While dwelling in the jeta Grove, the Teacher gave this Dhamma teaching concerning Sundarī the female wandering ascetic, beginning with "the one who speaks falsehood".
"At one time, the Blessed One was honoured, respected, revered and worshiped," this story is told in detail (has come down) in the Udāna.
Herein, this is a brief account:
It is said that when gain and honour had arisen for the Blessed One and the bhikkhu saṅgha like the great flood of the five mighty rivers, the heretics/adherents of another faith, having lost their gain and honour and become without radiance just like fireflies when the sun rises, gathered together and discussed,
"From the time the ascetic Gotama arose, we lost our gain and honour. No one knows even of our existence. With whom should we collude to bring disrepute to the ascetic Gotama and to destroy his gain and honour?"
Then the thought occurred to them,
"We will be able to do this together with Sundarī."
One day when Sundarī entered the monastery of the heretics, paid respect to them and stood there, they did not address her.
Even though she repeatedly spoke to them,, she did not get any reply, so she asked, "My masters, have you been brought into difficulties by anyone?"
"What is it sirs, have you been disturbed/harassed by someone?"
"Why Sister, do you not see the ascetic Gotama wandering causing difficulties to us and depriving us of gain and honour?"
"What should I do with regards to this?" (What is suitable to be done by me here?"
"Sister, you are good-looking and endowed with beauty, bring disrepute upon the ascetic Gotama, cause the general public to to take your words and deprive him of his gain and honour!"
Hearing that, she agreed by saying, "Very well" and departed. From then on, having put on garlands, perfumes, ointments, camphor, and perfume made from berries, she goes in the direction of Jetavana in the evening at the time when the general public are returning to the city after listening to a Dhamma teaching by the Teacher. When asked, "Where are you going?", she would reply, "I am going to the presence of the ascetic Gotama, for I am staying in the same fragrant chamber together with him", and then stayed in a certain heretics monastery. In the morning, while coming towards the city after getting onto the road from Jetavana and when asked, "Sundarī, where have you gone to?", she would reply, "I am coming back after staying in the same fragrant chamber together with the ascetic Gotama and delighting him with lust (kilesarati) ."
Then, after a few days have passed, they gave some money to the drunkards and said, "Go and kill Sundarī, dispose of her body amidst the heap of thrown-away flowers near the fragrant chamber of ascetic Gotama and come!"
They did accordingly.
Then the heretics created an uproar, "We do not see Sundarī" and informed the king of this matter. When asked, "Where are your suspicion?", they said, "These days she stays in the Jetavana, we do not know what happened to her there." "Well then, go and investigate that." With the king's permission, they brought along their own attendants and went to Jetavana. While investigating, they saw her body in the midst of the heap of thrown-away flower-garlands. They brought her on a small bed, caused the body to enter the city and informed the king, "Thinking, 'we will conceal the evil deeds done by our Teacher', the ascetic Gotama's disciples killed Sundarī and disposed of her body in the midst of the heap of thrown-away flower-garlands.
The king said, "well then go and roam in the city."
They proclaimed in the streets of the city, "See what was done by the ascetics who are the sons of Sakyan," and so on, then again come to the gate of the king's palace.
The king caused the body of Sundarī to be placed on a platform in a cemetary-ground and caused it to be protected.
Among those who stay in Sāvatthī, besides the noble disciple, the rest mostly go around inside and outside of the city abusing the bhikkhus saying, "Look at this deed of the ascetics whoa re the sons of Sakyan." and so forth.
The bhikkhus informed the Tathāgata of what has happened.
Saying, "Well then, you all too reprove those people thus," the Teacher uttered this stanza:
One who speaks falsehood (a liar) approaches hell,
[KRNorman] Speaking of what never happened one goes to hell,
[Bhikkhu Bodhi] The speaker of slander goes to hell,
Also (moreover), one who has done but claims he did not;
[KR Norman] or if someone having done something says "I did not do it", [he goes to hell too].
[Bhikkhu Bodhi] so too one who, having acted, says: "I didn't do it."
Both of them become equal after death,
[KR Norman] Both of them, passing away, become equal,
[Bhikkhu Bodhi] Having passed away, both are the same,
human beings of evil deeds in another world. ??
[KR Norman] men of base deeds in the next world.
[Bhikkhu Bodhi] men of base actions in the next world.
Therein, "One who speaks falsehood" means although not seeing the fault of others but made false speech and accusing others without basis.
"Having done" means otherwise someone had done evil deeds but said, "I did not do this."
"After death become equal" means both those two people having gone to the next world become equal in terms of destination because of being reborn in hell.
Just their destination is defined, but their life-span is not defined.
For if they have done a lot of evil deeds, they will suffer (be cooked) for a long time in hell; if they had done only a little evil, the time (in hell) will be just a trifle.
However, due to the inferior deeds of both of them, therefore it is said,
"Human beings of inferior deeds in the other world."
"In another place" - the connection of this word with the previous word of "after death". [This word parattha should be connected with the previous word of pecca.]
The meaning is going from after death, in the other world, those whose kamma is inferior become equal in the other world.
At the conclusion of this teaching, many attained to Stream-Entry Fruits and so on.
The king sent off his men, "Find out the fact of the being killed by others of Sundarī."
At that time, those drunkards (ruffians) while drinking alcohol with the money received caused a quarrel among them.
One said to another,
"You killed Sundarī with just one strike and disposed of her amidst the heap of thrown-away flower-garlands. Because of that with the money you have received you are drinking alcohol. hotu hotu???"
The king's men grabbed those drunkards and showed them to the king.
Then the king asked them, "was she killed by you all?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"Who caused you to kill her?"
"Your majesty, by the heretics"
The king caused to summon the heretics and asked them.
The king had them summoned and questioned them.
They told exactly what they did.
"Well then, you all go and parade through the city proclaiming thus,
'This Sundarī was caused to be killed by us who were desiring to bring disrepute upon the ascetic Gotama, there is neither fault of the ascetic Gotama nor his disciple. It is only our fault."
They did accordingly.
At that time, the foolish people believed them. The heretics and also the drunkards received the punishment for murder (killing human).
From then on, the honour for the Buddhas became great.