Mahavagga 10.4

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Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg

MAHAVAGGA

TENTH KHANDHAKA (SCHISMS AMONG THE SANGHA)

Chapter-4.

1. And the Lord Buddha, having pronounced these stanzas standing in the midst of the assembly, went forth to Balakalonakara-gama (or, to Balaka, the salt-maker's village).

At that time the venerable Bhagu dwelt at Balakalonakara-gama. And the venerable Bhagu saw the Lord Buddha coming from afar; seeing him he prepared a seat, brought water for the washing of his feet, a foot-stool, and a towel, went forth to meet him, and took his bowl and his robe. The Lord Buddha sat down on the seat he had prepared; and

when he was seated, the Lord Buddha washed his feet. And also the venerable Bhagu, having respect-fully saluted the Lord Buddha, sat down near him. When he was sitting near him, the Lord Buddha said to the venerable Bhagu: 'Is it all well with you, O Bhikkhu? Do you find your living? Do you get food without too much trouble?'

'It is all well with me, Lord; I find my living, Lord; I get food, Lord, without too much trouble.'

And the Lord Buddha, having taught, encouraged, animated, and gladdened the venerable Bhagu by dhamma discourse, rose from his seat and went forth to the Eastern Bambu Park (Pakina-vamsa-daya).

2. At that time the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila dwelt at Pakina-vamsa-daya. And the park-keeper saw the Lord Buddha coming from afar; seeing him he said to the Lord Buddha: 'Do not enter this park, O Samana; here dwell three noble youths accustomed to comfort and ease; you must not annoy them.' And the venerable Anuruddha heard what the park-keeper was saying to the Lord Buddha; hearing that he said to the park-keeper: 'Do not keep off the Lord Buddha, my good park-keeper; our teacher, the Lord Buddha, has arrived.' And the venerable Anuruddha went to the place where the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila were; having approached them, he said to the venerable Nandiya and to the venerable Kimbila: 'Come here, my venerable friends! Come here, my venerable friends! Our teacher, the Lord Buddha, has arrived.'

3. And the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila went forth to meet the Lord Buddha; one took the bowl and the

robe of the Lord Buddha, the other one prepared a seat, the third one brought water for the washing of his feet, a foot-stool, and a towel. Then the Lord Buddha sat down on the seat they had pre-pared; and when he was seated, the Lord Buddha washed his feet. And also those venerable persons, having respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, sat down near him. When the venerable Anuruddha was sitting near him, the Lord Buddha said to him:

'Is it all well with you, O Anuruddhas? Do you find your living? Do you get food without too much trouble?'

'It is all well with us, Lord; we find our living, Lord; we get food, Lord, without too much trouble.'

'And do you live, O Anuruddhas, in unity and concord, without quarrels, like milk and water (mixed together), and looking at each other with friendly eyes?'

'Certainly, Lord, do we live in unity and concord (&c., down to:) and looking at each other with friendly eyes.'

'And in what way, O Anuruddhas, do you live in unity and concord, &c.?'

4. 'I think, Lord: "It is all gain to me indeed, it is high bliss for me indeed, that I live in the companionship of brethren like these." Thus, Lord, do I exercise towards these venerable brethren friendliness in my actions, both openly and in secret; I exercise (towards them) friendliness in my words, and friendliness in my thoughts, both openly and in secret. And I think thus, Lord: "What if I were to give up my own will and to live only according to the will of these venerable brethren." Thus, Lord, I give up my own will and live only according to the will of these venerable brethren. Our bodies, Lord, are different, but our minds, I think, have become one.'

And also the venerable Nandiya. . . . and also the venerable Kimbila. . . . said to the Lord Buddha: 'I think also, Lord: "It is all gain to me" (&c., down to:) have become one.

'In this way, Lord, do we live in unity and concord, without quarrels, like milk and water (mixed together), and looking at each other with friendly eyes.'

5. 'And do you live, O Anuruddhas, in earnestness, zeal, and resolvedness?'

'Certainly, Lord, do we live in earnestness, zeal, and resolvedness.'

'And in what way, O Anuruddhas, do you live in earnestness, zeal, and resolvedness?'

'He who first of us comes back, Lord, from the village, from his alms-pilgrimage, prepares seats, gets water for washing feet, a foot-stool, and a towel, cleans the slop-basin, and gets it ready, and puts there (water to) drink and food. He who comes back last from the village, from his alms-pilgrimage, eats, if there is any food left (from the dinner of the others) and if he desires to do so; and if he does

not desire (to eat), he throws it away at a place free from grass, or pours it away into water in which no living things are; takes away the seat, puts away the water for washing the feet, the foot-stool, and the towel, cleans the slop-basin and puts it away, puts the water and the food away, and sweeps the dining-room. He who sees a water-pot, or a bowl for food, or an easing-chair, empty and void, puts it (into its proper place), and if he is not able to do so single-handed, he calls some one else, and thus we put it (into its place) with our united effort, but we do not utter a word, Lord, on that account. And every five days, Lord, we spend a whole night, sitting together, in dhamma discourse. In this way, Lord, do we live in earnestness, zeal, and resolvedness.'

6. And the Lord Buddha, having taught, encouraged, animated, and gladdened the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila by dhamma discourse, rose from his seat, and went forth to Parileyyaka. Wandering from place to place he came to Parileyyaka. There the Lord Buddha dwelt at Parileyyaka, in the Rakkhita grove, at the foot of the Bhaddasala tree. Then in the mind of the Lord Buddha, who was alone, and had retired into solitude, the following thought arose: 'Formerly I did not live at ease, being troubled by those litigious, contentious, quarrelsome, disputatious Bhikkhus of Kosambi, the constant raisers of questions before the Sangha. But now, being alone and without a companion, I live pleasantly and at ease, remote from those litigious, contentious, quarrelsome, disputatious Bhikkhus of Kosambi, the constant raisers of questions before the Sangha.' And there

dwelt also a noble elephant, who was surrounded by a crowd of elephants, she-elephants, elephant-calves, and young elephants; the grass blades he ate had their tips broken; the branches he broke down (the other elephants) ate; the water he drank was turbid; and when he waded into the river and plunged down, the she-elephants came and rubbed up their bodies against him. Now that noble elephant thought: 'I am surrounded by a crowd of elephants (&c., down to:) and rub up their bodies against me. What if I were to live alone, far away from those crowds.'

7. And that noble elephant left the herd behind, and went to Parileyyaka, to the Rakkhita grove, to the foot of the Bhaddasala tree, to the place where the Lord Buddha was. Having approached him, he administered with his trunk to the Lord Buddha (water to) drink and food, and removed the grass from that place. And that noble elephant thought:

Formerly I did not live at ease, surrounded by that crowd of elephants (&c., down to:) and rubbed up their bodies against me. But now, being alone and without a companion, I live pleasantly and at ease, remote from those elephants, she-elephants, elephant-calves, and young elephants.'

Then the Lord Buddha, both regarding his own retirement, and understanding by the power of his mind the thoughts which had arisen in the mind of that noble elephant, on this occasion pronounced this solemn utterance:

'Thus the noble one and the noble, the elephant tusked with tusks like cart poles (and the noble One among men)--the mind of the one and the mind of the other harmonise in this, that they take delight in dwelling alone in the forest.'