1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Mahākassapa was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then, in the morning, the Venerable Ānanda dressed and, sn.ii.215 taking bowl and robe, he approached the Venerable Mahākassapa and said: "Come, Venerable Kassapa, let us go to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters." [n.286] From the absence of any reference to the Blessed One in the introduction it is likely that this sutta takes place after his parinibbāna. Spk supports this supposition (see following note), as does Ānanda's use of the vocative bhante when addressing Mahākassapa. Before the Buddha expired the monks used to address one another as āvuso, "friend" (see DN II 154,9–15).
Spk: Ānanda asked him to come to the bhikkhunis’ quarters in order to inspire them and to explain a meditation subject, thinking they would place faith in the talk of the disciple who was the Buddha’s counterpart (buddhapaṭibhāga-sāvaka).

"You go, friend Ānanda, you’re the busy one with many duties." [n.287] Spk: He was not involved with building work, etc., but the four assemblies would come to the Elder Ānanda lamenting over the Buddha’s demise and he would be obliged to console them (see SN9.5 and I, n. 541).

A second time the Venerable Ānanda said to the Venerable Mahākassapa: "Come, Venerable Kassapa, let us go to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters."

"You go, friend Ānanda, you’re the busy one with many duties."

A third time the Venerable Ānanda said to the Venerable Mahākassapa: "Come, Venerable Kassapa, let us go to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters."

2Then, in the morning, the Venerable Mahākassapa dressed and, taking bowl and robe, went to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters with the Venerable Ānanda as his companion. When he arrived he sat down on the appointed seat. Then a number of bhikkhunīs approached the Venerable Mahākassapa, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. As they were sitting there, the Venerable Mahākassapa instructed, exhorted, inspired, and gladdened those bhikkhunīs with a Dhamma talk, after which he rose from his seat and departed.

3Then the bhikkhunī Thullatissa, being displeased, expressed her displeasure thus: "How can Master Mahākassapa think of speaking on the Dhamma in the presence of Master Ānanda, the Videhan sage? [n.288] Her name means "Fat Tissa." Spk glosses vedehimuni with paṇḍitamuni, "wise sage," explaining: "A wise person endeavours with erudition consisting in knowledge—that is, he does all his tasks—therefore he is called Videhan (paṇḍito hi ñāṇasaṅkha-tena vedena īhati … tasmā vedeho ti vuccati). He was Videhan and a sage, hence ‘the Videhan sage.’" Ap-a 128,12, however, offers a more plausible explanation: "Ānanda was called vedehimuni because he was a sage and the son of a mother from the Vedeha country (= Videha) (Vedeharaṭṭhe jātattā Vedehiyā putto)." See I, n. 233. For Master Mahākassapa to think of speaking on the Dhamma in the presence of Master Ānanda, the Videhan sage—this is just as if a needle-peddler sn.ii.216 would think he could sell a needle to a needle-maker!"

4The Venerable Mahākassapa overheard the bhikkhunī Thullatissa making this statement and said to the Venerable Ānanda: "How is it, friend Ānanda, am I the needle-peddler and you the needle-maker, or am I the needle-maker and you the needle-peddler?"

"Be patient, Venerable Kassapa, women are foolish." [n.289] Khamatha bhante Kassapa bālo mātugāmo. I have translated this sentence with complete fidelity to the text, aware that some readers might find the rendering provocative. One consultant told me, "You’ve just lost half your readership," and suggested I avoid drawing criticism to the translation by rendering bālo mātugāmo as "she is a foolish woman." To my mind, this would distort the meaning of the Pali in subservience to current views of gender. I do not see how the sentence could be construed in any other way than I have rendered it. I leave it to the reader to decide whether Ānanda himself could actually have made such a statement or whether it was put into his mouth by the compilers of the canon.

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5"Hold it, friend Ānanda! Don’t give the Saṅgha occasion to investigate you further. [n.290] Spk: This is what is meant: "Do not let the Saṅgha think, ‘Ānanda restrained the disciple who was the Buddha’s counterpart, but he did not restrain the bhikkhuni. Could there be some intimacy or affection between them?’" He utters the following passage (on his meditative attainments) to demonstrate how he is the Buddha’s counterpart. What do you think, friend Ānanda, was it you that the Blessed One brought forward in the presence of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, saying: ‘Bhikkhus, to whatever extent I wish, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I enter and dwell in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. Ānanda too, to whatever extent he wishes, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna’?"

"No, venerable sir."

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6–7"I was the one, friend, that the Blessed One brought forward in the presence of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, saying: ‘Bhikkhus, to whatever extent I wish, … I enter and dwell in the first jhāna … . Kassapa too, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the first jhāna.’
The same exchange is repeated for the remaining meditative attainments and the six direct knowledges, all as in the preceding sutta. sn.ii.217

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8"I was the one, friend, that the Blessed One brought forward in the presence of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, saying: ‘Bhikkhus, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life I enter and dwell in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for myself with direct knowledge. Kassapa too, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge.’

9"Friend, one might just as well think that a bull elephant seven or seven and a half cubits high could be concealed by a palm leaf as think that my six direct knowledges could be concealed." [n.291] Spk glosses sattaratana (seven cubits) as sattahatthappamāṇa (the measurement of seven hands); a hattha (lit. "hand"), which extends from the elbow to the fingertip, is approximately two feet. This is one of the rare texts in the Nikāyas where the word abhiññā is used collectively to designate the six higher knowledges.

10But the bhikkhunī Thullatissa fell away from the holy life. [n.292] Spk: After she had censured the disciple who was the Buddha’s counterpart, even while Mahākassapa was roaring his lion's roar about the six abhiññās, her saffron robes began to irritate her body like thorny branches or a prickly plant. As soon as she removed them and put on the white clothes (of a lay woman) she felt at ease.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

"Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo"ti.

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

"Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo"ti.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: "āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā"ti.

2Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya āyasmatā ānandena pacchāsamaṇena yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho tā bhikkhuniyo āyasmā mahākassapo dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tā bhikkhuniyo dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

3Atha kho thullatissā bhikkhunī anattamanā anattamanavācaṁ nicchāresi: "Kiṁ pana ayyo mahākassapo, ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññati? Seyyathāpi nāma sūcivāṇijako sūcikārassa santike sūciṁ vikketabbaṁ maññeyya; evameva ayyo mahākassapo ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññatī"ti.

4Assosi kho āyasmā mahākassapo thullatissāya bhikkhuniyā imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānāya. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso Ānanda, ahaṁ sūcivāṇijako, tvaṁ sūcikāro; udāhu ahaṁ sūcikāro, tvaṁ sūcivāṇijako"ti?

"Khama, bhante kassapa, bālo mātugāmo"ti. "Āgamehi tvaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, mā te saṅgho uttari upaparikkhi.

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5Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso Ānanda, api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Ānandopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāratī’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

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6"Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Kassapopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi … pe … paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāratī’ti … pe … . (Navannaṁ anupubbavihārasamāpattīnaṁ pañcannañca abhiññānaṁ evaṁ vitthāro veditabbo.)

7Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso Ānanda, api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. Ānandopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī’"ti? "No hetaṁ, bhante".

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8"Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto: ‘Ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. Kassapopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī’ti.

9Sattaratanaṁ vā, āvuso, nāgaṁ aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā tālapattikāya chādetabbaṁ maññeyya, yo me cha abhiññā chādetabbaṁ maññeyyā"ti.

10Cavittha ca pana thullatissā bhikkhunī brahmacariyamhāti.

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Dasamaṁ.