四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.19

3.19

The ninth precept: preaching the Dharma to a woman beyond five or six sentences.
Regarding the intention behind its institution: in general, preaching the Dharma to produce wholesome deeds must be timely; if uninvited, there is no reason to force it upon them. If they initially lack faith and respect, and harbor extravagance and arrogance, [inappropriate behavior] might occasionally arise from this sequence, bringing about faults and failing to avoid this reproach. Furthermore, the female form inherently encounters rare opportunities for the ten merits; if one does not preach at all, there would be no way for them to produce goodness, and they would be permanently cut off from the Dharma, sinking forever in the ocean of suffering. Therefore, preaching is permitted up to five or six sentences; exceeding this is instituted as an offense.
There are six specific conditions: 1. a human female; 2. knowing she is a human female; 3. being uninvited; 4. the absence of an understanding lay man; 5. clear speech; 6. exceeding five or six sentences constitutes an offense. The text of the precept is properly explained below. This precept arose because Udāyin whispered Dharma into the ear of a daughter-in-law in front of her mother-in-law, which aroused criticism and slander. The Buddha then instituted a prohibition. Later, because of requests to preach, he permitted up to five or six sentences, and allowed exceeding the limit if an intelligent man was present as a witness.