Atha kho bhagavā sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā mucalindamūlā yena rājāyatanaṁ tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā rājāyatanamūle sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisīdi vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī.
Then, at the end of those seven days, the Blessed One emerged from that perfect peace of mind and went from the foot of the Mucalinda tree to the Rājāyatana. There he sat at the foot of the Rājāyatana tree for seven days in one posture, experiencing the ease of liberation.
Tena kho pana samayena tapussa bhallikā vāṇijā ukkalā taṁ desaṁ addhānamaggappaṭipannā honti. Atha kho tapussabhallikānaṁ vāṇijānaṁ ñātisālohitā devatā tapussabhallike vāṇije etadavoca— “ayaṁ, mārisā, bhagavā rājāyatanamūle viharati paṭhamābhisambuddho; gacchatha taṁ bhagavantaṁ manthena ca madhupiṇḍikāya ca patimānetha; taṁ vo bhavissati dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.
At that time the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, from Ukkala, were traveling along that road. Then a deity who was a blood relative of the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika said to them: “Good sirs, this Blessed One is staying at the foot of the Rājāyatana tree, having just attained full awakening. Go and serve that Blessed One with barley meal and a honey ball. That will be for your welfare and happiness for a long time.”
Atha kho tapussabhallikā vāṇijā manthañca madhupiṇḍikañca ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho tapussabhallikā vāṇijā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ— “paṭiggaṇhātu no, bhante, bhagavā manthañca madhupiṇḍikañca, yaṁ amhākaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.
Then the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika took barley meal and a honey ball and approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, they said: “Venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept our barley meal and honey ball, so that it may be for our welfare and happiness for a long time.”
Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi— “na kho tathāgatā hatthesu paṭiggaṇhanti. Kimhi nu kho ahaṁ paṭiggaṇheyyaṁ manthañca madhupiṇḍikañcā”ti? Atha kho cattāro mahārājāno bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya catuddisā cattāro selamaye patte bhagavato upanāmesuṁ— “idha, bhante, bhagavā paṭiggaṇhātu manthañca madhupiṇḍikañcā”ti. Paṭiggahesi bhagavā paccagghe selamaye patte manthañca madhupiṇḍikañca, paṭiggahetvā paribhuñji.
Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “Tathāgatas do not accept food in their hands. In what should I accept the barley meal and the honey ball?” Then the Four Great Kings, knowing with their own minds the reflection in the Blessed One’s mind, presented the Blessed One with four stone bowls from the four directions: “Here, venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept the barley meal and the honey ball.” The Blessed One accepted the barley meal and the honey ball in a new stone bowl, and having accepted it, he ate.
Atha kho tapussabhallikā vāṇijā bhagavantaṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ viditvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ— “ete mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāma dhammañca, upāsake no bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṁ gate”ti. Te ca loke paṭhamaṁ upāsakā ahesuṁ dvevācikā.
Then the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and taken his hand from the bowl, placed their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and said: “We, venerable sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One and to the Dhamma. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge from this day forward for life.” And they were the first lay disciples in the world, with the twofold formula.