Dighanikaya 1.4_3

1.4_3

Bhagavā hi pātova uṭṭhāya upaṭṭhākānuggahatthaṃ sarīraphāsukatthañca mukhadhovanādisarīraparikammaṃ katvā yāva bhikkhācāravelā tāva vivittāsane vītināmetvā, bhikkhācāravelāyaṃ nivāsetvā kāyabandhanaṃ bandhitvā cīvaraṃ pārupitvā pattamādāya kadāci ekako, kadāci bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto, gāmaṃ vā nigamaṃ vā piṇḍāya pavisati; kadāci pakatiyā, kadāci anekehi pāṭihāriyehi vattamānehi. Seyyathidaṃ, piṇḍāya pavisato lokanāthassa purato purato gantvā mudugatavātā pathaviṃ sodhenti, valāhakā udakaphusitāni muñcantā magge reṇuṃ vūpasametvā upari vitānaṃ hutvā tiṭṭhanti, apare vātā pupphāni upasaṃharitvā magge okiranti, unnatā bhūmippadesā onamanti, onatā unnamanti, pādanikkhepasamaye samāva bhūmi hoti, sukhasamphassāni padumapupphāni vā pāde sampaṭicchanti. Indakhīlassa anto ṭhapitamatte dakkhiṇapāde sarīrato chabbaṇṇarasmiyo nikkhamitvā suvaṇṇarasapiñjarāni viya citrapaṭaparikkhittāni viya ca pāsādakūṭāgārādīni alaṅkarontiyo ito cito ca dhāvanti, hatthiassavihaṅgādayo sakasakaṭṭhānesu ṭhitāyeva madhurenākārena saddaṃ karonti, tathā bherivīṇādīni tūriyāni manussānañca kāyūpagāni ābharaṇāni. Tena saññāṇena manussā jānanti – ‘‘ajja bhagavā idha piṇḍāya paviṭṭho’’ti. Te sunivatthā supārutā gandhapupphādīni ādāya gharā nikkhamitvā antaravīthiṃ paṭipajjitvā bhagavantaṃ gandhapupphādīhi sakkaccaṃ pūjetvā vanditvā – ‘‘amhākaṃ, bhante, dasa bhikkhū, amhākaṃ vīsati, paññāsaṃ…pe… sataṃ dethā’’ti yācitvā bhagavatopi pattaṃ gahetvā āsanaṃ paññapetvā sakkaccaṃ piṇḍapātena paṭimānenti. Bhagavā katabhattakicco tesaṃ sattānaṃ cittasantānāni oloketvā tathā dhammaṃ deseti, yathā keci saraṇagamanesu patiṭṭhahanti, keci pañcasu sīlesu, keci sotāpattisakadāgāmianāgāmiphalānaṃ aññatarasmiṃ; keci pabbajitvā aggaphale arahatteti. Evaṃ mahājanaṃ anuggahetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṃ gacchati. Tattha gantvā maṇḍalamāḷe paññattavarabuddhāsane nisīdati, bhikkhūnaṃ bhattakiccapariyosānaṃ āgamayamāno. Tato bhikkhūnaṃ bhattakiccapariyosāne upaṭṭhāko bhagavato nivedeti. Atha bhagavā gandhakuṭiṃ pavisati. Idaṃ tāva purebhattakiccaṃ.

The Blessed One, having risen early in the morning, for the sake of benefiting his attendant and for bodily ease performs the bodily care such as washing the face, and spends the time on a secluded seat until the time of the almsround. At the time of the almsround, having dressed, fastened his belt, robed himself, and taken his bowl, sometimes alone and sometimes surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks, he enters the village or market town for alms; sometimes in the ordinary manner, and sometimes while many miracles are taking place. That is to say, as the Lord of the World enters for alms, gentle winds blowing before him clear the earth; clouds releasing water droplets settle the dust on the path and stand above him forming a canopy; other winds gather flowers and scatter them on the path; the raised places of the ground bend down, and the sunken places rise up; at the moment his foot is placed down, the ground becomes completely even, or lotus flowers of pleasant touch receive his feet. As soon as his right foot is placed inside the threshold, six-coloured rays emerge from his body and dash here and there, adorning the gabled mansions and multi-storeyed buildings as if smeared with molten gold or draped with painted cloth; elephants, horses, birds, and other animals, standing in their respective places, make sweet sounds; likewise drums, lutes, and other musical instruments, and the bodily ornaments of humans [resound]. By this sign the people know: "Today the Blessed One has entered here for alms." Properly dressed and properly robed, taking scents, flowers, and the like, they come out of their houses into the street, reverently worship the Blessed One with scents, flowers, and the like, pay homage to him, and plead: "Venerable sir, give us ten monks, give us twenty, fifty… a hundred," and taking the Blessed One's bowl as well, they prepare a seat and reverently attend on him with almsfood. When his meal is finished, the Blessed One looks at the mental continuities of those beings and teaches the Dhamma in such a way that some become established in the refuges, some in the five precepts, some in one of the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, or non-returning, and some, having gone forth, [reach] the highest fruit, arahantship. Having thus aided the multitude, he rises from his seat and goes to the monastery. Having gone there, he sits on the noble Buddha-seat prepared in the pavilion, waiting for the end of the monks' meal. Then, at the end of the monks' meal, the attendant informs the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One enters the perfumed cottage. This is the duty before the meal.