[22] "Bhikkhus, suppose that here I had eaten, had refused further food, and were replete, finished, satisfied, having had as much as I needed, and there were almsfood of mine left over, due to be thrown away. Then two bhikkhus were to arrive, overcome by hunger and weakness. I would say to them: 'Bhikkhus, I have eaten, have refused further food, and am replete, finished, satisfied, having had as much as I need; and there is this almsfood of mine left over, due to be thrown away. If you wish, eat it; but if you will not eat it, I shall now throw it away where there is no greenery, or drop it into water containing no living beings.'
Then to one of those bhikkhus this thought would occur: 'The Blessed One has eaten, has refused further food, and is replete, finished, satisfied, having had as much as he needed; and there is this almsfood of the Blessed One left over, due to be thrown away. If we do not eat it, the Blessed One will now throw it away where there is no greenery, or drop it into water containing no living beings. But this has been said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, be my heirs in the Dhamma (dhammadāyādā), not heirs in material things (āmisadāyādā)." And this almsfood is one of the material things (āmisa). What if I, not eating this almsfood, were to pass this night and day with this very hunger and weakness?' And not eating that almsfood, he would pass that night and day with that very hunger and weakness.
Then to the second bhikkhu this thought would occur: 'The Blessed One has eaten, has refused further food, and is replete, finished, satisfied, having had as much as he needed; and there is this almsfood of the Blessed One left over, due to be thrown away. If we do not eat it, the Blessed One will now throw it away where there is no greenery, or drop it into water containing no living beings. What if I, having eaten this almsfood and dispelled my hunger and weakness, were thus to pass this night and day?' And having eaten that almsfood and dispelled his hunger and weakness, he would thus pass that night and day.
Bhikkhus, even though that bhikkhu, having eaten that almsfood and dispelled his hunger and weakness, would thus pass that night and day, still that former bhikkhu is, to me, the more worthy of honor and the more worthy of praise. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, that will conduce for a long time to that bhikkhu's fewness of wishes, contentment, effacement, ease of support, and arousal of energy. Therefore, bhikkhus, be my heirs in the Dhamma, not heirs in material things. I have compassion for you, thinking: 'How may my disciples become heirs in the Dhamma, not heirs in material things?'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Sublime One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.