1. Now at that time in Bhaddiya-nagara there dwelt a householder named Mendaka
(the Goat), who was possessed of this miraculous power: When he had bathed his
head, and had had his granary swept out, he could sit outside and fill the
granary
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by making showers of grain fall down from the sky. His wife was possessed of
this miraculous power: When she sat down beside a pint 1 pot and vessel for
curry and sauce she could serve the serving men with food; and so long as she
did not get up, it was not exhausted. Their son was possessed of this miraculous
power: He could take a bag containing a thousand 2, and give to each serving man
six months' wages; and so long as he held it in his hand, it was not exhausted.
2. Their daughter-in-law was possessed of this miraculous power.: When she sat
down beside a four-bushel 3 basket she could give six months' rice to the
serving men; and so long as she did not get up, it was not exhausted. Their
slave was possessed of this miraculous power: When he ploughed with one
plough-share seven furrows were formed.
3, 4. Now the Mâgadha king Seniya Bimbisâra heard: 'In Bhaddiya-nagara in our
kingdom there dwells, they say, a householder named Mendaka, who is possessed
(&c., as in §§ 1, 2, down to the end).'
5. Then the Mâgadha king Seniya Bimbisâra said to a certain minister who had
charge of general affairs: 'They say, good Sir, that in Bhaddiya-nagara (&c., as
above). Go, good Sir, and find out about this. When you have seen it, it shall
be the same as if I myself had seen it.'
'Even so, Lord,' said that minister, in assent, to the Mâgadha king Seniya
Bimbisâra, and he set out for Bhaddiya-nagara with his fourfold host.
6. And proceeding straight on he came to Bhaddiya-nagara, and to the place where
the householder
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Mendaka the was; householder Mendaka a 'I have there, said to received command
from the king, "They say, good Sir (&c., as above, S 5)." Let us behold, O
householder, your miraculous power.'
Then Mendaka the householder bathed his head, and had his granary swept out, and
sat down outside it. And showers of grain fell down from the sky and filled the
granary.
'I have seen, O householder, your miraculous power. Let us see that of your
wife.'
7. Then Mendaka the householder gave command to his wife, 'Serve then the
fourfold host with food.'
And the wife of Mendaka the householder took her seat beside a pint pot and a
vessel of sauces and curry, and served the fourfold host with food; and until
she rose up it was not exhausted.
'I have seen, O householder, the miraculous power of your wife. Let us see that
of your son.'
8. Then Mendaka the householder gave command to his son, 'Pay then, my dear boy,
six months' wages to the fourfold host.'
And the son of Mendaka the householder took one bag containing a thousand, and
paid the four-fold army six months' wages. And so long as he held it in his
hand, it was not exhausted.
'I have seen, O householder, the miraculous power of your son. Let us see that
of your daughter-in-law.'
9. Then Mendaka the householder gave command to his daughter-in-law, 'Give,
then, six months' rice to the fourfold host.'
And the daughter-in-law of Mendaka the householder
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sat down beside one four-bushel basket, and provided the fourfold host with six
months' rice. And so long as she did not get up, it was not exhausted.
'I have seen, O householder, the miraculous power of your daughter-in-law. Let
us see that of your slave.'
'The miraculous power of my slave, Sir, must be seen in the field.'
'It is enough, O householder. I have seen the miraculous power of your slave.'
Then that minister returned again to Râgagaha with his fourfold host, and went
to the place where the Mâgadha king Seniya Bimbisâra was, and when he had come
there he told the matter to the Mâgadha king Seniya Bimbisâra.
10. Now the Blessed One, when he had remained at Vesâlî as long as he thought
fit, went on his way to Bhaddiya with a great company of Bhikkhus, with one
thousand two hundred and fifty Bhikkhus. And the Blessed One wandering straight
on arrived at Bhaddiya. And there the Blessed One stayed in the Gâtiyâvana.
11. And Mendaka the householder heard: 'Behold, that Samana Gotama, of the Sakya
clan, who left the Sakya tribe to adopt the religious life, is now arrived at
Bhaddiya and is staying in the Gâtiyâvana. Now regarding that venerable Gotama,
such is the high reputation that has been noised abroad that he is said to be a
fully-enlightened one, blessed, and worthy, abounding in wisdom and goodness,
happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed, who guides men as a driver
curbs a bullock, a teacher of gods and men, a blessed Buddha. He by himself
thoroughly understands, and sees, as it
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were face to face, this universe, the world with its Devas, and with its
Brahmas; and with its Mâras, and all creatures, Samanas and Brâhmanas, gods and
men: and he then makes that knowledge known to others. The truth doth he make
known, both in the spirit and in the letter: lovely in its origin, lovely in its
progress, lovely in its consummation. The higher life doth he proclaim, in all
its purity and all its perfectness. Blessed is the sight of Arahats like that.'
12. Then Mendaka the householder had a number of splendid carriages made ready,
and mounting one of them he set out from Bhaddiya with the train of splendid
carriages to visit the Blessed One.
And many Titthiyas saw Mendaka the householder as he was coming from afar; .and
when-they had seen him, they said to Mendaka the householder:
'Whither, O householder, are you going?'
'I am going, Sirs, to visit the Blessed One, the Samana Gotama.'
'But why, O householder, do you, being a Kiriya-vâda, go out to visit the
Blessed One who is an Akiriya-vâda? For, O householder, the Samana Gotama, who
is an Akiriya-vâda, teaches Dhamma without the doctrine of action 1, and in this
Dhamma he instructs his hearers.'
13. Then thought Mendaka the householder: 'For a certainty that Blessed One must
be an Arahat Buddha: since these Titthiyas are so jealous of him.' And he went
on to the place where the Blessed One was, proceeding in the carriage as far
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as the ground was passable for carriages, and then dismounting from the
carriage, and going on foot. And when he had come there, he bowed down before
the Blessed One, and took his seat on one side.
And when he was so seated the Blessed One preached (&c., as usual, for instance,
I, 8, 2; 3, down to:) 'taken his refuge in him.'
'May the Blessed One consent to take his meal, together with the Bhikkhu-samgha,
at my house to-morrow.'
The Blessed One consented by remaining silent.
14. Then Mendaka the householder when he saw that the Blessed One had consented
(&c., as usual, see VI, 18, 1, 2, down to:) sat down on the seat prepared for
him.
15. Then the wife, and the son, and the daughter-in-law, and the slave of
Mendaka the householder went to the place where the Blessed One was: and when
they had come there they bowed down before the Blessed One and took their seats
on one side.
And the Blessed One preached to them (&c., as in § 13, down to:) 'taken their
refuge in him.'
16. Then Mendaka the householder served the Bhikkhu-samgha with the Buddha at
their head (&c., as usual, down to:) sat down on one side.
And when he was so seated Mendaka the householder said to the Blessed One: 'So
long as the Blessed One shall stay at Bhaddiya, so long will I provide the
Bhikkhu-samgha with the Buddha at their head with food every day.'
Then the Blessed One gladdened (&c., as usual, down to:) the Blessed One rose
from his seat, and went away.
17. Now when the Blessed One had remained
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at Bhaddiya as long as he thought fit, he went on, without informing Mendaka the
householder, to Aṅguttarâpa with a great company of Bhikkhus, with one thousand
two hundred and fifty Bhikkhus.
And Mendaka the householder heard: 'The Blessed One, they say, has gone on to
Aṅguttarâpa with (&c., down to:) Bhikkhus.' And Mendaka the householder gave
command to his slaves and servants: 'Load then, my men, a quantity of salt and
oil, and rice, and hard food, and come: and let one thousand two hundred and
fifty cow-keepers come with one thousand two hundred and fifty cows. Wherever we
find the Blessed One there will we supply him with fresh milk.'
18. And Mendaka the householder came up with the Blessed One in a desert place
on the way. And Mendaka the householder went up to the place where the Blessed
One was: and when he had come he stood on one side. And so standing, Mendaka the
householder said to the Blessed One: 'May the Blessed One consent to take his
meal (&c., as usual, down to:) 'The time has come, and the meal is ready.'
19. And the Blessed One early in the morning (&c., down to:) sat down on the
seat prepared for him.
Then Mendaka the householder gave command to those thousand two hundred and
fifty cow-keepers: 'Take then, my men, each of you a cow, and wait each of you
upon a. Bhikkhu, and provide him with fresh milk.'
And Mendaka the householder waited upon the Bhikkhu-samgha with the Buddha at
their head with his own hand, and satisfied them with sweet food, hard and soft,
and with fresh milk.
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The Bhikkhus, fearing to offend, would not take the milk:
'Take it, Bhikkhus, and drink it.'
20. And Mendaka the householder, when he had waited with his own hand upon the
Bhikkhu-samgha with the Buddha at their head, and had satisfied them with sweet
food, hard and soft, and with fresh milk; and when the Blessed One had finished
his meal, and had washed his hands and his bowl, took his seat on one side.
And, so sitting, Mendaka the householder said to the Blessed One: 'There are
desert ways, Lord, waterless and foodless, where it is not easy to travel
without supplies for the journey. It would be well if the Blessed One were to
allow the Bhikkhus to take supplies with them.'
Then the Blessed One gladdened (&c., as usual, down to:) rose from his seat, and
went away.
21. And the Blessed One, in that connection, and on that account, after having
delivered a religious discourse, said to the Bhikkhus:
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the five products of the cow;--milk, curds, ghee,
buttermilk, and butter. There are, O Bhikkhus, desert ways, waterless and
foodless, where it is not easy to travel without supplies for the journey. I
allow you, O Bhikkhus, to provide yourselves with supplies for a journey;--rice
for him who wants rice, beans for him who wants beans 1, salt for him who wants
salt, molasses for him who wants molasses, oil for him who wants oil, ghee for
him who wants ghee. There are, O Bhikkhus, faithful and converted men who
deposit
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gold with a kappiya-kâraka 1, saying, "Provide whatever is allowable for this
Bhikkhu." I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to accept whatever is allowable. But I do not
say by that, O Bhikkhus, that you may, on any pretext whatsoever, accept or seek
for gold.'
Footnotes
122:1 Alhaka. See Rh. D., 'Ancient Coins and Measures,' p.18.
122:2 Ibid. p. 9 and note 4.
122:3 Dona. Ibid. p. 18.
125:1 See above, VI, 31, 5.
128:1 Two kinds of beans are mentioned, mugga and mâsa.
129:1 See above, chap. 17. 8.
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