ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 9.28

9.28

If all this gold and silver is enough, good. If it’s not sufficient, we will offer as much gold and silver as you need, and after the rains have ended, we will offer provisions then as well.’

“ ‘As you wish,’ the serving monk replied. He returned to the monastery bearing all the gold and silver, but as he looked at all the gold and silver, he began to feel very attached to it. So he hid all the gold and silver, and then supplied the monks with only very poor food and drink.

“One day the monks told the serving monk, ‘Lord, we cannot sustain ourselves on such poor food and drink.’

“ ‘This is all I can do for you,’ he replied. ‘I cannot do any more. If you cannot live from this, you should call upon your benefactors and patrons for your livelihood.’

“After he said this, the monks went to the merchants and asked, ‘Are you able to provide food and drink for seventy-seven thousand monks?’

“The merchants replied, ‘Lords, we have already offered a great deal of gold and silver to the noble one who is to provide for you. We told him, “If it’s enough, then very well. If it is not sufficient, then we shall offer as much gold and silver as you need.” Why then has he been supplying you with such poor food and drink?’

“The merchants went to the Tripiṭaka master and said, ‘Lord, didn’t we say that if this gold and silver was enough, good, and that if it was not enough, we would offer more gold and silver? Why then did you supply the monks with such poor food and drink?’ This embarrassed the serving monk, and he immediately became angry. Never again would he be allowed to act as steward for the monks.

“Then the monks said to him,