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CONVERSION OF THE HIGH AND THE HOLY
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known or seen or heard to make you take to homelessness ?
- “Or take a man who, after being rich and wealthy and of great substance, and after gradually losing it, recognizes his position and realizes the difficulty either of acquiring new wealth or of doing well with what he has got; so he decides to become a pilgrim. This is known as the loss which impoverishment entails. But the revered Ratthapala is the son of leading family in this very Thullakotthita, and there is none of this loss of wealth for the revered Ratthapala. What has the good Ratthapala known or seen or heard that he has gone forth from home into homelessness ?
And what, good Ratthapala, is loss of relations ? As to this, good Ratthapala, someone has many friends and acquaintances, kith and kin, but gradually these relations of his diminish. He reflects thus: ‘Formerly I had many friends and acquaintances, kith and kin, but gradually these relations of mine have diminished, so it is not easy for me to acquire wealth etc....’ So he that is followed by this loss of relations, having cut off hair and beard, having donned saffron garments, goes forth from home into homelessness.
This is known as the loss which kinsfolk’s death entails. But here are you with a host of friends and relations; not yours is the loss which kinsfolk’s death entails. What have you known or seen or heard to make you take to homelessness?”
- “I have gone forth,” replied Ratthapala, sire, from home to homelessness because I have known, seen, and heard the following four propositions enunciated by the All-Englightened Lord who knows and sees :
“(i) The world is in continual flux and change.
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