Verses on Dhamma 5.10.p3

5.10.p3

Sā aparena samayena janapadacārikaṃ caritvā paccāgantvā andhavanaṃ pāvisi. Tadā bhikkhunīnaṃ araññavāso appaṭikkhitto hoti. Athassā tattha kuṭikaṃ katvā mañcakaṃ paññāpetvā sāṇiyā parikkhipiṃsu. Sā sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya pavisitvā nikkhami. Mātulaputto panassā nandamāṇavo nāma gihikālato paṭṭhāya paṭibaddhacitto. So tassā āgatabhāvaṃ sutvā theriyā āgamanato puretarameva andhavanaṃ gantvā taṃ kuṭikaṃ pavisitvā heṭṭhāmañcake nilīno theriyā āgantvā kuṭikaṃ pavisitvā dvāraṃ pidhāya mañcake nisinnamattāya bahi ātapato āgatattā cakkhupathe andhakāre avigateyeva heṭṭhāmañcakato nikkhamitvā mañcakaṃ abhiruyha ‘‘mā nassi bāla, mā nassi bālā’’ti theriyā vāriyamānoyeva abhibhavitvā attanā patthitakammaṃ katvā pāyāsi. Athassa aguṇaṃ dhāretuṃ asakkontī viya mahāpathavī dvedhā bhijji. So pathaviṃ paviṭṭho gantvā mahāavīcimhi eva nibbatti. Therīpi tamatthaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ ārocesi. Bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. Bhikkhū bhagavato ārocayiṃsu. Taṃ sutvā satthā bhikkhū āmantetvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, bhikkhubhikkhūnī upāsakaupāsikāsu yo koci bālo pāpakammaṃ karonto madhusakkharādīsu kiñci deva madhurarasaṃ khādamāno puriso viya tuṭṭhahaṭṭho udaggudaggo viya karotī’’ti anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

Some time later she went on a pilgrimage for alms in the country, and on her return entered a dark forest. At that time it was not forbidden nuns to reside in a forest. There they built her a hut, set up a bed, and hung curtains round. From the forest she went to Sāvatthi to receive alms, and then set out to return to her hut. Now a cousin of hers, a young Brahman named Ānanda, had been in love with her ever since she lived in the world; and when he heard where she had gone, he went to the forest ahead of the nun, entered the hut, and hid under the bed.

On her return the nun entered the hut, closed the door, and sat down on the bed, unable to see in the dark, because she had just come in out of the sunlight. Hardly had she seated herself on the bed when the youth crawled out from under and climbed on top. The nun cried out, “Fool, do not ruin me! Fool, do not ruin me!” But the youth overcame her resistance, worked his will of her, and went his way. As if unable to endure his wickedness, the great earth burst asunder, and he was swallowed up and reborn in the Great Hell of Avīci.

The nun told the other nuns what had happened, and the nuns told the monks, and the monks told the Exalted One. Having heard this, the Teacher addressed the monks as follows, “Monks, the simpleton, whoever he may be, whether monk or nun, or lay disciple male or female, who commits an act of sin, acts with as much joy and happiness, with as much pleasure and delight, as though he were eating honey or sugar or some other sweet-tasting substance." And joining the connection and instructing them in the Law, he pronounced the following Stanza,