[1] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, wished to build a dwelling for the Sangha of bhikkhunīs. Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, approached the bhikkhunīs and said this: "Ladies, I wish to build a dwelling for the Sangha of bhikkhunīs. Give me a bhikkhunī to supervise the building work (navakammikā)." Now at that time four sisters had gone forth among the bhikkhunīs: Nandā, Nandavatī, Sundarīnandā, and Thullanandā. Among them the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, gone forth while young, was beautiful, fair to behold, and graceful; she was wise, competent, intelligent, skilful, and diligent, endowed with the discriminating judgment suited to such matters, able to do and able to arrange. Then the Sangha of bhikkhunīs, having appointed the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, gave her to Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, as supervisor of the building work. Now at that time the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā went frequently to the residence of Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, saying: "Give an adze, give an axe, give a hatchet, give a hoe, give a chisel." And Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, also went frequently to the bhikkhunīs' quarters to learn what had been done and what had not been done. Through seeing each other constantly, their minds became bound [to each other]. Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, not obtaining an opportunity to defile the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, prepared a meal for the Sangha of bhikkhunīs for this very purpose. Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, arranging the seats in the refectory, arranged seats to one side, [thinking,] "So many bhikkhunīs are more senior than the lady Sundarīnandā," and arranged seats to one side, [thinking,] "So many are more junior"; and he arranged a seat for the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā in a concealed place, in a nook, so that the senior bhikkhunīs would suppose, "She is seated among the junior bhikkhunīs," and the junior bhikkhunīs too would suppose, "She is seated among the senior bhikkhunīs." Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, had the time announced to the Sangha of bhikkhunīs: "It is time, ladies; the meal is ready."
The bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, reflecting, "It was not out of great regard that Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, prepared a meal for the Sangha of bhikkhunīs; he wishes to defile me. If I go, there will be an outcry over me," instructed a pupil bhikkhunī: "Go, bring back almsfood for me; and whoever asks about me, inform them that I am ill." "Yes, lady," that bhikkhunī assented to the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā.
Now at that time Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, was standing at the outer gateway, inquiring after the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā: "Where, ladies, is the lady Sundarīnandā? Where, ladies, is the lady Sundarīnandā?" When this was said, the pupil bhikkhunī of the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā said this to Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra: "She is ill, sir; I shall bring back almsfood for her." Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, [thinking,] "It was for the sake of the lady Sundarīnandā that I prepared a meal for the Sangha of bhikkhunīs," directed the people, saying, "Serve the Sangha of bhikkhunīs with the meal," and approached the bhikkhunīs' quarters.
Now at that time the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā was standing outside the monastery gateway, watching for Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra. The bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā saw Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, coming while still far off; and having seen him, she entered the quarters and, covering herself up head and all, lay down on a couch. Then Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, approached the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā; having approached, he said this to the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā: "What ails you, lady? Why are you lying down?" "This, friend, is how it is for her who desires one who does not desire her." "How, lady, could I not desire you? It is only that I have found no opportunity to defile you." And, filled with lust, he engaged in bodily contact with the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, who was filled with lust.
Now at that time a certain bhikkhunī, feeble with age and afflicted in her feet, was lying down not far from the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā. That bhikkhunī saw Sāḷha, the grandson of Migāra, engaging in bodily contact with the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, who was filled with lust; having seen it, she deplored, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the lady Sundarīnandā, filled with lust, consent to bodily contact with a lustful male person?" Then that bhikkhunī reported this matter to the bhikkhunīs. Those bhikkhunīs who were of few wishes, contented, conscientious, scrupulous, and desirous of the training deplored, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the lady Sundarīnandā, filled with lust, consent to bodily contact with a lustful male person?" Then those bhikkhunīs reported this matter to the bhikkhus. Those bhikkhus deplored, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, filled with lust, consent to bodily contact with a lustful male person?" Then those bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, on that occasion, in that connection, having had the Sangha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the bhikkhus: "Is it true, bhikkhus, as is said, that the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, filled with lust, consented to bodily contact with a lustful male person?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked her: "Bhikkhus, it is unbecoming of the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, unsuitable, improper, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How indeed, bhikkhus, can the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā, filled with lust, consent to bodily contact with a lustful male person? Bhikkhus, this does not conduce to the confidence of those without confidence, nor to the increase of those who have confidence; rather, bhikkhus, it conduces to the lack of confidence of those without confidence, and to the vacillation of some who have confidence."
Then the Blessed One, having rebuked the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā in many ways, having spoken in dispraise of being difficult to support, difficult to maintain, of great wishes, of discontent, of socializing, and of laziness, and having spoken in many ways in praise of being easy to support, easy to maintain, of one of few wishes, of one who is contented, of effacement, of the shaking off [of defilements], of what is gracious and inspiring, of non-accumulation, and of the arousing of energy, and having given the bhikkhus a talk on the Dhamma befitting and appropriate to the matter, addressed the bhikkhus:
"Well then, bhikkhus, I shall lay down a training rule for the bhikkhunīs on account of ten reasons: for the excellence of the Sangha, for the comfort of the Sangha, for the restraint of shameless bhikkhunīs, for the comfortable dwelling of well-behaved bhikkhunīs, for the restraint of taints (āsava) pertaining to the present life, for the warding off of taints pertaining to future lives, for the confidence of those without confidence, for the increase [of confidence] of those who have confidence, for the continuance of the true Dhamma, and for the fostering of the Discipline. And thus, bhikkhus, let the bhikkhunīs recite this training rule:
'Whatever bhikkhunī, filled with lust, should consent to a lustful male person's rubbing, or rubbing up against, or taking hold of, or touching, or pressing [her, in the region] below the collarbone and above the circle of the knees — she too becomes a pārājika, not in communion, an ubbhajānumaṇḍalikā ("one [defeated] with respect to the area above the knee-circle").'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.