Then Sīha addressed a certain man, “My man, please find out if there is any meat ready for sale.” And when the night had passed General Sīha had delicious fresh and cooked foods prepared in his own home. Then he had the Buddha informed of the time, saying, “Sir, it’s time. The meal is ready.”

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Sīha’s home, where he sat down on the seat spread out together with the Saṅgha of mendicants. Now at that time many Jain ascetics in Vesālī went from street to street and from square to square, calling out with raised arms: “Today General Sīha has slaughtered a fat calf for the ascetic Gotama’s meal. The ascetic Gotama knowingly eats meat prepared specially for him: this is a deed he caused.”

Then a certain person went up to Sīha and whispered in his ear, “Please sir, you should know this. Many Jain ascetics in Vesālī are going from street to street and square to square, calling out with raised arms: ‘Today General Sīha has slaughtered a fat calf for the ascetic Gotama’s meal. The ascetic Gotama knowingly eats meat prepared specially for him: this is a deed he caused.’”

“Enough, master. For a long time those venerables have wanted to discredit the Buddha, his teaching, and his Saṅgha. They’ll never stop misrepresenting the Buddha with their incorrect, hollow, false, untruthful claims. We would never deliberately take the life of a living creature, not even for life’s sake.”