[12] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time the bhikkhunī Sundarīnandā had become pregnant by Sāḷha, Migāra's grandson. As long as the pregnancy was immature, she concealed it. When the pregnancy was mature, she disrobed and gave birth.
The bhikkhunīs said this to the bhikkhunī Thullanandā: "Lady, Sundarīnandā has given birth not long after disrobing. Can it be that she was pregnant while she was still a bhikkhunī?"
"It is so, ladies."
"But, lady, knowing that a bhikkhunī had committed a pārājika offense, why did you neither accuse her yourself nor inform the group?"
"Whatever discredit is hers, that discredit is mine; whatever disrepute is hers, that disrepute is mine; whatever loss of fame is hers, that loss of fame is mine; whatever loss of gain is hers, that loss of gain is mine. Why, ladies, should I report to others my own discredit, my own disrepute, my own loss of fame, my own loss of gain?"
Those bhikkhunīs who were of few wishes … criticized, denounced, and spread it about: "How can Lady Thullanandā, knowing that a bhikkhunī has committed a pārājika offense, neither accuse her herself nor inform the group?" Then those bhikkhunīs reported this matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, on this occasion and in this connection, had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened and, having given a talk on the Dhamma, questioned the bhikkhus: "Is it true, bhikkhus, as is said, that the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, knowing that a bhikkhunī had committed a pārājika offense, neither accused her herself nor informed the group?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked her: "How, bhikkhus, can the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, knowing that a bhikkhunī has committed a pārājika offense, neither accuse her herself nor inform the group? This, bhikkhus, is neither for the confidence of those without confidence nor for the increase of those with confidence; rather, bhikkhus, it is for the lack of confidence of those without confidence, and for the vacillation of some who have confidence." …
"And thus, bhikkhus, let the bhikkhunīs recite this training rule (sikkhāpada):
Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that a bhikkhunī has committed a pārājika offense, should neither accuse her herself nor inform the group, and then—whether that one is still remaining, or has passed away, or has been expelled, or has gone over [to another community]—should afterwards say: 'Even before, ladies, I knew this bhikkhunī: that sister was of such-and-such and such-and-such a sort; yet I did not accuse her myself, nor did I inform the group'—she too is pārājika, excluded from communion (asaṃvāsā), a concealer of a fault (vajjapaṭicchādikā)."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.