“Who are these great monks?” “Venerable Devadatta, Venerable Kokālika, Venerable Kaṭamodakatissaka, Venerable Khaṇḍadeviyāputta, and Venerable Samuddadatta.” While this conversation was taking place, the senior monks entered. Thullanandā said, “Is it true that you’ve invited these great monks?” “Just before you called them inferior and now you call them great.” And he threw her out of the house and made an end of her regular meal. The monks of few desires complained and criticized Devadatta, “How could Devadatta eat almsfood knowing that a nun had it prepared?” … “Is it true, Devadatta, that you did this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked him … “Foolish man, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Preliminary ruling ‘If a monk eats almsfood knowing that a nun had it prepared, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

Second substory Soon afterwards a monk who had earlier left Rājagaha returned to see his family. Because it was a long time since he had last returned, people prepared food for him respectfully. And the nun who was associating with that family said to them, “Give food to that monk.” The monk thought, “The Buddha has prohibited us from eating almsfood knowing that a nun had it prepared,” and being afraid of wrongdoing, he did not accept it. And because he was unable to walk for alms, he missed his meal. After returning to the monastery, he told the monks what had happened, and they in turn told the Buddha.