… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the nun Caṇḍakālī, overthrown in some legal question, angry, displeased, spoke thus: “The nuns are following a wrong course through desire and the nuns are following a wrong course through hatred and the nuns are following a wrong course through stupidity and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear.” Those who were modest nuns … spread it about, saying: “How can the lady, the nun Caṇḍakālī … displeased, speak thus: ‘… and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear’?” …

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:

“How, monks, can the nun Caṇḍakālī, … displeased, speak thus: ‘… and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear’? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … set forth this rule of training:

“Whatever nun, overthrown in some legal question, angry, displeased, should speak thus: ‘The nuns are following a wrong course through desire … and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear,’ that nun should be spoken to thus by the nuns: ‘Do not, lady, overthrown in some legal question, angry, displeased, speak thus: “The nuns are following a wrong course through desire … and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear.” The lady herself may go (wrong) from desire, and she may go (wrong) from hatred and she may go (wrong) from stupidity and she may go (wrong) from fear.’ And if this nun, being spoken to thus by the nuns, persists as before, she should be admonished up to a third time for giving up that (course). If, being admonished up to a third time, she should give it up, that is good. If she should not give it up, that nun also has fallen into a matter that is an offence on the third (admonition), entailing a formal meeting of the Order involving being sent away.”

Whatever means: … nun is to be understood in this case.

In some legal question means: legal question means, there are four (kinds of) legal questions: legal questions arising out of disputes, legal questions arising out of censure, legal questions arising out of transgressions, legal questions arising out of obligations.

Overthrown means: she is called defeated.

Angry, displeased means: dissatisfied, the mind worsened, stubborn.

Should speak thus means: saying, “The nuns are following a wrong course through desire … and the nuns are following a wrong course through fear.”

That nun means: whatever nun speaks thus.

By the nuns means: by other nuns who see, who hear; she should be told by these: “Do not, lady, overthrown … and she may go (wrong) from fear.” And a second time she should be told. And a third time she should be told … see Bi-Ss.10.2.1–Bi-Ss.10.2.3. Instead of Do not, lady, angry, etc., read Do not, lady, overthrown, etc.; instead of this nun so and so, angry, etc., read this nun so and so, overthrown, etc. … if she is the first wrong-doer.