[619] Then the Blessed One, on account of this matter and in this connection, having had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the bhikkhus: "Is it true, as they say, bhikkhus, that the bhikkhus who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu, resident at Kīṭāgiri—shameless, evil bhikkhus—engage in misconduct of this sort: they plant flowering shrubs and have them planted; they water them and have them watered; they gather them and have them gathered; they string them and have them strung; they make garlands with stalks on one side and have them made; they make garlands with stalks on both sides and have them made; they make flower-sprays and have them made; they make wreaths and have them made; they make chaplets and have them made; they make ear-ornaments of flowers and have them made; they make breast-plates of flowers and have them made; … and they engage in various kinds of misconduct; and that those people who formerly had faith and confidence are now without faith and without confidence; and that those channels of giving which formerly existed for the Saṅgha are now cut off; that well-behaved bhikkhus depart, and evil bhikkhus dwell there?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Awakened One, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "It is unfitting, bhikkhus, for those foolish men, … How indeed, bhikkhus, can those foolish men engage in misconduct of this sort: they plant flowering shrubs and have them planted; they water them and have them watered; they gather them and have them gathered; they string them and have them strung; they make garlands with stalks on one side and have them made; they make garlands with stalks on both sides and have them made; they make flower-sprays and have them made; they make wreaths and have them made; they make chaplets and have them made; they make ear-ornaments of flowers and have them made; they make breast-plates of flowers and have them made? They carry garlands with stalks on one side to women of respectable families, to daughters of respectable families, to girls of respectable families, to daughters-in-law of respectable families, and to female slaves of respectable families, and have them carried; they carry garlands with stalks on both sides and have them carried; they carry flower-sprays and have them carried; they carry wreaths and have them carried; they carry chaplets and have them carried; they carry ear-ornaments of flowers and have them carried; they carry breast-plates of flowers and have them carried. They eat with women of respectable families, with daughters of respectable families, with girls of respectable families, with daughters-in-law of respectable families, and with female slaves of respectable families from a single dish; they drink from a single vessel; they sit on a single seat; they lie down on a single bed; they lie down on a single mat; they lie down under a single covering; they lie down on a single mat and under a single covering. They eat at the wrong time; they drink intoxicating liquor; they wear garlands, perfumes, and unguents; they dance, they sing, they play instruments, they perform. To a woman dancing they dance; to a woman dancing they sing; to a woman dancing they play instruments; to a woman dancing they perform. To a woman singing they dance; to a woman singing they sing; to a woman singing they play instruments; to a woman singing they perform. To a woman playing instruments they dance; to a woman playing instruments they sing; to a woman playing instruments they play instruments; to a woman playing instruments they perform. To a woman performing they dance; to a woman performing they sing; to a woman performing they play instruments; to a woman performing they perform. They play on boards of eight rows; they play on boards of ten rows; they play on imaginary boards in the air; they play at stepping-diagrams on the ground; they play at spillikans; they play at dice; they play at tip-cat; they play at hand-pictures; they play at ball; they play at blowing through leaf-pipes; they play with toy ploughs; they play at turning somersaults; they play with toy windmills; they play with toy measures of leaves; they play with toy chariots; they play with toy bows; they play at guessing letters; they play at guessing thoughts; they play at mimicking deformities. They train in elephant-riding; they train in horsemanship; they train in chariotry; they train in archery; they train in swordsmanship. They run before an elephant; they run before a horse; they run before a chariot; they run hither and thither; they whistle; they snap their fingers; they wrestle; they fight with their fists. Having spread the outer robe in the middle of an arena, they say to a dancing girl, 'Dance here, sister!' They make signs of applause; and they engage in various kinds of misconduct. Bhikkhus, this is not for the confidence of those without confidence, … but for the vacillation of some."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.