Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

12. There too, the Exalted One held that comprehensive religious talk with the brethren, saying : — ' Such and such is upright conduct ; such and such is earnest contemplation ; such and such is intelligence. Great becomes the fruit, great the advantage of earnest contemplation, when it is set round with upright conduct. Great becomes the fruit, great the advantage of intellect when it is set round with earnest contemplation. The mind set round with intelligence is set quite free from the Intoxications, that is to say, from the Intoxication of Sensuality, from the Intoxication of Becoming, from the Intoxication of Delusion, from the Intoxication of Ignorance.'

13. Now when the Exalted One had remained as long as heA desired at Bhoga-gama, heAaddressed the venerable Ananda, and said : — ' Come, Ananda, let us go on to Pava.'

'Even so, lord!' said the venerable Ananda, in assent to the Exalted One. And the Exalted One proceeded with a great company of the brethren to Pava.

p. 37

And there at Pava the Exalted One stayed at the
Mango Grove of Chunda, who was by family a smith.

14. Now Chunda, the worker in metals, heard that the Exalted One had come to Pava, and was staying there in his Mango Grove.

And Chunda, the worker in metals, went to the place where the Exalted One was, and saluting him took his seat respectfully on one side. And when he was thus seated, the Exalted One instructed, aroused, incited, and gladdened him with religious discourse.

15. Then he, instructed, aroused, incited, and gladdened by the religious discourse, addressed the Exalted One, and said : — ' May the Exalted One do me the honour of taking his meal together with the brethren, at my house to-morrow ? '

And the Exalted One signified, by silence, his consent.

16. Then seeing that the Exalted One had consented, [127] Chunda, the worker in metals, rose from his seat and bowed down before the Exalted One, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, departed thence.

1 7. Now at the end of the night, Chunda, the worker in metals, made ready in his dwelling-place sweet rice and cakes, and a quantity of truffles *. And he

1 Sukara-maddava. See the note in my translation of the Milinda (1890), Vol. I, p. 244. Dr. Hoey informs me that the peasantry in these districts are still very fond of a bulbous root, a sort of truffle, found in the jungle, and called sukara-kanda. Mr. K. E. Neumann, in his translation of the Majjhima (1896), p. xx, has collected several similar instances of truffle-like roots, or edible plants, having such names. The Sinhalese translation of the Digha (London and Colombo, 1905), p. 796, simply repeats the Pali word. Buddhists do not attach much importance to the point. They have been mostly vegetarians, and are increasingly so. But their scheme of ethics works from within; and the Buddha expressly refused, in the case of Devadatta's schism, to lay down any hard and fast rule as to abstinence from flesh as food. It is perhaps of importance that the food prepared by Chunda and eaten by the Buddha is called Bhatta (below, § 21) : this is not used elsewhere of meat.

1^8 XVI. MAHA PARINIBBANA SUTTANTA. D. ii. i:

announced the hour to the Exalted One, saying : — ' The hour, lord, has come, and the meal is ready.'