@uppajjitvā mahādukkhaṃ anubhaveyyuṃ 4 cha.Ma. upagamiṃsu Sāsane yāvajīvaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ brahmacariyaṃ caritun"ti ekakkhaṇeneva dasapi bhikkhū vīsatipi saṭṭhīpi satampi sahassampi bhikkhū gihī honti. Satthā yathāruciyā cārikaṃ caritvā na puna jetavanameva gantvā bhikkhū āmantesi "bhikkhave tathāgato cārikaṃ caramāno ciraṃ ākiṇṇo vihāsi, icchāmahaṃ bhikkhave aḍḍhamāsaṃ paṭisallīyituṃ, namhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā"ti. Aḍḍhamāsaṃ ekībhāvena vītināmetvā paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito ānandattherena saddhiṃ vihāracārikaṃ caramāno olokitolokitaṭṭhāne pana tanubhūtaṃ bhikkhusaṃghaṃ disvā jānantoyeva theraṃ pucchi "ānanda aññasmiṃ kāle tathāgate cārikaṃ caritvā jetavanaṃ āgate sakalavihāro kāsāvapajjoto isivātapaṭivāto hoti, idāni pana tanubhūto bhikkhusaṃgho dissati, yebhuyyena ca uppaṇḍuppaṇḍukajātā bhikkhū, kiṃ nu kho etan"ti. Etarahi bhagavā tumhākaṃ aggikkhandhopamadhammadesanaṃ kathitakālato paṭṭhāya bhikkhū saṃvegappattā hutvā "mayaṃ etaṃ dhammaṃ sabbākārena paricarituṃ na sakkhissāma, asammāvattantānañca janassa saddhādeyyaṃ paribhuñjituṃ ayuttan"ti gihibhāvaṃ saṅkamantīti.

Tasmiṃ khaṇe bhagavato dhammasaṃvego uppajji. Tato theraṃ āha "mayi paṭisallāne vītināmente na koci mama puttānaṃ ekaṃ assāsaṭṭhānaṃ kathesi. Sāgarassa hi otaraṇatitthāni viya bahūni imasmiṃ sāsane assāsakāraṇāni. Gacchānanda gandhakuṭipariveṇe buddhāsanaṃ paññāpetvā bhikkhusaṃghaṃ sannipātehī"ti. Thero tathā akāsi. Satthā buddhāsanavaragato bhikkhū āmantetvā "bhikkhave mettāya sabbapubbabhāgo nāma neva appanā, na upacāro, sattānaṃ hitapharaṇamattamevā"ti vatvā imissā atthuppattiyā imaṃ accharāsaṅghātasuttaṃ desesi.

Tattha accharāsaṅghātamattanti accharāpaharaṇamattaṃ, dve aṅguliyo paharitvā saddakaraṇamattanti attho. Mettacittanti sabbasattānaṃ hitapharaṇacittaṃ. Āsevatīti