From the commentary to the Cunda sutta.
“He who went forth for five hundred births,
abandoning delightful sensual pleasures—
that one who is free from passion,
whose faculties are perfectly composed and well-concentrated,
who has attained final Nibbāna—
pay homage to Sāriputta.“He whose strength is patience, who is like the earth and does not become angry,
who does not act under the control of his mind,
who is compassionate, merciful, and fully extinguished—
pay homage to Sāriputta who has attained Parinibbāna.“Just as the son of an outcaste entering a city
walks humbly with a broken bowl in hand,
so too did Sāriputta dwell in humility—
pay homage to Sāriputta who has attained Parinibbāna.“Just as a bull with broken horns
wanders harmlessly through town and forest without injuring anyone,
so too did Sāriputta dwell—
pay homage to Sāriputta who has attained Parinibbāna.”
‘Yo pabbajī jātisatāni pañca,
Pahāya kāmāni manoramāni;
Taṃ vītarāgaṃ susamāhitindriyaṃ,
Parinibbutaṃ vandatha sāriputtaṃ.
‘‘Khantibalo pathavisamo na kuppati,
Na cāpi cittassa vasena vattati;
Anukampako kāruṇiko ca nibbuto,
Parinibbutaṃ vandatha sāriputtaṃ.
‘‘Caṇḍālaputto yathā nagaraṃ paviṭṭho,
Nīcamano carati kaḷopihattho;
Tathā ayaṃ viharati sāriputto,
Parinibbutaṃ vandatha sāriputtaṃ.
‘‘Usabho yathā chinnavisāṇako,
Aheṭhayanto carati purantare vane;
Tathā ayaṃ viharati sāriputto,
Parinibbutaṃ vandatha sāriputta’’nti.
The subcommentary explains:
Regarding ‘[The phrase] five hundred births’ (pañca jātisatāni): this is an accusative case usage (upayogavacanaṃ) representing either the locative sense (bhummatthe) or a continuous duration/extension (accantasaṃyoge)..
Pañca jātisatānīti bhummatthe, accantasaṃyoge vā upayogavacanaṃ.
I love this so much because it shows Venerable Sariputta in his past lives went forth as an ascetic for 500 consecutive lives.
I think the monk/ascetic life is even better than being reborn in the deva world because you can be free from the fire of passion and practice Jhana and Vipassana (in the Sasana of the Buddha). You can also practice righteous conduct (duties towards one’s preceptor, teacher, etc) and do good things for your entire life and live in mindfulness. Imagine always living on the mountains or in forests, away from sensual pleasures and abstaining from all evils. I hope whenever I’m reborn as a human until the life I attain Nibbana, I always go forth as a monk and observe all the rules (during times when there is a Sasana) and as an ascetic in a sect that teaches kamma and Jhana (during times when there is no Sasana).