It may happen that a monk, a nun, a trainee nun, a novice monk, or a novice nun has had a dwelling built for the Sangha … for a number of monks, for a single monk, for the Sangha of nuns, for a number of nuns, for a single nun, for a number of trainee nuns, for a single trainee nun, for a number of novice monks, for a single novice monk, for a number of novice nuns, or for a single novice nun … or she’s had a dwelling built for herself, has had a stilt house built, a cave, a yard, a gatehouse, an assembly hall, a water-boiling shed, a food-storage hut, a walking-meditation path, an indoor walking-meditation path, a well, a well house, a pond, a roof-cover, a monastery, or has had a site for a monastery prepared for herself. If she then sends a message to the monks: ‘Please come, venerables, I wish to make an offering, hear the Teaching, and see the monks,’ you should go for seven days, but only if you’re asked. And you should return within seven days.”

4. The allowance to go to any of five kinds of persons even if not asked On one occasion a certain monk was sick. He sent a message to the monks: “Please come, venerables, I’m sick.” They told the Buddha. “Even if you’re not asked, let alone if you are, I allow you to go for seven days to any of five kinds of persons—a monk, a nun, a trainee nun, a novice monk, or a novice nun. But you should return within seven days.”

A monk sending a message “It may be that a sick monk