[83] People complained, criticized, and spread it about: "These ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, are shameless, immoral, speakers of falsehood. And these very ones will claim: 'We are followers of the Dhamma, livers of the holy life, speakers of truth, virtuous, of good character.' There is no asceticism in these men, there is no brahminhood in these men; asceticism has perished for these men, brahminhood has perished for these men. Whence asceticism for these men? Whence brahminhood for these men? These men have fallen away from asceticism; these men have fallen away from brahminhood. They deceive even the king — how much more, then, other people!"
Bhikkhus heard those people complaining, criticizing, and spreading it about. Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes, contented, conscientious, scrupulous, and desirous of the training complained, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed could the Venerable Dhaniya Kumbhakāraputta take the king's timber that was not given?" Then those bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, on that occasion and in that connection, had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened and questioned the Venerable Dhaniya Kumbhakāraputta: "Is it true, as they say, Dhaniya, that you took the king's timber that was not given?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him: "It is unfitting, foolish man (moghapurisa), unsuitable, improper, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How indeed could you, foolish man, take the king's timber that was not given? This, foolish man, is neither for the confidence of those without confidence nor for the increase of those who have confidence; rather, foolish man, it is for the non-confidence of those without confidence, and for the wavering of some who have confidence."
Now at that time a certain former minister of justice, gone forth among the bhikkhus, was seated not far from the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One said this to that bhikkhu: "For how much, bhikkhu, does King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having seized a thief, execute him, or imprison him, or banish him?"
"For a pāda, Blessed One, or for what is worth a pāda, or for more than a pāda."
Now at that time in Rājagaha a pāda was five māsakas.
Then the Blessed One, having rebuked the Venerable Dhaniya Kumbhakāraputta in many ways, spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support … having spoken in praise of the arousing of energy, and having given a talk on the Dhamma fitting to that and appropriate to that, addressed the bhikkhus: … "And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule:
"Should any bhikkhu take, by what is reckoned as theft, what is not given — such a taking of what is not given that kings, having seized a thief, would execute him, or imprison him, or banish him, saying: 'You are a thief, you are a fool, you are deluded, you are a robber' — a bhikkhu taking what is not given of such a sort: he too is pārājika, not in communion."
And thus this training rule was laid down by the Blessed One for the bhikkhus.
[Editorial notes of the Siam Raṭṭha edition: (1) In the European and Burmese books the passage "kathaṃ hi nāma mādiso samaṇaṃ vā brāhmaṇaṃ vā vijite vasantaṃ haneyya vā bandheyya vā pabbājeyya vā" is construed in the singular. (2) Most editions read "khiyyanti" (and "khiyyantānaṃ"). (3) The Yojanā/European reading: "ādiyī."]
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.