1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrel sanctuary.1.2Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo tattheva rājagahe vassaṁ vasanti, tattha hemantaṁ, tattha gimhaṁ.At that time the nuns were staying right there at Rājagaha for the rainy season, the winter, and the summer.1.3Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—People complained and criticized them,1.4“āhundarikā bhikkhunīnaṁ disā andhakārā, na imāsaṁ disā pakkhāyantī”ti.“The nuns are leaving the districts in darkness and obscurity. They don’t brighten them up by their presence.”

1.5Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The nuns heard the complaints of those people.1.6Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.They then told the monks,1.7Bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.who in turn told the Buddha.1.8Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:1.9“tena hi, bhikkhave, bhikkhunīnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññapessāmi dasa atthavase paṭicca—“Well then, monks, I will lay down a training rule for the nuns for the following ten reasons:1.10saṅghasuṭṭhutāya …pe…for the well-being of the Sangha …1.11saddhammaṭṭhitiyā vinayānuggahāya.for the longevity of the true Teaching, and for supporting the training.1.12Evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: