ud3.8:0.1Heartfelt Sayings 3.8
ud3.8:0.2One Who Eats Only Almsfood
ud3.8:1.1So I have heard.
ud3.8:1.2At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
ud3.8:1.3Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the pavilion by the kareri tree and this discussion came up among them:
ud3.8:2.1“Reverends, when a mendicant who eats only almsfood is wandering for alms, from time to time they get to see pleasing sights, hear pleasing sounds, smell pleasing odors, taste pleasing flavors, and encounter pleasing touches.
ud3.8:2.2They wander for alms being honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed.
ud3.8:2.3Come, we too should eat only almsfood.
ud3.8:2.4From time to time we too will get to see pleasing sights, hear pleasing sounds, smell pleasing odors, taste pleasing flavors, and encounter pleasing touches.
ud3.8:2.5We too shall wander for alms being honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed.”
ud3.8:2.6At that point the conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.
ud3.8:3.1Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the pavilion by the kareri tree, where he sat down on the seat spread out
ud3.8:3.2and addressed the mendicants:
ud3.8:3.3“Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”
ud3.8:4.1So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about. The Buddha said,
ud3.8:6.1“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to talk about such things.
ud3.8:6.2When you’re sitting together you should do one of two things:
ud3.8:6.3discuss the teachings or keep noble silence.”
ud3.8:7.1Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
ud3.8:8.1“A mendicant who relies on alms,
ud3.8:8.2self-supported, providing for no other;
ud3.8:8.3the unaffected one is envied by even the gods,
ud3.8:8.4but not if they’re after popularity and reputation.”