[111] Now at that time in Rājagaha there was a group of seventeen boys who were friends; the boy Upāli was their leader. Then it occurred to Upāli's mother and father: "By what means might Upāli, after our passing, live happily and not be in hardship?" Then it occurred to Upāli's mother and father: "If Upāli were to learn writing, then Upāli, after our passing, would live happily and not be in hardship." Then it occurred to Upāli's mother and father: "If Upāli learns writing, his fingers will become painful. If Upāli were to learn calculation, then Upāli, after our passing, would live happily and not be in hardship." Then it occurred to Upāli's mother and father: "If Upāli learns calculation, his chest will become painful. If Upāli were to learn the appraisal of figures (rūpa), then Upāli, after our passing, would live happily and not be in hardship." Then it occurred to Upāli's mother and father: "If Upāli learns the appraisal of figures, his eyes will become painful. Now these ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, are of pleasant habits and pleasant conduct; having eaten fine meals, they sleep in beds sheltered from the wind. If Upāli were to go forth among the ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, then Upāli, after our passing, would live happily and not be in hardship."
The boy Upāli overheard this conversation of his mother and father. Then the boy Upāli went to those boys, and having approached, he said to them: "Come, sirs, let us go forth among the ascetics, sons of the Sakyan." "If you, sir, will go forth, then we too will go forth." Then those boys, each having approached his own mother and father, said: "Allow me to go forth from the household life into homelessness (pabbajjā)." Then the mothers and fathers of those boys gave their consent, thinking: "All these boys are of one and the same desire, with good intentions." They approached the bhikkhus and asked for the going forth. The bhikkhus gave them the going forth and conferred on them the full admission (upasampadā).
Rising in the last watch of the night, they cried: "Give rice gruel! Give rice! Give solid food!" The bhikkhus said this: "Wait, friends, until it grows light. If there is rice gruel, you shall drink it; if there is rice, you shall eat it; if there is solid food, you shall eat it. But if there is no rice gruel or rice or solid food, you shall eat after walking for alms." Yet though spoken to thus by the bhikkhus, those bhikkhus kept on crying, "Give rice gruel! Give rice! Give solid food!" — and they both defecated and urinated on the lodgings.
The Blessed One, rising in the last watch of the night, heard the sound of children, and having heard it, he addressed the Venerable Ānanda: "Ānanda, what is that sound of children?" Then the Venerable Ānanda informed the Blessed One of that matter. "Is it true, bhikkhus, as is said, that bhikkhus knowingly confer the full admission on a person less than twenty years of age?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "How, bhikkhus, can those foolish men knowingly confer the full admission on a person less than twenty years of age? Bhikkhus, a person less than twenty years of age cannot endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the contact of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things; ill-spoken, unwelcome ways of speech; he is not of a kind to bear up under arisen bodily feelings (vedanā) that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, and deadly. But a person of twenty years, bhikkhus, can endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the contact of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things; ill-spoken, unwelcome ways of speech; he is of a kind to bear up under arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, and deadly. This, bhikkhus, is not for the confidence of those without confidence, nor for the increase of those who have confidence …" Having rebuked them and given a talk on the Dhamma, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, one should not knowingly confer the full admission on a person less than twenty years of age. Whoever should confer it is to be dealt with according to the rule."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.