On one occasion in Rājagaha there was a hilltop fair. People prepared mattresses for the government officials: mattresses stuffed with wool, cloth, bark, grass, or leaves. When the fair was over, they removed the covers and took them away. The monks saw a large quantity of wool, cloth, bark, grass, and leaves abandoned on the ground. They told the Buddha. “I allow five kinds of mattresses: mattresses stuffed with wool, cloth, bark, grass, or leaves.” The Sangha was offered furniture cloth. “I allow you to cover the mattresses.” The monks laid a bed mattress on a bench and a bench mattress on a bed. The mattresses split open. “I allow upholstered beds and upholstered benches.” They laid out mattresses without an underlay. They sank down. “I allow you to arrange an underlay, then to lay down a mattress, and then to cover it.” The covers were removed and taken away. “I allow you to sprinkle them.” They were still taken away. “I allow you to make multi-colored lines.” They were still taken away. “I allow you to make multi-colored lines by hand.” They were still taken away. “I allow multi-colored lines by hand.”

3. The allowance for the color white, etc.