[Buddha-l] Dharmapala

[L.S. Cousins]

Dan Lusthaus wrote:

> It is not clear to me (perhaps I am not reading it well enough) that 
> ALL the
> food comes from the Licchavis.
>
That is not said.
>
> At the conclusion of his debate with Buddha,
> he invites the Buddha and the sangha to a meal the next day. After 
> leaving
> he then asks the Licchavis to donate food, which they do: five hundred 
> bowls
> of rice-milk. Sacchaka spends the entire night preparing the meal, and, I
> think, adding food of his own to banquet (that's what's unclear).
>
In the text there is nothing about Saccaka preparing the food in the 
night and it is not clear that he has any. The Licchavis bring food in 
the morning. Then Saccaka prepares it. Note that all this takes place in 
Saccaka's ārāma. We are dealing with the etiquette of one type of 
mendicant inviting another type to accept alms.
>
> Then, in
> the final denoument, Buddha explains how the merit gets apportioned, 
> so that
> everyone gets some merit. The food given directly to the Buddha himself
> affords merit to Saccaka, the rest (i.e., to the food given to the 
> rest of
> the Sangha, unless to arhats as pure, etc. as Buddha) gives merit to the
> giver of the food.
>
No. The food is donated at the ārāma to Saccaka. That gives one kind of 
merit to the givers. Saccaka then gives it to the Buddha. That entails 
merit of a different order.

> Note too that he always addresses the Buddha as bho Gotama i.e. as an
> equal.
>
>
> Good point.
>
Lance