[377] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now on that occasion the venerable Udāyi was dwelling in a forest. That venerable one's dwelling was beautiful, fair to see, delightful, with an inner chamber in the middle and a gallery running all around; the bed and bench were well laid out, the mattress and pillow set in place, drinking water and water for use well provided, and the surrounding yard well swept. Many people came to look at the venerable Udāyi's dwelling. A certain brahmin, too, together with his wife, approached the venerable Udāyi, and having approached, said to the venerable Udāyi: "We wish to look at the honorable Udāyi's dwelling."
"Then, brahmin, look at it," and taking the key, unfastening the latch, and pushing open the door, he entered the dwelling. The brahmin entered behind the venerable Udāyi, and the brahmin's wife entered behind the brahmin. Then the venerable Udāyi, opening some of the windows and closing some of the windows, went round the inner chamber, and coming up from behind, touched that brahmin lady limb by limb. Then the brahmin, having exchanged courtesies with the venerable Udāyi, departed. Then the brahmin, delighted, gave voice to words of delight: "Lofty indeed are these ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, who dwell in such a forest! The honorable Udāyi, too, is lofty, who dwells in such a forest!"
When this was said, the brahmin lady said to that brahmin: "Whence his loftiness? Just as you touched me limb by limb, even so did the ascetic Udāyi touch me limb by limb."
Then that brahmin criticized, complained, and spread it about: "Shameless are these ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, immoral, speakers of falsehood. These very ones will claim to be walkers in the Dhamma, walkers in evenness, livers of the holy life, speakers of truth, virtuous, of good character! There is no asceticism in them, there is no brahminhood in them; perished is their asceticism, perished is their brahminhood; whence their asceticism, whence their brahminhood? Fallen away are they from asceticism, fallen away are they from brahminhood. How indeed can the ascetic Udāyi touch my wife limb by limb? It is not possible for women of family, daughters of family, girls of family, daughters-in-law of family, or female slaves of family to go to a park or a dwelling; for if women of family, daughters of family, girls of family, daughters-in-law of family, or female slaves of family should go to a park or a dwelling, the ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, would defile them too."
Bhikkhus heard that brahmin criticizing, complaining, and spreading it about. Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes, contented, conscientious, scrupulous, and desirous of the training criticized, complained, and spread it about: "How indeed can the venerable Udāyi engage in bodily contact (kāyasaṃsagga) with a woman?" Then those bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, on that ground and on that account, having had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the venerable Udāyi: "Is it true, as they say, Udāyi, that you engage in bodily contact with a woman?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him: "It is unbecoming, foolish man (moghapurisa), unsuitable, improper, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How indeed can you, foolish man, engage in bodily contact with a woman? Has not the Dhamma been taught by me, foolish man, in many ways for the sake of dispassion, not for passion … the allaying of the fevers of sensuality has been declared? This, foolish man, is not for the arousing of confidence in those without confidence … And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule: Whatever bhikkhu, overcome [by lust], with a perverted mind, should engage in bodily contact with a woman — holding her hand, or holding a braid of her hair, or rubbing any limb whatsoever — [it is an offense of] saṅghādisesa."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.