[210] Then the Blessed One, having dwelt at Rājagaha for as long as he wished, set out on tour toward Sāvatthī. Wandering on tour by stages, he arrived at Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One dwelt at Sāvatthī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Now on that occasion, in the Kosalan country, the lay follower (upāsaka) Udena had had a dwelling (vihāra) built dedicated to the Saṅgha. He sent a messenger to the bhikkhus: "Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus."
The bhikkhus said this: "Friend, it has been laid down by the Blessed One that one who has entered upon the rains should not set out on tour without having stayed either the first three months or the last three months. Let the lay follower Udena wait for as long as the bhikkhus keep the rains-residence; when they have completed the rains they will go. But if he has some urgent duty, let him establish the dwelling right there in the presence of the resident bhikkhus."
The lay follower Udena complained, criticized, and spread it about: "How indeed can the venerable sirs not come when they have been sent for by me? For I am a donor, a builder, a supporter of the Saṅgha."
The bhikkhus heard the lay follower Udena as he complained, criticized, and spread it about. Then those bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having given a talk on the Dhamma in connection with this occasion, addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, I allow you to go, when sent for by seven [kinds of persons], on business that may be done within seven days (sattāhakaraṇīya), but not when not sent for: a bhikkhu, a bhikkhunī, a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī, a male lay follower, and a female lay follower (upāsikā). Bhikkhus, I allow you to go, when sent for by these seven, on business that may be done within seven days, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a lay follower has had a dwelling built dedicated to the Saṅgha. If he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a lay follower has had a half-gabled building (aḍḍhayoga) built dedicated to the Saṅgha … he has had a storied mansion (pāsāda) built; he has had a flat-roofed building (hammiya) built; he has had a cave-dwelling (guhā) built; he has had a cell compound (pariveṇa) built; he has had a gatehouse (koṭṭhaka) built; he has had an attendance hall (upaṭṭhānasālā) built; he has had a fire hall (aggisālā) built; he has had a hut for allowable things (kappiyakuṭī) built; he has had a privy (vaccakuṭī) built; he has had a walking-meditation path (caṅkama) built; he has had a walking-path hall built; he has had a well (udapāna) built; he has had a well-house built; he has had a bathhouse (jantāghara) built; he has had a bathhouse hall built; he has had a lotus pond (pokkharaṇī) built; he has had a pavilion (maṇḍapa) built; he has had a park (ārāma) made; he has had a park site (ārāmavatthu) prepared. If he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a lay follower, dedicated to several bhikkhus … dedicated to one bhikkhu, has had a dwelling built. He has had a half-gabled building built; he has had a storied mansion built; he has had a flat-roofed building built; he has had a cave-dwelling built; he has had a cell compound built; he has had a gatehouse built; he has had an attendance hall built; he has had a fire hall built; he has had a hut for allowable things built; he has had a privy built; he has had a walking-meditation path built; he has had a walking-path hall built; he has had a well built; he has had a well-house built; he has had a bathhouse built; he has had a bathhouse hall built; he has had a lotus pond built; he has had a pavilion built; he has had a park made; he has had a park site prepared. If he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a lay follower, dedicated to the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs, dedicated to several bhikkhunīs, dedicated to one bhikkhunī, dedicated to several sikkhamānās, dedicated to one sikkhamānā, dedicated to several sāmaṇeras, dedicated to one sāmaṇera, dedicated to several sāmaṇerīs, dedicated to one sāmaṇerī, has had a dwelling built. He has had a half-gabled building built; he has had a storied mansion built; he has had a flat-roofed building built; he has had a cave-dwelling built; he has had a cell compound built; he has had a gatehouse built; he has had an attendance hall built; he has had a fire hall built; he has had a hut for allowable things built; he has had a privy built; he has had a walking-meditation path built; he has had a walking-path hall built; he has had a well built; he has had a well-house built; he has had a lotus pond built; he has had a pavilion built; he has had a park made; he has had a park site prepared. If he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a lay follower has had a residence (nivesana) built for his own use. He has had a sleeping-house built; he has had a storehouse (uddosita) built; he has had a watchtower (aṭṭa) built; he has had a round hall (māḷa) built; he has had a shop (āpaṇa) built; he has had a shop hall built; he has had a storied mansion built; he has had a flat-roofed building built; he has had a cave-dwelling built; he has had a cell compound built; he has had a gatehouse built; he has had an attendance hall built; he has had a fire hall built; he has had a kitchen (rasavatī) built; he has had a privy built; he has had a walking-meditation path built; he has had a walking-path hall built; he has had a well built; he has had a well-house built; he has had a bathhouse built; he has had a bathhouse hall built; he has had a lotus pond built; he has had a pavilion built; he has had a park made; he has had a park site prepared. Or there is a wedding for his son, or there is a wedding for his daughter, or he is sick, or he recites a well-known discourse. If he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; they will master this discourse before this discourse perishes'—or he has some other business or duty; if he should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the venerable sirs come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a female lay follower has had a dwelling built dedicated to the Saṅgha. If she should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the masters (ayyā) come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a female lay follower has had a half-gabled building built dedicated to the Saṅgha. She has had a storied mansion built; she has had a flat-roofed building built; she has had a cave-dwelling built; she has had a cell compound built; she has had a gatehouse built; she has had an attendance hall built; she has had a fire hall built; she has had a hut for allowable things built; she has had a privy built; she has had a walking-meditation path built; she has had a walking-path hall built; she has had a well built; she has had a well-house built; she has had a bathhouse built; she has had a bathhouse hall built; she has had a lotus pond built; she has had a pavilion built; she has had a park made; she has had a park site prepared. If she should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the masters come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, a female lay follower, dedicated to several bhikkhus … dedicated to one bhikkhu, dedicated to the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs, dedicated to several bhikkhunīs, dedicated to one bhikkhunī, dedicated to several sikkhamānās, dedicated to one sikkhamānā, dedicated to several sāmaṇeras, dedicated to one sāmaṇera, dedicated to several sāmaṇerīs, dedicated to one sāmaṇerī … has had a residence built for her own use. She has had a sleeping-house built; she has had a storehouse built; she has had a watchtower built; she has had a round hall built; she has had a shop built; she has had a shop hall built; she has had a storied mansion built; she has had a flat-roofed building built; she has had a cave-dwelling built; she has had a cell compound built; she has had a gatehouse built; she has had an attendance hall built; she has had a fire hall built; she has had a kitchen built; she has had a privy built; she has had a walking-meditation path built; she has had a walking-path hall built; she has had a well built; she has had a well-house built; she has had a lotus pond built; she has had a pavilion built; she has had a park made; she has had a park site prepared. Or there is a wedding for her son, or there is a wedding for her daughter, or she is sick, or she recites a well-known discourse. If she should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the masters come; they will master this discourse before this discourse perishes'—or she has some other business or duty; if she should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the masters come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days.
"Here, bhikkhus, by a bhikkhu, dedicated to the Saṅgha; by a bhikkhunī, dedicated to the Saṅgha; by a sikkhamānā, dedicated to the Saṅgha; by a sāmaṇera, dedicated to the Saṅgha; by a sāmaṇerī, dedicated to the Saṅgha; dedicated to several bhikkhus; dedicated to one bhikkhu; dedicated to the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs; dedicated to several bhikkhunīs; dedicated to one bhikkhunī; dedicated to several sikkhamānās; dedicated to one sikkhamānā; dedicated to several sāmaṇeras; dedicated to one sāmaṇera; dedicated to several sāmaṇerīs; dedicated to one sāmaṇerī … a dwelling has been had built for one's own use. A half-gabled building has been had built; a storied mansion has been had built; a flat-roofed building has been had built; a cave-dwelling has been had built; a cell compound has been had built; a gatehouse has been had built; an attendance hall has been had built; a fire hall has been had built; a hut for allowable things has been had built; a privy has been had built; a walking-meditation path has been had built; a walking-path hall has been had built; a well has been had built; a well-house has been had built; a lotus pond has been had built; a pavilion has been had built; a park has been had made; a park site has been had prepared. If she should send a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying: 'Let the masters come; I wish to give a gift, to hear the Dhamma, and to see the bhikkhus'—you may go, bhikkhus, on business that may be done within seven days when sent for, but not when not sent for. The return must be made within seven days."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.