So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Now at that time the Buddha was honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. And the mendicant Saṅgha was also honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. Bhikkhusaṅghopi sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. But the wanderers who followed other religions were not honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they didn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. Aññatitthiyā pana paribbājakā asakkatā honti agarukatā amānitā apūjitā anapacitā na lābhino cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.

Then those wanderers who followed other religions, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Sangha, approached the female wanderer Sundarī and said, Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bhagavato sakkāraṁ asahamānā bhikkhusaṅghassa ca yena sundarī paribbājikā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sundariṁ paribbājikaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Sister, are you able to do something for the welfare of your kin?” “ussahasi tvaṁ, bhagini, ñātīnaṁ atthaṁ kātun”ti? “What can I do, masters? “Kyāhaṁ, ayyā, karomi? How can I help? Kiṁ mayā na sakkā kātuṁ? I’d even give my life for the welfare of my kin.” Jīvitampi me pariccattaṁ ñātīnaṁ atthāyā”ti.

“Well then, sister, frequently visit Jeta’s Grove.” “Tena hi, bhagini, abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ gacchāhī”ti. “Yes, masters,” she replied, and did as they asked. “Evaṁ, ayyā”ti kho sundarī paribbājikā tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ paṭissutvā abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ agamāsi.

When those wanderers knew Yadā te aññiṁsu aññatitthiyā paribbājakā: that Sundarī had been clearly seen by many people frequently visiting Jeta’s Grove, “vodiṭṭhā kho sundarī paribbājikā bahujanena abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ gacchantī”ti. they killed her and dumped her in the ditch around Jeta’s Grove. Then they went to see King Pasenadi of Kosala and said to him, Atha naṁ jīvitā voropetvā tattheva jetavanassa parikhākūpe nikkhipitvā yena rājā pasenadi kosalo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Great king, we cannot find the female wanderer Sundarī.” “yā sā, mahārāja, sundarī paribbājikā; sā no na dissatī”ti. “But where do you suspect she is?” “Kattha pana tumhe āsaṅkathā”ti? “At Jeta’s Grove, great king.” “Jetavane, mahārājā”ti. “Well then, search Jeta’s Grove.” “Tena hi jetavanaṁ vicinathā”ti.

So the wanderers searched Jeta’s Grove. They pulled her body up from the ditch where they had dumped it, and lifted it on a bier. Having entered Sāvatthī, they went from street to street and from square to square, complaining to people: Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā jetavanaṁ vicinitvā yathānikkhittaṁ parikhākūpā uddharitvā mañcakaṁ āropetvā sāvatthiṁ pavesetvā rathiyāya rathiyaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā manusse ujjhāpesuṁ:

“See the deed of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan! “Passathāyyā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ kammaṁ. Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral and wicked. They are liars and unchaste. Alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. But they have no asceticism, no spirituality. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them! Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality? Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality! Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!” Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī”ti.

Then at that time when the people of Sāvatthī saw the mendicants they abused and insulted them with rude, harsh words: Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti:

“Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral, wicked, liars, and fake chastes. “Alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. But they have no asceticism, no spirituality. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them! Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality? Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality! Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!” Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī”ti.

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁsu. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Etarahi, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti: ‘alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī’”ti.

“That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish. “Neso, bhikkhave, saddo ciraṁ bhavissati sattāhameva bhavissati. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissati. So you may respond to those critics with this verse: Tena hi, bhikkhave, ye manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti, te tumhe imāya gāthāya paṭicodetha:

A liar goes to hell, ‘Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, as does one who denies what they did. Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha; Both are equal in the hereafter, Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, those men of base deeds.” Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā’”ti.

The mendicants memorized that verse in the Buddha’s presence, then used it to respond to those critics. Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā ye manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti te imāya gāthāya paṭicodenti:

“Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha; Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā”ti.

People thought, Manussānaṁ etadahosi: “These ascetics who follow the Sakyan didn’t do it, it was not done by them, they swear it.” “akārakā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā, nayimehi kataṁ, sapantime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā”ti. That rumor didn’t last long. It was seven days, then it vanished. Neva so saddo ciraṁ ahosi. Sattāhameva ahosi. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyi.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etadavocuṁ:

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! “Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. How well said this was by the Buddha: Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish.’ ‘neso, bhikkhave, saddo ciraṁ bhavissati. Sattāhameva bhavissati. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissatī’ti. That rumor has vanished, sir.” Antarahito so, bhante, saddo”ti.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“People out of control stab with words, “Tudanti vācāya janā asaññatā, like they stab a tusker in battle with darts. Sarehi saṅgāmagataṁva kuñjaraṁ; When they hear a harsh word spoken, Sutvāna vākyaṁ pharusaṁ udīritaṁ, a mendicant should endure with no anger in heart.” Adhivāsaye bhikkhu aduṭṭhacitto”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.