… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time monks who were elders, exhorting nuns, came to receive requisites of robes, alms-food, lodgings, medicines for the sick. Then it occurred to the group of six monks:

“Your reverences, at present monks who are elders, exhorting nuns, come to receive requisites … for the sick. Come, your reverences, let us too exhort nuns.”

Then the group of six monks, approaching nuns, spoke thus:

“Now, approach us, sisters, then we will exhort (you).”

Then those nuns approached the group of six monks, and having approached and greeted the group of six monks, they sat down at a respectful distance. Then the group of six monks, giving the nuns merely inferior talk on dhamma, spending the day in worldly talk, dismissed them, saying: “Go, sisters.”

Then these nuns approached the lord, and having approached and greeted the lord, they stood at a respectful distance. As they were standing at a respectful distance, the lord spoke thus to these nuns:

“I hope, nuns, that the exhortation was effective?”

“Lord, how could the exhortation be effective? The masters, the group of six monks, giving merely inferior talk … dismissed us, saying, ‘Go, sisters.’”

Then the lord gladdened, roused, pleased, delighted these nuns with talk on dhamma. Then these nuns, gladdened … delighted by the lord with talk on dhamma, greeting the lord, departed, keeping their right sides towards him. Then the lord, on this occasion, in this connection, having had the Order of monks convened, questioned the group of six monks, saying:

“Is it true, as is said, that you, monks, giving nuns merely inferior talk … ‘Go, sisters’?”

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:

“How can you, foolish men, giving nuns merely inferior talk on dhamma … dismiss them, saying: ‘Go, sisters’? It is not, foolish men, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased …” And having rebuked them, and given reasoned talk, he addressed the monks, saying:

“Monks, I allow (you) to agree upon an exhorter of nuns. And thus, monks, should he be agreed upon. First, a monk should be requested, and having been requested, the Order should be informed by an experienced, competent monk, saying: ‘Honoured sirs, let the Order listen to me. If it seems right to the Order, let the Order agree upon the monk so and so as exhorter of nuns. This is the motion. Honoured sirs, let the Order listen to me. The Order agrees Upon the monk so and so as exhorter of nuns. If it pleases the venerable ones, let the monk so and so be agreed upon as exhorter of nuns … they should speak. And a second time I tell this matter … And a third time I tell this matter. Let the Order listen to me … they should speak. The monk so and so is agreed upon by the Order as exhorter of nuns, and it is right … Thus do I understand this.’”

Then the lord, having rebuked the group of six monks in many a figure for their weakness … “… And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:

“Whatever monk, not agreed upon, should exhort nuns, there is an offence of expiation.”

And thus this rule of training for monks came to be laid down by the lord.

Now at that time monks who were elders, (and who had been) agreed upon, exhorting nuns, came to receive, as before, requisites of robes, alms-food, lodgings, medicines for the sick. Then it occurred to the group of six monks:

“Your reverences, at present, the monks who are elders, (and who have been) agreed upon, exhorting nuns, are receiving, as before, requisites … for the sick. Come, your reverences, let us, going outside the boundary, agreeing upon one another as exhorter of nuns, exhort the nuns.”

Then the group of six monks, going outside the boundary, agreeing upon one another as exhorter of nuns, approaching the nuns, said:

“Now we, sisters, are agreed upon, so approach us and we will exhort (you).”

Then these nuns … etc., as above Bu-Pc.21.1.1 … having rebuked them, and given reasoned talk, addressed the monks, saying:

“I allow you, monks, to agree upon a monk endowed with eight qualities as exhorter of nuns: one who is virtuous, who lives restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, who is possessed of good behaviour and lawful resort, who sees danger in the slightest faults, who undertaking, trains himself in the rules of training, who has become very learned, who knows the learning by heart, who is a store of learning. Those things which, lovely at the beginning, lovely at the middle, lovely at the ending, declare with the spirit, with the letter the Brahma-life completely fulfilled, wholly purified—such things come to be much learned by him, learnt by heart, repeated out loud, carefully pondered over, well penetrated by vision; both the Pātimokkhas come to be properly handed down to him in detail, well sectioned, well regulated, well investigated rule by rule, as to the linguistic form. He comes to be of charming speech, of charming delivery; as a rule he becomes dear to nuns, liked (by them), he becomes competent to exhort nuns, he does not come to be one who, on going forth for the sake of the lord, on being clad in the yellow robes, has previously committed (some offence) against an important rule; he comes to be one of twenty years’ standing or of more than twenty years’ standing. Monks, I allow you to agree upon a monk endowed with these eight qualities as exhorter of nuns.”

Whatever means: … is monk to be understood in this case.

Not agreed upon means: not agreed upon by an (official) act at which the motion is put three times and then followed by the decision.

Nuns means: ordained by both Orders.

Should exhort means: if he exhorts concerning the eight important rules, there is an offence of expiation. If he exhorts concerning another rule, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he exhorts one who has been ordained by one (Order only), there is an offence of wrong-doing.

When that monk has been agreed upon, sweeping the cell, providing drinking water and water for washing, making ready a seat, taking a colleague, they should sit down. The nuns going there, greeting that monk, should sit down at a respectful distance. They should be asked by that monk: ‘Sisters, are you all come?’ If they say: ‘Master, we are all come,’ he says: ‘Sisters, are the eight important rules being kept up?’ If they say: ‘Master, they are being kept up,’ he, saying: ‘This, sisters, is the exhortation,’ should deliver it. If they say: ‘Master, they are not being kept up,’ he should expound them:

A nun who has been ordained (even) for a century must greet respectfully, rise up from her seat, salute with joined palms, do proper homage to a monk ordained but that day. This rule is to be honoured, respected, revered, venerated, never to be transgressed during her life.

A nun must not spend the rains in a residence where there is no monk. This rule is to be honoured … her life.

Every half month a nun should desire two things from the Order of monks: the asking (as to the date) of the Observance day, and the coming for the exhortation. This rule is to be honoured … her life.

After the rains, a nun must keep the ceremony held at the end of the rains before both Orders, in respect of three matters: what was seen, what was heard, what was suspected. This rule is to be honoured … her life.

A nun, offending against an important rule, must undergo the mānatta discipline for half a month before both Orders. This rule … her life.

When, as a novice, she has trained in the six rules for two years, she should seek ordination from both Orders. This rule … her life.

A monk is not to be reviled or abused in any way by a nun. This rule … her life.

From today, admonition of monks by nuns is forbidden, admonition of nuns by monks is not forbidden. This rule is to be honoured, respected, revered, venerated, never to be transgressed during her life.

If, saying, ‘Master, we are all come,’ he speaks another rule, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If, saying, ‘Master, we are not all come,’ he speaks the eight important rules, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If, not delivering the exhortation, he speaks another rule, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of expiation. If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of expiation. If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of expiation.

If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is not all come … If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether the Order of nuns is not all come … thinking that they are all come … there is an offence of expiation.

If he thinks that it is a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is not all come … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether it is not all come … (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of expiation.

If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is all come … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether it is not all come … (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of expiation.

If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is all come … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether it is not all come … (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of expiation.

If he thinks that it is a legally valid act when it is not a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is all come … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether it is not all come … (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of expiation.

If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is not all come … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether it is not all come … (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he is in doubt as to whether it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come … being in doubt … thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he thinks that it is a legally valid act when it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come … being in doubt … thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is not all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he thinks that it is not a legally valid act when it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is all come … is in doubt … thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he is in doubt as to whether it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is all come when the Order of nuns is all come … there is an offence of wrong-doing.

If he thinks that it is a legally valid act when it is a legally valid act (and) exhorts, thinking that it is not all come when the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing … (and) exhorts, being in doubt as to whether the Order of nuns is all come, there is an offence of wrong-doing … thinking that the Order of nuns is all come when it is all come, there is no offence.

There is no offence (in) giving an exposition, giving an interrogation; if he expounds being called upon: ‘Expound, master if she asks a question; if, having, asked a question, he speaks; if, talking for the good of another, nuns hear; if it is to a female probationer, if it is to a female novice; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.

The First