Buddhist Stories: Pathika the Naked Ascetic, Part 2 of 4

So outside practice is not always ideal. You have to renounce inside, truly renounce. You have or not have, it is the same to you, then it is really renunciation. This woman, out of purity and love for goodness and pureness of monkhood, she gave offering and took care of him. And then he became like a husband, like outside, like a normal husband, became jealous, controlling. So luckily this woman, she’s very, very intelligent. She wants to invite the Buddha to her house. Well, let’s see if this monk reacts or anything. “She summoned her own son and sent him to the Teacher, meaning the Buddha. The boy started out, but went first to the place of residence of the naked ascetic. ‘By my mother’s direction, I’m going to invite the Buddha.’ ‘Do not go to him!’ ‘No, my mother will scold me.’ ‘Well then, go. But when you go and invite the Buddha, do not say to him, our house is situated in such and such a place. Instead, act as if you lived nearby, and when you leave, run off as if you intended to take a different road, and come back here.’ The boy listened.”