This is as I heard from the Blessed One. At one time the Blessed One was staying in the province of Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s park, at Anathapindika’s monastery. There lived a newly married couple. The young wife of the wanderer was pregnant and on the verge of delivery. So she said to the wanderer, “Go, brāhmin, get some oil for me, I will use it at my delivery.”
Then the wanderer asked her, “But where can I get oil for you?”
A second time, she said to him, “Go, brāhmin, get some oil for me, I will use it at my delivery.”
A second time, he said to her, “But where can I get oil for you?”
A third time, she said to him, “Go, brāhmin, get some oil for me, I will use it at my delivery.”
Those days, at the store house of King Pasenadi of Kosala, people were being given as much oil or ghee as they needed to drink, but not to take away.
So the thought occurred to the wanderer, “At the store house of King Pasenadi of Kosala, people were being given as much oil or ghee as they needed to drink, but not to take away. What if I went to the storehouse and drank, as much oil as I needed and, having returned home, and vomited it up. I could offer it to my wife for use at her delivery.
So, the wanderer went to the storehouse of King Pasenadi of Kosala. He drank as much oil as he needed. He returned home, however, he was unable to bring it up or pass it down. So he rolled back and forth, suffering from sharp, severe and painful feelings.
Early in the morning, the Blessed One wore his robe, took his bowl and double robe and entered the village for alms. He saw the wanderer rolling back and forth, suffering from sharp, severe and painful feelings.
Then, on realizing the happiness of non-attachment, the Blessed One spoke the following inspired verse:
“Those who are freed from defilements are indeed happy. The liberated ones who have attained the highest goal are freed from all defilements. See how people who are not freed from defilements are suffering. People are bound in mind with people.”
