storehouse the better was kept and in which the worse. When fixing the turns, too, he did not distinguish to what storehouse each monk's turn had come; but when the monks had taken their places, he would make a scratch on the wall or on the floor, to show that the turn for such and such a kind of rice had come thus far, and for such and such a kind of rice thus far. But the next day there were either more or fewer monks in hall. When they were fewer, the mark was too low down; when they were more, the mark was too high up; but ignoring the right turns, he gave out the tickets according to the signs he had made.
So the monks said to him, "Brother Udāyin! the mark is too high, or too low." And again, "The good rice is in such a storehouse, the inferior rice in such a storehouse."[1]
But he repelled them, saying, "If it be so, why is the mark different? Why should I trust you? I will trust the mark rather!"
Then the boys and novices cast him out from the hall of distribution, exclaiming, "When you give tickets. Brother Udāyin, the brethren are deprived of their due. You are incapable of the office. Leave the place!"
Thereupon a great tumult arose in the hall of distribution. The Teacher heard it, and asked of Ānanda the Elder, "There is a great tumult, Ānanda, in the hall. What is the noise about?"
The Elder told the Successor of the Prophets how it was.
Then he said, "Not now only, Ānanda, does Udāyin by his stupidity bring loss upon others, formerly also he did the same."
- ↑ I am not sure that I have understood rightly the meaning of vassagga, — a word of doubtful derivation, which has only been found in this passage. Possibly we should translate: "The turn for the better rice has come to the monk whose seniority dates from such and such a year, and the turn for the inferior kind to the monk whose seniority dates from such and such a year."
