佛祖統紀 33.24

33.24

Serving Congee: In the kingdom of Śrāvastī, the mother of Nanda prepared a pot of boiled rice. Drawing off the liquid from the top, she drank it herself and felt that wind [humor] within her body was dispelled and the food was digested. She then thought, "The ācārya is a person who eats one meal a day; he should eat congee." Thereupon, she took much water and little rice, boiled away two-thirds, added black pepper and long pepper, and went to the Buddha's presence, saying, "May the Bhagavat permit the monks to eat congee." The Buddha granted it and spoke a verse for her: "Endowed with pure precepts and revered by people, / One respectfully offers congee at the proper time. / It brings ten benefits to practitioners: / Complexion, strength, longevity, happiness, and clear speech and eloquence, / Dispelling past indigestion and wind, eliminating hunger and thirst. / This is what is called medicine, spoken by the Buddha. / One who wishes to attain long life and happiness among humans and devas / Should offer congee to the Saṃgha." (Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya; "clear speech" and "eloquence" have two distinct meanings.) If congee taken from the pot cannot be written upon, it is called improper food. (Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya) Only when the morning light appears may one eat congee; any other time is improper. (Dharmaguptaka Vinaya) When the sun shines on the jambu trees and the sky turns white, so that when one stretches out one's hand the lines of the palm are clearly visible, that is the morning light. (Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra) Congee is also called "light meal." (Zenghuiji)