For a second time, as the night was getting late, in the middle watch of the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said, “Sir, the night is getting late. It is the middle watch of the night, and the Saṅgha of monks has been sitting long. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

But for a second time the Buddha kept silent.

For a third time, as the night was getting late, in the last watch of the night, as dawn stirred, bringing joy to the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said, “Sir, the night is getting late. It is the last watch of the night and dawn stirs, bringing joy to the night. And the Saṅgha has been sitting long. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

“Ānanda, the assembly is not pure.”

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna thought, “Who is the Buddha talking about?”

Then he focused on encompassing the minds of everyone in the Saṅgha. He saw that unethical individual, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved, sitting in the middle of the Saṅgha.

When he saw him he rose from his seat, went up to him and said, “Get up, reverend. The Buddha has seen you. You can’t live in communion with the monks.”

But when he said this, that individual kept silent.