(Mv.VIII.1.30) [135] Now on that occasion the Blessed One’s body had an excess of toxins. The Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda, “The Tathāgata’s body has an excess of toxins, and he wants to drink a purgative.”

So Ven. Ānanda went to Jīvaka Komārabhacca and, on arrival, said to him, “Friend Jīvaka, the Tathāgata’s body has an excess of toxins, and he wants to drink a purgative.”

“In that case, Ānanda, sir, rub the Blessed One’s body with oil for a few days.”

Then Ven. Ānanda, having rubbed the Blessed One’s body with oil for a few days, went to Jīvaka Komārabhacca and, on arrival, said to him, “Friend Jīvaka, the Tathāgata’s body has been rubbed with oil. Now is the time for you to do as you think fit.”

(Mv.VIII.1.31) Then the thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to give the Blessed One a coarse purgative. What if I prepared three bunches of blue lotuses with various medicines and offered them to the Tathāgata?”

So, having prepared three bunches of blue lotuses with various medicines, he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, offered one bunch of blue lotuses, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One sniff this first bunch of blue lotuses. It will make Blessed One purge ten times.”

He offered the second bunch of blue lotuses, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One sniff this second bunch of blue lotuses. It will make Blessed One purge ten times.”

He offered the third bunch of blue lotuses, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One sniff this third bunch of blue lotuses. It will make Blessed One purge ten times.

“That’s how the Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will be.”

Then, Jīvaka Komārabhacca, having given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, bowed down to him, circumambulated him, keeping him to his right, and left.

(Mv.VIII.1.32) Then the thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, as he was walking out through the outer gate-house, “I have given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, and the Tathāgata’s body is over-full with humors. It won’t make him purge a full thirty times. It will make him purge twenty-nine times. But when the Blessed One has purged, he will bathe. When he has bathed, it will make him purge once. That’s how Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will come to be.”

Then, having known with his awareness the train of thought in Jīvaka Komārabhacca’s awareness, the Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda, “Ānanda, just now, the thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, as he was walking out through the outer gate-house, ‘I have given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, and the Tathāgata’s body is over-full with humors. It won’t make him purge thirty times. It will make him purge twenty-nine times. But when the Blessed One has purged, he will bathe. When he has bathed, it will make him purge once. That’s how Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will come to be.’ In that case, prepare some warm water.”

Responding, “As you say, Lord,” to the Blessed One, Ven. Ānanda prepared some warm water.

(Mv.VIII.1.33) Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “Lord, has the Blessed One purged?”

“I have purged, Jīvaka.”

“Just now, Lord, the thought occurred to me, as I was walking out through the outer gate-house, ‘I have given the Blessed One the thirty-fold purge, and the Tathāgata’s body has an excess of toxins. It won’t make him purge thirty times. It will make him purge twenty-nine times. But when the Blessed One has purged, he will bathe. When he has bathed, it will make him purge once. That’s how Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge will come to be.’ May the Blessed One bathe; may the Well-gone One bathe.”

Then the Blessed One bathed with the warm water. When he had bathed, it made him purge once. That’s how the Blessed One’s thirty-fold purge came to be.

Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca said to the Blessed One, “Until the Blessed One’s body returns to normalcy, vegetable broth should be enough as alms-food.”