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586
"Grāmani! From now backwards, I can recall as much time as 91 kalpas, but I do not see a single kula which has been destroyed for making an offer from cooked food. A kula is destroyed not by my stay here, but for one or other of the following eight reasons: by the king, by thieves, by fire, by flood, when hoarded wealth is removed, when farm is not duly cultivated, by the birth of a worthless child and because of transience of every earthly object. If still someone says that I am bent on destroying the kulas, he will go to hell immediately on death.
Grāmani was impressed. He joined the Buddha's order.
Source: Samyukta Nikaya, Kula Sutta,
40.1.9
Comment
The Āgamas do not mention Nalandă ever being in the grip of a famine. The only thing that comes out of this story is that once Nātaputta, and Buddha were in Nalanda at one and the same time.
8. Grahapati Chitra
One day when Nigantha Nataputta was at Macchikasanda, Grihapati Chitra came to him. Nataputta asked, "Grahapati ! Can Sramana Gautama restrain controversy and consideration and enter into an absolute samādhi (avicara -a0 tarea samādhi)"?
- "Bhante! I do not accept this with devotion".
Nigantha Nāta putta praised his simplicity to the assembly. Asked Grahapati, "Bhante ! According to you, which one is superior, knowledge or devotion"?
- "In my rating, knowledge is higher".
- "Bhante ! When I so desire, I roam in first, second, third or fourth meditation. I stand in no need of knowing by devation for a sra mana or brāhmana".
