1So I have heard. At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Mahākassapa and said: “Kassapa, come, sir. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

“You go, Reverend Ānanda. You have many duties and responsibilities.”

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And a second time …

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And a third time, Ānanda said: “Kassapa, come, sir. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

2Then Venerable Mahākassapa robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went with Venerable Ānanda as his second monk to one of the nuns’ quarters, where he sat on the seat spread out. And then several nuns went up to Mahākassapa, bowed, and sat down to one side. Mahākassapa educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired those nuns with a Dhamma talk, after which he got up from his seat and left.

3But the nun Thullatissā was upset and blurted out: “What is Master Mahākassapa thinking, that he’d teach Dhamma in front of Master Ānanda, the Videhan sage? He’s like a needle seller who thinks they can sell a needle to a needle maker!”

4Mahākassapa heard Thullatissā say these words, and he said to Ānanda: “Is that right, Reverend Ānanda? Am I the needle seller and you the needle maker? Or am I the needle maker and you the needle seller?”

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“Forgive her, sir. The woman’s a fool.”

“Hold on, Reverend Ānanda! Don’t make the Saṅgha investigate you further!

5What do you think, Reverend Ānanda? Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying: ‘Mendicants, whenever I want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. And so does Ānanda’?”

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“No, sir.”

6“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying: ‘Mendicants, whenever I want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. And so does Kassapa. …’
(The nine progressive meditations and the five insights should be treated in full.)

7What do you think, Reverend Ānanda? Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying: ‘I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And I live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements. And so does Ānanda’?”

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“No, sir.”

8“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying: ‘I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And I live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements. And so does Kassapa.’

9Reverend, you might as well think to hide a bull elephant that’s three or three and a half meters tall behind a palm leaf as to hide my six insights.”

10But the nun Thullatissā fell from the spiritual life.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

"Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo"ti.

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Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

"Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo"ti.

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Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

2Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya āyasmatā ānandena pacchāsamaṇena yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho tā bhikkhuniyo āyasmā mahākassapo dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tā bhikkhuniyo dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

3Atha kho thullatissā bhikkhunī anattamanā anattamanavācaṁ nicchāresi: "Kiṁ pana ayyo mahākassapo, ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññati? Seyyathāpi nāma sūcivāṇijako sūcikārassa santike sūciṁ vikketabbaṁ maññeyya; evameva ayyo mahākassapo ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññatī"ti.

4Assosi kho āyasmā mahākassapo thullatissāya bhikkhuniyā imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānāya. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso Ānanda, ahaṁ sūcivāṇijako, tvaṁ sūcikāro; udāhu ahaṁ sūcikāro, tvaṁ sūcivāṇijako"ti?

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"Khama, bhante kassapa, bālo mātugāmo"ti.

"Āgamehi tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, mā te saṅgho uttari upaparikkhi.

5Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso Ānanda, api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Ānandopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāratī’"ti?

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"No hetaṁ, bhante".

6"Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Kassapopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi … pe … paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāratī’ti … pe … . (Navannaṁ anupubbavihārasamāpattīnaṁ pañcannañca abhiññānaṁ evaṁ vitthāro veditabbo.)

7Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso Ānanda, api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. Ānandopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī’"ti?

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"No hetaṁ, bhante".

8"Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. Kassapopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī’ti.

9Sattaratanaṁ vā, āvuso, nāgaṁ aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā tālapattikāya chādetabbaṁ maññeyya, yo me cha abhiññā chādetabbaṁ maññeyyā"ti.

10Cavittha ca pana thullatissā bhikkhunī brahmacariyamhāti.

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Dasamaṁ.