At that time a certain shaven-headed smith had quarreled with his parents. He then went to the monastery and went forth with the monks. While looking for their son, the parents came to that monastery. They asked the monks, “Venerables, have you by any chance seen such-and-such a boy?” Because they had not, they said, “No.”

Soon afterwards those parents saw that their son had gone forth as a monk. They then complained and criticized the monks, “These Sakyan monastics are shameless and immoral liars. They deny knowing what they know and having seen what they’ve seen. Our boy has gone forth as a monk.” The monks heard the complaints of those parents. They told the Buddha. “You should get permission from the Sangha to shave someone’s head.”

36. The boy Upāli