52. Bhikkhuakkosanasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato upālissa upajjhāyo āyasmā kappitako susāne viharati. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ mahattarā bhikkhunī kālaṅkatā hoti. Chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo taṁ bhikkhuniṁ nīharitvā āyasmato kappitakassa vihārassa avidūre jhāpetvā thūpaṁ katvā gantvā tasmiṁ thūpe rodanti. Atha kho āyasmā kappitako tena saddena ubbāḷho taṁ thūpaṁ bhinditvā pakiresi. Chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo— “iminā kappitakena amhākaṁ ayyāya thūpo bhinno, handa naṁ ghātemā”ti mantesuṁ. Aññatarā bhikkhunī āyasmato upālissa etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Āyasmā upāli āyasmato kappitakassa etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Atha kho āyasmā kappitako vihārā nikkhamitvā nilīno acchi. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmato kappitakassa vihāro tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmato kappitakassa vihāraṁ pāsāṇehi ca leḍḍūhi ca ottharāpetvā, “mato kappitako”ti pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā kappitako tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Addasaṁsu kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo āyasmantaṁ kappitakaṁ piṇḍāya carantaṁ. Disvāna evamāhaṁsu— “ayaṁ kappitako jīvati, ko nu kho amhākaṁ mantaṁ saṁharī”ti? Assosuṁ kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo— “ayyena kira upālinā amhākaṁ manto saṁhaṭo”ti. Tā āyasmantaṁ upāliṁ akkosiṁsu— “kathañhi nāma ayaṁ kāsāvaṭo malamajjano nihīnajacco amhākaṁ mantaṁ saṁharissatī”ti. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo ayyaṁ upāliṁ akkosissantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo upāliṁ akkosantī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo upāliṁ akkosissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Abusing a monk Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying in the house with the peaked roof in the Great Wood near Vesālī, Venerable Upāli’s preceptor, Venerable Kappita, was staying in a charnel ground. At that time the leader of the nuns from the group of six had just died. They took her to that charnel ground, cremated her near Venerable Kappita’s dwelling, and made a stupa. They then went there to cry. Venerable Kappita was disturbed by the noise, and so he demolished the stupa and scattered the rubble. The nuns from the group of six thought, “Kappita has demolished our venerable’s stupa; let’s kill him,” and they laid a plan. A certain nun told Venerable Upāli what was happening, and he in turn told Venerable Kappita. Venerable Kappita then left his dwelling and went into hiding. Soon afterwards the nuns from the group of six went to his dwelling and crushed it with rocks and lumps of earth. When they thought he was dead, they left. The following morning Venerable Kappita robed up, took his bowl and robe, and entered Vesālī for almsfood. When the nuns from the group of six saw him, they said, “Kappita is alive! Who spoiled our plan?” When they heard it was Venerable Upāli, they abused him, “How could this barber, this dirt remover of inferior caste, spoil our plan?” The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them, “How could the nuns from the group of six abuse Venerable Upāli?” … “Is it true, monks, that those nuns did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How could 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: