1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita's Park. Then, in the morning, the Venerable Ānanda dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Kosambī for alms. It then occurred to him: "It is still too early to walk for alms in Kosambī. Let me go to the park of the wanderers of other sects."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi:  "atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan"ti.

Then the Venerable Ānanda went to the park of the wanderers of other sects. He exchanged greetings with those wanderers and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, sat down to one side.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

2Now on that occasion those wanderers had assembled and were sitting together when this conversation arose among them: "Friends, anyone at all who lives the complete and purified spiritual life for twelve years is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is ‘ten-less.’"

2Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:  "yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.

3-5Then the Venerable Ānanda neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of those wanderers, but rose from his seat and left, thinking: "I shall find out what the Blessed One has to say about this statement."

3Atha kho āyasmā ānando tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:  "Bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī"ti.

Then, when the Venerable Ānanda had walked for alms in Kosambī, after his meal, on returning from his alms round, he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. He here reports verbatim the entire course of events and asks: "Is it possible, Bhante, in this Dhamma and discipline to describe a bhikkhu as ‘ten-less’ by the mere counting of years?"

Atha kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

4"Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:  ‘atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti … pe … tehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ.

5Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:  ‘yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, niddaso bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’ti. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ. Anabhinanditvā, appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ:  ‘bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti. Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun"ti?

6"In this Dhamma and discipline, Ānanda, it isn’t possible to describe a bhikkhu as ‘ten-less’ by the mere counting of years. There are, Ānanda, these seven bases for being ‘ten-less’ that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge.

6"Na kho, ānanda, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ. Satta kho imāni, ānanda, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

7What seven? Here, a bhikkhu has (1) faith, (2) a sense of moral shame, (3) moral dread; (4) he is learned, (5) energetic, (6) mindful, and (7) wise. These are the seven bases for being ‘ten-less’ that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge.

7Katamāni satta? Idhānanda, bhikkhu, saddho hoti, hirīmā hoti, ottappī hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, satimā hoti, paññavā hoti. Imāni kho, ānanda, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

"Ānanda, if a bhikkhu possesses these seven bases for being ‘ten-less,’ then, if he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twelve years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twenty-four years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for thirty-six years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for forty-eight years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’"

Imehi kho, ānanda, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.

Dvādasamaṁ.
Devatāvaggo catuttho.

8Appamādo hirī ceva,
dve suvacā duve mittā;
Dve paṭisambhidā dve vasā,
duve niddasavatthunāti.