Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, on his return from almsround, he addressed Venerable Ānanda, “Come, Ānanda, let’s go to the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery for the day’s meditation.”

“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.

So the Buddha went with Ānanda to the Eastern Monastery. In the late afternoon the Buddha came out of retreat and addressed Ānanda, “Come, Ānanda, let’s go to the eastern gate to bathe.”

“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied. So the Buddha went with Ānanda to the eastern gate to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs.

Now, at that time King Pasenadi had a giant bull elephant called “White”. It emerged from the eastern gate to the beating and playing of musical instruments.

When people saw it they said, “The royal giant is so handsome! The royal giant is so good-looking! The royal giant is so lovely! The royal giant has such a big body!”

When they said this, Venerable Udāyī said to the Buddha, “Sir, is it only when they see elephants with such a big, formidable body that people say: ‘A giant, such a giant’? Or do they say it when they see any other creatures with big, formidable bodies?”