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with a smile as a forerunner, saying 'come, welcome,' without a frown, with an open face, speaking first. To them, indeed, alms should be given." Then a certain lay follower saw that monk walking for alms in Kīṭāgiri; having seen him, he approached that monk, having approached and greeted that monk, he said this: "Is almsfood obtained, venerable sir?" "No, friend, almsfood is not obtained." "Come, venerable sir, let us go home." Then that lay follower, having led that monk home and fed him, said this: "Where, venerable sir, will the noble one go?" "I, friend, will go to Sāvatthī to see the Blessed One." "Then, venerable sir, in my name, bow your head at the feet of the Blessed One, and say this: 'The dwelling in Kīṭāgiri is corrupted, venerable sir. There are shameless, evil monks named Assaji and Punabbasu residing in Kīṭāgiri. They practice such misconduct as this: They plant flower-plants, and have them planted; they water them, and have them watered; they pick them, and have them picked; they string them, and have them strung; they make single-stemmed garlands, and have them made; they make double-stemmed garlands, and have them made; they make bouquets, and have them made; they make loose flowers, and have them made; they make wreaths, and have them made; they make chaplets, and have them made; they make breast-coverings, and have them made. They, for women of good families, daughters of good families, maidens of good families, daughters-in-law of good families, female slaves of good families, carry single-stemmed garlands, and have them carried; carry double-stemmed garlands, and have them carried; carry bouquets, and have them carried; carry loose flowers, and have them carried; carry wreaths, and have them carried; carry chaplets, and have them carried; carry breast-coverings, and have them carried. They, with women of good families, daughters of good families, maidens of good families, daughters-in-law of good families, female slaves of good families, eat from the same dish, drink from the same bowl, sit on the same seat... they sit, they lie down on one couch, they lie down on one mat, they lie down with one covering, they lie down with one mat and covering, they eat at improper times, they drink intoxicants, they wear garlands, perfumes, and ointments, they dance, they sing, they play musical instruments, they perform shows; they dance with a dancer, they sing with a dancer, they play instruments with a dancer, they perform shows with a dancer… (a cycle should be made). They dance with a performer, they sing with a performer, they play instruments with a performer, they perform shows with a performer; they play on eight-square boards, they play on ten-square boards, they play at tossing into the air, they play at removing pieces, they play at guessing, they play at dice, they play at stick-games, they play with their hands at throwing dice, they play with dice, they play at “pangs of the heart,” they play at “crooked stick,” they play at “mock-chess,” they play at “spinning tops,” they play at “leaf-pipes,” they play at “toy chariots,” they play at “toy bows,” they play at “letter-guessing,” they play at “mind-reading,” they play at “imitating defects”; they train with elephants, they train with horses, they train with chariots, they train with bows, they train with swords; they run before elephants, they run before horses, they run before chariots, and they run after them; they shout, they clap their hands, they wrestle, they fight with fists; in the middle of the arena, they spread out a robe and say to a dancer, “Here, sister, dance!”; they give forehead-money; they practice various kinds of misconduct. Those people, venerable sir, who were formerly faithful and confident, are now faithless and unconfident. Those donations that were formerly made to the Saṅgha are now cut off. The virtuous bhikkhus depart, the wicked bhikkhus reside. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would send bhikkhus to Kīṭāgiri, so that this dwelling in Kīṭāgiri might be established.” “So be it, friend,” that bhikkhu then Having assented to that lay follower, he rose from his seat, and departed in the direction of Sāvatthī. Gradually, he approached Sāvatthī, the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery, where the Blessed One was. Having approached, he saluted the Blessed One, and sat down to one side. It is indeed the custom of the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, to exchange greetings with incoming monks. Then the Blessed One said to that monk: "Is it well, monk? Is it tolerable? Have you come without much fatigue from your journey? And from where, monk, do you come?" "It is well, Blessed One, it is tolerable, Blessed One; and I, venerable sir, have come without much fatigue from my journey. Here, venerable sir, having spent the rains in Kāsī, coming to Sāvatthī to see the Blessed One, I arrived at Kīṭāgiri. Then, venerable sir, in the morning, having dressed, and taking my bowl and robe, I entered Kīṭāgiri for alms. Indeed, venerable sir, a certain lay follower saw me wandering for alms in Kīṭāgiri. Having seen me, he approached me, and having approached, he saluted me and said: 'Venerable sir, have you obtained alms?'" "'No, friend, alms have not been obtained.'" "'Come, venerable sir, let us go home.'" "Then, venerable sir, that lay follower, having led me home and fed me, said: 'Where, venerable sir, will the venerable one go?'" "'Indeed, friend, I will go to Sāvatthī to see the Blessed One.'" "'In that case, venerable sir, on my behalf, bow your head at the feet of the Blessed One, and say this: "The monastery in Kīṭāgiri, venerable sir, is corrupted. The residents of Kīṭāgiri, Assaji and Punabbasu by name, are shameless, evil monks. They engage in such misconduct: they plant flower-beds, and have them planted, and so on... they engage in various kinds of misconduct. Even those people, venerable sir, who were formerly faithful and confident, are now faithless and unconfident. And those paths of giving to the Saṅgha formerly, even those are now cut off."'" Such things. The good monks leave, the bad monks stay. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would send monks to Kīṭāgiri, so that this dwelling in Kīṭāgiri might be established. Then I, Blessed One, will come. 23. Then the Blessed One, on account of this matter, on account of this incident, having assembled the community of monks, questioned the monks: "Is it true, monks, that the ones named Assaji and Punabbasu, residents of Kīṭāgiri, are shameless, bad monks? Do they practice such improper conduct – do they plant flower-beds... and so on... do they practice various improper conduct? And those people who were formerly faithful and devoted, are they now unfaithful and undevoted? And those ways of giving to the Saṅgha that existed before, are they now cut off? Do the good monks leave, and the bad monks stay?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "It is not fitting... and so on... How can these foolish men, monks, practice such improper conduct – will they plant flower-beds and cause them to be planted, will they water and cause them to be watered, will they pick and cause them to be picked, will they string and cause them to be strung, will they make single-stemmed garlands and cause them to be made, will they make double-stemmed garlands and cause them to be made, will they make bouquets and cause them to be made, will they make ornaments and cause them to be made, will they make wreaths and cause them to be made, will they make chaplets and cause them to be made, will they make breast-coverings and cause them to be made? Will they carry single-stemmed garlands and cause them to be carried for women of good families, daughters of good families, maidens of good families, daughters-in-law of good families, female slaves of good families, will they carry double-stemmed garlands and cause them to be carried, will they carry bouquets and cause them to be carried, will they carry ornaments and cause them to be carried, will they carry wreaths and cause them to be carried, will they carry chaplets and cause them to be carried, will they carry breast-coverings and cause them to be carried? They, for women of good families... With women, with daughters of good families, with young women of good families, with daughters-in-law of good families, with female slaves of good families, they will eat from the same dish, they will drink from the same bowl, they will sit on the same seat, they will lie on the same couch, they will lie on the same mat, they will lie with the same cover, they will lie with the same mat and cover, they will eat at improper times, they will drink intoxicants, they will wear garlands, perfumes, and ointments, they will dance, they will sing, they will play instruments, they will perform; they will dance when others dance, they will sing when others dance, they will play when others dance, they will perform when others dance; they will dance when others sing, they will sing when others sing, they will play when others sing, they will perform when others sing; they will dance when others play, they will sing when others play, they will play when others play, they will perform when others play; they will dance when others perform, they will sing when others perform, they will play when others perform; they will perform when others perform; they will play at eight-square games, they will play at ten-square games, they will play at 'tossing into the air', they will play at 'imaginary lines', they will play at 'dice games', they will play at 'ploughing games', they will play at 'stick games', they will play at 'counting with sticks', they will play at 'dice', they will play at 'drawing figures on the ground', they will play at 'curved sticks', they will play at 'mock chariots', they will play at 'toy bows', they will play at 'measuring with leaves', they will play at 'toy chariots',