1.0.1Origin story

1.0.2First substory

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.1.2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī sāvatthiyaṁ kulūpako hoti, bahukāni kulāni upasaṅkamati.At that time Venerable Udāyī was associating with and visiting a number of families in Sāvatthī.1.3Atha kho āyasmā udāyī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena aññataraṁ kulaṁ tenupasaṅkami.After robing up one morning, he took his bowl and robe and went to a certain family.1.4Tena kho pana samayena gharaṇī nivesanadvāre nisinnā hoti, gharasuṇhā āvasathadvāre nisinnā hoti.Just then the housewife was sitting at the door to the house, while the daughter-in-law was sitting at the door to the guesthouse.1.5Atha kho āyasmā udāyī yena gharaṇī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā gharaṇiyā upakaṇṇake dhammaṁ desesi.Udāyī went up to the housewife and gave her a teaching, whispering in her ear.1.6Atha kho gharasuṇhāya etadahosi—And the daughter-in-law thought,1.7“kiṁ nu kho so samaṇo sassuyā jāro udāhu obhāsatī”ti?“Is this monastic my mother-in-law’s lover, or is he speaking indecently?”

1.8PTS 4.21Atha kho āyasmā udāyī gharaṇiyā upakaṇṇake dhammaṁ desetvā yena gharasuṇhā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā gharasuṇhāya upakaṇṇake dhammaṁ desesi.After teaching the housewife in this way, Udāyī went up to the daughter-in-law and gave her a teaching in the same way.1.9Atha kho gharaṇiyā etadahosi—Then the housewife thought,1.10“kiṁ nu kho so samaṇo gharasuṇhāya jāro udāhu obhāsatī”ti?“Is this monastic my daughter-in-law’s lover, or is he speaking indecently?”

1.11Atha kho āyasmā udāyī gharasuṇhāya upakaṇṇake dhammaṁ desetvā pakkāmi.When Udāyī had left,1.12Atha kho gharaṇī gharasuṇhaṁ etadavoca—the housewife said to her daughter-in-law,1.13“he je, kiṁ te eso samaṇo avocā”ti?“Hey, what did that monastic say to you?”

1.14“Dhammaṁ me, ayye, desesi”.“He gave me a teaching, ma’am.1.15“Ayyāya pana kiṁ avocā”ti?But what did he say to you?”

1.16“Mayhampi dhammaṁ desesī”ti.“He gave me a teaching, too.”

1.17Tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—And they complained and criticized him,1.18“kathañhi nāma ayyo udāyī upakaṇṇake dhammaṁ desessati.“How can Venerable Udāyī give teachings by whispering in the ear?1.19Nanu nāma vissaṭṭhena vivaṭena dhammo desetabbo”ti?Should not teachings be given audibly and openly?”

1.20Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tāsaṁ itthīnaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ.The monks heard the complaints of those women,1.21Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Udāyī,1.22“kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī mātugāmassa dhammaṁ desessatī”ti.“How can Venerable Udāyī give teachings to women?”

1.23Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ 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 Udāyī:1.24“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, udāyi, mātugāmassa dhammaṁ desesī”ti?“Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?”

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

1.26Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked him …1.27kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, mātugāmassa dhammaṁ desessasi.“Foolish man, how can you do this?1.28Netaṁ moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.29evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.30.0First preliminary ruling

1.30.1“Yo pana bhikkhu mātugāmassa dhammaṁ deseyya pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk gives a teaching to a woman, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

1.31Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

2.0Second substory

2.1Tena kho pana samayena upāsikā bhikkhū passitvā etadavocuṁ—Soon afterwards some female lay followers saw some monks and said to them,2.2“iṅghāyyā, dhammaṁ desethā”ti.“Venerables, please give a teaching.”

2.3“Na, bhaginī, kappati mātugāmassa dhammaṁ desetun”ti.“It’s not allowable for us to teach women.”

2.4“Iṅghāyyā, chappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desetha, sakkā ettakenapi dhammo aññātun”ti.“Just teach five or six sentences. That might be enough for us to understand.”

2.5“Na, bhaginī, kappati mātugāmassa dhammaṁ desetun”ti.“It’s not allowable for us to teach women.”2.6Kukkuccāyantā na desesuṁ.And being afraid of wrongdoing, they did not teach them.

2.7Upāsikā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—Those female lay followers complained and criticized them,2.8“kathañhi nāma, ayyā, amhehi yācīyamānā dhammaṁ na desessantī”ti.“How can they not teach us when asked?”

2.9Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tāsaṁ upāsikānaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ.The monks heard the complaints of those female lay followers,2.10Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.and they told the Buddha.2.11Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

2.12“anujānāmi, bhikkhave, mātugāmassa chappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desetuṁ.“Monks, I allow you to teach five or six sentences to a woman.

2.13Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

2.14.0Second preliminary ruling

2.14.1“Yo pana bhikkhū mātugāmassa uttarichappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ deseyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk gives a teaching of more than five or six sentences to a woman, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.15PTS 4.22Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

3.0Third substory

3.1Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū—“bhagavatā anuññātaṁ mātugāmassa chappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desetun”ti te aviññuṁ purisaviggahaṁ upanisīdāpetvā mātugāmassa uttarichappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desenti.When the monks from the group of six heard that the Buddha had made this allowance, they taught women more than five or six sentences with a man who did not understand sitting nearby.3.2Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized them,3.3“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū aviññuṁ purisaviggahaṁ upanisīdāpetvā mātugāmassa uttarichappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desessantī”ti.“How can the monks from the group of six teach women more than five or six sentences with a man who doesn’t understand sitting nearby?”

3.4Atha kho te bhikkhū chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks:3.5“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, aviññuṁ purisaviggahaṁ upanisīdāpetvā mātugāmassa uttarichappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

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

3.7Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …3.8kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, aviññuṁ purisaviggahaṁ upanisīdāpetvā mātugāmassa uttarichappañcavācāhi dhammaṁ desessatha.“Foolish men, how can you do this?3.9Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …3.10evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: