49.7 （七）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "I always eat in one sitting. My body is light and my strength is strong. You bhikṣus should also eat in one sitting. Your bodies will be light and your strength will be strong, and you will be able to cultivate the holy life."

At that time, Vāḍi Brahmin said to the World-Honored One, "I am not able to eat in one sitting. The reason is that my strength is weak."

The Buddha told him, "If you go to a donor's house, eat one part and bring one part back home."

Vāḍi Brahmin said to the Buddha, "I am also unable to practice this method."

The World-Honored One said, "I allow you to break the fast and eat throughout the day."

Vāḍi Brahmin said to the Buddha, "I am also unable to practice this method." At that time, the World-Honored One remained silent and did not reply.

At that time, Kālodāyin entered the city to beg for food in the evening, wearing his robe and carrying his alms bowl. It was very dark at that time. Then Udayin gradually arrived at the elder's house. The elder's wife was pregnant. Hearing that a śramaṇa was begging for food outside, she personally brought rice to give to him. However, Kālodāyin's complexion was extremely dark, and at that time the sky was about to rain, with lightning flashing everywhere. At that time, the elder's wife went out the door and saw the śramaṇa with an extremely dark complexion. She was immediately frightened and called out, "It's a ghost!" She then exclaimed, "Oh no! I see a ghost!" She immediately miscarried, and the child died. At that time, Kālodāyin returned to the monastery, feeling sad and unhappy, sitting and contemplating in regret.

At that time, there was such a bad reputation in Śrāvastī: "The śramaṇas, sons of the Śākya clan, curse others' children to miscarry." The men and women there said to each other, "Now the śramaṇas! They act without restraint, eat without knowing the time. They are no different from lay householders.

At that time, many bhikṣus heard the people discussing this matter: "The śramaṇas, sons of the Śākya clan, do not know restraint, coming and going without hesitation." Among them, the bhikṣus who upheld the precepts and were fully equipped also blamed themselves, saying, "It is indeed not proper for us to eat without restraint and act without timing. It is indeed our fault." They all went together to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet, and explained this matter in detail to the World-Honored One.

At that time, the Buddha told a bhikṣu, "Go and call Kālodāyin to come."

At that time, that bhikṣu, having received the Buddha's instruction, went to call Udayin. When Udayin heard that the Buddha wanted to see him, he came to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side. At that time, the World-Honored One asked Udayin, "Did you really enter the city to beg for alms yesterday evening, and cause the pregnant wife of the elder to miscarry when you arrived at the elder's house?"

Udayin said to the Buddha, "Yes, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told Udayin, "Why didn't you distinguish the time? And why did you enter the city to beg for alms when it was about to rain? This is not suitable for you. As a noble son who has left home to study the path, you are greedy for food."

At that time, Udayin immediately rose from his seat and said to the World-Honored One, "From now on, I dare not commit it again. I only wish that the World-Honored One would accept my repentance."

At that time, the World-Honored One told Ānanda, "Quickly strike the gong and gather all the bhikṣus in the assembly hall."

Ānanda received the Buddha's instruction and immediately gathered all the bhikṣus in the assembly hall. He then addressed the Buddha, saying, "The bhikṣus have already gathered, World-Honored One! Please know the time."

At that time, the World-Honored One went to the assembly hall and sat in the center. He told the bhikṣus, "In the past, the Buddhas and World-Honored Ones all ate in one sitting, and the śrāvakas also ate in one sitting. Even in the future, the Buddhas and their disciples will also eat in one sitting. The reason for this is that this is the essential method for practicing the path. One should eat in one sitting. If one can eat in one sitting, the body becomes light and the mind becomes enlightened. Having attained enlightenment, one attains the wholesome roots. Having attained the wholesome roots, one attains samādhi. Having attained samādhi, one truly knows. How does one truly know? One truly knows the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering. You, sons of noble families, have left home to study the path, abandoning the eight worldly occupations. But you do not know the proper time. What is the difference between you and those who are greedy and lustful? Brahmins have their own brahmin practices, and non-Buddhists have their own non-Buddhist practices."

At that time, Upāli addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "The Tathāgatas of the past and the Buddhas of the future all ate in one sitting. I only wish that the World-Honored One would set a time limit for the bhikṣus to eat."

The World-Honored One said, "The Tathāgata also has this knowledge, but as long as there is no offense, we should not set limits."

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "I eat in one sitting, and you should also eat in one sitting. Now you eat at noon, and you should not go beyond the time. You should also learn the method of begging for food. How do bhikṣus learn the method of begging for food? Here, bhikṣus! Seek to sustain life. If you obtain it, do not be happy, and if you do not obtain it, do not be sorrowful. When you obtain food, contemplate and eat it, without a mind of attachment. Just wish to make this body continue to exist, remove old pain, and not create new pain, so that the strength is sufficient. Thus, bhikṣus! This is called begging for food. You bhikṣus should eat in one sitting.

"How do bhikṣus eat in one sitting? If they get up, they have committed an offense and should not eat again. Thus, bhikṣus! This is called eating in one sitting. You bhikṣus should also obtain food and eat it. How do bhikṣus obtain food and eat it? Here, bhikṣus! Having obtained food, if there is more, it should be shared with others. If one obtains food again, one should not eat it again. Thus, bhikṣus! This is called obtaining food and eating it. You bhikṣus should also wear the three robes, sit under trees, sit in quiet places, sit in the open air, practice austerities, wear patched robes, stay in charnel grounds, and wear tattered clothes. The reason is to praise those of few desires. I now teach you to be like the bhikṣu Kāśyapa. The reason is that the bhikṣu Kāśyapa himself practiced the eleven dhuta ascetic practices and also taught others to practice these essential methods. I now instruct you to be like the bhikṣu Mūgapakkha. The reason is that the bhikṣu Mūgapakkha wore tattered clothes and did not wear ornaments. This is what I instruct you, bhikṣus! You should remember to cultivate it. Thus, bhikṣus! You should train like this."

At that time, Vāḍitapaṇḍita did not come to see the World-Honored One for three months. At that time, Ānanda, at the beginning of the three months, went to where the bhikṣu Vāḍitapaṇḍita was and said to him, "Now all the bhikṣus are wearing patched robes. Thus, the Tathāgata will travel among humans. If you do not go now, it will be of no benefit to regret later."

At that time, Ānanda brought Vāḍitapaṇḍita to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "Yes, World-Honored One! Please allow me to repent. From now on, I will not commit offenses again. The Tathāgata has established the precepts, but I did not accept them. I only pray for your forgiveness." He said this three times.

At that time, the Buddha said, "I allow you to repent and not commit offenses again. The reason is that I remember countless lifetimes in saṃsāra, sometimes as donkeys, mules, camels, elephants, horses, pigs, or sheep, feeding these four great forms with grass; sometimes in hell, eating hot iron balls; sometimes as hungry ghosts, always eating pus and blood; sometimes as human forms, eating these five grains; sometimes as heavenly forms, eating natural nectar. For countless eons, forms and lives compete together, never being satisfied. Upāli should know that like fire obtaining fuel, it is never satisfied; like the ocean water, it swallows streams without being satisfied. Now ordinary people are also like this, greedily eating without being satisfied."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The cycle of birth and death is endless, all due to greed
and desire. Hatred and resentment increase evil, which is practiced by the foolish.

"Therefore, Vartipula, you should remember to have few desires and be content, not giving rise to greedy thoughts and creating various chaotic thoughts. Thus, Upali, you should train in this way."

At that time, Vartipula, having heard the Tathāgata's teachings, in a secluded place, reproached himself. The reason why sons of noble families leave home to study the Way is to cultivate the unsurpassed pure practice: to end birth and death, establish the pure practice, accomplish what is to be done, and no longer take rebirth, knowing it as it is. At that time, Vartipula immediately attained arahantship. At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "Among my disciples, the foremost śrāvaka who eats a lot of food is none other than the bhikṣu Jīvaka."

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teachings, joyfully received and practiced them.