41 (1) Disputes
Then the Venerable Upāli approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Bhante, why is it that arguments, quarrels, contention, and disputes arise in the Saṅgha and bhikkhus do not dwell at ease?”
“Here, Upāli, (1) bhikkhus explain non-Dhamma as Dhamma … [as in 10:37] … [78] … and (10) what has been prescribed by the Tathāgata as not having been prescribed by him. This, Upāli, is why arguments, quarrels, contention, and disputes arise in the Saṅgha and bhikkhus do not dwell at ease.”
42 (2) Roots (1)
“Bhante, how many roots of disputes are there?”
“There are, Upāli, ten roots of disputes. What ten? Here, (1) bhikkhus explain non-Dhamma as Dhamma … [as in 10:37] … and (10) what has been prescribed by the Tathāgata as not having been prescribed by him. These, Upāli, are the ten roots of disputes.”
43 (3) Roots (2)
“Bhante, how many roots of disputes are there?”
“There are, Upāli, ten roots of disputes. What ten? Here, (1) bhikkhus explain what is no offense as an offense, and (2) what is an offense as no offense. (3) They explain a light offense as a grave offense, and (4) a grave offense as a light offense. (5) They explain a coarse offense as not a coarse offense, and (6) an offense that is not coarse as a coarse offense. (7) They explain a remediable offense as an irremediable offense, and (8) an irremediable offense as a remediable offense. [79] (9) They explain an offense with redress as an offense without redress, and (10) an offense without redress as an offense with redress.2043 These, Upāli, are the ten roots of disputes.”
44 (4) Kusinārā
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kusinārā, in the forest thicket of oblations. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another person should examine himself with respect to five things and establish five things in himself before he reproves the other person.2044 With respect to what five things should he examine himself?
(1) “Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another should examine himself thus: ‘Is my bodily behavior pure? Do I possess bodily behavior that is pure, flawless, and irreproachable? Does this quality exist in me or not?’ If the bhikkhu’s bodily behavior is not pure, and he does not possess bodily behavior that is pure, flawless, and irreproachable, there will be those who say to him: ‘Please first train yourself bodily.’ There will be those who say this to him.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another should examine himself thus: ‘Is my verbal behavior pure? Do I possess verbal behavior that is pure, flawless, and irreproachable? Does this quality exist in me or not?’ If the bhikkhu’s verbal behavior is not pure, and he does not possess verbal behavior that is pure, flawless, and irreproachable, there will be those who say to him: ‘Please first train yourself verbally.’ There will be those who say this to him. [80]
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another should examine himself thus: ‘Have I established a mind of loving-kindness without resentment toward my fellow monks? Does this quality exist in me or not?’ If the bhikkhu has not established a mind of loving-kindness without resentment toward his fellow monks, there will be those who say to him: ‘Please first establish a mind of loving-kindness toward your fellow monks.’ There will be those who say this to him.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another should examine himself thus: ‘Am I learned, and do I retain and preserve what I have learned? Have I learned much of those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life? Have I retained them in mind, recited them verbally, mentally investigated them, and penetrated them well by view? Does this quality exist in me or not?’ If the bhikkhu is not learned … and has not penetrated them well by view, there will be those who say to him: ‘Please first learn the heritage.’ There will be those who say this to him.
(5) “Again, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another should examine himself thus: ‘Have both Pātimokkhas been well transmitted to me in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well determined in terms of the rules and their detailed explication? Does there exist in me this quality or not?’ If both Pātimokkhas [81] have not been well transmitted to him in detail … in terms of the rules and their detailed explication, and if, when asked: ‘Where did the Blessed One state this?’ he is unable to reply, there will be those who say to him: ‘Please first learn the discipline.’ There will be those who say this to him.
“It is with respect to these five things that he should examine himself.
“And what are the five things that he should establish in himself? [He should consider:] ‘(6) I will speak at a proper time, not at an improper time; (7) I will speak truthfully, not falsely; (8) I will speak gently, not harshly; (9) I will speak in a beneficial way, not in a harmful way; (10) I will speak with a mind of loving-kindness, not while harboring hatred.’ These are the five things that he should establish in himself.
“Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who wishes to reprove another person should examine himself with respect to these five things and establish these five things in himself before he reproves the other person.”
45 (5) Entering
“Bhikkhus, there are these ten dangers in entering the king’s inner palace. What ten?
(1) “Here, the king is sitting with his queen. The bhikkhu enters, and either the queen smiles when she sees the bhikkhu or the bhikkhu smiles when he sees the queen. The king thinks: ‘Surely, something has gone on between them, or something is about to go on.’ This is the first danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(2) “Again, when the king has been busy, engaged with much work, he has had intercourse with one of the women but does not remember this, and because of their relations she has become pregnant. The king thinks: ‘No one [82] else has entered here except the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the second danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(3) “Again, a gem has been lost in the king’s inner palace. The king thinks: ‘No one else has entered here except the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the third danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(4) “Again, the secret deliberations of the king’s inner palace have spread to others.2045 The king thinks: ‘No one else has entered here except the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the fourth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(5) “Again, in the king’s inner palace a father longs for his son, or a son longs for his father.2046 They think: ‘No one else has entered here except the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the fifth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(6) “Again, the king promotes someone. Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king has close ties with the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the sixth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(7) “Again, the king demotes someone. Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king has close ties with the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the seventh danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(8) “Again, the king dispatches his army at an improper time. Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king has close ties with the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the eighth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(9) “Again, after dispatching his army at a proper time, the king orders it to turn back while en route. Those who are upset by this think: [83] ‘The king has close ties with the monk. Could this be the monk’s work?’ This is the ninth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
(10) “Again, in the king’s inner palace there is the trampling of elephants,2047 horses, and chariots, as well as tantalizing forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile objects that are not suitable for a monk. This is the tenth danger in entering the king’s inner palace.
“These, bhikkhus, are the ten dangers in entering the king’s inner palace.”
46 (6) Sakyans
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Park. Then, on the uposatha day, a number of Sakyan lay followers approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to them:
“Sakyans, do you observe the uposatha complete in eight factors?”2048
“Sometimes we do, Bhante, and sometimes we don’t.”
“It is your misfortune and loss, Sakyans! When life is endangered by sorrow and death, you observe the uposatha complete in eight factors [only] sometimes, and sometimes you don’t. What do you think, Sakyans? Suppose there was a man here who, without doing anything unwholesome, would earn half a kahāpaṇa daily for his work. [84] Would that suffice for calling him a clever and enterprising man?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“What do you think, Sakyans? Suppose there was a man here who, without doing anything unwholesome, would earn a kahāpaṇa daily for his work. Would that suffice for calling him a clever and enterprising man?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“What do you think, Sakyans? Suppose there was a man here who, without doing anything unwholesome, would earn two kahāpaṇas … three … four … five … six … seven … eight … nine … ten … twenty … thirty … forty … fifty kahāpaṇas2049 daily for his work. Would that suffice for calling him a clever and enterprising man?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“What do you think, Sakyans? If he earns a hundred or a thousand kahāpaṇas day after day, deposits whatever he gains, and has a life span of a hundred years, living a hundred years, would he acquire a great mass of wealth?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“What do you think, Sakyans? On account of his wealth, because of his wealth, by reason of his wealth, could that man experience exclusively happiness for one night or one day, or for half a night or half a day?”
“No, Bhante. Why not? Because sensual pleasures are impermanent, empty, false, and deceptive.”
“However, Sakyans, my disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for ten years, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years,2050 [85] a hundred thousand years, and ten million years.2051 And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“Let alone ten years, Sakyans. My disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for nine years … eight years … seven years … six years … five years … four years … three years … two years … one year, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, and ten million years. And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“Let alone one year, Sakyans. My disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for ten months, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, and ten million years. And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“Let alone ten months, Sakyans. My disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for nine months … eight months … seven months … six months … five months … four months … three months … two months … one month … half a month, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, and ten million years. And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“Let alone half a month, Sakyans. My disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for ten nights and days, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, and ten million years. And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“Let alone ten nights and days, Sakyans. My disciple who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute for nine nights and days … eight nights and days … seven nights and days … [86] six nights and days … five nights and days … four nights and days … three nights and days … two nights and days … one night and day, practicing as I instruct him, might experience exclusively happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, and ten million years. And he might be a once-returner, a non-returner, or surely a stream-enterer.
“It is your misfortune and loss, Sakyans! When life is endangered by sorrow and death, you observe the uposatha complete in eight factors [only] sometimes, and sometimes you don’t.”
“From today on, Bhante, we will observe the uposatha complete in eight factors.”
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Then Mahāli the Licchavi approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Bhante, what is the cause and condition for the doing of bad kamma, for the occurrence of bad kamma?”2052
“Mahāli, (1) greed is a cause and condition for the doing of bad kamma, for the occurrence of bad kamma. (2) Hatred is a cause and condition … (3) Delusion is a cause and condition … (4) Careless attention is a cause [87] and condition … (5) A wrongly directed mind is a cause and condition for the doing of bad kamma, for the occurrence of bad kamma. This is the cause and condition for the doing of bad kamma, for the occurrence of bad kamma.”
“Bhante, what is the cause and condition for the doing of good kamma, for the occurrence of good kamma?”
“Mahāli, (6) non-greed is a cause and condition for the doing of good kamma, for the occurrence of good kamma. (7) Non-hatred is a cause and condition … (8) Non-delusion is a cause and condition … (9) Careful attention is a cause and condition … (10) A rightly directed mind is a cause and condition for the doing of good kamma, for the occurrence of good kamma. This is the cause and condition for the doing of good kamma, for the occurrence of good kamma.
“If, Mahāli, these ten qualities did not exist in the world, unrighteous conduct, conduct contrary to the Dhamma, and righteous conduct, conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, would not be seen. But because these ten qualities exist in the world, unrighteous conduct, conduct contrary to the Dhamma, and righteous conduct, conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, are seen.”
48 (8) Things
“Bhikkhus, there are these ten things that one who has gone forth should often reflect upon. What ten?
(1) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘I have entered upon a classless condition.’2053
(2) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘My living is dependent upon others.’2054 [88]
(3) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘My deportment should be different.’2055
(4) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘Do I reproach myself in regard to virtuous behavior?’2056
(5) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘Do my wise fellow monks, having investigated, reproach me in regard to virtuous behavior?’
(6) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘I must be parted and separated from everyone and everything dear and agreeable to me.’2057
(7) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘I am the owner of my kamma, the heir of my kamma; I have kamma as my origin, kamma as my relative, kamma as my resort; I will be the heir of whatever kamma, good or bad, that I do.’
(8) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘How am I spending my nights and days?’
(9) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘Do I take delight in empty huts?’
(10) “One who has gone forth should often reflect: ‘Have I attained any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, so that in my last days, when I am questioned by my fellow monks, I will not be embarrassed?’
“These, bhikkhus, are the ten things that one who has gone forth should often reflect upon.”
49 (9) Subsisting through the Body
“Bhikkhus, these ten things subsist through the body. What ten? Cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, bodily restraint, verbal restraint, restraint in one’s livelihood, and the formative activity of existence that leads to renewed existence.2058 These ten things subsist through the body.”
50 (10) Arguments
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion, [89] after their meal, on returning from their alms round, a number of bhikkhus assembled in the assembly hall and were sitting together when they took to arguing and quarreling and fell into a dispute, stabbing each other with piercing words.
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the prepared seat. The Blessed One then addressed the bhikkhus:
“Bhikkhus, what discussion were you engaged in just now as you were sitting together here? What was the conversation that was underway?”
“Here, Bhante, after our meal, on returning from our alms round, we assembled in the assembly hall and were sitting together when we took to arguing and quarreling and fell into a dispute, stabbing each other with piercing words.”
“Bhikkhus, it is not suitable for you clansmen who have gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness to take to arguing and quarreling and to fall into a dispute, stabbing each other with piercing words.
“There are, bhikkhus, these ten principles of cordiality that create affection and respect and conduce to cohesiveness, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.2059 What ten?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. Since a bhikkhu is virtuous … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces to cohesiveness, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life—such teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, [90] investigated mentally, and penetrated well by view. Since a bhikkhu has learned much … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu has good friends, good companions, good comrades. Since a bhikkhu has good friends … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu is easy to correct and possesses qualities that make him easy to correct; he is patient and receives instruction respectfully. Since a bhikkhu is easy to correct … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(5) “Again, a bhikkhu is skillful and diligent in attending to the diverse chores that are to be done for his fellow monks; he possesses appropriate investigation there, and he is able to carry out and arrange everything properly. Since a bhikkhu is skillful and diligent … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(6) “Again, a bhikkhu loves the Dhamma and is pleasing in his assertions, filled with a lofty joy pertaining to the Dhamma and discipline. Since a bhikkhu loves the Dhamma … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(7) “Again, a bhikkhu has aroused energy for abandoning unwholesome qualities and acquiring wholesome qualities; he is strong, firm in exertion, not casting off the duty of cultivating wholesome qualities. Since a bhikkhu has aroused energy … [91] … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(8) “Again, a bhikkhu is content with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicines and provisions for the sick. Since a bhikkhu is content with any kind of robe … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(9) “Again, a bhikkhu is mindful, possessing supreme mindfulness and alertness, one who remembers and recollects what was done and said long ago. Since a bhikkhu is mindful … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
(10) “Again, a bhikkhu is wise; he possesses the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, which is noble and penetrative and leads to the complete destruction of suffering. Since a bhikkhu is wise … this is a principle of cordiality that creates affection and respect and conduces … to unity.
“These, bhikkhus, are the ten principles of cordiality that create affection and respect and conduce to cohesiveness, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.” [92]
2043 For explanations of these terms, see p. 1602, note 66.
2044 This sutta combines two fivefold sets and can thus be considered a composite ten.
2045 Ce guyhavantā should be corrected to guyhamantā, as in Be and Ee. Here guyhamantā almost certainly means “secret deliberations,” not “secret mantras.”
2046 Mp glosses pattheti with māretuṃ icchati, “wishes to kill.” I do not see how a desire to kill can be derived from the Pāli and thus prefer to take pattheti in its usual sense, as simply “to wish, to long for.” My guess as to its relevance here is that a man who has fathered a son through one of the concubines wants to see his son, and a concubine’s son who learns that he was sired by a man other than the king wants to meet his real father, and the king suspects the monk of being the go-between.
2047 Ce and Be read hatthisammaddaṃ; Ee has hatthisammadaṃ in the text, but –sammaddaṃ and –sambādhaṃ as alternative readings. Mp (Be) reads hatthisambādhaṃ, resolved as hatthīhi sambādhaṃ (“crowded with elephants”). Mp (Ce) allows this reading too, though its text seems corrupted. Both editions of Mp recognize the alternative hatthisammaddaṃ.
2048 The eight factors are the eight uposatha precepts, on which see 8:41.
2049 Ce and Ee stop at fifty kahāpaṇas, but Be adds a hundred kahāpaṇas. The kahāpaṇa was the major currency unit of the time.
2050 Lit., “a hundred times a hundred years” (satampi vassasatāni).
2051 Lit., “a hundred times a hundred thousand years” (satampi vassasatasahassāni).
2052 Because of the ambivalence of the word kamma (meaning both “a deed” and “the potential for results created by a deed”), the question and the reply might also have been formulated in terms of “a bad deed.” The same holds below in regard to good kamma.
2053 Vevaṇṇiy’amhi ajjhupagato. The four main classes of Indian society in the Buddha’s time were referred to as vaṇṇa, lit., “color,” and thus the privative form, vivaṇṇa, should mean “without class” or “classless.” Vevaṇṇiya is the abstract noun, “classlessness,” implying that those who go forth give up their prior status as brahmin, khattiya, vessa, sudda, or outcast, and become known simply as ascetics following the Sakyan son (see 8:19 §4). By the time of the commentaries the original meaning seems to have been forgotten, and thus Mp takes the word in the sense of “plain” or “without adornment”: “Vevaṇṇiya is twofold: with respect to body and with respect to articles of use. Vevaṇṇiya with respect to body means shaving off the hair and beard. Vevaṇṇiya with respect to articles of use means wearing ochre robes made from stitched-together pieces of cloth; eating food mixed together with water in an iron or clay bowl; sleeping at the foot of a tree, etc., and lying down on mats made of reeds and grass, etc.; sitting on a strip of leather or cloth, etc.; and using fermented cow’s urine, etc., for medicine. When one reflects thus, anger and conceit are abandoned.”
2054 Parapaṭibaddhā me jīvikā. Monastics do not work at salaried jobs to earn money with which to purchase their requisites but receive all their material supports—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines—as offerings from the lay community. One does not make use of the four requisites without having reflected upon them.
2055 Añño me ākappo karaṇīyo. Mp: “Laypeople walk by swelling up their chest, lifting their heads high, in a playful manner, with disorderly steps. But my manner must be different. I must walk with calm sense faculties, with a calm mind, with slow and measured steps, like a cart passing through water or a rough place.”
2056 Here and in the next reflection the intended sense is conveyed more clearly in English if na is not translated.
2057 This and the following reflection are in 5:57.
2058 Ponobhavikobhavasaṅkhāro. Mp: “The kamma that creates existence, the active production of renewed existence” (ponobbhaviko ti punabbhavanibbattako, bhavasaṅkhāroti bhavasaṅkharaṇakammaṃ). Presumably this is said to subsist through the body because the body is the instrument for forming and expressing volition.
2059 The formula is the same as that at 6:12, though the content is different. The ten principles are the same as the “ten qualities that make for a protector” at 10:18.