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instructing the world righteously, is desired, loved, and longed for by devas and humans. He maintains the teaching for a long time by the power of his virtuous dhamma. For that reason, too, the Tathāgata is called 'King'. Thus, great king, there are many kinds of reasons by which the Tathāgata could be a brahmin and could be a king. A very skilled bhikkhu could not accomplish it even in an eon. What need is there for much talk? It should be accepted concisely." "Excellent, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept it just so." The eighth question on the brahmin and king. 9. The question on food sung in verses. "Venerable Nāgasena, this was also said by the Blessed One: 'Food sung in verses is not to be eaten by me. to be consumed, for those who see, brahmin, this is not the Dhamma. The Buddhas reject what is sung in verse; when the Dhamma is present, brahmin, this is the saying.” “Furthermore, the Blessed One, when teaching and speaking the Dhamma to the assembly, first tells a discourse on giving, and then a discourse on morality. Having heard the words of the Blessed One, the lord of all worlds, devas and humans make preparations and give gifts. His disciples consume that gift which has been offered. If, Venerable Nāgasena, the Blessed One said, ‘What is sung in verse is not to be eaten by me,’ then the statement ‘the Blessed One first tells a discourse on giving’ is false. If he first tells a discourse on giving, then the statement ‘what is sung in verse is not to be eaten by me’ is also false. What is the reason? That worthy one, Venerable Sir, who speaks of the fruit of alms-giving for householders, when they hear his discourse on the Dhamma, with minds gladdened, they give gifts again and again. All those who consume that gift consume what is sung in verse. This too is a two-horned question, subtle, profound, and difficult to resolve; it must be dispelled by you.” “This was indeed said by the Blessed One, great king: ‘What is sung in verse is not to be eaten by me, for those who see, brahmin, this is not the Dhamma. The Buddhas reject what is sung in verse; when the Dhamma is present, brahmin, this is the saying.’ And the Blessed One first tells a discourse on giving, and this action is common to all Tathāgatas: first, they delight the mind with a discourse on giving, and then they engage it in morality. Just as, great king, people first give playthings to young children—namely, a crooked stick, a small pot, a rattle, a toy cart, a small chariot, a bow—and then they engage them in their respective tasks. Even so, great king, the Tathāgata first delights the mind with a discourse on giving, and then he engages it in morality. Or just as, great king, a physician first gives to the sick a four-part First, I give oil to drink to strengthen and to soften, then I purge. Just so, great king, the Tathāgata first delights the mind with talk of giving, then he enjoins morality. The minds of givers, great king, of generous patrons, are soft, gentle, and tender. By the bridge of giving, by the boat of giving, they cross over to the far shore of saṃsāra. Therefore, he first instructs them in the field of action, and does not make any entreaty.” “Venerable Nāgasena, you speak of ‘entreaty.’ How many kinds of entreaty are there?” “There are two kinds of entreaty, great king: bodily entreaty and verbal entreaty. Among these, there is blameworthy bodily entreaty, and blameless. There is blameworthy verbal entreaty, and blameless. “What is blameworthy bodily entreaty? Here, some monk, having approached families, standing in an unsuitable place, breaks his posture. This is blameworthy bodily entreaty. What is entreated by it the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person, in the view of the Noble Ones, is despised, scorned, reviled, criticized, disregarded, and is considered to have a broken livelihood. “Again, great king, here, some monk, having approached families, standing in an unsuitable place, bends his neck, looks like a peacock, thinking, ‘Thus they will see me.’ And by that, they see him. This too is blameworthy bodily entreaty. What is entreated by it the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person, in the view of the Noble Ones, is despised, scorned, reviled, criticized, disregarded, and is considered to have a broken livelihood. “Again, great king, here, some monk makes an entreaty with his jaw, or with his eyebrow, or with his thumb. This too is blameworthy bodily entreaty. What is entreated by it the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person, in the view of the Noble Ones, is despised, scorned, reviled, criticized, disregarded, and is considered to have a broken livelihood. “What is blameless bodily entreaty? I Here, a monk, having approached families, mindful, composed, and fully aware, going as instructed to places where he should stand and places where he should not stand, stands in places; he stands where people are willing to give; he departs where people are unwilling to give. This bodily intimation is blameless. What is intimated by it, the Noble Ones partake of. And that person is praised, extolled, and commended by the Noble Ones at the proper time, as one whose conduct is for purification, and is reckoned as one of pure livelihood. This was also spoken, great king, by the God of gods, the Blessed One: ‘The wise do not beg, the steadfast should understand; The Noble Ones stand for a purpose, this is the begging of the Noble Ones.’ “What is blameworthy verbal intimation? Here, great king, a monk intimates in various ways by speech for robes, almsfood, lodging, medicine, and requisites for the sick. This verbal intimation is blameworthy. What is intimated by it, the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person is despised, scorned, reviled, blamed, disregarded, and unesteemed by the Noble Ones at the proper time, and is reckoned as one of broken livelihood. “Furthermore, great king, here, some monk, making others hear, says thus: ‘I have need of this.’ And when others hear that speech, gain arises for him. This verbal intimation is also blameworthy. What is intimated by it, the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person is despised, scorned, reviled, blamed, disregarded, and unesteemed by the Noble Ones at the proper time, and is reckoned as one of broken livelihood. “Furthermore, great king, here, some monk, by means of a verbal display, makes the assembly hear: ‘Thus and thus should be given to the monks.’ And they, having heard that speech, bring what was announced. This verbal intimation is also blameworthy. What is intimated by it, the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person is despised, scorned, reviled, blamed, disregarded, and unesteemed by the Noble Ones at the proper time, and is reckoned as one of broken livelihood. “Was not, great king, the Elder Sāriputta, when he had passed away, In the evening, Sūriya, being sick, when asked for medicine by the Elder Mahāmoggallāna, broke his speech (made a verbal request). By that breaking of speech, medicine arose for him. Then the Elder Sāriputta, thinking, 'This medicine has arisen for me through a breaking of speech, may my livelihood not be broken,' out of fear of a broken livelihood, abandoned that medicine and did not partake of it. Thus, verbal communication (for needs) is blameworthy. And what is communicated by it, the Noble Ones do not partake of. And that person, in the view of the Noble Ones, is despised, scorned, reviled, disdained, disregarded, and is considered to have a broken livelihood. "What is blameless verbal communication? Here, great king, a monk, when there is a need, communicates for medicine in families where he has been invited by relatives. This is blameless verbal communication. And what is communicated by it, the Noble Ones partake of. And that person, in the view of the Noble Ones, is praised, extolled, commended, and is considered to have a pure livelihood, approved by the Tathāgatas, Arahants, Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones." "But, great king, that food which the Tathāgata abandoned from the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja, that arose from twisting, untwisting, pulling, and restraining (i.e., from a contentious exchange). Therefore, the Tathāgata rejected that alms-food and did not partake of it." "At all times, Venerable Nāgasena, when the Tathāgata is eating, do devas sprinkle divine essence into his bowl, or did they sprinkle it only on those two alms-foods: the 'sūkaramaddava' and the honey-rice-milk?" "At all times, great king, when the Tathāgata is eating, devas, taking divine essence, stand by and sprinkle it on every morsel that is taken up." "Just as, great king, a king's cook, when the king is eating, takes soup, stands by, and sprinkles soup on every morsel, even so, great king, at all times when the Tathāgata is eating, devas, taking divine essence, stand by and sprinkle divine essence on every morsel that is taken up. Even in Verañjā, great king, on the Tathāgata's dry barley meal..." while eating at the root of the tree, deities, moistening again and again with divine essence, brought it near. Thereby the Tathāgata's body became nourished. "Indeed, it is a gain, Venerable Nāgasena, for those deities, who were constantly and continuously zealous in attending to the Tathāgata's body. Good, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept this as such." The Ninth Question on the Story of Food Sung with Verses. 10. The Question on Lack of Zeal for Teaching the Dhamma. "Venerable Nāgasena, you say 'the Tathāgata perfected omniscience over four incalculable eons and a hundred thousand eons in between for the deliverance of a great multitude of people.' And again, 'having attained omniscience, his mind inclined to lack of zeal, not to teaching the Dhamma.'" "Just as, Venerable Nāgasena, an archer or an archer's apprentice, having practiced archery for many days for the sake of battle, might withdraw when a great battle arrives, even so, Venerable Nāgasena, the Tathāgata,