26. Suttaviññattisikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū cīvarakārasamaye bahuṁ suttaṁ viññāpesuṁ. Katepi cīvare bahuṁ suttaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ hoti. Atha kho chabbaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi— “handa mayaṁ, āvuso, aññampi suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpemā”ti. Atha kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū aññampi suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpesuṁ. Vītepi cīvare bahuṁ suttaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ hoti. Dutiyampi kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū aññampi suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpesuṁ. Vītepi cīvare bahuṁ suttaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ hoti. Tatiyampi kho chabbaggiyā bhikkhū aññampi suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpesuṁ. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā sāmaṁ suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpessantī”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sāmaṁ suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpessantī”ti. Atha kho te bhikkhū chabbaggiye bhikkhū anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, sāmaṁ suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpethā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, sāmaṁ suttaṁ viññāpetvā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpessatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
Asking for thread Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the monks from the group of six were making robes and they asked for a large amount of thread. But when their robes were finished, there was much thread left over. They said, “Well, let’s ask for even more thread and get weavers to weave us robe-cloth.” Yet even when that robe-cloth had been woven, there was much thread left over. A second time they asked for more thread and had weavers weave them robe-cloth. Once again there was much thread left over. A third time they asked for more thread and had weavers weave them robe-cloth. People complained and criticized them, “How could the Sakyan monastics ask for thread and then get weavers to weave them robe-cloth?” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How could the monks from the group of six ask for thread and then get weavers to weave them robe-cloth?” After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned those monks: “Is it true, monks, that you did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: