When he said this, General Sīha said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! Excellent! From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

“Sīha, you should act after careful consideration. It’s good for well-known people such as yourself to act after careful consideration.”

“Now I’m even more delighted and satisfied with the Buddha, since he tells me to act after careful consideration. For if the followers of other religions were to gain me as a disciple, they’d carry a banner all over Vesālī, saying: ‘General Sīha has become our disciple!’ And yet the Buddha tells me to act after careful consideration. For a second time, I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

“For a long time now, Sīha, your family has been a well-spring of support for the Jain ascetics. You should consider giving to them when they come.”