[266] Bhikkhus, once in the past, in this very Sāvatthī, there was a housewife named Vedehikā. And this fair report of the housewife Vedehikā had spread abroad: "The housewife Vedehikā is gentle; the housewife Vedehikā is meek; the housewife Vedehikā is calm." Now, bhikkhus, the housewife Vedehikā had a maidservant named Kāḷī, who was skilful, not lazy, and well-organized in her work.
Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to the maidservant Kāḷī: "This fair report of my mistress has spread abroad: 'The housewife Vedehikā is gentle; the housewife Vedehikā is meek; the housewife Vedehikā is calm.' Now, does my mistress in fact have anger present within her that she simply does not show, or is it absent? Or is it because my work is well-organized that my mistress does not show the anger that is present within her, not because it is absent? Suppose I were to test my mistress."
So, bhikkhus, the maidservant Kāḷī got up late in the day. Then, bhikkhus, the housewife Vedehikā said to the maidservant Kāḷī: "Hey there, wench Kāḷī!" "What is it, mistress?" "Why, wench, did you get up late in the day?" "Nothing at all, mistress." "Nothing indeed, you wicked slave, yet you get up late in the day!" — and angry and displeased, she scowled.
Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to the maidservant Kāḷī: "My mistress does have anger present within her that she does not show; it is not absent. It is because my work is well-organized that my mistress does not show the anger that is present within her, not because it is absent. Suppose I were to test my mistress still further."
So, bhikkhus, the maidservant Kāḷī got up still later in the day. Then, bhikkhus, the housewife Vedehikā said to the maidservant Kāḷī: "Hey there, wench Kāḷī!" "What is it, mistress?" "Why, wench, did you get up late in the day?" "Nothing at all, mistress." "Nothing indeed, you wicked slave, yet you get up late in the day!" — and angry and displeased, she gave vent to words of displeasure.
Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to the maidservant Kāḷī: "My mistress does have anger present within her that she does not show; it is not absent. It is because my work is well-organized that my mistress does not show the anger that is present within her, not because it is absent. Suppose I were to test still further."
So, bhikkhus, the maidservant Kāḷī got up still later in the day. Then, bhikkhus, the housewife Vedehikā said to the maidservant Kāḷī: "Hey there, wench Kāḷī!" "What is it, mistress?" "Why, wench, did you get up still later in the day?" "Nothing at all, mistress." "Nothing indeed, you wicked slave, yet you get up still later in the day!" — and angry and displeased, she seized the door-bolt pin and struck her a blow on the head, saying, "I shall split your head!"
Then, bhikkhus, the maidservant Kāḷī, with her head split open and blood streaming down, denounced her mistress to the neighbours: "See, ladies, the deed of the gentle one! See, ladies, the deed of the meek one! See, ladies, the deed of the calm one! How could she, because her only maidservant got up late in the day, become angry and displeased, seize the door-bolt pin, and strike her a blow on the head, saying, 'I shall split your head!'?"
Then, bhikkhus, after some time this evil report of the housewife Vedehikā spread abroad: "The housewife Vedehikā is violent; the housewife Vedehikā is not meek; the housewife Vedehikā is not calm."
Even so, bhikkhus, some bhikkhu here is exceedingly gentle, exceedingly meek, exceedingly calm — only so long as disagreeable ways of speech do not touch him. But it is when disagreeable ways of speech touch a bhikkhu, bhikkhus, that he is to be known as gentle, to be known as meek, to be known as calm.
Bhikkhus, I do not call a bhikkhu easy to admonish who is easy to admonish and attains to being easy to admonish for the sake of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. Why is that? Because, bhikkhus, when that bhikkhu does not obtain robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick, he is not easy to admonish and does not attain to being easy to admonish. But, bhikkhus, whatever bhikkhu is easy to admonish and attains to being easy to admonish honouring only the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma — him I call easy to admonish. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: "Honouring only the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, we shall be easy to admonish; we shall attain to being easy to admonish." Thus, bhikkhus, should you train.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.