The Blessed Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, when a householder of Śrāvastī came to Jetavana.

When monks are not free from desire, it leads to saṅgha remnant offenses. Some incur offenses in their youth and then grow old, and others incur offenses in their maturity. When such an offense occurs, the monks who retain the sūtras, retain the vinaya, and retain the mātṛkā impose, in accordance with the Dharma, a sentence on the offender. The offender must serve the saṅgha while undergoing his full probation and penance. According to some, this service includes providing the saṅgha with drinks. According to others, it includes fanning them.

At a certain point, the householder from Śrāvastī saw a spread of fine shelters with choice food laid out for the community and thought, “Though there is some good to their teaching, there are flaws too—they lack honor and respect for those elders they put to work.”

When the group of six heard him say this, they asked, “What did you say, householder?”

“Noble ones, though there is some good to your teaching, you too have flaws.”

“Householder, what are our flaws?”

“Noble ones,” he replied, “you lack honor and respect for the elders by putting them to work.”

“There is a reason we put even elders to work.”

“Noble ones, if I were to go forth, would you put me to work too?”

They replied, “What would you say if someone much more distinguished than you were to go forth and we put even him to work?”

The householder thought, “If I were to go forth, they would also put me to work. I must find some way around it.”

As the householder was possessed of a natural intelligence, while in the monks’ company he learned how to conduct himself. Having learned that, he set off for a remote land, where he shaved off his hair and beard, donned saffron robes, and settled down.

After a time, monks who were paying homage to stūpas passed by. When the pilgrims saw him they said, “Elder, in Śrāvastī there resides one who is verily a lord of Dharma. Around him, gods are always appearing in the flesh. Vast lights also appear, divine sounds are heard, as are the auguries of all-knowing beings, and the two forms of wealth—material wealth and the wealth of Dharma—are to be had. Why then do you not go to Śrāvastī?”

“Venerables, I shall remain right here.”

They implored him again and again, “Elder, in Śrāvastī there verily resides a lord of Dharma. Around him always are gods appearing in the flesh. Vast lights also appear, divine sounds are heard, as are the auguries of all-knowing beings, and the two forms of wealth—material wealth and the wealth of Dharma—are to be had. Why then do you not go to Śrāvastī?”

At the urging of his fellow brahmacārin, he set off for Śrāvastī. In time, he saw the spread of fine shelters with choice food laid out for the community there and thought, “If I sit in the front row, I’ll be called upon to demonstrate my knowledge.” Passing by the first seat, he sat down on the second.

When the all-knowing Kauṇḍinya arrived, he thought, “If the Blessed One declared that I am first among those who wear the monk’s mantle standard, then who is this?” On thinking it over, Kauṇḍinya saw that he was an impostor and dismissed him with a snap of his fingers. The venerable Aśvajit, Bhadrika, Vāṣpa, Mahānāman, Yaśas, Pūrṇa, Vimala, Gavāmpati, Subāhu, the venerable Śāriputra, the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and all the eldest of elder monks then also dismissed him with the snap of their fingers.

Some time later he approached the group of six, and they asked him, “Elder, how many years have you passed?”

“If you’re asking my age, I have seen sixty years,” he replied.

They asked, “If the Blessed One himself has not passed sixty years, how could you?” And they asked him, “Old-timer, who is your preceptor?”

He replied, “Who is the ascetic Gautama’s preceptor?”

They exclaimed, “Venerables, this old-timer claims he has taken up these signifiers on his own.” With this, they grabbed him by his arms and legs, dragged him before the senior monks and said, “Reverend saṅgha, please listen! If the Blessed One was the first self-ordained one in this world, this old-timer is the second. Or so he claims.” And with that they led him away.

The Blessed One then addressed the monks: “Monks, this impostor will not take root in this Dharma and Vinaya; therefore, you must banish impostors from this Dharma and Vinaya. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, ask him, ‘You are not an impostor, are you?’ If you allow going forth without asking this, a breach occurs.”

Venerable Upāli asked the Blessed One, “Reverend, if the Blessed One says an impostor should be excluded, then reverend, what constitutes an impostor?”

“Upāli, were he to later participate in the restoration two or three times with monks of good standing, he would thereby be an imposter.”