So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Mallas together with a large Saṅgha when he arrived at Pāvā. There he stayed in Cunda the smith’s mango grove.

Cunda heard that the Buddha had arrived and was staying in his mango grove. Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired him with a Dhamma talk. Then Cunda said to the Buddha, “Sir, may the Buddha together with the mendicant Saṅgha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Buddha consented with silence.

Then, knowing that the Buddha had consented, Cunda got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. And when the night had passed Cunda had delicious fresh and cooked foods prepared in his own home, and plenty of pork on the turn. 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 the home of Cunda together with the mendicant Saṅgha, where he sat on the seat spread out and addressed Cunda, “Cunda, please serve me with the pork on the turn that you’ve prepared. And serve the mendicant Saṅgha with the other foods.” “Yes, sir,” replied Cunda, and did as he was asked.

Then the Buddha addressed Cunda, “Cunda, any pork on the turn that’s left over, you should bury it in a pit. I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who could properly digest it except for the Realized One.” “Yes, sir,” replied Cunda. He did as he was asked, then came back to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then the Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired him with a Dhamma talk, after which he got up from his seat and left.

After the Buddha had eaten Cunda’s meal, he fell severely ill with bloody dysentery, struck by dreadful pains, close to death. But he endured unbothered, with mindfulness and situational awareness.

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “Come, Ānanda, let’s go to Kusinārā.” “Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.

I’ve heard that after eating
the meal of Cunda the smith,
the wise one fell severely ill,
with pains, close to death.

A severe sickness struck the Teacher
who had eaten the pork on the turn.
While still purging the Buddha said:
“I’ll go to the citadel of Kusinārā.”

Then the Buddha left the road and went to the root of a certain tree, where he addressed Ānanda, “Please, Ānanda, fold my outer robe in four and spread it out for me. I am tired and will sit down.” “Yes, sir,” replied Ānanda, and did as he was asked. The Buddha sat on the seat spread out, and said to Venerable Ānanda, “Please, Ānanda, fetch me some water. I am thirsty and will drink.”

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Sir, just now around five hundred carts have passed by. The shallow water has been churned up by their wheels, and it flows cloudy and murky. The Kakutthā river is not far away, with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful. There the Buddha can drink and cool his limbs.”

For a second time, and a third time, the Buddha said to Ānanda, “Please, Ānanda, fetch me some water. I am thirsty and will drink.” “Yes, sir,” replied Ānanda. Taking his bowl he went to the river. Now, though the shallow water in that river had been churned up by wheels, and flowed cloudy and murky, when Ānanda approached it flowed transparent, clear, and unclouded.

Then Venerable Ānanda thought, “Oh, how incredible, how amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might! For though the shallow water in that river had been churned up by wheels, and flowed cloudy and murky, when I approached it flowed transparent, clear, and unclouded.” Gathering a bowl of drinking water he went back to the Buddha, and said to him, “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might! For though the shallow water in that river had been churned up by wheels, and flowed cloudy and murky, when I approached it flowed transparent, clear, and unclouded. Drink the water, Blessed One! Drink the water, Holy One!”

So the Buddha drank the water. Then the Buddha together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants went to the Kakutthā River. He plunged into the river and bathed and drank. And when he had emerged, he went to the mango grove, where he addressed Venerable Cundaka, “Please, Cundaka, fold my outer robe in four and spread it out for me. I am tired and will lie down.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Cundaka, and did as he was asked. And then the Buddha laid down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. But Cundaka sat down right there in front of the Buddha.

Having gone to Kakutthā Creek,
whose water was transparent, sweet, and clear,
the Teacher, being tired, plunged in,
the Realized One, without compare in the world.

And after bathing and drinking the Teacher emerged.
Before the group of mendicants, in the middle,the Buddha,
the Teacher who rolled forth the present dispensation,
the great seer went to the mango grove.
He addressed the mendicant named Cundaka:
“Spread out my folded robe so I can lie down.”

The evolved one urged Cunda,
who quickly spread the folded robe.
The Teacher lay down so tired,
while Cunda sat there before him.

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “Now it may happen, Ānanda, that others may give rise to some regret for Cunda the smith: ‘It’s your loss, friend Cunda, it’s your misfortune, in that the Realized One became fully extinguished after eating his last almsmeal from you.’ You should get rid of remorse in Cunda the smith like this:

‘You’re fortunate, friend Cunda, you’re so very fortunate, in that the Realized One became fully extinguished after eating his last almsmeal from you. I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha. There are two almsmeal offerings that have identical fruit and result, and are more fruitful and beneficial than other almsmeal offerings. What two? The almsmeal after eating which a Realized One understands the supreme perfect awakening; and the almsmeal after eating which he becomes fully extinguished in the element of extinguishment with nothing left over. These two almsmeal offerings have identical fruit and result, and are more fruitful and beneficial than other almsmeal offerings.

You’ve accumulated a deed that leads to long life, beauty, happiness, fame, heaven, and sovereignty.’ You should dispel remorse in Cunda the smith like this.”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“A giver’s merit grows;
enmity doesn’t build up when you have self-control.
A skillful person gives up bad things—
with the end of greed, hate, and delusion,they’re extinguished.”

Read this translation of Udāna 8.5 Cundasutta: With Cunda by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on DhammaTalks.org or Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Blessed One was worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, and given homage–a recipient of robes, alms food, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for the sick. The community of monks was also worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, and given homage–a recipient of robes, alms food, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for the sick. But the wanderers of other sects were not worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, or given homage; nor were they recipients of robes, alms food, lodgings, or medicinal requisites for the sick.

So the wanderers of other sects–unable to stand the veneration given to the Blessed One and the community of monks–went to Sundarī the female wanderer and, on arrival, said to her, “Sundarī, would you dare to do something for the benefit of your kinsmen?”

“What shall I do, masters? What can I not do? I have given up even my life for the benefit of my kinsmen!”

“In that case, sister, go often to Jeta’s Grove.”

Responding, “As you say, masters,” to those wanderers of other sects, Sundarī the female wanderer went often to Jeta’s Grove. When the wanderers of other sects knew that many people had seen Sundarī the female wanderer going often to Jeta’s Grove, then–having murdered her and buried her right there in the moat-ditch surrounding Jeta’s Grove–they went to King Pasenadi Kosala and, on arrival, said to him, “Great king, we can’t find Sundarī the female wanderer.”

“But where do you suspect she is?”

“At Jeta’s Grove, great king.”

“Then in that case, search Jeta’s Grove.”

Then those wanderers of other sects, having searched Jeta’s Grove, having dug up what they had buried in the surrounding moat-ditch, having mounted it on a litter, took it into Sāvatthī and went from street to street, crossroad to crossroad, stirring up people’s indignation: “See, masters, the handiwork of the Sakyan-son contemplatives. They’re shameless, these Sakyan-son contemplatives: unvirtuous, evil-natured, liars, unholy, though they claim to be practicing the Dhamma, practicing what is harmonious, practicing the holy life, speakers of the truth, virtuous, fine-natured. They have no quality of a contemplative, no holy quality. Destroyed is their quality of a contemplative! Destroyed is their holy quality! From where is their quality of a contemplative? From where, their holy quality? Gone are they from any quality of a contemplative! Gone from any holy quality! How can a man, having done a man’s business with a woman, take her life?”

So on that occasion, people seeing monks in Sāvatthī would insult, revile, irritate, & harass them with discourteous, abusive language: “They’re shameless, these Sakyan-son contemplatives: unvirtuous, evil-natured, liars, unholy, though they claim to be practicing the Dhamma, practicing what is harmonious, practicing the holy life, speakers of the truth, virtuous, fine-natured. They have no quality of a contemplative, no holy quality. Destroyed is their quality of a contemplative! Destroyed is their holy quality! From where is their quality of a contemplative? From where, their holy quality? Gone are they from any quality of a contemplative! Gone from any holy quality! How can a man, having done a man’s business with a woman, take her life?”

Then, early in the morning, a large number of monks adjusted their under robes and–carrying their bowls & robes–went into Sāvatthī for alms. Then, having gone for alms in Sāvatthī, after the meal, returning from their alms round, they went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there they said to the Blessed One, “At present, lord, people seeing monks in Sāvatthī insult, revile, irritate, & harass them with discourteous, abusive language: ‘They’re shameless, these Sakyan-son contemplatives: unvirtuous, evil-natured, liars, unholy…. How can a man, having done a man’s business with a woman, take her life?’”

“Monks, this noise will not last long. It will last only seven days. With the passing of seven days, it will disappear. So in that case, when those people, on seeing monks, insult, revile, irritate, & harass them with discourteous, abusive language, counter their accusation with this verse:

“He goes to hell,
the one who asserts
what didn’t take place,
as does the one
who, having done,
says, ‘I didn’t.’
Both–low-acting people–
there become equal:
after death, in the world beyond.”

So, having learned this verse in the Blessed One’s presence, the monks–whenever people, on seeing monks in Sāvatthī, insulted, reviled, irritated, & harassed them with discourteous, abusive language–countered the accusation with this verse:

“He goes to hell,
the one who asserts
what didn’t take place,
as does the one
who, having done,
says, ‘I didn’t.’
Both–low-acting people–
there become equal:
after death, in the world beyond.”

The thought occurred to those people, “They’re innocent, these Sakyan-son contemplatives. It wasn’t done by them. They’re taking an oath, these Sakyan-son contemplatives.” And so that noise didn’t last long. It lasted only seven days. With the passing of seven days, it disappeared.

Then a large number of monks went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to him, “It’s amazing, lord. It’s astounding–how well-said that was by the Blessed One: ‘Monks, this noise will not last long. It will last only seven days. With the passing of seven days, it will disappear.’ Lord, that noise has disappeared.”

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

They stab with their words
–people unrestrained–
as they do, with arrows,
a tusker gone into battle.
Hearing abusive words spoken,
one should endure them:
a monk with unbothered mind.

Read this translation of Udāna 4.8 Sundarī Sutta. Sundarī by Bhikkhu Ṭhanissaro on DhammaTalks.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org, or Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Srpski, Español, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Nederlands, Norsk, Português, Русский, or සිංහල. Learn how to find your language.