Soon after the Buddha had left, that official felt anxiety and remorse, thinking, “It’s bad for me, truly bad, that I acted like this. I wonder, did I make much merit or demerit?” He then went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down, and told him what he had been thinking, adding, “I wonder, sir, did I make much merit or demerit?”

“When you invited the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha for a meal on the following day, you made much merit. When each and every monk received rice from you, you made much merit. You are heading for heaven.” When the official heard this, he was joyful and elated. He got up from his seat, bowed down, circumambulated the Buddha with his right side toward him, and left.

Soon afterwards the Buddha had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that monks who had been invited for a meal ate someone else’s rice porridge beforehand?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can those foolish men eat someone else’s congee beforehand when they have been invited for a meal? This will affect people’s confidence …” After rebuking them, he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “When you have been invited to a meal, you shouldn’t eat someone else’s rice porridge beforehand. If you do, you should be dealt with according to the rule.”

13. The account of Belaṭṭha Kaccāna When the Buddha had stayed at Andhakavinda for as long as he liked, he set out wandering toward Rājagaha together with a large sangha of twelve-hundred and fifty monks. Just then Belaṭṭha Kaccāna was traveling from Rājagaha to Andhakavinda with five hundred carts, all of them filled with jars of sugar. When the Buddha saw Belaṭṭha Kaccāna coming, he stepped off the road and sat down at the foot of a tree.