[407] Now at that time the elder bhikkhus who had been duly appointed, when exhorting the bhikkhunīs, were still recipients, just as before, of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. Then it occurred to the bhikkhus of the group of six: "At present, friends, the elder bhikkhus who have been duly appointed, when exhorting the bhikkhunīs, are still recipients, just as before, of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. Come, friends, let us too go outside the boundary (sīmā), appoint one another as exhorters of bhikkhunīs, and exhort the bhikkhunīs." Then the bhikkhus of the group of six, having gone outside the boundary and appointed one another as exhorters of bhikkhunīs, approached the bhikkhunīs and said this: "Sisters, we too have been appointed. Come to us; we too shall exhort you." Then those bhikkhunīs approached the bhikkhus of the group of six; having approached, they paid homage to the bhikkhus of the group of six and sat down to one side. Then the bhikkhus of the group of six, having given the bhikkhunīs only a trifling talk on the Dhamma and having passed the day in pointless talk (tiracchānakathā), dismissed them, saying: "Go, sisters."
Then those bhikkhunīs approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. As they stood to one side, the Blessed One said this to those bhikkhunīs: "Bhikkhunīs, was the exhortation effective?" "How, venerable sir, could the exhortation be effective? The masters of the group of six, having given only a trifling talk on the Dhamma and having passed the day in pointless talk, dismissed us."
Then the Blessed One instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened those bhikkhunīs with a talk on the Dhamma. Then those bhikkhunīs, having been instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a talk on the Dhamma, rose from their seats, paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on their right, and departed.
Then the Blessed One, on that occasion and in that connection, having had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the bhikkhus of the group of six: "Is it true, as they say, bhikkhus, that you, having given the bhikkhunīs only a trifling talk on the Dhamma and having passed the day in pointless talk, dismissed them?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Awakened One, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "How could you, foolish men, having given the bhikkhunīs only a trifling talk on the Dhamma and having passed the day in pointless talk, dismiss them? This, foolish men, is not for the confidence of those without confidence, nor for the increase of those with confidence …"
Having rebuked them and given a talk on the Dhamma, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, I allow a bhikkhu endowed with eight qualities to be appointed as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs: he is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he trains by undertaking the training rules; he is learned, a retainer of what he has heard, an accumulator of what he has heard — those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, which proclaim with meaning and phrasing the holy life utterly complete and pure — such teachings have been much learned by him, retained, recited verbally, reviewed in the mind, and well penetrated by view; both Pātimokkhas have been well handed down to him in detail, well analysed, well mastered, well determined, rule by rule and detail by detail; he has a good voice and good enunciation; he is, for the most part, dear and agreeable to the bhikkhunīs; he is capable of exhorting bhikkhunīs; he has never before committed a grave offence (garudhamma) against a woman gone forth in dedication to the Blessed One, wearing the ochre robe; and he is of twenty years' standing or of more than twenty years' standing. Bhikkhus, I allow a bhikkhu endowed with these eight qualities to be appointed as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.