[174] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Campā, on the bank of the Gaggarā lotus pond. Now at that time in the Kāsi country there was a village named Vāsabhagāma. There a bhikkhu named Kassapagotta was the resident bhikkhu (āvāsika), bound to the duties of that place (tantibaddha), and had taken up zealous effort, thinking: "How might well-behaved bhikkhus who have not yet come, come; and how might well-behaved bhikkhus who have come dwell at ease; and how might this monastery attain to growth, increase, and abundance?"
Now at that time several bhikkhus, wandering on tour through Kāsi, arrived at Vāsabhagāma. The bhikkhu Kassapagotta saw those bhikkhus coming from afar; having seen them, he prepared seats; he set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-scraper; going out to meet them, he received their bowls and robes; he offered them drinking water; he made zealous effort concerning their bathing, and he made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. Then it occurred to those incoming bhikkhus: "Excellent, friends, is this resident bhikkhu: he makes zealous effort concerning bathing, and he makes zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. Come, friends, let us take up residence right here in Vāsabhagāma." So those incoming bhikkhus took up residence right there in Vāsabhagāma.
Then it occurred to the bhikkhu Kassapagotta: "The weariness of travel of these incoming bhikkhus has subsided; and those who were unfamiliar with the alms-resort are now familiar with the alms-resort. But it is hard to make zealous effort among other families for as long as life lasts, and begging is disagreeable to people. What if I were to make no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals?" So he made no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals.
Then it occurred to those incoming bhikkhus: "Formerly, friends, this resident bhikkhu made zealous effort concerning bathing, and made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals; but now he makes no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. This resident bhikkhu, friends, has now become corrupt. Come, friends, let us suspend this resident bhikkhu." Then those incoming bhikkhus, having assembled, said this to the bhikkhu Kassapagotta: "Formerly, friend, you made zealous effort concerning bathing, and made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals; but now you make no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. You have fallen into an offense (āpatti), friend; do you see that offense?" "There is no offense of mine, friends, that I should see." Then those incoming bhikkhus suspended the bhikkhu Kassapagotta for not seeing an offense.
Then it occurred to the bhikkhu Kassapagotta: "I do not know this — whether this is an offense or no offense, whether I have fallen into it or not fallen into it, whether I am suspended or not suspended, whether by what is legitimate or illegitimate, whether by what is reversible or irreversible, whether by what is fit to stand or unfit to stand. What if I were to go to Campā and ask the Blessed One about this matter?" Then the bhikkhu Kassapagotta, having put his lodging in order, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Campā; in due course he arrived at Campā and approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side.
Now it is the custom of Buddhas, Blessed Ones, to exchange friendly greetings with incoming bhikkhus. Then the Blessed One said this to the bhikkhu Kassapagotta: "I hope, bhikkhu, you are bearing up; I hope you are keeping going; I hope you have come on the journey with little fatigue. And where have you come from, bhikkhu?" "I am bearing up, Blessed One; I am keeping going, Blessed One; and I have come, venerable sir, on the journey with little fatigue. There is, venerable sir, in the Kāsi country a village named Vāsabhagāma. There I was the resident bhikkhu, bound to the duties of that place, and had taken up zealous effort, thinking: 'How might well-behaved bhikkhus who have not yet come, come; and how might well-behaved bhikkhus who have come dwell at ease; and how might this monastery attain to growth, increase, and abundance?' Then, venerable sir, several bhikkhus, wandering on tour through Kāsi, arrived at Vāsabhagāma. I saw those bhikkhus, venerable sir, coming from afar; having seen them, I prepared seats; I set out water for the feet, a footstool, and a foot-scraper; going out to meet them, I received their bowls and robes; I offered them drinking water; I made zealous effort concerning their bathing, and I made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to those incoming bhikkhus: 'Excellent, friends, is this resident bhikkhu: he makes zealous effort concerning bathing, and he makes zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. Come, friends, let us take up residence right here in Vāsabhagāma.' So those incoming bhikkhus, venerable sir, took up residence right there in Vāsabhagāma. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: 'The weariness of travel of these incoming bhikkhus has subsided; and those who were unfamiliar with the alms-resort are now familiar with the alms-resort. But it is hard to make zealous effort among other families for as long as life lasts, and begging is disagreeable to people. What if I were to make no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals?' So I, venerable sir, made no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to those incoming bhikkhus: 'Formerly, friends, this resident bhikkhu made zealous effort concerning bathing, and made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals; but now he makes no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. This resident bhikkhu, friends, has now become corrupt. Come, friends, let us suspend this resident bhikkhu.' Then, venerable sir, those incoming bhikkhus, having assembled, said this to me: 'Formerly, friend, you made zealous effort concerning bathing, and made zealous effort also concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals; but now you make no zealous effort concerning rice-gruel, hard food, and meals. You have fallen into an offense, friend; do you see that offense?' 'There is no offense of mine, friends, that I should see.' Then, venerable sir, those incoming bhikkhus suspended me for not seeing an offense. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: 'I do not know this — whether this is an offense or no offense, whether I have fallen into it or not fallen into it, whether I am suspended or not suspended, whether by what is legitimate or illegitimate, whether by what is reversible or irreversible, whether by what is fit to stand or unfit to stand. What if I were to go to Campā and ask the Blessed One about this matter?' It is from there, Blessed One, that I have come."
"That is no offense, bhikkhu; it is not an offense. You have not fallen into an offense; you are not one who has fallen. You are not suspended; you are not one who has been suspended. You were suspended by an illegitimate act, one that is reversible, one unfit to stand. Go, bhikkhu; take up residence right there in Vāsabhagāma." "Yes, venerable sir," the bhikkhu Kassapagotta replied in assent to the Blessed One; rising from his seat, having paid homage to the Blessed One and kept him on his right, he departed for Vāsabhagāma.
Then remorse arose in those incoming bhikkhus; regret arose: "It is a loss for us; it is no gain for us. It has been badly gained by us; it has not been well gained by us, in that we suspended a pure bhikkhu, one without offense, without ground and without cause. Come, friends, let us go to Campā and confess our transgression as a transgression in the presence of the Blessed One." Then those incoming bhikkhus, having put their lodgings in order, taking their bowls and robes, set out for Campā; in due course they arrived at Campā and approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side.
Now it is the custom of Buddhas, Blessed Ones, to exchange friendly greetings with incoming bhikkhus. Then the Blessed One said this to those bhikkhus: "I hope, bhikkhus, you are bearing up; I hope you are keeping going; I hope you have come on the journey with little fatigue. And where have you come from, bhikkhus?" "We are bearing up, Blessed One; we are keeping going, Blessed One; and we have come, venerable sir, on the journey with little fatigue. There is, venerable sir, in the Kāsi country a village named Vāsabhagāma; it is from there, Blessed One, that we have come."
"Bhikkhus, did you suspend the resident bhikkhu?" "Yes, venerable sir." "On what ground, bhikkhus, and for what cause?" "Without ground, Blessed One, and without cause."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "Bhikkhus, it is not fitting, not becoming, not proper, unworthy of an ascetic, not allowable, not to be done. How could you, foolish men, suspend a pure bhikkhu, one without offense, without ground and without cause? This, foolish men, is not for the confidence of those without confidence …" Having rebuked them and given a talk on the Dhamma, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, a pure bhikkhu, one without offense, is not to be suspended without ground and without cause. Whoever should so suspend him: an offense of wrong-doing (dukkaṭa)."
Then those bhikkhus, rising from their seats, arranging their upper robes over one shoulder and prostrating with their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One: "A transgression overcame us, venerable sir — foolish, confused, and unskillful as we were — in that we suspended a pure bhikkhu, one without offense, without ground and without cause. Venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept our transgression as a transgression, for the sake of restraint in the future." "Indeed, bhikkhus, a transgression overcame you — foolish, confused, and unskillful as you were — in that you suspended a pure bhikkhu, one without offense, without ground and without cause. But since you, bhikkhus, having seen your transgression as a transgression, make amends in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept it from you. For this, bhikkhus, is growth in the discipline of the Noble One: that one who, having seen a transgression as a transgression, makes amends in accordance with the Dhamma, comes to restraint in the future."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.