Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.17.2

c23.17.2

Sunidha and Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, treated him and his company to "sweet dishes of boiled rice and cakes" [*Mahā-parinibbāna-Sutta*, i, 30]. The courtesan Ambapāli of Vesāli vied with the Licchchhavi youths of the nobility of that free city for the honour of entertaining at her house the Buddha and his disciples who were then staying at her mango-grove. When the young noblemen said to her: "Ambapālī, give up this meal to us for a hundred thousand," she proudly answered: "My lords, were you to offer all Vesālī with its subject territory, I would not give up so honourable a feast." She then "made ready in her mansion sweet rice and cakes, set the sweet rice and cakes before the Order with the Buddha at their head and waited upon them till they refused any more" [ib., ii]. At Andhakavinda the Buddha and his 1,250 disciples with him were entertained by a Brahman who treated them to just the food which he found wanting in the provision-room of the Order, viz. rice-milk and honey lump [*Mahāv.*, vi, 24]. Once the people of a place entertained the Order with the Buddha at its head with solid rice-milk and honey lumps to such satiety that the Bhikkhus had no appetite that day when they had to assemble for meals in the dining-hall.