Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.19

c23.19

**Gifts of Provisions.** Besides these invitations to dine out, the Bhikkhus also received supplies of provisions for their meals from the lay devotees. We read of a Vihāra receiving such a large quantity of ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses that they had to be stored up in vessels till they were being damaged by rats, while the Bhikkhus suffered in reputation as "being storers up of goods". While deeming the articles to be useful as medicines, the Buddha ordered that, "when such are received they must be used within a period of seven days during which they may be stored up" [*Mahāv.*, vi, 15, 10; *cf. Pāt.*, p. 27]. During the period of a famine in Rājagaha the Bhikkhus were supported by the people by gifts of salt, oil, rice, and hard food brought to the Ārāma [ib., 17, 7]. We read of Suppiyā of Benares, the tenderhearted benefactress of the Order, flowing with the milk of motherly affection, visiting the Ārāma, going around from Vihāra to Vihāra and from cell to cell, asking the Bhikkhus: "Who is sick, venerable Sirs? For whom, and what shall I procure?" One sick Bhikkhu said: "I have taken a purgative, sister, and I want some broth." Promising it, Suppiyā, on returning home, gave order to a pupil (evidently of her husband): "Go, my good Sir, and see if there is any meat to be had." Unfortunately on that day the killing of cattle being interdicted, the youth searching through the whole of Benares could not find any meat on hand, whereupon, as the texts tell us, the believing and pious Suppiyā, to keep her word, cut off her own flesh and gave it to her maid-servant, saying: "Go, my girl, get the strength out of this meat and give it to a sick Bhikkhu in such and such a Vihāra. And should anybody call for me tell him that I am sick." When the news of her sickness reached the Buddha, he had her brought to him, "and in the moment the Blessed One saw her, that great wound was healed; and there was good skin there, with the tiny hairs thereon" [ib., 23]. We read again of the merchant Belaṭṭha Kachchāna who, while "travelling on the road from Rājagaha to Andhakavinda with five hundred carts all full of pots of sugar", approached the Buddha and his company and with his permission gave to each Bhikkhu one pot of sugar [ib., 26].