[224] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Now at that time several bhikkhus, acquainted with one another and living on companionable terms, entered upon the rains residence (vassa) in a certain dwelling in the Kosalan country. Then it occurred to those bhikkhus: "By what means might we dwell for the rains in concord, in mutual appreciation, without dispute, comfortably, and not be wearied on account of almsfood?"
Then it occurred to those bhikkhus: "Suppose we were neither to address nor to converse with one another. Whoever returns first from the village from the alms-round should prepare a seat; should set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-wiper; should wash the refuse bowl and set it in place; and should set out drinking water and water for use. Whoever returns last from the village from the alms-round — if there is a remainder of what has been eaten, then if he wishes he may eat it; if he does not wish, he should discard it in a place free of green vegetation, or drop it into water free of living creatures. He should take up the seat; should put away the water for the feet, the footstool, and the foot-wiper; should wash the refuse bowl and put it away; should put away the drinking water and the water for use; and should sweep the refectory. Whoever sees a pot for drinking water, a pot for water for use, or a pot of water for the privy void and empty, he should set it in place. If it is beyond his strength, he should summon a second by a gesture of the hand and set it in place by the effort of their hands together — but on that account he should not break into speech. In this way we might dwell for the rains in concord, in mutual appreciation, without dispute, comfortably, and not be wearied on account of almsfood."
Then those bhikkhus neither addressed nor conversed with one another. Whoever returned first from the village from the alms-round prepared a seat; set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-wiper; washed the refuse bowl and set it in place; and set out drinking water and water for use. Whoever returned last from the village from the alms-round — if there was a remainder of what had been eaten, then if he wished he ate it; if he did not wish, he discarded it in a place free of green vegetation, or dropped it into water free of living creatures. He took up the seat; put away the water for the feet, the footstool, and the foot-wiper; washed the refuse bowl and put it away; put away the drinking water and the water for use; and swept the refectory. Whoever saw a pot for drinking water, a pot for water for use, or a pot of water for the privy void and empty, he set it in place. If it was beyond his strength, he summoned a second by a gesture of the hand and set it in place by the effort of their hands together — but on that account he did not break into speech.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.