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after giving a religious discourse he rose from his seat and took her leave.
§ 5. Munificence of Vishakha
Vishakha was a wealthy woman of Shravasti. She had many children and grandchildren.
When the Blessed One stayed at Shravasti, Vishakha went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and tendered Him an invitation to take his meal at her house, which the Blessed One accepted.
And heavy rain fell during the night and the next morning ; and the bhikkhus doffed their robes to keep themselves dry and let the rain fall upon their bodies.
When the next day the Blessed One had finished his meal, she took her seat at his side and spoke thus; “ Eight are the boons, Lord, which I beg of the Blessed One.”
Then the Blessed One said: “ The Tathagatas, O Vishakha, grant no boons unless they know what they are.”
Vishakha replied: “Proper, Lord, and unobjectionable are the boons I ask.”
Having received permission to ask the boons, Vishakha said: “ I desire, Lord, through all my life to bestow robes for the rainy season on the Sangha, and food for incoming bhikkhus, and food for outgoing bhikkhus and food for the sick, and food for those who wait upon the sick, and medicine for the sick, and a constant supply of rice-milk for the Sangha, and bathing robes for the bhikkhunis, the sisters.”
“ But,” said the Lord, “What, O Vishakha, have you in view in asking these eight boons of the Tathagata ?”
And Vishakha replied: “I gave command, Lord, to my maid-servant, saying, ‘ Go thou and announce to the fraternity that the meal is ready,’ and my maid went, but when she came to the vihara, she observed that the bhikkhus had doffed their robes, while it was raining, and she thought: ‘ These are not
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