(Part
One) 25.
The Story of Prince Rahula
On
the seventh day after the Buddha's homecoming Princess
Yasodhara dressed up young Rahula. The Buddha's son
had been brought up by his mother and grandfather
and was now seven years old. She pointed to the Buddha
and said, "That is your father, Rahula. Go and
ask him for your inheritance."
Innocent
Rahula went to the Buddha and, looking up into his
face, told him what his mother had asked him to say,
adding, "Father, even your shadow is pleasing
to me."
As
the Buddha left the palace Rahula followed him saying,
"Give me my inheritance." Coming to the
park the Buddha thought, "He desires his father's
wealth, but this goes with the worldly life and is
full of trouble and suffering. I shall instead give
him what I know and thus give him an excellent inheritance."
The Buddha then asked Sariputta, one of his disciples,
to ordain Rahula.
When
King Suddhodana heard that his beloved grandson had
become a monk he was deeply grieved. The king said,
"When you left home it made me sad. When Nanda
left home my heart ached. I concentrated my love on
my grandson and again the one I love has left me.
Please do not ordain anyone without their parent's
permission." To this the Buddha agreed and never
ordained anybody after that without their parents'
permission.
