Soon afterwards the Buddha was descending from the Vulture Peak with a number of monks when he saw that hut. He said to the monks, “What’s this pretty and attractive thing that’s red in color like a scarlet rain-mite?” The monks told the Buddha, who then rebuked Dhaniya: “It’s not suitable for that foolish man, it’s not proper, it’s not worthy of a monastic, it’s not allowable, it’s not to be done. How could he make a hut entirely of clay? Doesn’t he have any consideration, compassion, and mercy for living beings? Go, monks, and demolish this hut, so that future generations don’t follow his example. And, monks, you shouldn’t make a hut entirely of clay. If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.” Saying, “Yes, sir,” they went to demolish it. And Dhaniya said to them, “Why are you demolishing my hut?” “The Buddha has asked us to.” “Demolish it then, if the Lord of the Truth has said so.”

Dhaniya thought, “Three times, while I was in the village to collect almsfood, women gathering grass and firewood demolished my hut and took away the grass and sticks. And now my hut made entirely of clay has been demolished at the Buddha’s request. Now, the caretaker of the woodyard is a friend of mine. Why don’t I ask him for timber and make a hut out of that?”