English
Then indeed, Mendaka the householder ordered twelve and a half hundred cowherds: "Come now, sirs, take one cow each, and attend to each monk, we shall feed them with fresh milk." Then indeed, Mendaka the householder personally satisfied and served the Sangha of monks, with the Buddha at its head, with exquisite hard and soft food, and with fresh milk. The monks, feeling scruples, did not accept the milk. "Accept it, monks, and consume it." Then indeed, Mendaka the householder, having personally satisfied and served the Sangha of monks, with the Buddha at its head, with exquisite hard and soft food, and with fresh milk, and when the Blessed One had eaten and removed his hand from the bowl, sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Mendaka the householder said this to the Blessed One: "There are, sir, roads through the wilderness, with little water and little food, not easy to travel without provisions. It would be good, sir, if the Blessed One [would allow] the monks... should allow provisions.” Then the Blessed One, having instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened Meṇḍaka the householder with a Dhamma talk, rose from his seat and departed. Then the Blessed One, on this occasion, on this matter, having given a Dhamma talk, addressed the bhikkhus: “I allow, bhikkhus, five dairy products: milk, curds, buttermilk, fresh butter, and ghee. There are, bhikkhus, paths and wildernesses with little water and little food, which are not easy to traverse without provisions. I allow, bhikkhus, to seek provisions: rice for one who desires rice, mung beans for one who desires mung beans, black gram for one who desires black gram, salt for one who desires salt, jaggery for one who desires jaggery, oil for one who desires oil, ghee for one who desires ghee. There are, bhikkhus, faithful and devoted people who deposit gold and silver in the hands of those who prepare suitable things, saying, ‘Give to the venerable one what is suitable from this.’ I allow, bhikkhus, to partake of what is suitable from that; but I do not say, bhikkhus, that gold and silver should be sought or partaken of by any means whatsoever.” The allowance of the five dairy products and provisions is concluded. 182. The Story of Keṇiya the Ascetic 300. Then the Blessed One, wandering by stages, arrived at Āpaṇa. Keṇiya the ascetic heard: “Indeed, good sirs, the ascetic Gotama, the Sakyan son, gone forth from the Sakyan clan, has arrived at Āpaṇa. This good report concerning the Venerable Gotama has spread… (as before) … it is good to see such Arahants.” Then it occurred to Keṇiya the ascetic: “What should I have brought to the ascetic Gotama?” Then it occurred to Keṇiya the ascetic: “Even those ancient sages of the brahmins, the composers of mantras, the propagators of mantras, whose… Then the brahmins, an ancient mantra, sung, spoken, well-composed, they sing after it, they speak after it, what is spoken, they speak after, what is recited, they recite after, namely – Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, Bhagu, who abstained at night, who refrained from untimely food, they partook of such drinks. The recluse Gotama also abstains at night, refrains from untimely food, the recluse Gotama is worthy to partake of such drinks. Having prepared abundant drinks, and had them carried by poles, he approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One; having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Keṇiya the ascetic said to the Blessed One: "May Master Gotama accept my drink." "Then, Keṇiya, give it to the bhikkhus." Then Keṇiya the ascetic gave it to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus, feeling scruples, did not accept. "Accept, bhikkhus, consume!" Then Keṇiya the ascetic, having satisfied and served with his own hands the assembly of bhikkhus headed by the Buddha with abundant drinks, and the Blessed One, with hands washed and bowl put away, sat down to one side. To Keṇiya the ascetic, sitting to one side, the Blessed One instructed, incited, inspired, and gladdened with a Dhamma talk. Then Keṇiya the ascetic, instructed, incited, inspired, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a Dhamma talk, said to the Blessed One: "May Master Gotama consent to a meal for me tomorrow, together with the bhikkhu assembly." "Great, Keṇiya, is the bhikkhu assembly, twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus, and you are devoted to brahmins." A second time, Keṇiya the ascetic said to the Blessed One: "Even though, good Gotama, the bhikkhu assembly is great..." twelve hundred and fifty monks, and I am deeply devoted to brahmins. May Master Gotama consent to a meal for tomorrow together with the community of monks.” “Large, Keṇiya, is the community of monks, twelve hundred and fifty monks, and you are deeply devoted to brahmins.” A third time, Keṇiya the ascetic said to the Blessed One: “Even though, good Gotama, the community of monks is large, twelve hundred and fifty monks, and I am deeply devoted to brahmins, may Master Gotama consent to a meal for tomorrow together with the community of monks.” The Blessed One consented by silence. Then Keṇiya the ascetic, knowing the Blessed One’s consent, rose from his seat and departed. Then the Blessed One, on this occasion, in this connection, gave a discourse on Dhamma and addressed the monks: “I allow, monks, eight kinds of drinks: mango juice, rose-apple juice, plantain juice, banana juice, madhuka juice, grape juice, water-lily root juice, phārusaka juice. I allow, monks, all fruit juices, except for grain-fruit juice. I allow, monks, all leaf juices, except for vegetable-leaf juice. I allow, monks, all flower juices, except for madhuka flower juice. I allow, monks, sugarcane juice.” Then Keṇiya the ascetic, when that night had passed, had excellent hard and soft food prepared in his own hermitage, and announced the time to the Blessed One: “It is time, good Gotama, the meal is ready.” Then the Blessed One, in the forenoon, having put on his under robe and taken his bowl and outer robe, went to Keṇiya the ascetic’s hermitage; having gone there, he sat down on the seat prepared, together with the community of monks. Then Keṇiya the ascetic, having personally served and satisfied the community of monks headed by the Buddha with excellent hard and soft food, sat down to one side when the Blessed One had finished eating and had removed his hand from the bowl. As Keṇiya sat to one side, The Blessed One rejoiced the ascetic with these verses: Sacrifices have the fire-offering as chief, Chants have the Sāvitrī as chief; Kings are the chief of humans, The ocean is the chief of rivers. The moon is the chief of constellations, The sun is the chief of those who shine; For those desiring merit, The Saṅgha is indeed the chief of those who sacrifice. Then, having rejoiced Keṇiya the ascetic with these verses, the Blessed One rose from his seat and departed. The story of Keṇiya the Ascetic is finished. 183. The Story of Roja the Malla 301. Then, the Blessed One, having stayed in Āpaṇa as long as he wished, set out on tour towards Kusinārā, together with a great community of monks, thirteen hundred and fifty monks. Indeed, the Mallas of Kusinārā heard: "It is said that the Blessed One is coming to Kusinārā, together with a great community of monks, thirteen hundred and fifty monks." They made an agreement: "Whoever does not go forth to meet the Blessed One, there will be a fine of five hundred." Now, at that time, Roja the Malla was a friend of Venerable Ānanda. Then, the Blessed One, journeying by stages, arrived at Kusinārā. Then, the Mallas of Kusinārā went forth to meet the Blessed One. Then, Roja the Malla, having gone forth to meet the Blessed One, approached Venerable Ānanda, and having approached and greeted Venerable Ānanda, he stood to one side. Venerable Ānanda said to Roja the Malla, who was standing to one side: "This is indeed noble of you, friend Roja, that you went forth to meet the Blessed One." "I am not, Venerable Ānanda, highly esteemed in the Buddha, or the Dhamma, or the Saṅgha; but an agreement was made by my relatives: 'Whoever does not go forth to meet the Blessed One, there will be a fine of five hundred.' So, Venerable Ānanda, it was indeed out of fear of the fine from my relatives that I went forth to meet the Blessed One." Then Venerable Ānanda was displeased: "How could Roja the Malla speak thus?" Then Venerable Āna Then, Ānanda approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “This Roja the Mallian, sir, is a well-known, famous person. Great indeed is the benefit of such famous people having faith in this Dhamma and Discipline. It would be good, sir, if the Blessed One would act in such a way that Roja the Mallian would have faith in this Dhamma and Discipline.” “It is not difficult, Ānanda, for the Tathāgata to act in such a way that Roja the Mallian would have faith in this Dhamma and Discipline.” Then the Blessed One, having pervaded Roja the Mallian with a mind of loving-kindness, rose from his seat and entered the monastery. Then Roja the Mallian, touched by the Blessed One’s mind of loving-kindness, just like a young calf to a cow, approached the monks, going from monastery to monastery, from cell to cell, and asked: “Where, venerable sirs, does that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, now reside? We wish to see that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One.” “That monastery, friend Roja, has its door closed. Go there quietly, without hurrying, enter the porch, clear your throat, and knock on the bolt. The Blessed One will open the door for you.” Then Roja the Mallian, approached that monastery with the closed door quietly, without hurrying, entered the porch, cleared his throat, and knocked on the bolt.