raivo
August 24, 2016, 12:21pm
21
Because he originally only ordained to “steal” the Buddha’s Dhamma to preach it to people and thus live a comfortable life:
Now on that occasion the Blessed One was honoured, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered, and he obtained robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites. The Bhikkhu Saṅgha too was honoured, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered, and the bhikkhus too obtained robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites. But the wanderers of other sects were not honoured, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered, and they did not obtain robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites.
Now on that occasion the wanderer Susīma was residing in Rajagaha along with a large company of wanderers. Then his company said to the wanderer Susīma: “Come, friend Susīma, lead the holy life under the ascetic Gotama. Master his Dhamma and teach it to us. We will master his Dhamma and preach it to the lay people. Thus we too will be honoured, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered, and we too will obtain robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites.”
“All right, friends,” the wanderer Susīma replied.
I see. But then, that makes a little difficult for him to be considered to be at that point an arahant, doesn’t it?
raivo
August 24, 2016, 1:36pm
23
Usually wanderers of other sects had to first pass a probationary period of four months before they could be ordained. Perhaps in this case the Buddha saw that Susima was ‘one with little dust in his eyes’ and allowed him to ordain immediately.