Mahavagga, Khandaka 6, Chapter 26

1. And the Blessed One, after having dwelt at Andhakavinda as long as he thought fit, went forth to Rājagaha, accompanied by a great number of Bhikkhus, by twelve hundred and fifty Bhikkhus. At that time Belaṭṭha Kaccāna was travelling on the road from Rājagaha to Andhakavinda with five hundred carts all full of pots of sugar. And the Blessed One saw Belaṭṭha Kaccāna coming from afar; when he saw him, he left the road, and sat down at the foot of a tree.

2. And Belaṭṭha Kaccāna went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he stationed himself near him. Standing near him, Belaṭṭha Kaccāna said to the Blessed One: 'I wish, Lord, to give to each Bhikkhu one pot of sugar.'

'Well, Kaccāna, bring here one pot of sugar.'

Belaṭṭha Kaccāna accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' took one pot of sugar and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, he said to the Blessed One: 'I have brought here, Lord, the pot of sugar; what shall I do with it, Lord?'

'Well, Kaccāna, give the sugar to the Bhikkhus.'

3. Belaṭṭha Kaccāna accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' gave the sugar to the Bhikkhus, and said to the Blessed One: 'I have given the sugar to the Bhikkhus, Lord, but there is much sugar left over; what shall I do with it, Lord?'

'Well, Kaccāna, give the Bhikkhus as much sugar as they want.'

Belaṭṭha Kaccāna accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' gave the Bhikkhus as much sugar as they wanted, and said to the Blessed One: '1 have given, Lord, the Bhikkhus as much sugar as they want, but there is much sugar left over; what shall I do with it, Lord?'

'Well, Kaccāna, let the Bhikkhus eat their fill with sugar.'

Belaṭṭha Kaccāna accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' and let the Bhikkhus eat their fill with sugar; some Bhikkhus filled their bowls and filled their water strainers and bags with it.

4. And Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, having let the Bhikkhus eat their fill with sugar, said to the Blessed One: 'The Bhikkhus, Lord, have eaten their fill with sugar, but there is much sugar left over; what shall I do with it, Lord?'

'Well, Kaccāna, give the sugar to the people who eat the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food,' &c.

'Well, Kaccāna, give the people who eat the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food as much sugar as they want,' &c.

5. 'Well, Kaccāna, let the people who eat the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food, eat their fill with sugar' (&c., down to:); some of the people who ate the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food, filled their pots and jars, and filled their baskets and the folds of their dress with it.

6. And Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, having let the people who ate the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food, eat their fill with sugar, said to the Blessed One: 'The people, Lord, who eat the remains of (the Bhikkhus') food, have eaten their fill with sugar, but there is much sugar left over; what shall I do with it, Lord?'

I see no one, Kaccāna, in the world of men and gods, in Māra's and Brahma's world, among all beings, Samaṇas and Brāhmaṇas, gods and men, by whom that sugar, when he has eaten it, can be fully assimilated, save by the Tathāgata or by a disciple of the Tathāgata. Therefore, Kaccāna, throw that sugar away at a place free from grass, or sink it into water in which there are no living things.'

Belaṭṭha Kaccāna accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' and sunk that sugar into water in which there were no living things.

7. And that sugar, when thrown into the water, hissed and bubbled, and steamed, and sent forth smoke. As a ploughshare, which has been heated through the whole day and is thrown into water, hisses and bubbles, and steams, and sends forth smoke, so that sugar, when thrown into the water, hissed and bubbled, steamed, and sent forth smoke. And Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, terrified and having his hair erect with fear, went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him.

8. When Belaṭṭha Kaccāna was sitting near him, the Blessed One preached to him in due course; that is to say, he talked about the merits obtained by alms-giving, about the duties of morality, about heaven, about the evils, the vanity, and the defilement of lusts, and about the blessings of the abandonment of lusts. When the Blessed One saw that the mind of Belaṭṭha Kaccāna was prepared, impressible, free from obstacles (to understanding the Truth), elated, and believing, then he preached what is the principal doctrine of the Buddhas, namely, Suffering, the Cause of suffering, the Cessation of suffering, the Path. Just as a clean cloth free from black specks properly takes the dye, thus Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, even while sitting there, obtained the pure and spotless Eye of the Truth (that is, the knowledge): 'Whatsoever is subject to the condition of origination is subject also to the condition of cessation.'

9. And Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, having seen the Truth, having mastered the Truth, having understood the Truth, having penetrated the Truth, having overcome uncertainty, having dispelled all doubts, having gained full knowledge, dependent on nobody else for the knowledge of the doctrine of the Teacher, said to the Blessed One: 'Glorious, Lord! glorious, Lord! Just as if one should set up, Lord, what had been overturned, or should reveal what had been hidden, or should point out the way to one who had lost his way, or should bring a lamp into the darkness, in order that those who had eyes might see visible things, thus has the Blessed One preached the doctrine in many ways. I take my refuge, Lord, in the Blessed One, and in the Dhamma, and in the fraternity of Bhikkhus; may the Blessed One receive me from this day forth while my life lasts as a disciple who has taken his refuge in him.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See the 33rd Pācittiya Rule about parampara-bhojana (taking food in turn).