[512] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Jetavana, the monastery of Anāthapiṇḍika. Now at that time the Venerable Veḷaṭṭhasīsa, the preceptor (upajjhāya) of the Venerable Ānanda, was dwelling in the forest. Having walked for alms and received much almsfood (piṇḍapāta), he carried the dried boiled rice to the monastery, dried it, and stored it away; whenever he had need of food, he moistened it with water and ate it; only after a long time would he enter the village for alms.
The bhikkhus said this to the Venerable Veḷaṭṭhasīsa: "Friend, why do you enter the village for alms only after a long time?" Then the Venerable Veḷaṭṭhasīsa informed the bhikkhus of this matter. "But, friend, do you eat food that has been stored up?" "It is so, friends."
Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes … criticized, complained, and spread it about, saying: "How can the Venerable Veḷaṭṭhasīsa eat food that has been stored up?" …
"Is it true, as they say, Veḷaṭṭhasīsa, that you eat food that has been stored up?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him: "How can you, Veḷaṭṭhasīsa, eat food that has been stored up? This, Veḷaṭṭhasīsa, does not conduce to the confidence of those without confidence, nor to the increase [of confidence] of those already confident …
"And thus, bhikkhus, should you recite this training rule (sikkhāpada):
"Whatever bhikkhu should chew or consume hard food or soft food that has been stored up, there is an offense of pācittiya."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.