At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Then he robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahe piṇḍāya pāvisi. After wandering indiscriminately for almsfood in Rājagaha, he ate his almsfood by a wall. Rājagahe sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ aññataraṁ kuṭṭamūlaṁ nissāya paribhuñjati.

Then the wanderer Sucimukhī went up to Venerable Sāriputta and said to him: Atha kho sucimukhī paribbājikā yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?” “Kiṁ nu kho, samaṇa, adhomukho bhuñjasī”ti?

“No, sister.” “Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, adhomukho bhuñjāmī”ti.

“Well then, do you eat facing upwards?” “Tena hi, samaṇa, ubbhamukho bhuñjasī”ti?

“No, sister.” “Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, ubbhamukho bhuñjāmī”ti.

“Well then, do you eat facing the cardinal directions?” “Tena hi, samaṇa, disāmukho bhuñjasī”ti?

“No, sister.” “Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, disāmukho bhuñjāmī”ti.

“Well then, do you eat facing the intermediate directions?” “Tena hi, samaṇa, vidisāmukho bhuñjasī”ti?

“No, sister.” “Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, vidisāmukho bhuñjāmī”ti.

“When asked if you eat facing all these directions, you answer ‘no, sister’. “‘Kiṁ nu, samaṇa, adhomukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, adhomukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, samaṇa, ubbhamukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, ubbhamukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, samaṇa, disāmukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, disāmukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi, samaṇa, vidisāmukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, vidisāmukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi. How exactly do you eat, ascetic?” Kathañcarahi, samaṇa, bhuñjasī”ti?

“Sister, those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by geomancy—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing downwards. “Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā vatthuvijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘adhomukhā bhuñjantī’ti.

Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by astrology—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing upwards. Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā nakkhattavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘ubbhamukhā bhuñjantī’ti.

Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by running errands and messages—a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing the cardinal directions. Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā dūteyyapahiṇagamanānuyogāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘disāmukhā bhuñjantī’ti.

Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by palmistry—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing the intermediate directions. Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā aṅgavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘vidisāmukhā bhuñjantī’ti.

I don’t earn a living by any of these means. So khvāhaṁ, bhagini, na vatthuvijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na nakkhattavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na dūteyyapahiṇagamanānuyogāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na aṅgavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi. I seek alms in a principled manner, Dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesāmi; and I eat it in a principled manner.” dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesitvā bhuñjāmī”ti.

Then Sucimukhī the wanderer went around Rājagaha from street to street and from square to square, and announced: Atha kho sucimukhī paribbājikā rājagahe rathiyāya rathiyaṁ, siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamārocesi: “The ascetics who follow the Sakyan eat food in a principled manner! “dhammikaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā āhāraṁ āhārenti; The ascetics who follow the Sakyan eat food blamelessly! anavajjaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā āhāraṁ āhārenti. Give almsfood to the ascetics who follow the Sakyan!” Detha samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ piṇḍan”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Sāriputtavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Vivekajaṁ avitakkaṁ, pīti upekkhā catutthakaṁ; Ākāsañceva viññāṇaṁ, ākiñcaṁ nevasaññinā; Nirodho navamo vutto, dasamaṁ sūcimukhī cāti.

The Linked Discourses on Sāriputta are complete. Sāriputtasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.