[105] Then a number of bhikkhus, having dressed in the forenoon, taking bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Having walked for alms in Sāvatthī, when they had returned from the alms round after the meal, they approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Blessed One: "At present, venerable sir, when the people in Sāvatthī see bhikkhus, they abuse, revile, provoke, and harass them with ignoble, harsh words: 'These ascetics, sons of the Sakyan, are shameless, immoral, of evil character, speakers of falsehood, not celibate (abrahmacārī). And yet these very ones will claim to be followers of the Dhamma, of peaceful conduct (samacārī), celibate, speakers of truth, virtuous, and of good character! There is no asceticism (sāmañña) in these, there is no brahminhood (brahmañña) in these; the asceticism of these is destroyed, the brahminhood of these is destroyed. Whence asceticism for these? Whence brahminhood for these? These are fallen away from asceticism, these are fallen away from brahminhood. For how indeed could a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life?'"
"Bhikkhus, this sound will not last long; it will last only seven days, and with the passing of seven days it will vanish. Well then, bhikkhus, those people who, on seeing bhikkhus, abuse, revile, provoke, and harass them with ignoble, harsh words — you should reprove them in return with this verse:
The speaker of untruth goes to hell (niraya),
as does he who, having done a deed, says, 'I did not do it';
both of these, having passed away, become equal —
human beings of base deeds in the world beyond."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.