1.0Origin story

1.1Tena 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 aññataro puriso pavāsaṁ gacchanto pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—“suttaṁ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṁ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa,a man who was going away said to his wife, “Please weigh some thread, take it to the weavers, get them to weave robe-cloth, and put the robe-cloth aside.1.3āgato ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī”ti.When I return, I’ll give it to Venerable Upananda.”

1.4Assosi kho aññataro piṇḍacāriko bhikkhu tassa purisassa imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa.An alms-collecting monk heard that man speaking those words.1.5Atha kho so bhikkhu yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“mahāpuññosi tvaṁ, āvuso upananda,He then went to Upananda the Sakyan and said, “Upananda, you have much merit.1.6amukasmiṁ okāse aññataro puriso pavāsaṁ gacchanto pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—‘suttaṁ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṁ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa, āgato ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī’”ti.In such-and-such a place I heard a man, as he was going away, tell his wife to get robe-cloth woven so that he could give it to you when he returned.”

1.7“Atthāvuso, maṁ so upaṭṭhāko”ti.“He’s my supporter.”1.8Sopi kho tantavāyo āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.And the weaver was Upananda’s supporter too.

1.9PTS 3.258Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena so tantavāyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ tantavāyaṁ etadavoca—Upananda then went to that weaver and said,1.10“idaṁ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṁ maṁ uddissa viyyati; āyatañca karohi vitthatañca. Appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karohī”ti.“This robe-cloth that you’re weaving for me, make it long and wide. And make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed.”

1.11“Ete kho me, bhante, suttaṁ dhārayitvā adaṁsu;“Venerable, they’ve already weighed the thread and given it to me,1.12iminā suttena cīvaraṁ vināhī”ti.telling me to weave the robe-cloth with that.1.13“Na, bhante, sakkā āyataṁ vā vitthataṁ vā appitaṁ vā kātuṁ.I won’t be able to make it long, wide, or closely woven.1.14Sakkā ca kho, bhante, suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca kātun”ti.But I’m able to make it well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed.”

1.15“Iṅgha tvaṁ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca.“Just make it long, wide, and closely woven.1.16Na tena suttena paṭibaddhaṁ bhavissatī”ti.There’ll be enough thread.”

1.17Atha kho so tantavāyo yathābhataṁ suttaṁ tante upanetvā yena sā itthī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ itthiṁ etadavoca—“suttena, ayye, attho”ti.Then, when all the thread had been used up, that weaver went to that woman and said, “Ma’am, I need more thread.”

1.18“Nanu tvaṁ ayyo mayā vutto—‘iminā suttena cīvaraṁ vināhī’”ti.“But didn’t I tell you to weave the robe-cloth with that thread?”

1.19“Saccāhaṁ, ayye, tayā vutto—‘iminā suttena cīvaraṁ vināhī’ti.“You did.1.20Api ca maṁ ayyo upanando evamāha—‘iṅgha tvaṁ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca,But Venerable Upananda told me to make it long, wide, and closely woven.1.21na tena suttena paṭibaddhaṁ bhavissatī’”ti.And he said there would be enough thread.”1.22Atha kho sā itthī yattakaṁyeva suttaṁ paṭhamaṁ adāsi tattakaṁ pacchā adāsi.That woman then gave him as much thread again as she had done the first time.

1.23Assosi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto—“so kira puriso pavāsato āgato”ti. Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena tassa purisassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.When Upananda heard that her husband had returned from his travels, he went to his house and sat down on the prepared seat.1.24Atha kho so puriso yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.That man approached him, bowed, and sat down.1.25Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—“vītaṁ taṁ cīvaran”ti?He then said to his wife, “Has the robe-cloth been woven?”

1.26“Āmāyya, vītaṁ taṁ cīvaran”ti.“Yes, it has.”

1.27“Āhara, ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī”ti.“Please bring it. I’ll give it to Venerable Upananda.”

1.28Atha kho sā itthī taṁ cīvaraṁ nīharitvā sāmikassa datvā etamatthaṁ ārocesi.She then got the robe-cloth, gave it to her husband, and told him what had happened.1.29Atha kho so puriso āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa cīvaraṁ datvā ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—After giving the robe-cloth to Upananda, he complained and criticized him,1.30“mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā.“These Sakyan monastics have great desires; they’re not content.1.31Nayime sukarā cīvarena acchādetuṁ.It’s no easy matter to give them robe-cloth.1.32Kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando mayā pubbe appavārito tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissatī”ti.How could Venerable Upananda go to the weavers and say what kind of robe-cloth he wanted without first being invited by me?”

1.33Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa.The monks heard the complaints of that man,1.34Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,1.35“kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissatī”ti.“How could Venerable Upananda go to a householder’s weavers and say what kind of robe-cloth he wants without first being invited?”

1.36PTS 3.259Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Upananda:1.37“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjī”ti?“Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”

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

1.39“Ñātako te, upananda, aññātako”ti?“Is he a relative of yours?”

1.40“Aññātako, bhagavā”ti.“No, sir.”

1.41“Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātakassa na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā.“Foolish man, people who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other.1.42Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, pubbe appavārito aññātakassa gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissasi.And still you did this.1.43Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.44evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: