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All should assemble together. Having assembled, a competent and capable monk should inform the Sangha: "May the Sangha, venerable sirs, listen to me. For us, living having arisen in quarrels, having arisen in disputes, having fallen into contention, much un-monk-like conduct has been committed, much has been spoken amiss. If we were to make each other liable for these offenses, that dispute might lead to harshness, to violence, to schism. If it is suitable for the Sangha, may the Sangha settle this dispute by covering with grass, excluding grave offenses, excluding matters connected with laypeople." For the monks of one party, a competent and capable monk should inform his own party: "May the venerable ones listen to me. For us, living having arisen in quarrels, having arisen in disputes, having fallen into contention, while dwelling, much unmonkly conduct has been committed, spoken, and transgressed. If we were to make each other accountable for these offenses, that dispute might lead to harshness, violence, and division. When it is suitable for the venerable ones, I would confess, for the sake of the venerable ones and for my own sake, in the midst of the Sangha, by means of a grass-covering, both the offense of the venerable ones and my own offense, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople. 241. Then, by a competent and capable monk from the other side of the faction, his own faction should be informed: "May the venerable ones listen to me. While we were dwelling, having arisen in quarrels, having arisen in disputes, having fallen into contention, much unmonkly conduct has been committed, spoken, and transgressed. If we were to make each other accountable for these offenses, that dispute might lead to harshness, violence, and division. When it is suitable for the venerable ones, I would confess, for the sake of the venerable ones and for my own sake, in the midst of the Sangha, by means of a grass-covering, both the offense of the venerable ones and my own offense, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople." 242. Then, by a competent and capable monk from the other side of the faction, the Sangha should be informed: "May the Sangha, venerable sirs, listen to me. While we were dwelling, having arisen in quarrels, having arisen in disputes, having fallen into contention, much unmonkly conduct has been committed, spoken, and transgressed. If we were to make each other accountable for these offenses, that dispute might lead to harshness, violence, and division. If it is suitable for the Sangha, I would confess, for the sake of these venerable ones and for my own sake, in the midst of the Sangha, by means of a grass-covering, both the offense of these venerable ones and my own offense, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople. This is the motion. "May the Sangha, venerable sirs, listen to me. Oh, sirs! While we were living quarreling, disputing, contending, much that was unmonastic was committed by us, spoken and transgressed. If we were to make each other answerable for these offenses, that dispute might lead to harshness, to violence, to schism. I, for the sake of these venerable ones, and for my own sake, confess in the midst of the Sangha, by means of the covering-with-grass, both the offense of these venerable ones and my own offense, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople. If it is acceptable to any venerable one that these offenses of ours be confessed in the midst of the Sangha by means of the covering-with-grass, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople, let him be silent; if it is not acceptable, let him speak. "These offenses of ours have been confessed in the midst of the Sangha by means of the covering-with-grass, excluding grave offenses, excluding those connected with laypeople. The Sangha accepts it, therefore it is silent, thus I hold this to be." "Then for others... thus I hold this to be." "This, monks, is called a settled dispute. By what is it settled? By settlement in the presence and by covering-with-grass. And what is there in settlement in the presence? Presence of the Sangha, presence of the Dhamma, presence of the Vinaya, presence of the individual. "And what is there in presence of the Sangha? As many monks as are competent for the act are present, the consent of those whose consent is due has been brought, being present, they do not object – this is presence of the Sangha there. "And what is there in presence of the Dhamma, presence of the Vinaya? By which Dhamma, by which Vinaya, by which teaching of the Teacher that dispute is settled – this is presence of the Dhamma, presence of the Vinaya there. "And what is there in presence of the individual? He who confesses, and he to whom he confesses, both are present – this is presence of the individual there. "And what is there in covering-with-grass? The performance of the act of covering-with-grass..." The doing, the approaching, the undertaking, the assent, the non-rejection – this is in the "covering with grass." If, monks, a case thus settled, the recipient revokes it, there is an offense of revocation; the giver of consent is vexed, there is an offense of vexation. "By how many settlements is a business-case settled? A business-case is settled by one settlement – by the discipline in the presence." The Chapter on Settlements, the fourth, is finished.