English
Then that newly devoted minister complained, grumbled, and expressed his displeasure – "How can it be that these venerable ones, invited by me, consume another's rice gruel, and I am not able to give as much as they wish?" Angry, displeased, and intending to offend, he went about filling the monks' bowls – "Eat it or take it away!" Then that newly devoted minister, having personally satisfied and served the community of monks headed by the Buddha with choice food and drink, sat down to one side, when the Blessed One had finished eating and had put away his bowl and hand. To that newly devoted minister, seated to one side, the Blessed One, having instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened him with a Dhamma talk, rose from his seat and departed. Then, not long after the Blessed One had departed, remorse arose in that newly devoted minister, and regret arose – "Indeed, it was a loss for me, it was no gain for me; Indeed, it was ill-gotten for me, it was not well-gotten for me; I, being angry, displeased, and intending to offend, went about filling the monks' bowls – 'Eat it or take it away!' What much merit or demerit have I accumulated?" Then that newly devoted minister approached the Blessed One, and having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, that newly devoted minister said to the Blessed One – "Here, venerable sir, not long after the Blessed One had departed, remorse arose in me, and regret arose: 'Indeed, it was a loss for me, it was no— Oh, my gain! Alas, my ill-gotten, not well-gotten, that I, angered, displeased, expecting to offend, filling the bowls of the monks, went saying: "Eat or take away!" What much have I done, merit or demerit? What much have I done, venerable sir, merit or demerit? "From the moment, friend, you invited the assembly of monks headed by the Buddha for tomorrow, from that moment much merit have you done. From the moment each monk received each grain of rice, from that moment much merit have you done, heavens have been prepared for you." Then that newly-devout great minister — "Oh, my gain! Oh, my well-gotten! Oh, much merit have I done! Oh, heavens have been prepared for me!" — delighted, elated, rose from his seat, saluted the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and departed. Then the Blessed One, on this occasion, in this connection, convened the assembly of monks and questioned the monks: "Is it true, monks, that monks invited elsewhere partake of the gruel of another?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, reproved them... "How can these foolish men, monks, invited elsewhere, partake of the gruel of another? This, monks, is not for the conversion of the unconverted... Having reproved them, and given a discourse on Dhamma, he addressed the monks: "Monks, one invited elsewhere should not partake of the gruel of another. Whoever partakes, should be dealt with according to the Dhamma." The story of the newly-devout great minister is finished. 172. The Story of Belaṭṭhakaccāna 284. Then the Blessed One, having stayed in Andhakavinda as long as he wished, set out on a wandering tour towards Rājagaha, with a large assembly of monks, thirteen hundred and fifty monks. Now at that time, Belaṭṭhakaccāna was on the road from Rājagaha to Andhakavinda, with five hundred... With those hundreds of carts, All filled with jars of molasses. Indeed, the Blessed One saw Belaṭṭha Kaccāna Coming from afar. And seeing him, he left the road, And sat down at the root of a certain tree. Then indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna Approached the Blessed One. Having approached, And saluted the Blessed One, He stood to one side. Standing to one side, Indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna Said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘I wish, venerable sir, To give one jar of molasses To each and every monk.’’ ‘‘Then, Kaccāna, Bring just one jar of molasses.’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir,’’ Indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, Having assented to the Blessed One, Took just one jar of molasses, And approached the Blessed One. Having approached, He said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘The jar of molasses has been brought, venerable sir; How shall I proceed, venerable sir?’’ ‘‘Then, Kaccāna, Give molasses to the monks.’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir,’’ Indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, Having assented to the Blessed One, Having given molasses to the monks, Said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘Molasses has been given to the monks, venerable sir, And much of this molasses remains. How shall I proceed, venerable sir?’’ ‘‘Then, Kaccāna, Give molasses to the monks As much as they desire.’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir,’’ Indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, Having assented to the Blessed One, Having given molasses to the monks As much as they desired, Said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘Molasses has been given to the monks As much as they desired, venerable sir, And much of this molasses remains. How shall I proceed, venerable sir?’’ ‘‘Then, Kaccāna, Satisfy the monks with molasses.’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir,’’ Indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, Having assented to the Blessed One, Satisfied the monks with molasses. Some monks filled their bowls, And also filled their strainers And their bags. Then indeed Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, Having satisfied the monks with molasses, Said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘The monks have been satisfied with molasses, venerable sir, And much of this molasses is left. How, venerable sir, should I proceed?" "Then, Kaccāna, give the molasses to the scavengers." "Yes, venerable sir," Belaṭṭha Kaccāna replied to the Blessed One. Having given the molasses to the scavengers, he said to the Blessed One: "The molasses has been given to the scavengers, venerable sir, but much molasses still remains. How, venerable sir, should I proceed?" "Then, Kaccāna, give the molasses to the scavengers as much as they want." "Yes, venerable sir," Belaṭṭha Kaccāna replied to the Blessed One. Having given the molasses to the scavengers as much as they wanted, he said to the Blessed One: "The molasses has been given to the scavengers as much as they wanted, venerable sir, but much molasses still remains. How, venerable sir, should I proceed?" "Then, Kaccāna, satisfy the scavengers with the molasses." "Yes, venerable sir," Belaṭṭha Kaccāna replied to the Blessed One, and satisfied the scavengers with the molasses. Some scavengers filled their bowls and pots, they filled their baskets and laps. Then Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, having satisfied the scavengers with the molasses, said to the Blessed One: "The scavengers have been satisfied with the molasses, venerable sir, but much molasses still remains. How, venerable sir, should I proceed?" "I do not see, Kaccāna, in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, devas and humans, anyone who, having consumed that molasses, would properly digest it, apart from a Tathāgata or a Tathāgata's disciple. Therefore, Kaccāna, either throw that molasses on ground with little grass, or cast it into water where there are no living creatures." "Yes, venerable sir," Belaṭṭha Kaccāna replied to the Blessed One, and cast that molasses into water where there were no living creatures. Then, that molasses, when cast into the water, hissed and sizzled, smoked and fumed. Just as a ploughshare, heated all day, when cast into water, hisses and sizzles. It hisses, it smokes, it smokes all around, just so that lump of sugar, thrown into the water, hisses, it hisses, it smokes, it smokes all around. Then Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, agitated and with hair standing on end, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, sitting to one side, the Blessed One gave a gradual discourse, that is, a talk on giving, a talk on morality, a talk on heaven; he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that Belaṭṭha Kaccāna's mind was ready, pliant, free from hindrances, uplifted, and confident, then he expounded the teaching peculiar to the Buddhas— the suffering, the origin, the cessation, the path. Just as in that very seat, there arose in Belaṭṭha Kaccāna the dustless, stainless vision of Dhamma: "Whatever is of an origin nature, all that is of a cessation nature." Then Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, penetrated the Dhamma, crossed over doubt, dispelled perplexity, gained confidence, and became independent of others in the Teacher's Dispensation, said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as, venerable sir, one might set upright what was overturned... even so has the Dhamma been expounded by the Blessed One in many ways. I go for refuge, venerable sir, to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has taken refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts." Then the Blessed One, journeying by stages, arrived at Rājagaha. There the Blessed One dwelt at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Now at that time, sugar was abundant in Rājagaha. The bhikkhus, being scrupulous, did not eat sugar, thinking: "Sugar has been permitted by the Blessed One only for the sick, not for the healthy." They reported this matter to the Blessed One. "I permit, bhikkhus, sugar for the sick." …and for the healthy, jaggery water. The story of Belaṭṭhakaccāna is finished. 173. The Story of Pāṭaligāma [From this point, Mahāvagga 286-287, the passage 'Wise people have crossed over' is found in Dīgha Nikāya 2.148; Udāna 76, etc.] Then the Blessed One, having stayed in Rājagaha as long as he wished, set out on a journey towards Pāṭaligāma, together with a large community of monks, twelve hundred and fifty monks. Then the Blessed One, journeying by stages, arrived at Pāṭaligāma. The lay followers of Pāṭaligāma heard, "Indeed, the Blessed One has arrived at Pāṭaligāma.