Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. the senior monks were taking turns instructing the nuns. Then, on one occasion, it was Venerable Cūḷapanthaka’s turn. Tena kho pana samayena therā bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo ovadanti pariyāyena. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato cūḷapanthakassa pariyāyo hoti bhikkhuniyo ovadituṁ. The nuns said, “Today the instruction won’t be effective. Venerable Cūḷapanthaka will just be repeating the same thing over and over.” Bhikkhuniyo evamāhaṁsu—“na dāni ajja ovādo iddho bhavissati, taññeva dāni udānaṁ ayyo cūḷapanthako punappunaṁ bhaṇissatī”ti.

Soon afterwards those nuns went to Cūḷapanthaka, bowed, and sat down. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmā cūḷapanthako tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ cūḷapanthakaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Cūḷapanthaka then said to them, “Are you all here, Sisters?” Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho tā bhikkhuniyo āyasmā cūḷapanthako etadavoca—“samaggāttha, bhaginiyo”ti?

“We’re all here, venerable.” “Samaggāmhāyyā”ti.

“Are you keeping the eight important principles?” “Vattanti, bhaginiyo, aṭṭha garudhammā”ti?

“We are.” “Vattantāyyā”ti.

After saying, “This is the instruction,” he uttered the same heartfelt exclamation again and again: “Eso, bhaginiyo, ovādo”ti niyyādetvā imaṁ udānaṁ punappunaṁ abhāsi—

And the nuns said, “Didn’t we say that the instruction wouldn’t be effective, that Venerable Cūḷapanthaka would just be repeating the same thing over and over?” Bhikkhuniyo evamāhaṁsu—“nanu avocumhā—na dāni ajja ovādo iddho bhavissati, taññeva dāni udānaṁ ayyo cūḷapanthako punappunaṁ bhaṇissatī”ti. Cūḷapanthaka overheard that conversation between the nuns. Assosi kho āyasmā cūḷapanthako tāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ imaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ. He then rose up into the air, walked back and forth in space, and he stood, sat down, and lay down there. He emitted smoke and fire, and he disappeared, all the while uttering the same heartfelt exclamation and many other sayings by the Buddha. Atha kho āyasmā cūḷapanthako vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe caṅkamatipi tiṭṭhatipi nisīdatipi seyyampi kappeti dhūmāyatipi pajjalatipi antaradhāyatipi, tañceva udānaṁ bhaṇati aññañca bahuṁ buddhavacanaṁ. The nuns said, Bhikkhuniyo evamāhaṁsu—“It’s astonishing and amazing! “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. No previous instruction has been as effective as this one from Venerable Cūḷapanthaka!” Na vata no ito pubbe ovādo evaṁ iddho bhūtapubbo yathā ayyassa cūḷapanthakassā”ti. And Cūḷapanthaka kept on instructing those nuns until the dark of night and then dismissed them, saying, “Go, Sisters.” Atha kho āyasmā cūḷapanthako tā bhikkhuniyo yāva samandhakārā ovaditvā uyyojesi—“gacchatha, bhaginiyo”ti.

But because the gates to town were closed, those nuns spent the night outside and only entered early in the morning. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo nagaradvāre thakite bahinagare vasitvā kālasseva nagaraṁ pavisanti. People complained and criticized them, “These nuns aren’t celibate. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“abrahmacāriniyo imā bhikkhuniyo; They spend the night in the monastery with the monks and only now do they enter town.” ārāme bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ vasitvā idāni nagaraṁ pavisantī”ti.

The monks heard the complaints of those people, Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Cūḷapanthaka, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Cūḷapanthaka instruct the nuns after the sun has set?”… “kathañhi nāma āyasmā cūḷapanthako atthaṅgate sūriye bhikkhuniyo ovadissatī”ti …pe… “Is it true, Cūḷapanthaka, that you did this?” “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, cūḷapanthaka, atthaṅgate sūriye bhikkhuniyo ovadasī”ti?

“It’s true, sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

The Buddha rebuked him … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “Cūḷapanthaka, how could you do this? kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, cūḷapanthaka, atthaṅgate sūriye bhikkhuniyo ovadissasi. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, cūḷapanthaka, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—