[523] Then the Venerable Mahākassapa said this to the Venerable Ānanda: "Indeed, friend Ānanda, the bhikkhunī Thullanandā spoke rashly, without reflection. For, friend, from the time I shaved off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and went forth from the home life into homelessness, I do not recall having acknowledged any other teacher apart from the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
"Formerly, friend, while I was still a householder, this occurred to me: 'The household life is confinement, a path of dust; the going forth (pabbajjā) is like the open air. It is not easy for one dwelling in a house to live the holy life (brahmacariya) utterly perfect, utterly pure, polished like a conch shell. Suppose I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the home life into homelessness.' So, friend, at a later time, having made an outer robe (saṅghāṭi) out of patched rags, and dedicating myself to those in the world who are arahants, I shaved off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and went forth from the home life into homelessness.
"Having thus gone forth, while travelling along the highway I saw the Blessed One seated at the Bahuputta Shrine between Rājagaha and Nāḷandā. Having seen him, this occurred to me: 'If I should ever see the Teacher, it is this very Blessed One that I would see; if I should ever see the Fortunate One (Sugata), it is this very Blessed One that I would see; if I should ever see the Perfectly Enlightened One, it is this very Blessed One that I would see.' So, friend, right there I prostrated myself with my head at the Blessed One's feet and said to the Blessed One: 'Venerable sir, the Blessed One is my Teacher; I am his disciple. Venerable sir, the Blessed One is my Teacher; I am his disciple.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.