33. Paramparabhojanasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena vesāliyaṁ paṇītānaṁ bhattānaṁ bhattapaṭipāṭi adhiṭṭhitā hoti. Atha kho aññatarassa daliddassa kammakārassa etadahosi—“na kho idaṁ orakaṁ bhavissati yathayime manussā sakkaccaṁ bhattaṁ karonti; yannūnāhampi bhattaṁ kareyyan”ti. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro yena kirapatiko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ kirapatikaṁ etadavoca—“icchāmahaṁ, ayyaputta, buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṅghassa bhattaṁ kātuṁ. Dehi me vetanan”ti. Sopi kho kirapatiko saddho hoti pasanno. Atha kho so kirapatiko tassa daliddassa kammakārassa abbhātirekaṁ vetanaṁ adāsi. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so daliddo kammakāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca— “adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya bhattaṁ saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghenā”ti. “Mahā kho, āvuso, bhikkhusaṅgho, jānāhī”ti. “Hotu, bhante, mahā bhikkhusaṅgho. Bahū me badarā paṭiyattā badaramissena peyyā paripūrissantī”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū—“daliddena kira kammakārena svātanāya buddhappamukho bhikkhusaṅgho nimantito, badaramissena peyyā paripūrissantī”ti. Te kālasseva piṇḍāya caritvā bhuñjiṁsu. Assosuṁ kho manussā—“daliddena kira kammakārena buddhappamukho bhikkhusaṅgho nimantito”ti. Te daliddassa kammakārassa pahūtaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ abhihariṁsu. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro tassā rattiyā accayena paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato kālaṁ ārocāpesi—“kālo, bhante, niṭṭhitaṁ bhattan”ti. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena tassa daliddassa kammakārassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro bhattagge bhikkhū parivisati. Bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu— “thokaṁ, āvuso, dehi. Thokaṁ, āvuso, dehī”ti. “Mā kho tumhe, bhante, ‘ayaṁ daliddo kammakāro’ti thokaṁ thokaṁ paṭiggaṇhittha. Pahūtaṁ me khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ paṭiyattaṁ. Paṭiggaṇhatha, bhante, yāvadatthan”ti. “Na kho mayaṁ, āvuso, etaṅkāraṇā thokaṁ thokaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma. Api ca, mayaṁ kālasseva piṇḍāya caritvā bhuñjimhā; tena mayaṁ thokaṁ thokaṁ paṭiggaṇhāmā”ti. Atha kho so daliddo kammakāro ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti— “kathañhi nāma bhadantā mayā nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissanti. Na cāhaṁ paṭibalo yāvadatthaṁ dātun”ti? Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tassa daliddassa kammakārassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhū aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhū aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjantī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma te, bhikkhave, moghapurisā aññatra nimantitā aññatra bhuñjissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Eating meals in succession Origin story First substory
At one time when the Buddha was staying in the house with the peaked roof in the Great Wood near Vesālī, a succession of fine meals had been arranged in Vesālī. A certain poor worker thought, “Why don’t I prepare a meal? It must be really worthwhile, seeing as these people prepare a meal with such respect.” He then went to his boss Kira and said, “Sir, I wish to prepare a meal for the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha. Please give me my salary.” Because Kira also had faith and confidence, he gave the worker his salary and much extra. Soon afterwards that worker went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down, and said, “Sir, please accept a meal from me tomorrow together with the Sangha of monks.” “The Sangha is large.” “No problem! I’ve prepared much jujube, supplemented with jujube drinks.” The Buddha consented by remaining silent, and the worker understood. He got up from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha with his right side toward him, and left. The monks heard that a poor worker had invited the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha on the following day for a meal supplemented with jujube drinks. And so they ate in the morning after walking for alms. When people heard that a poor worker had invited the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha for a meal, they brought much food of various kinds to him. The following morning that worker prepared his food, and then had the Buddha informed that the meal was ready. The Buddha robed up, took his bowl and robe and, together with the Sangha of monks, went to the house of that poor worker where he sat down on the prepared seat in the dining hall. The worker served the monks, but they kept saying, “Give just a little.” “Venerables, don’t accept so little because you think I’m just a poor worker. I’ve prepared much food of various kinds. Please accept as much as you like.” “We’re not accepting so little because of that, but because we ate in the morning after walking for alms.” That poor worker complained and criticized them, “How could the venerables eat elsewhere when invited by me? Am I not able to give as much as they need?” The monks heard the complaints of that worker, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How could those monks eat elsewhere when invited for a meal?” … “Is it true, monks, that monks did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How could those foolish men do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: