[518] Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and having paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the eight weighty rules (garudhammā) have been accepted by Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī; the Blessed One's maternal aunt is fully ordained."
"Ānanda, if women had not obtained the going forth (pabbajjā) from the household life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, the holy life (brahmacariya), Ānanda, would have lasted long; the true Dhamma (saddhamma) would have stood for a thousand years. But since, Ānanda, women have gone forth from the household life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, now, Ānanda, the holy life will not last long; now, Ānanda, the true Dhamma will stand for only five hundred years.
"Just as, Ānanda, whatever families have many women and few men are easily plundered by robbers, by pot-thieves, even so, Ānanda, in whatever Dhamma and Discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that holy life does not last long.
"Just as, Ānanda, when the disease called white-blight (setaṭṭhikā) falls upon a flourishing field of rice, that field of rice does not last long, even so, Ānanda, in whatever Dhamma and Discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that holy life does not last long.
"Just as, Ānanda, when the disease called red-rot (mañjeṭṭhikā) falls upon a flourishing field of sugarcane, that field of sugarcane does not last long, even so, Ānanda, in whatever Dhamma and Discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that holy life does not last long.
"Just as, Ānanda, a man might build in advance an embankment for a great reservoir, precisely so that the water should not overflow, even so, Ānanda, the eight weighty rules for bhikkhunīs have been laid down by me in advance, not to be transgressed as long as life lasts."
The Eight Weighty Rules for Bhikkhunīs are concluded.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.