ānanda's popularity, however, did
not save him from the recriminations
of his fellows for some of his actions,
which, in their eyes, constituted
offences. Thus he was charged
(Vin. ii.288-9) with:
(1) having failed
to find out from the Buddha which
were the lesser and minor precepts
which the Sangha were allowed to
revoke if they thought fit (See
D. ii.154);
(2) with having stepped on
the Buddha's rainy-season garment
when sewing it;
(3) with having
allowed the Buddha's body to be
first saluted by women (not
mentioned elsewhere, but see
Rockhill, op. cit., p.154);
(4) with having omitted to ask the Buddha to live on for the space of a kappa
(D. ii.115); and
(5) with having exerted himself to procure the admission of women into the Order (Vin. ii.253).
ānanda's reply was that he himself
saw no fault in any of these acts, but
that he would confess them as faults
out of faith in his colleagues.
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/DPPN/aa/aananda.htm All the great disciples offered their
services, but were rejected by the
Buddha. Ānanda alone was left; he
sat in silence. When asked why he
did not offer himself, his reply was
that the Buddha knew best whom to
choose. When the Buddha signified
that he desired to have Ānanda, the
latter agreed to accept the post on
certain conditions. The Buddha was
never to give him any choice food or
garment
gotten by him, nor
appoint for him a separate "fragrant
cell" (residence), nor include him in
the invitations accepted by the
Buddha. For, he said, if the Buddha
did any of these things, some would
say that Ānanda's services to the
Buddha were done in order to get
clothes, good fare and lodging and
be included in the invitations.
Further he was to be allowed to
accept invitations on behalf of the
Buddha; to bring to the Buddha
those who came to see him from
afar; to place before the Buddha all
his perplexities, and
the Buddha was to repeat to him any doctrine taught in his absence . If these concessions were not granted, he said, some would ask where was the advantage of such service. Only if these
privileges were allowed him would people trust him and realise that the Buddha had real regard for him. The Buddha agreed to the conditions.