The Life Stories of the Monks – 1758 

 

 

general gave a grand gift to the Saṅgha with the Buddha at its head, according 
to the agreement he had with the people. 

Faithful Sumanā 

On the day allotted to him the general, while supervising his grand gift (

mahā-

āna

), issued the order saying: “Care must be taken so that no other person should 

get a chance to offer even a spoonful or ladleful of rice,” and he placed sentries 
to keep watch around the area. That very day, a widow of a wealthy merchant 
of Bandhumatī was crying in great distress because she did not get a chance to 
offer her share of gifts

 

on the first day. She complained pitiably, saying to her 

daughter who had just come back from the games she had been playing with her 
500 female playmates: “My darling daughter, if your father were alive, today I 
could have been the first to feed the Buddha.” The daughter responded with 
words of comfort: “Mother, please do not worry! I will do something so that the 
Saṅgha, headed by the Buddha, will accept and partake of our meal first.” 

After that, the daughter filled the gold bowl which was worth 100,000 coins with 
milk rice unmixed with water. She added butter, honey, molasses, etc. to enrich 
the food. She covered it with another gold bowl turned upside down and tied 
both the gold bowls with garlands of jasmine so that it might look like a garland 
of flowers. When the Buddha entered the city, she carried it herself on her head 
and left the house in a company of her many attendants. On the way a dialogue 
took place between the wealthy lady and the watchmen: 

Watchmen: Do not come here, daughter! 

Lady: Dear uncles! Why don’t you allow me to go?

266

 

Watchmen: We are to keep watch by the general’s order, that nobody else must 
be allowed to offer alms food, daughter. 

Lady: But, uncles, do you see any food in our hands that warrants you to bar me 
like this? 

Watchmen: We see only the garland of flowers. 

                                                      

266

 People of past good deeds speak endearing words, and others are not able to reject 

their repeated request.