53. Gaṇaparibhāsanasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī bhaṇḍanakārikā hoti kalahakārikā vivādakārikā bhassakārikā saṅghe adhikaraṇakārikā. Thullanandā bhikkhunī tassā kamme karīyamāne paṭikkosati. Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī gāmakaṁ agamāsi kenacideva karaṇīyena. Atha kho bhikkhunisaṅgho— “thullanandā bhikkhunī pakkantā”ti caṇḍakāḷiṁ bhikkhuniṁ āpattiyā adassane ukkhipi. Thullanandā bhikkhunī gāmake taṁ karaṇīyaṁ tīretvā punadeva sāvatthiṁ paccāgacchi. Caṇḍakāḷī bhikkhunī thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā āgacchantiyā neva āsanaṁ paññapesi na pādodakaṁ pādapīṭhaṁ pādakaṭhalikaṁ upanikkhipi; na paccuggantvā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggahesi na pānīyena āpucchi. Thullanandā bhikkhunī caṇḍakāḷiṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca— “kissa tvaṁ, ayye, mayi āgacchantiyā neva āsanaṁ paññapesi na pādodakaṁ pādapīṭhaṁ pādakaṭhalikaṁ upanikkhipi; na paccuggantvā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggahesi na pānīyena āpucchī”ti? “Evañhetaṁ, ayye, hoti yathā taṁ anāthāyā”ti. “Kissa pana tvaṁ, ayye, anāthā”ti? “Imā maṁ, ayye, bhikkhuniyo— ‘ayaṁ anāthā appaññātā, natthi imissā kāci pativattā’ti, āpattiyā adassane ukkhipiṁsū”ti. Thullanandā bhikkhunī— “bālā etā abyattā etā netā jānanti kammaṁ vā kammadosaṁ vā kammavipattiṁ vā kammasampattiṁ vā”ti, caṇḍīkatā gaṇaṁ paribhāsi. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā caṇḍīkatā gaṇaṁ paribhāsissatī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī caṇḍīkatā gaṇaṁ paribhāsatī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī caṇḍīkatā gaṇaṁ paribhāsissati. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Reviling the community Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nun Caṇḍakāḷī was quarrelsome and argumentative, and she created legal issues in the Sangha. But when a legal procedure was being done against her, the nun Thullanandā objected. Soon afterwards when Thullanandā went to a village on some business, the Sangha of nuns took the opportunity to eject Caṇḍakāḷī for not recognizing an offense. When Thullanandā had finished her business, she returned to Sāvatthī. As she was approaching, Caṇḍakāḷī neither prepared a seat for her, nor set out a foot stool, a foot scraper, or water for washing the feet; and she did not go out to meet her to receive her bowl and robe or to ask whether she wanted water to drink. Thullanandā asked her why she was acting like this. She replied, “That’s how it is, venerable, when one doesn’t have a protector.” “But how is it, venerable, that you don’t have a protector?” “When these nuns knew that no one would speak up for me because I am not esteemed by them and I didn’t have a protector, they ejected me for not recognizing an offense.” “They are incompetent fools! They don’t understand legal procedures, nor what makes them fail or succeed.” And being furious, she reviled the community. The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, “How could Venerable Thullanandā revile the community because she is furious?” … “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked her … “How could the nun Thullanandā do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: