Mahavagga 10.5

Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Khandhaka >> Mahavagga >> Tenth Khandaka >> 10.5

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

MAHAVAGGA

TENTH KHANDHAKA (SCHISMS AMONG THE SANGHA)

Chapter-5.

1. And the Lord Buddha, having dwelt at Parileyyaka as long as he thought fit, went forth to Savatthi. Wandering from place to place he came to Savatthi. There the Lord Buddha dwelt at Savatthi, in the Jetavana, the garden of Anatha-pindika. And the lay-devotees of Kosambi thought: 'These venerable Bhikkhus of Kosambi have brought much misfortune to us; worried by them the Lord Buddha is gone. Well, let us neither salute the venerable Bhikkhus of Kosambi, nor rise from our seats before them, nor raise our hands before them, nor perform the proper duties towards them, nor honour and esteem and revere and sup-port them, nor give them food when they come on their walks for alms; thus, when they are not honoured, esteemed, revered, supported, and hospitably received by us, they will go away, or return to the world, or propitiate the Lord Buddha.'

2. Thus the lay-devotees of Kosambi did not salute any more the Bhikkhus of Kosambi, nor did they rise from their seats before. them (&c., down to:) nor gave them food when they came on their walks for alms.

Then the Bhikkhus of Kosambi, when they were no more honoured (&c., down to:) and hospitably

received by the lay-devotees of Kosambi, said to each other: 'Well, friends, let us go to Savatthi and let us settle there that question before the Lord Buddha.' And the Bhikkhus of Kosambi put their resting-places in order, took up their alms-bowls and their robes, and went forth to Savatthi.

3. And the venerable Sariputta heard: Those litigious, contentious, quarrelsome, disputatious Bhikkhus of Kosambi, the constant raisers of questions before the Sangha, are coming to Savatthi.' And the venerable Sariputta went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, he sat down near him. Sitting near him the venerable Sariputta said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, those litigious, contentious (&c., down to:) are coming to Savatthi. How am I to behave, Lord, towards those Bhikkhus?'

'Well, Sariputta, you must side with those who are right according to the Dhamma.'

'But how shall I discern, Lord, what is right and what is wrong?'

4. 'There are eighteen things, Sariputta, by which you may conclude that a Bhikkhu is wrong according to the Dhamma. In case, Sariputta, a Bhikkhu declares what is not Dhamma to be Dhamma, or declares what is Dhamma not to be Dhamma, or declares what is not Vinaya to be Vinaya, or declares what is Vinaya not to be Vinaya, or declares what has not been taught and spoken by the Tathagata(Buddha) to have been taught and spoken by the Tathagata, or declares something taught and spoken by the Tathagata not to have been taught and spoken by the Tathagata, or declares what has not been practised by the Tathagata to have been practised by the Tathagata(Buddha), or declares something practised by the Tathagata not to have been practised by the Tathagata, or declares what has not been ordained by the Tathagata to have been ordained by the Tathagata, or declares something ordained by the Tathagata(Buddha) not to have been ordained by the Tathagata, or declares what is no offence to be an offence, or declares an offence to be no offence, or declares a slight offence to be a grievous offence, or declares a grievous offence to be a slight offence, or declares (a rule regarding) an offence to which there is an exception to be without an exception, or declares (a rule regarding) an offence to which there is no exception to admit of exceptions, or declares a grave offence to be a not grave offence, or declares an offence that is not grave to be a grave offence,--these are the eighteen things, Sariputta, by which you may conclude that a Bhikkhu is wrong according to the Dhamma.

5. 'And there are eighteen things, Sariputta, by which you may conclude that a Bhikkhu is right according to the Dhamma. In case, Sariputta, a Bhikkhu declares what is not Dhamma to be not Dhamma, or declares what is Dhamma to be Dhamma (&c., down to:), or declares a grave offence to be a grave offence, or declares an offence that is not grave to be not grave,--these are the eighteen things, Sariputta, by which you may conclude that a Bhikkhu is right according to the Dhamma.'

6. And the venerable Mahamoggallana heard (&c., as in §-3--5)--and the venerable Mahakassapa heard, &c.--and the venerable Mahakakkana heard, &c.--and the venerable Mahakotthita heard, &c.--and the venerable Mahakappina heard, &c.--and the venerable Mahakunda heard, &c.--and the venerable Anuruddha heard, &c.--and the venerable Revata heard, &c.--and the venerable Upali heard, &c.--and the venerable Ananda heard, &c.--and the venerable Rahula heard (&c., as above).

7. And Mahapajapati Gotami heard: 'Those litigious, contentious, quarrelsome, disputatious Bhikkhus(Monks) of Kosambi, the constant raisers of questions before the Sangha, are coming to Savatthi.' And Mahapajapati Gotami went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, she stationed herself near him. Standing near him Mahapajapati Gotami said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, those litigious, contentious (&c., down to:) are coming to Savatthi. How am I to behave, Lord, towards those Bhikkhus?'

'Well, Gotami, hear the Dhamma on both sides. When you have heard the Dhamma on both sides, then accept the opinion and the belief and the doctrine and the cause of those Bhikkhus who are right according to the Dhamma; and whatever the Bhikkhunisangha has to apply for to the Bhikkhusangha, for all that you must apply to the party of those who are right.'

8. And Anatha-pindika the householder heard (&c., as in 3, down to:). 'How am I to behave, Lord, towards those Bhikkhus?'

'Well, householder, bestow gifts on both sides; having bestowed gifts on both sides, hear the Dhamma on both sides. When you have heard the Dhamma on both sides, then accept the opinion and the belief and the doctrine and the cause of those Bhikkhus who are right according to the Dhamma.'

9. And Visakha Migaramata heard, &c.

10. And the Bhikkhus of Kosambi in due course came to Savatthi. And the venerable Sariputta went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, he sat down near him. Sitting near him the venerable Sariputta said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, those litigious, contentious, quarrelsome, disputatious Bhikkhus of Kosambi, the constant raisers of questions before the Sangha, have arrived at Savatthi. How are we, Lord, to arrange the dwelling-places of those Bhikkhus?'

'Well, Sariputta, assign separate dwelling-places to them.'

'And if there be no separate dwelling-places, what are we to do then, Lord?'

'Then, Sariputta, you must separate (some dwelling-places from the rest) and then assign them (to those Bhikkhus). But in no wise, Sariputta, do I say that the dwelling-place of a senior Bhikkhu must be taken from him. He who does that, commits a dukkata offence.'

'And how are we to act, Lord, regarding (the distribution of) material gifts?'

'Material gifts, Sariputta, must be distributed among all in equal parts.'

11. And that Bhikkhu against whom expulsion had been pronounced, pondering over both Dhamma and Vinaya, came to the following conclusion: 'This is an offence; this is not no offence. I am an offender; I am not offenceless. I am expelled; I am not un-expelled. The sentence by which I have been expelled is lawful, unobjectionable, and valid.' Then that expelled Bhikkhu went to the expelled Bhikkhu's partisans; having approached them, he said to the partisans of the expelled Bhikkhu: 'This is an offence, friends; this is not no offence, &c. Come now, my venerable brethren, and restore me.'

12. Then the partisans of that expelled Bhikkhu took with them the expelled Bhikkhu, and went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, they sat down near him. Sitting near him those Bhikkhus said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, this Bhikkhu, against whom expulsion has been pronounced, says, "This is an offence, friends (&c.,down to:) and restore me." What are we to do here, Lord?'

This is an offence, O Bhikkhus; this is not no offence. This Bhikkhu is an offender; this Bhikkhu is not offenceless. This Bhikkhu is expelled; he is not unexpelled; the sentence by which he has been expelled is lawful, unobjectionable, and valid. But since this Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, having committed an offence, and having been sentenced to expulsion, sees (his offence), restore now that Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus.'

13. And the partisans of that expelled Bhikkhu, having restored that expelled Bhikkhu, went to the Bhikkhus who had sentenced him to expulsion; having approached them, they said to the Bhikkhus who had pronounced that sentence: 'As regards that matter, friends, which gave origin to altercations among the Sangha, to contentions, discord, quarrels, divisions among the Sangha, to disunion among the Sangha, to separations among the Sangha, to schisms among the Sangha,--that Bhikkhu (who was concerned in that matter), having committed an offence, and having been sentenced to expulsion, has seen (his offence) and has been restored. Come, friends, let us declare now the re-establishment of concord among the Sangha in order to bring that matter to an end.'

Then the Bhikkhus who had pronounced that sentence of expulsion, went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, they sat down near him; sitting near him those Bhikkhus said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, those partisans of the expelled Bhikkhu have said to us: "As regards that matter (&c., down to:) in order to bring that matter to an end." What are we to do here, Lord?'

14. 'Since this Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, having committed an offence, and having been sentenced to expulsion, has seen (his offence) and has been re-stored, let the Sangha, O Bhikkhus, declare the re-establishment of concord in order to bring that matter to an end. And this declaration is to be performed in this way: Let all brethren assemble together, both the sick and the healthy; no one is allowed to send his declaration of khanda (and to stay away). When you have assembled, let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following natti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me. As regards that matter which gave origin to altercations among the Sangha, to contentions, discord, quarrels, divisions among the Sangha, to disunion among the Sangha, to separations among the Sangha, to schisms among the Sangha,--that Bhikkhu (concerned in that matter), having committed an offence, and having been sentenced to expulsion, has seen (his offence) and has been restored. If the Sangha is ready, let the Sangha declare the re-establishment of concord in order to bring that matter to an end. This is the natti(motion). Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me (&c., down to:) the re-establishment of concord, in order to bring that matter to an end, has been declared by the Sangha; the division that existed among the Sangha has been settled; the disunion that existed among the Sangha has been settled. The Sangha is in favour (of this declaration); therefore you are silent; thus I understand." Then let the Sangha hold Uposatha and proclaim the Patimokkha.'