1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"Bhante, how many qualities should a bhikkhu possess to be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs?"[n.1748] This is evidently referring to the third garudhamma. Another anachronism appears here, at least in relation to the commentarial chronology. The Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, on this chronology, was founded soon after the Buddha’s first visit to Kapilavatthu (or, on other chronologies, perhaps five or ten years after the enlightenment), yet it requires the bhikkhu who is to give the exhortation to have twenty years’ seniority. This, of course, would not have been possible until at least twenty years after the founding of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. By that time, however, Mahāpajāpatī would likely have been too old to make the long journey to Vesālī by foot.

"Katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo"ti?

2"Ānanda, a bhikkhu should possess eight qualities to be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs. What eight?

2"Aṭṭhahi kho, ānanda, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

(1) "Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is virtuous … Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them.

(2) "He has learned much … and penetrated well by view.

(3) "Both Pāṭimokkhas have been well transmitted to him in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well determined in terms of the rules and their detailed explication.

(4) "He is a good speaker with a good delivery; he is gifted with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning.

(5) "He is capable of instructing, encouraging, inspiring, and gladdening the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs with a Dhamma talk.

(6) "He is pleasing and agreeable to most of the bhikkhunīs.

(7) "He has never before committed a grave offense against a woman wearing the ochre robe who has gone forth under the Blessed One.

Idhānanda, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu; bahussuto hoti … pe … diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā; ubhayāni kho panassa pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso; kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo, poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā; paṭibalo hoti bhikkhunisaṅghassa dhammiyā kathāya sandassetuṁ samādapetuṁ samuttejetuṁ sampahaṁsetuṁ; yebhuyyena bhikkhunīnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo; na kho panetaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajitāya kāsāyavatthavasanāya garudhammaṁ ajjhāpannapubbo hoti; vīsativasso vā hoti atirekavīsativasso vā.

(8) "He has seniority of twenty years or more.

"A bhikkhu should possess these eight qualities to be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs."

Imehi kho, ānanda, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu bhikkhunovādako sammannitabbo"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.