English
Just as if a man were to press out pure honey without a fly on a crossroads. And the great multitude would be present, eagerly anticipating it. Even so, at that time when the recluse Gotama taught the Dhamma to an assembly of many hundreds, there was no sound of spitting a sound, or a coughing sound. For him, the great multitude of people stands ready, expecting: "Whatever Dhamma the Blessed One will teach us, that we shall hear." And even those disciples of the recluse Gotama, having associated with co-celibates, having renounced the training, and reverted to the lower state— even they speak in praise of the Teacher, and speak in praise of the Dhamma, and speak in praise of the Sangha. They blame only themselves, not others: "We are indeed unfortunate, we are of little merit. We, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline, were unable to lead the complete and purified holy life for as long as we lived." They, having become monastery attendants or having become lay followers, undertake and observe the five precepts. Thus the recluse Gotama is respected, revered, honored, and worshipped by his disciples. And indeed the disciples of the recluse Gotama dwell dependent on him, respecting and revering him. 241. "How many qualities, Udāyi, do you see in me, by which my disciples respect, revere, honor, and worship me, and dwell dependent on me, respecting and revering me?" "Indeed, venerable sir, I see five qualities in the Blessed One, by which the disciples respect, revere, honor, and worship the Blessed One, and dwell dependent on him, respecting and revering him." "Which five?" "For the Blessed One, venerable sir, is moderate in eating, and speaks in praise of moderation in eating. That the Blessed One, venerable sir, is moderate in eating, and speaks in praise of moderation in eating— this, venerable sir, I see as the first quality in the Blessed One, by which the disciples respect, revere, honor, and worship the Blessed One, and dwell dependent on him, respecting and revering him. "Furthermore, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of robe, and speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of robe. That the Blessed One, venerable sir, is content with any kind of robe, and speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of robe— and praises contentment with any kind of robe. This, indeed, venerable sir, is the second quality I perceive in the Blessed One, by which disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Blessed One, and having honored and respected him, they live in reliance on him. Furthermore, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of almsfood, and praises contentment with any kind of almsfood. And because, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of almsfood, and praises contentment with any kind of almsfood, this, indeed, venerable sir, is the third quality I perceive in the Blessed One, by which disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Blessed One, and having honored and respected him, they live in reliance on him. Furthermore, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of lodging, and praises contentment with any kind of lodging. And because, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of lodging, and praises contentment with any kind of lodging, this, indeed, venerable sir, is the fourth quality I perceive in the Blessed One, by which disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Blessed One, and having honored and respected him, they live in reliance on him. Furthermore, venerable sir, the Blessed One is secluded, and praises seclusion. And because, venerable sir, the Blessed One is secluded, and praises seclusion, this, indeed, venerable sir, is the fifth quality I perceive in the Blessed One, by which disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Blessed One, and having honored and respected him, they live in reliance on him. These, indeed, venerable sir, are the five qualities I perceive in the Blessed One, by which disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Blessed One, and having honored and respected him, they live in reliance on him. 'Ascetic Gotama has little food, and praises having little food,' if, Udāyi, my disciples were to honor, respect, revere, and venerate me for this, having honored and having honored, they would dwell dependent on me. But there are, Udāyi, my disciples who eat a kosaka of food, who eat half a kosaka of food, who eat a beluva of food, who eat half a beluva of food. But I, Udāyi, sometimes with this bowl eat even to satisfaction, and even more. ‘The recluse Gotama has little food, and praises having little food,’ if, Udāyi, my disciples were to respect me, honor me, esteem me, venerate me, having respected and honored me, they would dwell dependent on me. Those, Udāyi, my disciples who eat a kosaka of food, who eat half a kosaka of food, who eat a beluva of food, who eat half a beluva of food, they would not, by this teaching, respect me, honor me, esteem me, venerate me, having respected and honored me, they would dwell dependent on me. ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any robes, and praises contentment with any robes,’ if, Udāyi, my disciples were to respect me, honor me, esteem me, venerate me, having respected and honored me, they would dwell dependent on me. But there are, Udāyi, my disciples who are rag-robe wearers, who wear coarse robes; they gather rags from charnel grounds, or from rubbish heaps, or from shops, and having made them into a patchwork robe, they wear it. But I, Udāyi, sometimes wear householder's robes, strong, coarse with scissors, hairy like a gourd. ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any robes, and praises contentment with any robes,’ if, Udāyi, my disciples were to respect me, honor me, esteem me, venerate me, having respected and honored me, they would dwell dependent on me. Those, Udāyi, my disciples who are rag-robe wearers, who wear coarse robes, they gather rags from charnel grounds, or from rubbish heaps, or from shops, and having made them into a patchwork robe, they wear it, they would not, by this teaching, respect me, honor me, esteem me, venerate me, having respected and honored me, they would dwell dependent on me. ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any ...with almsfood, and praises contentment with any almsfood.' If, Udāyi, my disciples were to honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, and dwell dependent on me, having honored and respected me, I have, Udāyi, disciples who are alms-gatherers, who walk for alms in sequence, devoted to the practice of gleaning, who, having entered a house, do not accept even when invited to a seat. But I, Udāyi, sometimes eat by invitation, fine rice, white and clean, with many curries and many sauces. 'The ascetic Gotama is content with any almsfood, and praises contentment with any almsfood.' If, Udāyi, my disciples were to honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, and dwell dependent on me, having honored and respected me, those disciples of mine, Udāyi, who are alms-gatherers, who walk for alms in sequence, devoted to the practice of gleaning, who, having entered a house, do not accept even when invited to a seat, they would not honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, or dwell dependent on me, having honored and respected me, by this teaching. 'The ascetic Gotama is content with any dwelling, and praises contentment with any dwelling.' If, Udāyi, my disciples were to honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, and dwell dependent on me, having honored and respected me, I have, Udāyi, disciples who dwell at the foot of trees, who dwell in the open air, who for eight months do not enter under a roof. But I, Udāyi, sometimes dwell in gabled houses, plastered inside and out, free from drafts, with bolted doors, and closed windows. 'The ascetic Gotama is content with any dwelling, and praises contentment with any dwelling.' If, Udāyi, my disciples were to honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, and dwell dependent on me, having honored and respected me, those of my disciples, Udāyi, who... My disciples, who dwell at the foot of trees, who dwell in the open air, do not approach me for eight months, for six months. They would not honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me because of this teaching. They would not dwell relying on me, having honored and respected me. "'Recluse Gotama is secluded, and praises seclusion.' If, Udāyi, my disciples would honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me because of this, and would dwell relying on me, having honored and respected me, then, Udāyi, I have disciples who are forest dwellers, who dwell in remote abodes, who plunge into remote abodes in forests and wildernesses. They come to the assembly of monks every half month for the recitation of the Pātimokkha. But I, Udāyi, sometimes dwell crowded with monks, with nuns, with male lay followers, with female lay followers, with kings, with royal ministers, with sectarians, with sectarian disciples. "'Recluse Gotama is secluded, and praises seclusion.' If, Udāyi, my disciples would honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me because of this, and would dwell relying on me, having honored and respected me, then, Udāyi, those disciples of mine who are forest dwellers, who dwell in remote abodes, who plunge into remote abodes in forests and wildernesses, they come to the assembly of monks every half month for the recitation of the Pātimokkha. They would not honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me because of this teaching. They would not dwell relying on me, having honored and respected me. Thus, Udāyi, my disciples do not honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me because of these five qualities. They do not dwell relying on me, having honored and respected me. 243. But there are, Udāyi, other five qualities, because of which five qualities my disciples honor me, respect me, revere me, venerate me, and dwell relying on me,