[176] When the Venerable Udāyī had sat down to one side, he said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, here, while I was alone in seclusion, this reflection arose in my mind (citta): 'How many states that bring suffering (dukkha) the Blessed One has removed from us! How many states that bring happiness the Blessed One has brought to us! How many unwholesome states the Blessed One has removed from us! How many wholesome states the Blessed One has brought to us!'
"For formerly, venerable sir, we used to eat in the evening, in the morning, and during the day at the wrong time. Then, venerable sir, there came an occasion when the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: 'Come now, bhikkhus, give up that eating during the day at the wrong time.' At that, venerable sir, there was a change in me, there was grief: 'Even the fine food, hard and soft, that faithful householders give us during the day at the wrong time — even that the Blessed One tells us to abandon; even that the Sublime One tells us to relinquish.' But, venerable sir, out of regard for our love and reverence for the Blessed One, and for shame (hiri) and fear of wrongdoing (ottappa), we gave up that eating during the day at the wrong time in this way.
"Then, venerable sir, we ate in the evening and in the morning. There came an occasion, venerable sir, when the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: 'Come now, bhikkhus, give up that eating at night at the wrong time.' At that, venerable sir, there was a change in me, there was grief: 'Even that meal of these two which is reckoned the more excellent — even that the Blessed One tells us to abandon; even that the Sublime One tells us to relinquish.' Once, venerable sir, a certain man obtained curry-stuff during the day and said to his wife: 'Come, set this aside; in the evening we shall all eat together.' Whatever cooked preparations there are, venerable sir, all of them are at night; few are by day. But, venerable sir, out of regard for our love and reverence for the Blessed One, and for shame and fear of wrongdoing, we gave up that eating at night at the wrong time in this way.
"Once, venerable sir, bhikkhus walking for alms in the pitch darkness of night walked into a cesspool, fell into a sewer, walked into a thorn hedge, and walked into a sleeping cow; they met young men who had committed crimes and who had not committed crimes; and women invited them to unchaste conduct (asaddhamma). Once, venerable sir, I was walking for alms in the pitch darkness of night. A certain woman, washing a vessel, saw me by a flash of lightning; terrified at the sight of me, she screamed: 'Alas for me! Truly, a goblin is after me!' When this was said, venerable sir, I said to that woman: 'Sister, I am no goblin; I am a bhikkhu standing for alms.' [She said:] 'May the bhikkhu's father die! May the bhikkhu's mother die! Better, bhikkhu, that your belly be sliced open with a sharp butcher's knife than that you walk for alms in the pitch darkness of night for the belly's sake!' Venerable sir, when I recollected that, this occurred to me: 'How many states that bring suffering the Blessed One has removed from us! How many states that bring happiness the Blessed One has brought to us! How many unwholesome states the Blessed One has removed from us! How many wholesome states the Blessed One has brought to us!'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.