[182] Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Assemble, bhikkhus; the Saṅgha will perform a formal act (kamma)." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, there is a sick bhikkhu; he has not come."
"Bhikkhus, I allow a sick bhikkhu to give his consent (chanda). And thus, bhikkhus, should it be given: that sick bhikkhu, having approached one bhikkhu, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, having squatted down and raised his joined palms, should say to him: 'I give my consent; convey my consent; announce my consent.' If he makes it known by body, makes it known by speech, or makes it known by body and speech, the consent has been given. If he does not make it known by body, does not make it known by speech, and does not make it known by body and speech, the consent has not been given. If this can be managed thus, that is good; if it cannot, bhikkhus, that sick bhikkhu should be brought into the midst of the Saṅgha on a bed or on a chair, and the formal act should be performed. If, bhikkhus, it occurs to the bhikkhus attending on the sick one: 'If we move the sick one from his place, either the illness will worsen or death will occur,' then, bhikkhus, the sick one should not be moved from his place; the Saṅgha should go there and perform the formal act. But under no circumstances should a formal act be performed by an incomplete Saṅgha; if one should perform it, there is an offence of wrong-doing (dukkaṭa).
"If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent departs right there, the consent should be given to another. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent right there disrobes, dies, admits to being a novice (sāmaṇera), admits to having renounced the training, admits to having committed an extreme offence, admits to being mad, admits to being deranged in mind, admits to being afflicted by pain, admits to being suspended for not seeing an offence, admits to being suspended for not making amends for an offence, admits to being suspended for not relinquishing a bad view, admits to being a paṇḍaka, admits to living in communion by theft, admits to having gone over to the sectarians, admits to being an animal, admits to being a matricide, admits to being a patricide, admits to being a killer of an arahant, admits to being a violator of a bhikkhunī, admits to being a schismatic, admits to being one who shed (a Tathāgata's) blood, or admits to being a hermaphrodite — the consent should be given to another.
"If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent departs while on the way, the consent has not been conveyed. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent, while on the way, disrobes, dies … admits to being a hermaphrodite, the consent has not been conveyed. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent, having reached the Saṅgha, departs, the consent has been conveyed. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent, having reached the Saṅgha, disrobes, dies … admits to being a hermaphrodite, the consent has been conveyed. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent, having reached the Saṅgha, falls asleep and does not announce it, is heedless and does not announce it, or enters a meditative attainment and does not announce it, the consent has been conveyed; there is no offence for the conveyor of the consent. If, bhikkhus, when the consent has been given, the conveyor of the consent, having reached the Saṅgha, deliberately does not announce it, the consent has been conveyed, but there is an offence of wrong-doing for the conveyor of the consent.
"Bhikkhus, I allow, on that uposatha day, one who gives his declaration of purity (pārisuddhi) to give his consent as well, [thinking:] 'There may be business for the Saṅgha to do.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.