[338] Now at that time Mahānāma the Sakyan and Anuruddha the Sakyan were two brothers. Anuruddha the Sakyan was delicately nurtured (sukhumāla). He had three mansions: one for the winter, one for the summer, and one for the rains. For the four months in the rains mansion, being entertained by musicians with no men among them, he did not come down from the mansion. Then it occurred to Mahānāma the Sakyan: "At present very distinguished Sakyan youths are going forth (pabbajanti) in imitation of the Blessed One who has gone forth, but from our family no one has gone forth from the household life into homelessness. Suppose either I were to go forth, or Anuruddha?"
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached Anuruddha the Sakyan, and having approached, he said to Anuruddha the Sakyan: "Dear Anuruddha, at present very distinguished Sakyan youths are going forth in imitation of the Blessed One who has gone forth, but from our family no one has gone forth from the household life into homelessness. Therefore, either you go forth, or I will go forth."
"I am delicately nurtured; I am not able to go forth from the household life into homelessness. You go forth."
"Come then, dear Anuruddha, I shall instruct you in the business of household life. First the field must be ploughed; having had it ploughed, it must be sown; having had it sown, the water must be led in; having led the water in, the water must be led off; having led the water off, it must be weeded; having had it weeded, it must be reaped; having had it reaped, it must be carried; having had it carried, it must be made into a heap; having had the heap made, it must be threshed; having had it threshed, the straw must be removed; having had the straw removed, the chaff must be removed; having had the chaff removed, it must be winnowed; having had it winnowed, it must be brought in; and having had it brought in, in the coming year the very same must be done again; in the coming year the very same must be done again."
"The works do not come to an end; no end of the works is seen. When will the works come to an end? When will an end of the works be seen? When shall we, at ease, furnished and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇa), amuse ourselves?"
"Indeed, dear Anuruddha, the works do not come to an end; no end of the works is seen. While the works were still unfinished, our mothers and fathers and grandfathers passed away."
"Then you yourself attend to the business of household life; I will go forth from the household life into homelessness."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.