1At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was wandering in the Southern Hills together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants.

2And at that time thirty of Ānanda’s mendicant pupils rejected the training and returned to a lesser life. Most of them were youths.

When Venerable Ānanda had wandered in the Southern Hills as long as he wished, he set out for Rājagaha, to the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. He went up to Venerable Mahākassapa, bowed, and sat down to one side. Mahākassapa said to him:

“Reverend Ānanda, for how many reasons did the Buddha lay down a rule against eating in groups of more than three among families?”

3“Sir, the Buddha laid down that rule for three reasons. For keeping difficult persons in check and for the comfort of good-hearted mendicants. To prevent those of wicked desires from taking sides and dividing the Saṅgha. And out of consideration for families. These are the three reasons why the Buddha laid down that rule.”

4“So what exactly are you doing, wandering together with these junior mendicants? They don’t guard their sense doors, they eat too much, and they’re not committed to wakefulness. It’s like you’re wandering about wrecking crops and ruining families! Your following is falling apart, Reverend Ānanda, and those just getting started are slipping away. Yet this boy knows no bounds!”

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5“Though there are grey hairs on my head, I still can’t escape being called a boy by Venerable Mahākassapa.”

“It’s because you wander with these junior mendicants. … Your following is falling apart, Reverend Ānanda, and those just getting started are slipping away. Yet this boy knows no bounds!”

The nun Thullanandā heard a rumor that Master Mahākassapa had rebuked Master Ānanda the Videhan sage by calling him a boy.

6She was upset and blurted out: “How can Master Mahākassapa, who formerly followed another path, presume to rebuke Master Ānanda the Videhan sage by calling him a boy?”

7Mahākassapa heard Thullanandā say these words, and he said to Ānanda: “Indeed, Reverend Ānanda, the nun Thullanandā spoke rashly and without reflection.

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8Since I shaved off my hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness, I don’t recall acknowledging any other teacher apart from the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.

Formerly when I was still a layman, I thought: ‘Living in a house is cramped and dirty, but the life of one gone forth is wide open. It’s not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and pure, like a polished shell. Why don’t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?’ After some time I made an outer robe of patches and, in the name of the perfected ones in the world, I shaved off my hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness.

9When I had gone forth, I traveled along the road between Rājagaha and Nālanda, where I saw the Buddha sitting at the Bahuputta Shrine. Seeing him, I thought: ‘If I’m ever to see a Teacher, it would be this Blessed One! If I’m ever to see a Holy One, it would be this Blessed One! If I’m ever to see a fully awakened Buddha, it would be this Blessed One!’

Then I bowed with my head at the Buddha’s feet and said: ‘Sir, the Buddha is my Teacher, I am his disciple! The Buddha is my Teacher, I am his disciple!’

The Buddha said to me, ‘Kassapa, if anyone was to say to such a wholehearted disciple that they know when they don’t know, or that they see when they don’t see, their head would explode. But Kassapa, when I say that I know and see I really do know and see.

10So you should train like this: “I will set up a keen sense of conscience and prudence for seniors, juniors, and those in the middle.” That’s how you should train.

11And you should train like this: “Whenever I hear a teaching connected with what’s skillful, I will pay heed, pay attention, engage wholeheartedly, and lend an ear to that teaching.” That’s how you should train.

12And you should train like this: “I will never neglect mindfulness of the body that is full of pleasure.” That’s how you should train.’

13And when the Buddha had given me this advice he got up from his seat and left. For seven days I ate the nation’s almsfood as a debtor. On the eighth day I was enlightened.

14And then the Buddha left the road and went to the root of a tree. So I spread out my outer robe of patches folded in four and said to him: ‘Sir, sit here. That would be for my lasting welfare and happiness.’

The Buddha sat on the seat spread out and said to me, ‘Kassapa, this outer robe of patches is soft.’

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‘Sir, please accept my outer robe of patches out of compassion.’

‘In that case, Kassapa, will you wear my worn-out hempen rag robe?’

‘I will wear it, sir.’

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And so I presented my outer robe of patches to the Buddha, and the Buddha presented me with his worn-out hempen rag robe.

15For if anyone should be rightly called the Buddha’s true-born child, born from his mouth, born of the teaching, created by the teaching, heir to the teaching, and receiver of his worn-out hempen rag robes, it’s me.

16Whenever 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. …
(The nine progressive meditations and the five insights should be treated in full.)

17I 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.

Reverend, 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.”

18But the nun Thullanandā fell from the spiritual life.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando dakkhiṇagirismiṁ cārikaṁ carati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ.

2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato ānandassa tiṁsamattā saddhivihārino bhikkhū sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattā bhavanti yebhuyyena kumārabhūtā.

3Atha kho āyasmā ānando dakkhiṇagirismiṁ yathābhirantaṁ cārikaṁ caritvā yena rājagahaṁ veḷuvanaṁ kalandakanivāpo yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo etadavoca:

"kati nu kho, āvuso Ānanda, atthavase paṭicca bhagavatā kulesu tikabhojanaṁ paññattan"ti?

3"Tayo kho, bhante kassapa, atthavase paṭicca bhagavatā kulesu tikabhojanaṁ paññattaṁ – dummaṅkūnaṁ puggalānaṁ niggahāya pesalānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ phāsuvihārāya, mā pāpicchā pakkhaṁ nissāya saṅghaṁ bhindeyyuṁ, kulānuddayatāya ca. Ime kho, bhante kassapa, tayo atthavase paṭicca bhagavatā kulesu tikabhojanaṁ paññattan"ti.

4"Atha kiñcarahi tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, imehi navehi bhikkhūhi indriyesu aguttadvārehi bhojane amattaññūhi jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttehi saddhiṁ cārikaṁ carasi? Sassaghātaṁ maññe carasi, kulūpaghātaṁ maññe carasi. Olujjati kho te, āvuso Ānanda, parisā; palujjanti kho te, āvuso, navappāyā. Na vāyaṁ kumārako mattamaññāsī"ti.

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5"Api me, bhante kassapa, sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni. Atha ca pana mayaṁ ajjāpi āyasmato mahākassapassa kumārakavādā na muccāmā"ti.

"Tathā hi pana tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, imehi navehi bhikkhūhi indriyesu aguttadvārehi bhojane amattaññūhi jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttehi saddhiṁ cārikaṁ carasi, sassaghātaṁ maññe carasi, kulūpaghātaṁ maññe carasi.

Olujjati kho te, āvuso Ānanda, parisā; palujjanti kho te, āvuso, navappāyā. Na vāyaṁ kumārako mattamaññāsī"ti.

6Assosi kho thullanandā bhikkhunī: "ayyena kira mahākassapena ayyo ānando vedehamuni kumārakavādena apasādito"ti.

7Atha kho thullanandā bhikkhunī anattamanā anattamanavācaṁ nicchāresi: "Kiṁ pana ayyo mahākassapo aññatitthiyapubbo samāno ayyaṁ Ānandaṁ vedehamuniṁ kumārakavādena apasādetabbaṁ maññatī"ti. Assosi kho āyasmā mahākassapo thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānāya.

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8Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "tagghāvuso Ānanda, thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā sahasā appaṭisaṅkhā vācā bhāsitā. Yatvāhaṁ, āvuso, kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito, nābhijānāmi aññaṁ satthāraṁ uddisitā, aññatra tena bhagavatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena.

Pubbe me, āvuso, agārikabhūtassa sato etadahosi: ‘sambādho gharāvāso rajāpatho, abbhokāso pabbajjā. Nayidaṁ sukaraṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasatā ekantaparipuṇṇaṁ ekantaparisuddhaṁ saṅkhalikhitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyan’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena paṭapilotikānaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ kāretvā ye loke arahanto te uddissa kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajiṁ.

9So evaṁ pabbajito samāno addhānamaggappaṭipanno addasaṁ bhagavantaṁ antarā ca rājagahaṁ antarā ca nāḷandaṁ bahuputte cetiye nisinnaṁ. Disvāna me etadahosi: ‘satthārañca vatāhaṁ passeyyaṁ, bhagavantameva passeyyaṁ; sugatañca vatāhaṁ passeyyaṁ, bhagavantameva passeyyaṁ; sammāsambuddhañca vatāhaṁ passeyyaṁ; bhagavantameva passeyyan’ti.

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, tattheva bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘satthā me, bhante, bhagavā, sāvakohamasmi; satthā me, bhante, bhagavā, sāvakohamasmī’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā etadavoca: ‘yo kho, kassapa, evaṁ sabbacetasā samannāgataṁ sāvakaṁ ajānaññeva vadeyya jānāmīti, apassaññeva vadeyya passāmīti, muddhāpi tassa vipateyya. Ahaṁ kho pana, kassapa, jānaññeva vadāmi jānāmīti, passaññeva vadāmi passāmīti.

10Tasmātiha te, kassapa, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: "tibbaṁ me hirottappaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ bhavissati theresu navesu majjhimesū"ti. Evañhi te, kassapa, sikkhitabbaṁ.

11Tasmātiha te, kassapa, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: "yaṁ kiñci dhammaṁ suṇissāmi kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi karitvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇissāmī"ti. Evañhi te, kassapa, sikkhitabbaṁ.

12Tasmātiha te, kassapa, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: "sātasahagatā ca me kāyagatāsati na vijahissatī"ti. Evañhi te, kassapa, sikkhitabbanti’.

13Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Sattāhameva khvāhaṁ, āvuso, saraṇo raṭṭhapiṇḍaṁ bhuñjiṁ aṭṭhamiyā aññā udapādi.

14Atha kho, āvuso, bhagavā maggā okkamma yena aññataraṁ rukkhamūlaṁ tenupasaṅkami. Atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, paṭapilotikānaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ catugguṇaṁ paññapetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘idha, bhante, bhagavā nisīdatu, yaṁ mamassa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā’ti.

Nisīdi kho, āvuso, bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā etadavoca: ‘mudukā kho tyāyaṁ, kassapa, paṭapilotikānaṁ saṅghāṭī’ti.

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‘Paṭiggaṇhātu me, bhante, bhagavā paṭapilotikānaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ anukampāṁ upādāyā’ti.

‘Dhāressasi pana me tvaṁ, kassapa, sāṇāni paṁsukūlāni nibbasanānī’ti.

‘Dhāressāmahaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sāṇāni paṁsukūlāni nibbasanānī’ti.

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So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, paṭapilotikānaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ bhagavato pādāsiṁ. Ahaṁ pana bhagavato sāṇāni paṁsukūlāni nibbasanāni paṭipajjiṁ.

15Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘bhagavato putto oraso mukhato jāto dhammajo dhammanimmito dhammadāyādo, paṭiggahitāni sāṇāni paṁsukūlāni nibbasanānī’ti, mamaṁ taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘bhagavato putto oraso mukhato jāto dhammajo dhammanimmito dhammadāyādo, paṭiggahitāni sāṇāni paṁsukūlāni nibbasanānī’ti.

16Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi … pe … (navannaṁ anupubbavihārasamāpattīnaṁ pañcannañca abhiññānaṁ evaṁ vitthāro veditabbo.)

17Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi;

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

18Cavittha ca pana thullanandā bhikkhunī brahmacariyamhāti.

Ekādasamaṁ.