family name before the Blessed One and sat down near him ; some sat down near him silently. 7. Now those twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders saw Uruvella Kassyapa among the monks who came with the Blessed Lord. They thought : “How now is this ? Does the great

145 CONVERSION OF THE HIGH AND THE HOLY II Samana follow the holy life under Uruvella Kassyapa, or does Uruvella Kassyapa follow the holy life under the great Samana ?” 8. And the Blessed One, who understood in his mind the reflection which had arisen in the minds of those twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders, addressed the venerable Uruvella Kassyapa: “What hast thou seen, O dweller of Uruvella, that thou who art called the great one hast forsaken the fire worship ? How is it thou hast forsaken the fire sacrifice ?” 9. Kassyapa replied : “It is sights and sounds, and also tastes, and women of sense desire that the sacrifices promise ; because I understood that these things are impure that I took no more delight in sacrifices and offerings.” 10. “But if you don’t mind, tell us what made you think so ?” 11. Then the venerable Uruvella Kassyapa rose from his seat, adjusted his upper robe so as to cover one shoulder, prostrated himself, inclining his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: “My teacher is the Blessed One, I am his pupil.” Then those twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders understood : “Uruvella Kassyapa follows the holy life under the great Samana.” 12. And the Blessed One, who understood in his mind the reflection that had arisen in the minds of those twelve myriads of Magadha Brahmins and householders, preached to them his Dhamma. Just as a clean cloth free from black specks properly takes the dye, thus eleven myriads of those Magadha Brahmins and householders with Bimbisara at their head, while sitting there, obtained the pure and spotless dye of the Dhamma. One myriad announced their having become lay followers. 13. Then the Magadha king, Seniya Bimbisara, having witnessed the scene, having understood the Dhamma, having penetrated the Dhamma, having overcome uncertainty, having dispelled all doubts,

146 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II having gained full knowledge, said to the Blessed One : “In former days, Lord, when I was a prince, I entertained five aspirations ; these are now fulfilled. 14. “In former days, Lord, to me when I was a prince, came this thought : ‘O that I might be inaugurated king !’ That was my first aspiration, Lord ; that is now fulfilled. ‘And might then a holy one, a fully Enlightened One, come over into my kingdom !’ This was my second aspiration, Lord ; that is now fulfilled. ‘And might I minister to that Blessed One !’ That was my third aspiration, Lord ; that is now fulfilled. ‘And might he, the Blessed One, preach the Dhamma to me !’ This was my fourth aspiration, Lord ; and that is now fulfilled. ‘And might I understand the Dhamma of that Blessed One !’ This was my fifth aspiration, Lord ; this is now fulfilled. These were my five aspirations, Lord, which I entertained in former days when I was a prince. 15. “Wonderful, Lord ! Wonderful, just as if one should set up, what had been overturned, or should reveal what had been hidden, or should point out the way to one who had lost his way, or should bring a lamp into the darkness, in order that those who had eyes might see things, thus has the Blessed One preached the Dhamma in many ways. I take refuge, Lord, in that Blessed One, and in the Dhamma, and in the fraternity of Bhikkus (monks). May the Blessed One receive me from this day forth, while my life lasts, as a lay disciple who has taken refuge in him.” § 5. Conversion of Anathapindika 1. Sudatta was a resident of Shravasti, the capital of the kingdom of Kosala. It was ruled by King Pasenjit. Sudatta was treasurer of the king. From his bounties to the poor, Sudatta was known as Anathapindika. 2. When the Lord was at Rajagraha, Anathapindika happened to visit the place on some private business of his own. He was stopping with his sister