Eugene Watson Burlingame
Upatissa/Kolita became Sariputra/Moggallana (phatphap.wordpress.com)
What Happened Before
Before the Buddha appeared in the world, there were to Brahman villages not far from Rajagaha named Upatissa village and Kolita village. One day a Brahman's wife named Rupasari, who lived in Upatissa village, conceived a child in her womb; and on the same day a Brahman's wife name Moggali, who lived in Kolita village, likewise conceived a child in her womb. We are told that for seven generations these two families had been firmly knit and bound together in the bonds of friendship; they performed the Protection of the Embryo for the two expectant mothers on the same day. On the expiration of ten lunar months, both women gave birth to sons.
On the day appointed for the naming of the children, they gave the name Upatissa to the son of the Brahman woman whose name was Sari, because he was the son of the principal family of Upatissa village; to the other boy, because he was the son of the principal family in Kolita village, they gave the name Kolita. As they grew up, both boys attained the highest proficiency in all the arts and sciences. Whenever the youth Upatissa went to the river or the garden to disport himself, [a large number of] golden litters accompanied him; [a large number of] chariots drawn by thoroughbreds accompanied the youth Kolita. The two boys had [very large retinues each].
Now there is a festival celebrated every year in Rajagaha [this continues to this day and at least one WQ editor has attended it in Rajgir, India as it loudly ran non-stop 24 hours a day for seven days] which goes by the name of Mountain-top festival. A couch for the two youths was set up in one place, and the two youths sat together and witnessed the passing show. When thee was occasion to laugh, they laughed; when there was occasion to weep, they wept; when it was time to give alms, they gave alms. In this way they witnessed the festivities for several days. But one day, when they had grown wiser, there was no laugh when they might have laughed, as on preceding days, there were no tears when they might have wept, and when their alms were sough they gave no alms.
Turnaround
The following thought, we are told, occurred to the two youths, "Why should we look at this? Before a hundred years have passed, all these people will have gone hence and will no more be seen. It behooves us rather to seek the Way of Release." And taking this thought to heart, they sat down. Then Kolita said to Upatissa, "Friend Upatissa, you do not appear to be pleased and delighted as on previous days. Nay rather, you are afflicted with melancholy. What is in your mind?"
"Friend Kolita, I sit thinking, 'There is no lasting satisfaction in looking upon these fol; this is all unprofitable; it behooves me rather to seek the Way of Release for myself.' But why are you melancholy?" Kolita said the same thing. When Upatissa discovered that Kolita's thoughts were one with his own, he said, "Both of us have had a happy thought. It behooves us both to seek the Way of Release and to retire from the world together. Under what teacher shall we retire from the world?"
Now at this time a wandering ascetic named Sanjaya entered the city of Rajagaha, accompanied by a large retinue of wandering ascetics. "We will retire from the world and become monks under Sanjaya," said Upatissa and Kolita. So they dismissed [a large number of] retainers, saying to them, "Take the litters and the chariots and go," and together with the remaining [large retinue], retired from the world and became monks under Sanjaya. From the day when these two youths retired from the world and became monks under Sajaya, Sanjaya reached the pinnacle of gain and renown. In but a few days they had passed the bounds of Sanjaya's teaching. Therefore they asked him, "Teacher, is this all the religious truth you know, or is there something more besides?" "This is all there is; you know all."
Disappointment
Upatissa and Kolita thought to themselves, "If this is the case, it is profitless for us to remain pupils of this teacher any longer. The Way of Release we retired from the world to seek for, we certainly cannot obtain from this teacher. But the land of the Rose-apple [Jambudipa, i.e., India] is an extensive country. Let us journey through villages, market-towns, and royal cities. We shall surely find some teacher who will expound to us the Way of Release." From that time forth, wherever they heard there was a learned monk or Brahman, they went to him and held converse with him. The questions Upatissa and Kolita asked, the others were not able to answer; but every question the others asked, Upatissa and Kolita answered. In this manner they traveled all over the Land of the Rose-apple; then they retraced their steps and returned to their own homes again. Before they separated, Upatissa said to Kolita, "Friend Kolita, whichever of us first attains the Deathless is to inform the other." Having made this agreement, they separated.
While they were living under this agreement, the Teacher, after traveling from place to place as has been related above, arrived at Rajagaha, accepted the gift of Veluvana monastery, and took up his residence at Veluvana. Now after the teacher had sent forth the sixty-one Arahats [enlightened missionaries] to proclaim the virtues of the Three Jewels, saying, "Go forth, monks, preaching and teaching," one of the Band of Five, the Great Elder Assaji, turned back, came to Rajagaha, and on the following day, early in the morning, taking his bowl and his robe, entered Rajagaha for alms.
One the same day, early in the morning, the wandering ascetic Upatissa ate his breakfast, and proceeding to the hermitage of wandering ascetics, saw the Elder. When he saw him, he thought 
to himself, "Never be-fore have I seen a monk like this monk. He must be one of those monks who has attained Arahatship [enlight-enment] in this world, or who have entered upon the path leading to Arahatship. Suppose I were to approach this monk and ask him, 'For whose sake, brother, have you retired from the world? And who is your teacher? And who doctrine do you profess?'" Then this thought occurred to him, "It is not the proper time to ask this monk questions, for he is going from house to house for alms. Suppose I were to follow close in the footsteps of this monk, as those are wont to do who seek some favor?"
Therefore, observing that the monk had received a portion of alms and was on his way to a certain place, and perceiving that he desired to sit down, he placed his own monk's stool on the ground and offered it to him; and when the monk had finished his meal, offered him water from his own water-pot. Having thus performed the duties of a pupil to a teacher, he exchanged pleasant greetings with the Elder after the meal was over and said to him, "Calm and serene, brother, are your organs of sense; clean and clear is the hue of your skin. For whose sake, brother, did you retire from the world? And who is your teacher? And whose doctrine do you profess?"
Words for the Wise
The Elder thought to himself, "These wandering ascetics are hostile to the religion I profess; therefore I will show this monk the profundity of our religion." But first he explained that he was himself a mere novice, saying, "Brother, I am as yet a mere novice; no long time have I been a monk; but recently did I approach this Doctrine and Discipline; just now I shall not be able to expound the Law at length." Thought the wandering ascetic, "I am Upatissa; say much or little according to your ability; I will undertake to fathom the meaning in a hundred ways or a thousand ways." Therefore he said,
Say little or much; tell me the substance only;
I have need of the substance only; why utter many words?
In response the Elder pronounced the first line of the Stanza,
Of all things that proceed from a cause, of the cause the Tathagata hath told.
So soon as the wandering ascetic heard the first line, he was established in the Fruit of Conversion [stream-entry], perfect in a thousand ways. So soon as he was established in the Fruit of Conversion, the Elder completed the second line,
And also how these cease to be, this too the mighty monk hath told.
But after he had attained the Fruit of Conversion, the Higher Excellence failed to appear. Therefore he considered, "There must be a reason for this," and said to the Elder, "Do not carry your teaching of the Law any further; let this suffice. Where does our Teacher reside?" "At Veluvana, brother." "Well then, Reverend Sir, you go on ahead. I have a friend, and he and I made the following agreement with each other, 'Whichever of us first attains the Deathless is to inform the other.' I wish first to redeem this promise. I will bring my friend with me and go to the Teacher, following the same path you take." So saying, Upatissa prostrated himself before the feet of the Elder with the Five Rests, walked thrice around him sunwise, and then took leave of him and went to meet the leader of the wandering ascetics.
The wandering ascetic Kolita saw him approaching from afar and said to himself, "To-day my friend's face has a hue not as on other days; it must be that he has attained the Deathless." Therefore he asked him at once whether he had attained the Deathless. Upatissa said in reply, "Yes, brother, I have attained the Deathless." So saying, he pronounced the same Stanza Assaji had pronounced. At the conclusion of the Stanza Kolita was established in the Fruit of Conversion. Thereupon Kolita said, "Friend, where does our teacher reside?" "At Veluvana, friend. So I was informed by our teacher the Elder Assaji." "Well then, friend, let us go; let us see the Teacher."
[The rest is history. But what about Sanjaya?]
Stubborn Sanjaya
Now it was a distinguishing trait of the Elder Sariputta that he always held a teacher in profound respect. Therefore said he to his friend, "Friend, let us inform our teacher, the wandering ascetic Sanjaya, that we have attained the Deathless. Thus will his mind be awakened, and he will comprehend. But should he fail to comprehend, he will at any rate believe what we say to be true; and so soon as he has listened to the preaching of the Buddhas, he will attain the Path and the Fruit." Accordingly the two wandering ascetics went to Sanjaya.
When Sanjaya saw them, he asked, "Friends, did you succeed in finding anyone able to show you the Way to the Deathless?" "Yes, teacher, such a one have we found. The Buddha has appeared in the world, the Law has appeared, the Order has appeared. You, sir, are walking in vain unreality. Come, sir, let us go to the Teacher." "You may go; I cannot go." "For what reason?" "In the past I have gone about as a teacher of the multitude. For me to become a pupil again would be as absurd as for a
chatty to go to the well. I shall not be able to live the life of a pupil."
"Do not act thus, teacher." "Never mind, friends, you may go, but I cannot go." "Teacher, from the moment of the Buddha's appearance in the world the populace will take perfumes, garlands, and so forth in their hands and will go and do honor to him alone. Let us also go there. What do you intend to do?" "Friends, which are more numerous in this world, the stupid or the wise?" "Teacher, the stupid are many, the wise are few." "Well then, friends, let the wise men go to the wise monk Gotama, and let the stupid come to stupid me. You may go, but I shall not go." "You will become a famous man, teacher!" said his two former pupils, and departed.
As they departed, Sanjaya's congregation broke up; at that instant the grove was empty. When Sanjaya saw that the grove was empty, he vomited hot blood [a popular expression]. [A large number of] wandering ascetics accompanied the two on their journey a little way. Of these, [half] remained loyal to Sanjaya and turned back; the other [half] the two received as their own pupils and took with them to [meet the Buddha at] Veluvana.
As the Teacher sat in the midst of the fourfold congregation preaching the Law, he saw the two wandering ascetics approaching from afar. Straight[a]way he addressed the monks, "Monks, here come two friends, Kolita and Upatissa. They will become my pair of [male] disciples, my chief and noble pair." The two wandering ascetics paid obeisance to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, we should like to receive admission to the Order at the hands of the Exalted One; we should like to make our full profession."
.
Said the Exalted One, "Come, monks!" The Law has been well taught. Lead the holy life, to the end that all suffering may be utterly done away." Instantly they became possessed of bowls and robes created by supernatural power, and became as it were Elders of a hundred years' residence.
By the acts of the company of his disciples the Teacher caused the preaching of the Law constantly to increase. With the exception of the two Chief Disciples all attained Arahatship. The two Chief Disciples, however, did not complete the meditations leading to the Three Higher Paths. (What was the reason for this? It was because)...
Upatissa and Kolita thought to themselves, "If this is the case, it is profitless for us to remain pupils of this teacher any longer. The Way of Release we retired from the world to seek for, we certainly cannot obtain from this teacher. But the land of the Rose-apple [Jambudipa, i.e., India] is an extensive country. Let us journey through villages, market-towns, and royal cities. We shall surely find some teacher who will expound to us the Way of Release." From that time forth, wherever they heard there was a learned monk or Brahman, they went to him and held converse with him. The questions Upatissa and Kolita asked, the others were not able to answer; but every question the others asked, Upatissa and Kolita answered. In this manner they traveled all over the Land of the Rose-apple; then they retraced their steps and returned to their own homes again. Before they separated, Upatissa said to Kolita, "Friend Kolita, whichever of us first attains the Deathless is to inform the other." Having made this agreement, they separated.
to himself, "Never be-fore have I seen a monk like this monk. He must be one of those monks who has attained Arahatship [enlight-enment] in this world, or who have entered upon the path leading to Arahatship. Suppose I were to approach this monk and ask him, 'For whose sake, brother, have you retired from the world? And who is your teacher? And who doctrine do you profess?'" Then this thought occurred to him, "It is not the proper time to ask this monk questions, for he is going from house to house for alms. Suppose I were to follow close in the footsteps of this monk, as those are wont to do who seek some favor?"
As they departed, Sanjaya's congregation broke up; at that instant the grove was empty. When Sanjaya saw that the grove was empty, he vomited hot blood [a popular expression]. [A large number of] wandering ascetics accompanied the two on their journey a little way. Of these, [half] remained loyal to Sanjaya and turned back; the other [half] the two received as their own pupils and took with them to [meet the Buddha at] Veluvana.
As the Teacher sat in the midst of the fourfold congregation preaching the Law, he saw the two wandering ascetics approaching from afar. Straight[a]way he addressed the monks, "Monks, here come two friends, Kolita and Upatissa. They will become my pair of [male] disciples, my chief and noble pair." The two wandering ascetics paid obeisance to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, we should like to receive admission to the Order at the hands of the Exalted One; we should like to make our full profession."
Said the Exalted One, "Come, monks!" The Law has been well taught. Lead the holy life, to the end that all suffering may be utterly done away." Instantly they became possessed of bowls and robes created by supernatural power, and became as it were Elders of a hundred years' residence.
