[93] The bhikkhus heard: "The Blessed One, it is said, has allowed those bhikkhus who are forest-dwellers, almsfood-eaters, and rag-robe wearers to approach to see him at their convenience." Longing to see the Blessed One, they discarded their felt rugs (santhata) and undertook the forest-dweller's practice (āraññakaṅga), the almsfood-eater's practice (piṇḍapātikaṅga), and the rag-robe wearer's practice (paṃsukūlikaṅga).
Then the Blessed One, while walking on a tour of the lodgings together with many bhikkhus, saw the felt rugs discarded here and there. Having seen them, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, whose are these felt rugs, discarded here and there?"
Then those bhikkhus reported the matter to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, having given a talk on the Dhamma with reference to that cause, with reference to that occasion, addressed the bhikkhus: "Well then, bhikkhus, I shall lay down a training rule for the bhikkhus, founded on ten reasons: for the excellence of the Saṅgha, for the comfort of the Saṅgha, for the restraint of shameless persons, for the comfortable abiding of well-behaved bhikkhus, for the restraint of taints (āsava) pertaining to the present life, for the warding off of taints pertaining to future lives, for the arousing of confidence in those without confidence, for the increase of confidence in those already confident, for the continuance of the true Dhamma, and for the support of the discipline (vinaya). And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule:
"When a bhikkhu is having a felt sitting-rug made, a piece one sugata-span in extent must be taken from around the border of an old felt rug in order to disfigure it. If a bhikkhu should have a new felt sitting-rug made without taking a sugata-span from around the border of an old felt rug, it entails relinquishment with expiation (nissaggiya pācittiya)."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.