1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.1.2PTS 4.260Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpetvā aciravatiyā nadiyā vesiyāhi saddhiṁ naggā ekatitthe nahāyanti.At that time the nuns from the group of six removed the hair from their private parts. They then bathed naked at a ford in the river Aciravatī together with sex workers.1.3Vesiyā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The sex workers complained and criticized them,1.4“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti.“How can the nuns remove the hair from their private parts? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!”

1.5Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tāsaṁ vesiyānaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ.The nuns heard the complaints of those sex workers,1.6Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,1.7“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessantī”ti …pe…“How can the nuns from the group of six remove the hair from their private parts?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpentī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that those nuns do that?”

1.9“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them,1.11kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo sambādhe lomaṁ saṁharāpessanti.“How can the nuns from the group of six do that?1.12Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: