(Mv.VIII.25.1) [165] Now at that time Ven. Upananda the Sakyan-son, having spent the Rains at Sāvatthī, went to a certain village monastery. There the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth. They said, “Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?”

(Saying,) “Yes, friends, I will consent,”and accepting a portion of robe-cloth from there, he went to another monastery.

There also the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth. They also said, “Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?”

(Saying,) “Yes, friends, I will consent,” and accepting a portion of robe-cloth from there, too, he went to another monastery.

There also the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth. They also said, “Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?”

(Saying,) “Yes, friends, I will consent,” and accepting a portion of robe-cloth from there, too, carrying a great bundle of robe-cloth, he went right back to Sāvatthī again.

(Mv.VIII.25.2) There the monks said to him, “Friend Upananda, you have great merit: So much robe-cloth has accrued to you!”

“Friends, from where would I have merit?”

“Just now, having spent the Rains at Sāvatthī, I went to a certain village monastery. There the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth.

“They said to me, ‘Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?’

“(Saying,) ‘Yes, friends, I will consent,’ accepting a portion of robe-cloth from there I went to another monastery.

“There also the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth.

“They also said to me, ‘Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?’

“(Saying,) ‘Yes, friends, I will consent,’ accepting a portion of robe-cloth from there, too, I went to another monastery.

“There also the monks gathered, wanting to divide up the robe-cloth.

“They also said to me, ‘Friend, these robe-cloths, belonging to the Saṅgha, will be divided up. Will you consent to a portion?’

“(Saying,) ‘Yes, friends, I will consent,’ I accepted a portion of robe-cloth from there, too.

“That’s how so much robe-cloth accrued to me.”

(Mv.VIII.25.3) “But friend Upananda, did you spend the Rains in one place and consent to a portion of robe-cloth in another?”

“Yes, friends.”

Those monks who were modest … criticized and complained and spread it about:

“How can Ven. Upananda the Sakyan-son, having spent the Rains in one place, consent to a portion of robe-cloth in another place.”

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

“Upananda, is it true that you, having spent the Rains in one place, consented to a portion of robe-cloth in another?”

“It’s true, O Blessed One.”

The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him, “How can you, worthless man, having spent the Rains in one place, consent to a portion of robe-cloth in another? “Worthless man, this neither inspires faith in the faithless … ”

Having rebuked him and given a Dhamma talk, he addressed the monks,

“Monks, one who has entered the Rains in one place should not consent to a portion of robe-cloth in another place. Whoever should do so: an offense of wrong doing.”

(Mv.VIII.25.4) Now at that time Ven. Upananda the Sakyan-son entered the Rains alone at two monasteries, (thinking,) “This way, a lot of robe-cloth will accrue to me.”(1)

Then the thought occurred to the monks, “How should a portion of robe-cloth be given to Ven. Upananda the Sakyan-son?”

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

“Monks, give this worthless man one share.”

“There is the case where a monk enters the Rains in two residences, (thinking), ‘In this way a great deal of robe-cloth will come to me.’

“If he spends half the time here and half the time there, he should be given half a portion here and half a portion there. Or wherever he spends more time, he should be given a (full) portion there.”(2)