RETURNING HOME

When king Suddhodana came to know that the Buddha was preaching in Rajagaha he sent nine messenger, one after another, inviting him to come to Kapilavatthu. All the messengers became monks under the Buddha. The Buddha's teachings were so appealing to them that they wished to listen to more of his teachings and they forgot to convey the King's message. The King also had made arrangement for the Buddha t stay in the park named Nigrodha. But when the Buddha did not come, the king sent Kaludayi who was a playmate of the Buddha to invite the Buddha. Then only, the Buddha received the message and agreed to go to the palace.
When the people of Kapilavatthu came to know that the Buddha had come eo their city all of them flocked to the city to see the Buddha, and the Prince Siddhartha's own relatives said, "he is our younger brother, our nephew, our grandson." They asked their younger ones, "You go forward and respect him. We will sit behind you." Then the Buddha realised that some people even then, did not understand that he was already Enlightened but felt they were his elders. He showed them a miracle called the "twin miracle". The king seeing this miracle worshipped him.
The next day, he took his beging bowl and went from door to door asking for food. The king was very annoyed when he saw his son begging in the street. He ran to him and said, "Why do you disgrace me, my son? Why do you ruin me like this? Why don't you take food in the palace? Is it proper for you to beg food in this very city where you used to travel in golden seda chairs? Why do you put me to shame, my dear son?"
"I am not putting you to shame, O Great king This is our custom," said the Buddha calmly. "How can it be? Nobody in our family had ever to beg like this. How can you say "it is our custom?".
"O Great king, that is not the custom of your royal family. But it is the custom of the Buddhas. All the former Buddhas have lived by receving their food like this." However when the king begged him to take food in the palace, the Buddha went into the palace to take food.