Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.17.4

c23.17.4

Sīha, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lichchhavi republic, entertained the Buddha and his Order to a meat dinner for which he gave instructions beforehand to one of his subalterns [ib., 31, 12]. Quite a remarkable example of hospitality towards the Order is shown by Meṇḍaka, the householder, who fed the Order daily during their stay in his city, the Bhaddiya-nagara, in the kingdom of the Māgadha King Seniya Bimbisāra. When the Order left that place, Meṇḍaka followed them with his hospitality, with cartloads of salt, oil, rice, and hard food, and 1,250 cowkeepers, each with a cow, to wait upon every individual Bhikkhu with fresh milk, and other sweet food, hard and soft, to boot [ib., 34, 17]. The Buddha with 250 disciples was the guest of the Mallas of Kusinārā who "established a compact to the effect that whosoever went not forth to welcome the Blessed One should pay a fine of 500 hundred pieces (the square *kahāpaṇas* of copper or bronze as figured in the Bharhut bas reliefs and mentioned in the *Dhamma-pada*)". A certain succession was also fixed in which the inhabitants of Kusinārā should each in succession provide food for the Saṃgha. When the turn came to Roja the Malla, he inspected the Saṃgha's store-house and finding its deficiency in potherbs and meal fed the Bhikkhus with them with his own hand [ib., 36].