[47] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time the bhikkhunī Caṇḍakālī was a maker of strife, a maker of quarrels, a maker of disputes, a maker of contention, a maker of legal issues (adhikaraṇa) in the Saṅgha. While a formal act (kamma) was being carried out against her, the bhikkhunī Thullanandā objected. Now at that time the bhikkhunī Thullanandā had gone to a village on some business. Then the bhikkhunī Saṅgha, [thinking,] "The bhikkhunī Thullanandā has departed," suspended (ukkhipi) the bhikkhunī Caṇḍakālī for not seeing an offense. The bhikkhunī Thullanandā, having concluded that business in the village, returned once more to Sāvatthī. When the bhikkhunī Thullanandā was arriving, the bhikkhunī Caṇḍakālī neither prepared a seat, nor set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-scraper, nor went out to meet her and receive her bowl and robe, nor offered her drinking water. The bhikkhunī Thullanandā said this to the bhikkhunī Caṇḍakālī: "Why, lady, when I was arriving, did you neither prepare a seat, nor set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-scraper, nor go out to meet me and receive my bowl and robe, nor offer me drinking water?"
"So it is, lady, for one who is without a protector."
"But why, lady, are you without a protector?"
"These bhikkhunīs, lady, [saying,] 'This one is without a protector, of no repute; there is no one at all who will speak up for her,' suspended me for not seeing an offense."
The bhikkhunī Thullanandā [said]: "These are fools, these are incompetent; they do not know a formal act, or a fault in a formal act, or the failure of a formal act, or the success of a formal act. It is we who know a formal act, a fault in a formal act, the failure of a formal act, and the success of a formal act. We could carry out a formal act not yet done, or we could overturn a formal act already done." Having very hurriedly convened the bhikkhunī Saṅgha, she reinstated (osāresi) the bhikkhunī Caṇḍakālī.
Those bhikkhunīs who were of few wishes … they deplored, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the lady Thullanandā, without obtaining leave of the saṅgha that performed the act, and without knowing the consent of the group, reinstate a bhikkhunī who was suspended by a united Saṅgha in accordance with the Dhamma, the Vinaya, the Teacher's instruction?" …
"Is it true, as they say, bhikkhus, that the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, without obtaining leave of the saṅgha that performed the act, and without knowing the consent of the group, reinstated a bhikkhunī who was suspended by a united Saṅgha in accordance with the Dhamma, the Vinaya, the Teacher's instruction?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked [her]: "How indeed, bhikkhus, can the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, without obtaining leave of the saṅgha that performed the act, and without knowing the consent of the group, reinstate a bhikkhunī who was suspended by a united Saṅgha in accordance with the Dhamma, the Vinaya, the Teacher's instruction? This, bhikkhus, is not for the confidence of those without confidence … And thus, bhikkhus, let the bhikkhunīs recite this training rule: Should any bhikkhunī, without obtaining leave of the saṅgha that performed the act, and without knowing the consent of the group, reinstate a bhikkhunī who was suspended by a united Saṅgha in accordance with the Dhamma, the Vinaya, the Teacher's instruction, this bhikkhunī too has committed a matter involving an offense from the first act, a saṅghādisesa entailing sending away."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.