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and surrounded them with a fence. Those dwelling places of theirs were known as "horse enclosures." Therefore it is said: "In those horse enclosures, a measure of husked barley was prescribed for the bhikkhus." "Patthapatthapulakaṃ" means a measure of husked barley of one pattha for each bhikkhu. A pattha is a nāḷi, enough for one person's sustenance. It is also said: "A pattha of rice is enough for two." "Pulakaṃ" means barley grains that have been husked and then parched. If they were with husks, insects would bore into them, and they would not be suitable for travel. Therefore, those merchants, making the barley grains suitable for travel, took them along the road, thinking: "Where grass, food for horses, will be scarce, there this will be horse fodder." But why was that prescribed by them for the bhikkhus? It is said: "They were not faithless, unbelieving, like the people of the Southern Country. But they were faithful, believing, devotees of the Buddha, devotees of the Dhamma, devotees of the Saṅgha. One morning, entering the city for some business, for two or three days they saw seven or eight bhikkhus, well-robed, well-covered, perfect in deportment, wandering for alms throughout the entire city, but obtaining nothing. Seeing them, this thought occurred to them: 'The venerable ones have come to this city for the rainy season retreat. And there is a famine, and they obtain nothing, they are extremely weary. And we are strangers, we cannot provide them daily gruel And to prepare food. But our horses in the evening and in the morning receive food twice. What if we from the morning meal of each horse were to give a handful of rice to each bhikkhu? Thus the venerable ones will not be exhausted, and the horses will also subsist. They went to the bhikkhus, announced this matter, and requested, "Venerable sirs, please accept the handfuls of rice and consume them in whatever way you wish." Thus they arranged daily handfuls of rice. Therefore it is said: "By those horse-keepers, handfuls of rice were arranged for the bhikkhus." "Arranged" means established as a regular meal. Now, in phrases like "the bhikkhus, having dressed in the morning," "in the morning" means the early part of the day; that is the meaning of "pubbaṇhasamaya." Or, "a time in the morning" is "pubbaṇhasamaya," meaning "a moment in the morning." Thus, the locative case is used in the sense of "in absolute conjunction." "Having dressed" means having put on clothes; this should be understood in the sense of changing their robes in the monastery. For they were not undressed before that. "Taking bowl and robe" means taking the bowl with their hands and covering their body with the robe; that is, wearing it. Indeed, those who take in any way whatsoever are called "ādāya" (taking), as in "he departs, having taken" (Dī. Ni. 1.21). "Not obtaining alms" means having wandered through the entire Verañjā, let alone alms food, they did not even obtain the word "please take." "Bringing the handfuls of rice to the monastery" means taking each handful of rice obtained from each place they went and bringing it to the monastery. "Pounding it in a mortar and eating it" means there was no suitable attendant for the elders who would take it and cook gruel or rice for them. Cooking by themselves is not suitable for ascetics and is not permissible. "Thus, our light living will be maintained, and we will be freed from cooking ourselves." People, ten by ten, or ten people, having come together, pounding and pounding in a mortar, moistening their respective shares with water, they eat. Having eaten thus, being free from care, they practice the ascetic life. But those horse-merchants give the Blessed One a handful of grass, and suitable ghee, honey, and sugar. Venerable Ananda brings it and grinds it on a stone. What is done by a meritorious and wise man is indeed pleasing. Then, having ground it and properly mixed it with ghee and so on, he presented it to the Blessed One. And there, deities put in divine essence. The Blessed One eats it. Having eaten, he spends his time in the attainment of fruition. From then on, he does not go on alms-round. Was Venerable Ananda then the attendant of the Blessed One? He was, but he had not obtained the position of attendant. For during the first twenty years after the Buddha's enlightenment, there was no permanent attendant. Sometimes Venerable Nagasamala attended the Blessed One, sometimes Venerable Nagita, sometimes Venerable Meghiya, sometimes Venerable Upavana, sometimes Venerable Sagata, sometimes Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi prince. They attended according to their own wish, and when they desired, they departed. Venerable Ananda was free from care when these others were attending, but when they departed, he himself performed the duties. The Blessed One also, although his chief relative had not yet obtained the position of attendant, still assented, thinking, "In such situations, this one is suitable." Therefore it is said: "Venerable Ananda, having ground the handful of grass on a stone, presented it to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One ate it." Do not people, in times of famine, with great enthusiasm perform meritorious deeds, thinking that even if they themselves do not eat, it should be given to the bhikkhus? Why then did they not give even a spoonful of alms? And this Verañja brahmin, with great enthusiasm, requested the Blessed One for the rainy season retreat, why did he not even know of the Blessed One's existence? It is said: Due to Mara's obstruction. Vera As soon as the brahmin had departed from the Blessed One, Māra enveloped and deluded the entire city and a surrounding area of a yojana, where it was possible to go for alms before noon and return. He made everyone unmindful and then departed. Therefore, no one thought it proper to even perform a respectful greeting. But did the Blessed One not know of Māra's delusion and still go there to spend the Vassā? No, not without knowing. Then why did he not go to one of Campā, Sāvatthī, Rājagaha, and so on? Let Campā, Sāvatthī, Rājagaha, and so on, be. Even if the Blessed One had gone to Uttarakuru or the city of the Tāvatiṃsa gods in that year to spend the Vassā, Māra would have enveloped that too. For he was, it is said, in that year exceedingly filled with hatred. But here, the Blessed One saw this additional reason: "The horse traders will provide for the bhikkhus." Therefore, he went to Verañjā itself to spend the Vassā. But was Māra unable to delude the traders? No, he was not unable. But they arrived after the delusion had ended. Why did he not delude them when they returned? Because he was powerless. For he is not able to obstruct the alms food brought for the Tathāgata, or the regular offerings, or the dedicated vows. Indeed, four things cannot be obstructed. Which four? The four requisites that are brought as alms food for the Tathāgata, or as regular offerings, or as dedicated vows— these cannot be obstructed by anyone. The life of the Buddhas cannot be obstructed by anyone. The eighty minor marks or the fathom-wide aura cannot be obstructed by anyone. For even the light of the moon, sun, gods, and Brahmās, upon reaching the area of the Tathāgata's minor marks and fathom-wide aura, becomes powerless. The omniscience of the Buddhas cannot be obstructed by anyone. Therefore, these four cannot be obstructed by anyone. Thus, Māra did not do it. The Blessed One, together with the assembly of disciples, was then partaking of alms food. While thus partaking, one day the Blessed One heard the sound of a mortar. The Blessed One heard the sound of a mortar produced by the striking of pestles by the monks pounding rice-chaff and husks. Thereafter, though the Tathāgatas know, as it is said later, "What is that sound of a mortar, Ānanda?" He asked this to show the explanation for it. Here is a brief explanation: Tathāgatas, even though they know, if there is such a reason for asking, they ask. But if there is no such reason for asking, even though they know, they do not ask. Since there is no not-knowing for Buddhas, it is not said, "even though they do not know." Knowing the right time, they ask. If it is the right time for that question, then knowing that time, they ask. If it is not, then also knowing the time, they do not ask. And even when asking, Tathāgatas ask what is beneficial, they ask only what is connected with meaning, what is connected with a reason, not what is not beneficial. Why? Because for Tathāgatas, there is a destruction of the bridge for what is not beneficial. "Bridge" is called the path. It is said that by the path itself, there is a destruction, a complete cutting off of such speech. Now, to show what beneficial speech Tathāgatas ask, he begins with "in two ways." Here, "ways" means reasons. "Or I will teach the Dhamma," meaning, I will relate a Sutta connected with an origin story, or a Jātaka connected with a past deed. "Or I will lay down a training rule for the disciples," meaning, by that question, making clear the transgression of the disciples, I will lay down a heavy or light training rule, I will establish a command. Then the Blessed One... (etc.) ...reported this matter. Here there is nothing to be said. Indeed, what was said before was reporting the monks' acquisition of rice-chaff and husks, their light conduct, and their freedom from self-cooked food. who reported this matter. "Excellent, excellent, Ānanda!" This the Blessed One said, encouraging Venerable Ānanda. Having given his approval, and taking one of two aspects, he taught the Dhamma, saying: "By you good men, Ānanda, it has been conquered. The future generation will despise rice and meat stew." Herein is the meaning: By you good men, Ānanda, in such a famine, with food difficult to obtain, by this light living, and by this austerity, it has been conquered. What has been conquered? The famine has been conquered, greed has been conquered,