[781] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time a certain bhikkhunī, having walked for alms in Sāvatthī, on her way back saw a certain bhikkhu and said this: "Come, venerable sir, please accept alms." Saying, "Very well, sister," he took all of it. When the time was drawing near, she was unable to walk for alms, and she went without her meal. Then on the second day … on the third day, that bhikkhunī, having walked for alms in Sāvatthī, on her way back saw that bhikkhu and said this: "Come, venerable sir, please accept alms." Saying, "Very well, sister," he took all of it. When the time was drawing near, she was unable to walk for alms, and she went without her meal.
Then on the fourth day that bhikkhunī went trembling along the street. A merchant householder, coming from the opposite direction in a chariot, said this to that bhikkhunī: "Move aside, noble lady." Stepping aside, she fell down right there. The merchant householder asked that bhikkhunī's forgiveness: "Forgive me, noble lady — you were made to fall by me." "Householder, I was not made to fall by you; rather, it is I myself who am weak." "But why, noble lady, are you weak?" Then that bhikkhunī told this matter to the merchant householder. The merchant householder, having led that bhikkhunī to his house and fed her, criticized, denounced, and spread it about: "How can the venerable ones accept food (āmisa) from the hand of a bhikkhunī? Gains come with difficulty for womenfolk."
Bhikkhus heard the merchant householder criticizing, denouncing, and spreading it about. Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes … criticized, denounced, and spread it about: "How can a bhikkhu accept food from the hand of a bhikkhunī?" … "Is it true, bhikkhu, that you accepted food from the hand of a bhikkhunī?" "It is true, Blessed One." "Is she a relative of yours, bhikkhu, or not a relative?" "Not a relative, Blessed One." "Foolish man, one who is not a relative does not know, regarding a woman who is not a relative, what is proper or what is improper, what there is or what there is not. How could you, foolish man, accept food from the hand of an unrelated bhikkhunī? This, foolish man, is not for the arousing of confidence in those without confidence, nor for the increase of confidence in those already confident. …
"And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule (sikkhāpada):
"Whatever bhikkhu, having accepted with his own hand solid food (khādanīya) or soft food (bhojanīya) from the hand of an unrelated bhikkhunī who has entered among the houses, should chew or eat it — it is to be acknowledged by that bhikkhu thus: 'Friend, I have committed a blameworthy thing, unsuitable, which ought to be acknowledged (pāṭidesanīya); I acknowledge it.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.