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THE DUTIES OF THE BHIKKHU
§ 1. The Bhikkhu’ s Duty to Convert
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The news of the conversion of Yasa and his four friends to the Dhamma spread far and wide. The result was that lay persons belonging to the highest families in the country and to those next to the highest came to be instructed in the doctrine of the Blessed One and to take refuge in Him and in His Dhamma.
Many people were coming to Him to receive instruction in the-Dhamma. The Lord knew that it was difficult for Him personally to give instruction to each one. He also felt the necessity of organizing Parivrajakas whose number was swelling every day into a religious order which He called the Sangh.
He accordingly made the Parivrajakas the members of the Sangh and framed rules of discipline called V INAYA and made them binding upon the members of the Sangh.
The Blessed Lord later on laid down two stages to be undergone by a disciple before he became a Bhikkhu. First a disciple became a Parivrajaka and remained a Parivrajaka for a certain number of years attached to a Bhikkhu and remaining in training under him. After his training period was over he was allowed to take Upasampada if he satisfied a body of examiners that he was fit for it. It is only then that he was allowed to become a Bhikkhu and a member of the Sangh.
There was no time in the early stages of the Dhamma to make such arrangements. The Lord, therefore, made them Bhikkhus and sent them out as Missionaries to spread His religion to anywhere and everywhere.
And before sending them out the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: “ I am delivered, O Bhikkhus, from all fetters, human and divine. You, O Bhikkhus, from all fetters, human and divine. Go ye row, and wander for the gain of the many, for the welfare of the many, out of compassion for the world; for the good, for the gain and for the welfare of gods and men.
“Let not two of you go the same way.
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