Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks, telling them what had happened. He then said:

“There are these five drawbacks to going to sleep absentminded and heedless: you don’t sleep well; you wake up feeling miserable; you have nightmares; the gods don’t guard you; and you emit semen. And there are these five benefits in going to sleep mindful and heedful: you sleep well; you wake up feeling good; you don’t have nightmares; the gods guard you; and you don’t emit semen. And, monks, I allow a sitting mat to protect the body, the robes, and the furniture.”

But the sitting mat was too small. It did not protect the entire piece of furniture. “I allow you to make a sheet as large as you like.”