This is as I heard from the Blessed One. Those days, the Blessed One was living in the city of Rājagaha at the Bamboo Grove, in the Squirrels’ feeding ground. During an uposatha day, Venerable Ānanda wore his robe and carrying his bowl and double-layered robes, went into Rājagaha for alms. Devadatta saw Venerable Ānanda going for alms in Rājagaha and went to him. He said to him, “From this day on, friend Ānanda, I will do the uposatha and tasks concerning the Monastic Code of Discipline apart from the Blessed One and the community of monks.”
Then Venerable Ānanda, after the meal, returned from his alms round, went to the Blessed One and, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, “Just now, Bhante, after wearing my robe early in the morning and carrying my bowl and double-layered robes, I went into Rājagaha for alms. Devadatta saw me going for alms in Rājagaha and came up to me. He said to me, ‘From this day on, friend Ānanda, I will do the uposatha and tasks concerning the Monastic Code of Discipline apart from the Blessed One and the community of monks.’ Bhante, today Devadatta will divide the community. He will conduct the uposatha and tasks concerning the Monastic Code of Discipline apart from the community.”
Then, on realizing the ungratefulness of evil people, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
“It is easy to do good things for a good person.
However, it is very difficult for an evil person to do good things.
An evil person can do evil easily.
However, noble ones with developed minds can never do evil.”
