43. Suttakantanasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantanti. Manussā vihāracārikaṁ āhiṇḍantā passitvā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantantī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo suttaṁ kantissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Spinning yarn Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the nuns from the group of six were spinning yarn. When people walking about the dwellings saw this, they complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns spin yarn? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!” The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the nuns from the group of six spin yarn?” … “Is it true, monks, that those nuns do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns from the group of six do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: