Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa's Ordination and the Five Frontier Boons

After completing the rainy-season residence, Soṇa was reflecting in private: “I’ve heard that the Buddha is like this and like that, but I haven’t seen this for myself. If my preceptor allows me, I shall go and visit the Buddha, the Perfected One, the fully Awakened One.” Coming out from seclusion, Soṇa went to Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down,

and told him what he had thought. Mahākaccāna said, “Well thought, Soṇa! Please go and visit the Buddha, the Perfected and fully Awakened One.

You will see someone who is pleasing to the eye and inspiring confidence; who is peaceful in mind and faculties; who is attained to the supreme subduing and calm; who is tamed, guarded, and restrained in his senses—a great being. Then, Soṇa, in my name, pay respect with your head at the Buddha’s feet and say, ‘Sir, my preceptor, Venerable Mahākaccāna, pays respect with his head at the Buddha’s feet.’ And then say this: ‘In the southern region of Avantī, sir, there are few monks. Only after three years, with much trouble and difficulty, was it possible to gather a sangha of ten monks from here and there to give me the full ordination. Would the Buddha allow a smaller group of monks to give the full ordination in Avantī?

In Avantī the ground is dark and hard, made rough by the hooves of cattle. Would the Buddha allow sandals with multi-layered soles in Avantī? In Avantī people value bathing and cleanliness. Would the Buddha allow unrestricted bathing in Avantī? In Avantī sheepskins, goatskins, and deerskins are used as rugs, just as eragu grass, chaff-flower grass, majjāru grass, and jantu grass are used in the central Ganges plain. Would the Buddha allow sheepskins, goatskins, and deerskins as rugs in Avantī?

At present people give robe-cloth to monks who are outside the monastery zone, saying, “We give this robe-cloth to so-and-so.” When those monks return to the monastery, they are told, “Such-and-such people have given you robe-cloth.” But being afraid of wrongdoing, they don’t accept, thinking, “We might commit an offense entailing relinquishment.” Would the Buddha point out a way to deal with robe-cloth?’” Soṇa replied, “Yes, sir.” He got up from his seat, bowed down, and circumambulated Mahākāccāna with his right side toward him. He then put his dwelling in order, took his bowl and robe, and set out for Sāvatthī.

When he eventually arrived, he went to the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery where he approached the Buddha, bowed, and sat down. The Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, please prepare a resting place for this newly-arrived monk.” Ānanda thought, “When the Buddha says this, it means he wishes to stay in the same dwelling as Venerable Soṇa.” And he prepared a resting place for Soṇa in the Buddha’s dwelling.

අකුරු වර්ගය