Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambi, in Ghosita’s park. Then the venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Ānanda addressed the Blessed One:
“Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena mātugāmo neva sabhāyaṁ nisīdati, na kammantaṁ payojeti, na kambojaṁ gacchatī”ti?
“Venerable sir, what is the cause, what is the condition, whereby a woman neither sits in an assembly, nor engages in work, nor journeys to Kamboja?”
“Kodhano, ānanda, mātugāmo; issukī, ānanda, mātugāmo; maccharī, ānanda, mātugāmo; duppañño, ānanda, mātugāmo—ayaṁ kho, ānanda, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena mātugāmo neva sabhāyaṁ nisīdati, na kammantaṁ payojeti, na kambojaṁ gacchatī”ti.
“A woman is irritable, Ānanda; a woman is envious, Ānanda; a woman is miserly, Ānanda; a woman is undiscerning, Ānanda. This, Ānanda, is the cause and condition for why a woman neither sits in public assemblies, nor engages in work, nor journeys to Kamboja.”