(Mv.VI.36.1) [88] Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Āpaṇa as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Kusinārā, along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks. The Kusinārā Mallans heard that, “The Blessed One, they say, is coming, along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks.”

They made an agreement: “Anyone who doesn’t go out to meet the Blessed One gets fined 500(1).”

Now at that time Roja the Mallan was a friend of Ven. Ānanda. Then the Blessed One, traveling by stages, arrived at Kusinārā.

(Mv.VI.36.2) The Kusinārā Mallans went out to meet the Blessed One. Roja the Mallan, having gone out to meet the Blessed One, went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, stood to one side. As he was standing there, Ven. Ānanda said to him, “It’s excellent, friend Roja, that you came out to meet the Blessed One.”

“Venerable sir, the Buddha, Dhamma, or Saṅgha don’t do much for me. But my relatives made this agreement: ‘Anyone who doesn’t go out to meet the Blessed One gets fined 500.’ Venerable Ānanda, it was just out of fear of getting fined by my relatives that I went out to meet the Blessed One.”

Then Ven. Ānanda was displeased, (thinking,) “How could Roja the Mallan say such a thing?”

(Mv.VI.36.3) Then Ven. Ānanda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Roja the Mallan, here, is well-known, a famous person. Very influential is the confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya of famous people such as this. It would be good, lord, if the Blessed One would do something so that Roja the Mallan would gain confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya.”

“It won’t be difficult, Ānanda, for the Tathāgata to do something so that Roja the Mallan would gain confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya.”

(Mv.VI.36.4) Then the Blessed One, having suffused Roja the Mallan with thoughts of goodwill, got up from his seat and went into his dwelling.

Then Roja the Mallan, suffused with the Blessed One’s thoughts of goodwill — like a young calf (looking for) its mother — in the same way went from dwelling to dwelling, courtyard to courtyard, asking the monks on arrival, “Where, venerable sirs, is the Blessed One, Worthy and Rightly Self-awakened, now staying? We would like to see the Blessed One, Worthy and Rightly Self-awakened.”(2)

“Friend Roja, it’s that dwelling, with the closed door. Having approached it quietly and unhurriedly, having entered the porch, having cleared you throat, knock on the door. The Blessed One will open the door for you.”

(Mv.VI.36.5) Then Roja the Mallan, having gone quietly and unhurriedly to the dwelling with the closed door, having entered the porch, having cleared his throat, knocked on the door. The Blessed One opened the door. So Roja the Mallan, having entered the dwelling, bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One gave him a graduated talk: talk on generosity, talk on virtue, talk on heaven, talk on the drawbacks, lowliness, and defilement of sensuality, and talk on the rewards of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that Roja the Mallan’s mind was ready — malleable, free from hindrances, uplifted, and bright — he proclaimed the characteristic Dhamma talk of Buddhas: stress, origination, cessation, and path.

Just as a clean piece of cloth, free from grime, would properly take dye, in the same way the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for him as he was sitting right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

Then, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed over and beyond uncertainty, having no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness, independence of others with regard to the Teacher’s message, he said to the Blessed One,

“It would be good, lord, if the masters would accept only my robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick, not anybody else’s(3).”

“Those for whom the Dhamma has been seen with the knowledge of one in training, the vision of one in training, such as yourself — the thought occurs to them, ‘Oh! It would be good, if the masters would accept only my robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick, not those of others.’ In this case, Roja, they will accept yours and those of others.”

(Mv.VI.36.6) Now at that time, in Kusinārā, a meal rotation of exquisite meals had been established. Then, not getting his turn, the thought occurred to Roja the Mallan, “What if I were to keep watch in the meal hall (during the meal)? Whatever isn’t in the meal hall, I’ll prepare.”

So Roja the Mallan, keeping watch in the meal hall, didn’t see two things: vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour. Then Roja the Mallan went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, said to him, “Just now, venerable Ānanda, not getting my turn, the thought occurred to me, ‘What if I were to keep watch in the meal hall (during the meal)? Whatever isn’t in the meal hall, I’ll prepare.’

“As I was keeping watch in the meal hall, I didn’t see two things: vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour. If I were to prepare vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour, would the Blessed One accept them from me?”

(Mv.VI.36.7) “In that case, Roja, I will ask the Blessed One.”

Then Ven. Ānanda reported the matter to the Blessed One.

“In that case, Ānanda, let him prepare them.”

[Ven. Ānanda to Roja:] “In that case, Roja, prepare them.”

Then, at the end of the night, Roja the Mallan, having prepared a great deal of vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour, presented them to the Blessed One, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One accept my vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour.”

“In that case, Roja, give them to the monks.”

Anxious, the monks didn’t accept them.

“Accept them, monks, and consume them.”

(Mv.VI.36.8) Then Roja the Mallan, with his own hands, served and satisfied the Blessed One & the Saṅgha of monks with a great deal of vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour. When the Blessed One had washed his hand and withdrawn it from the bowl, he sat to one side. Then the Blessed One, having instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged Roja the Mallan with a Dhamma talk as he was sitting there, got up from his seat and left.

Then the Blessed One, having given a Dhamma talk with regard to this cause, to this incident, addressed the monks:

“I allow all vegetables and all non-staple foods made with flour.”