(Mv.VI.15.1) [45] Now on that occasion Ven. Pilindavaccha, wanting to build/dig a cell was having a spot on a mountainside near Rājagaha cleared.

Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha went to Ven. Pilindavaccha and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Pilindavaccha, “Venerable sir, what is the elder having built?”

“Great king, I’m having a spot cleared on the mountainside. I want to build/dig a cell.”

“Venerable sir, does the master have need for a monastery attendant?”

“Great king, the Blessed One has not allowed a monastery attendant.”

“In that case, venerable sir, having asked the Blessed One, inform me (what he says).”

“As you say, great king,” Ven. Pilindavaccha responded to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha.

(Mv.VI.15.2) Then Ven. Pilindavaccha instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha a with Dhamma talk.

Having been instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged by Ven. Pilindavaccha with a Dhamma talk, he got up from his seat, bowed down to him, circumambulated him, keeping him to his right, and left.

Then Ven. Pilindavaccha sent a messenger to the Blessed One’s presence, (saying,) “Lord, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha wants to give a monastery attendant. What course should I take?”

Then the Blessed One, having given a Dhamma talk with regard to this cause, to this incident, addressed the monks:

“I allow a monastery attendant.”[1]

(Mv.VI.15.3) A second time, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha went to Ven. Pilindavaccha and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Pilindavaccha, “Venerable sir, did the Blessed One allow a monastery attendant?”

“Yes, great king.”

“In that case, venerable sir, I will give the master a monastery attendant.”

Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having promised Ven. Pilindavaccha a monastery attendant, forgot. After a long time, on remembering, he addressed a certain all-purpose minister, “I say, that monastery attendant we promised the master — has the monastery attendant been given to him?”

“No, you majesty, the monastery attendant hasn’t been given to the master.”

“I say, how long has it been since that day?”

(Mv.VI.15.4) Then the minister, having counted the days, said to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, “Five hundred days, your majesty.”

“I say, in that case, give the master five hundred monastery attendants.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, the minister gave Ven. Pilindavaccha five hundred monastery attendants.

They lived in a separate village.

They called it ‘Monastery Attendant Village’ and also ‘Pilindavaccha Village’.

[46] At that time, Ven. Pilindavaccha would visit the families in the village.

Then, early in the morning, Ven. Pilindavaccha adjusted his under robe and — carrying his bowl and robes — went into Pilindavaccha Village for alms.

(Mv.VI.15.5) And on that occasion, there was a festival in the village.

Little girls — ornamented & garlanded — were playing.

As he was going through Pilindavaccha Village for alms without bypassing a donor, Ven. Pilindavaccha came to the residence of a certain monastery attendant and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out.

And on that occasion, the daughter of the monastery attendant’s wife, seeing other little girls ornamented & garlanded, was crying, “Give me a garland! Give me an ornament!”

So Ven. Pilindavaccha said to the monastery attendant’s wife, “What is this little girl crying about?”

“Venerable sir, this little girl, seeing other little girls ornamented & garlanded, is crying, ‘Give me a garland! Give me an ornament’ But from where is there a garland for us poor people? From where an ornament?”

(Mv.VI.15.6) Then Ven. Pilindavaccha, taking a circle of grass, said to the monastery attendant’s wife, “Now set this circle of grass on this little girl’s head.”

Then the monastery attendant’s wife, taking that circle of grass, set it on the little girl’s head.

It became a garland of gold: beautiful, attractive, exquisite.

There was no garland of gold like it even in the king’s harem.

People said to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, “In the house of that monastery attendant over there is a garland of gold: beautiful, attractive, exquisite. There is no garland of gold like it even in your majesty’s harem. So from where did that poor man (get it)? It must have been taken by theft.”

So King Seniya Bimbisāra had the monastery attendant’s family imprisoned.

(Mv.VI.15.7) Then a second time, early in the morning, Ven. Pilindavaccha adjusted his under robe and — carrying his bowl and robes — went into Pilindavaccha Village for alms. As he was going through Pilindavaccha Village for alms without bypassing a donor, he came to the residence of the monastery attendant and, on arrival, asked the neighbors, “Where has the monastery attendant’s family gone?”

“Venerable sir, the king has had them imprisoned on account of that garland of gold.”

Then Ven. Pilindavaccha went to the residence of King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out.

Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha went to Ven. Pilindavaccha and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

As he was sitting there, Ven. Pilindavaccha said to him:

(Mv.VI.15.8) “Why, great king, has the monastery attendant’s family been imprisoned?”

“Venerable sir, in the monastery attendant’s house was a garland of gold: beautiful, attractive, exquisite. There is no garland of gold like it even in our own harem. So from where did that poor man (get it)? It must have been taken by theft.”

Then Ven. Pilindavaccha willed that the palace of King Seniya Bimbisāra be gold.

And it became made entirely of gold.

“But from where did you get so much of this gold, great king?”

(Saying,) “I understand, venerable sir. This is simply the master’s psychic power,” he had the monastery attendant’s family released.

(Mv.VI.15.9) [47] The people, saying, “A psychic wonder, a superior human feat, they say, was displayed to the king and his assembly by Master Pilindavaccha,” were pleased and delighted. They presented Ven. Pilindavaccha with the five tonics: ghee, butter, oil, honey, and sugar-molasses.

Now ordinarily Ven. Pilindavaccha was already a receiver of the five tonics, so he distributed his gains among his following.

They came to live in abundance. They put away their gains, having filled jars and water-pots. They hung up their gains in windows, having filled water strainers and bags.

These kept oozing and seeping.

Their dwellings were crawling and creeping with rats.

People, engaged in a tour of the dwellings and seeing this, criticized and complained and spread it about, “These Sakyan-son contemplatives have inner storerooms like King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha.”

(Mv.VI.15.10) The monks heard the people criticizing and complaining and spreading it about.

Those bhikkhus who were modest … criticized and complained and spread it about:

“How can the monks be intent on such abundance?”

Then the monks reported the matter to the Blessed One.

“Is it true, as they say, monks, that you are intent on such abundance?”

“It’s true, O Blessed One …”

Having rebuked them and given a Dhamma talk, he addressed the monks:

“There are these tonics to be taken by sick bhikkhus: ghee, butter, oil, honey, sugar-molasses. Having been received, they may be consumed from storage seven days at most. Beyond that, one is to be dealt with in accordance with the rule.”[2]

The first recitation section, on the allowances for medicines, is finished.