1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.312Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṁ aññatarissā visikhāya piṇḍāya caramānā yena aññataraṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.a certain nun there was walking for almsfood along a street. She then went to a certain family where she sat down on the prepared seat.1.3Atha kho te manussā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ bhojetvā etadavocuṁ—The people there gave her a meal and said,1.4“aññāpi, ayye, bhikkhuniyo āgacchantū”ti.“Venerable, other nuns may come too.”1.5Atha kho sā bhikkhunī—Then that nun thought,1.6“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo nāgaccheyyun”ti, bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca—“What can I do so that other nuns don’t come?” And she went up to other nuns and said,1.7“amukasmiṁ, ayye, okāse vāḷā sunakhā caṇḍo balibaddo cikkhallo okāso.“Venerables, in such-and-such a place there are malicious dogs, a fierce ox, and it’s muddy.1.8Mā kho tattha agamitthā”ti.Don’t go there.”

1.9Aññatarāpi bhikkhunī tassā visikhāya piṇḍāya caramānā yena taṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.Another nun, too, went to that family while walking for almsfood along that street. She sat down on the prepared seat1.10Atha kho te manussā taṁ bhikkhuniṁ bhojetvā etadavocuṁ—and the people there gave her a meal. They then asked her,1.11“kissa, ayye, bhikkhuniyo na āgacchantī”ti?“Venerable, why don’t the nuns come here?”

1.12Atha kho sā bhikkhunī tesaṁ manussānaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.And she told them what had happened.

1.13Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—People complained and criticized her,1.14“kathañhi nāma bhikkhunī kulaṁ maccharāyissatī”ti …pe…“How can a nun keep a family to herself?” …1.15“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī kulaṁ maccharāyatī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that a nun acted like this?”

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

1.17Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.18kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī kulaṁ maccharāyissati.“How could a nun act like this?1.19Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.20evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: