[517] On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Then in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Having walked for alms in Rājagaha on unbroken alms round, he ate that almsfood leaning against a certain wall.
Then Sūcimukhī the female wanderer (paribbājikā) approached the Venerable Sāriputta, and having approached, said this to the Venerable Sāriputta: "Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?" "Sister, I do not eat facing downwards." "Then, ascetic, do you eat facing upwards?" "Sister, I do not eat facing upwards." "Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the cardinal directions?" "Sister, I do not eat facing the cardinal directions." "Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the intermediate directions?" "Sister, I do not eat facing the intermediate directions."
"When asked, 'Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?' you say, 'Sister, I do not eat facing downwards.' When asked, 'Then, ascetic, do you eat facing upwards?' you say, 'Sister, I do not eat facing upwards.' When asked, 'Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the cardinal directions?' you say, 'Sister, I do not eat facing the cardinal directions.' When asked, 'Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the intermediate directions?' you say, 'Sister, I do not eat facing the intermediate directions.' How then, ascetic, do you eat?"
"Sister, whatever ascetics and brahmins earn their living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of site-reading (vatthuvijjā), these, sister, are called ascetics and brahmins who eat facing downwards. Whatever ascetics and brahmins, sister, earn their living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of astrology (nakkhattavijjā), these, sister, are called ascetics and brahmins who eat facing upwards. Whatever ascetics and brahmins, sister, earn their living by the wrong livelihood of devotion to running errands and carrying messages, these, sister, are called ascetics and brahmins who eat facing the cardinal directions. Whatever ascetics and brahmins, sister, earn their living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of reading bodily marks (aṅgavijjā), these, sister, are called ascetics and brahmins who eat facing the intermediate directions.
"But I, sister, do not earn my living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of site-reading; I do not earn my living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of astrology; I do not earn my living by the wrong livelihood of devotion to running errands and carrying messages; I do not earn my living by the wrong livelihood of the debased art of reading bodily marks. I seek alms righteously (dhammena), and having sought alms righteously, I eat."
Then Sūcimukhī the female wanderer went about Rājagaha from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, announcing thus: "The ascetics who follow the son of the Sakyans eat righteous food! The ascetics who follow the son of the Sakyans eat blameless food! Give alms to the ascetics who follow the son of the Sakyans!"
The Sāriputta Saṃyutta.
Its summary (uddāna):
Seclusion, and without thought,
rapture, with equanimity as fourth;
space and also consciousness,
nothingness together with neither-perception;
cessation is stated as the ninth,
and Sūcimukhi as the tenth.
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The Nāga Saṃyutta
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.