It’s appropriate to give congee regularly.” The Buddha then got up from his seat and left. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “I allow congee and honey balls.” 12. The government official with recently acquired faith When people heard that the Buddha had allowed congee and honey balls, they prepared rice porridge and honey balls early in the morning. After eating rice porridge and honey balls to their satisfaction in the morning, the monks did not eat as much as they had intended in the dining hall. At this time a certain government official who had recently acquired faith in Buddhism had invited the Sangha of monks headed by the Buddha for the meal on the following day. “Why don’t I prepare twelve hundred and fifty bowls of meat for the twelve hundred and fifty monks? I can then give one bowl to each and every monk.”