English
For that person is angry, resentful, rigid in views, difficult to let go, And I am able to lift this person from unwholesome states and establish him in wholesome states. This is but a small matter: that there will be harm to me and injury to the other person. But this is much more: that I am able to lift this person from unwholesome states and establish him in wholesome states. If, bhikkhus, it is so, it is proper to speak. But if, bhikkhus, it is so: 'There will be harm to me and injury to the other person. For the other person is angry, resentful, with firm views, hard to let go of, and I am not able to lift this person from unwholesome states and establish him in wholesome states.' In such a person, bhikkhus, equanimity should not be disregarded. 40. And for you, bhikkhus, living in harmony, rejoicing together, not disputing, training, there might arise among you a verbal disagreement, a conflict of views, mental aversion, discontent, displeasure. There, among the bhikkhus of one side, the bhikkhu whom you consider more amenable, should be approached and addressed thus: 'Friend, that verbal disagreement that arose among us, living in harmony, rejoicing together, not disputing, training, that conflict of views, mental aversion, discontent, displeasure— a contemplative knowing this would censure it.' A bhikkhu, bhikkhus, rightly explaining, would explain thus: 'Friend, that verbal disagreement that arose among us, living in harmony, rejoicing together, not disputing, training, that conflict of views, mental aversion, discontent, displeasure— a contemplative knowing this would censure it. But, friend, would one realize Nibbāna without abandoning this state?' A bhikkhu, bhikkhus, rightly explaining, would explain thus: 'Friend, without abandoning this state, one would not realize Nibbāna.' Then, for the bhikkhus of the other side Whichever monk you consider to be more amenable, he should approach him and be addressed thus: ‘Friends, that which among us, who are united, rejoicing, not disputing, training, has arisen as a verbal conflict, a perversion of view, a mental aversion, discontent, displeasure, a recluse, knowing that, would censure it.’ Rightly explaining, monks, a monk would explain thus: ‘Friends, that which among us, who are united, rejoicing, not disputing, training, has arisen as a verbal conflict, a perversion of view, a mental aversion, discontent, displeasure, a recluse, knowing that, would censure it. But friends, without abandoning this teaching, could one realize Nibbāna?’ Rightly explaining, monks, a monk would explain thus: ‘Indeed, friends, without abandoning this teaching, one could not realize Nibbāna.’ If, monks, others were to ask that monk thus: ‘Did the venerable one raise these monks from unwholesome states and establish them in wholesome states?’ Rightly explaining, monks, a monk would explain thus: ‘Here, friends, I approached the Blessed One; to me, the Blessed One taught the Dhamma; having heard that Dhamma, I spoke to those monks. Those monks, having heard that Dhamma, arose from unwholesome states, and were established in wholesome states.’ Explaining thus, monks, a monk neither praises himself, nor disparages others, and he explains the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, and no co-dharmic dispute comes to a blameworthy point. This the Blessed One said. Delighted, those monks rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Kinti Sutta, the third, is finished. 4. The Sāmagāma Sutta. 41. Thus have I heard: On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans, at Sāmagāma. Now at that time, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta had recently passed away at Pāvā. Upon his passing By his passing, the Nigaṇṭhas are divided, become two-factions, given to quarrels, given to disputes, fallen into contention, they live piercing each other with verbal spears: “You do not know this Dhamma and Discipline, I know this Dhamma and Discipline. What will you know of this Dhamma and Discipline! You are wrongly practiced, I am rightly practiced. What is consistent is mine, what is inconsistent is yours. You said first what should be said last, you said last what should be said first. What you have long practiced is turned upside down. Your argument is refuted. You are defeated, go and seek release from your argument; or unravel it if you can.” Indeed, it seems to me, among the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta, there is only slaughter. And those lay disciples of the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, wearing white clothes, they too are disillusioned, disaffected, and disgusted with the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta, as is natural in a Dhamma and Discipline badly expounded, badly proclaimed, not leading to liberation, not conducive to peace, not proclaimed by a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, with a broken pillar, without refuge. 42. Then indeed, the novice Cunda, having spent the Rains at Pāvā, approached Sāmagāma, where the venerable Ānanda was; having approached, he greeted the venerable Ānanda and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the novice Cunda said this to the venerable Ānanda: “Venerable sir, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta has recently died at Pāvā. By his death, the Nigaṇṭhas are divided, become two-factions, given to quarrels, given to disputes, fallen into contention, they live piercing each other with verbal spears: ‘You do not know this Dhamma and Discipline, I know this Dhamma and Discipline. What will you know of this Dhamma and Discipline! You are wrongly practiced, I am rightly practiced. What is consistent is mine, what is inconsistent is yours. You said first what should be said last, you said last what should be said first. What you have long practiced is turned upside down. Your argument is refuted. You are defeated, go and seek release from your argument; or unravel it if you can.’ Indeed, it seems to me, among the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta, there is only slaughter. And those lay disciples of the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, wearing white clothes, they too are disillusioned, disaffected, and disgusted with the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta, as is natural in a Dhamma and Discipline badly expounded, badly proclaimed, not leading to liberation, not conducive to peace, not proclaimed by a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, with a broken pillar, without refuge.” When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said this to the novice Cunda: “Indeed, friend Cunda, this is a topic for discussion to see the Blessed One. Come, friend Cunda, let us approach the Blessed One; having approached, we will report this matter to the Blessed One.” “Yes, venerable sir,” the novice Cunda replied to the venerable Ānanda. Then indeed Venerable Ānanda and Cunda the novice approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "This, venerable sir, Cunda the novice says thus: 'The Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, venerable sir, has recently died at Pāvā. Due to his death, the Nigaṇṭhas are divided, split into two... their community is broken, without refuge.' To me, venerable sir, it occurs thus: 'May a dispute not arise in the Saṅgha after the Blessed One's passing; that dispute would be for the harm of many, for the unhappiness of many, for the disadvantage, for the detriment, for the suffering of many people, of devas and humans.'" "What do you think, Ānanda? Those teachings I have taught, having directly known them, namely – the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the Noble Eightfold Path, do you see, Ānanda, even two bhikkhus having different views on these teachings?" "Those teachings, venerable sir, taught by the Blessed One, having directly known them, namely – the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the Noble Eightfold Path, I do not see even two bhikkhus having different views on these teachings. But those individuals, venerable sir, who live relying on the Blessed One, they too might cause a dispute in the Saṅgha after the Blessed One's passing, concerning livelihood or the Pātimokkha. That dispute would be for the harm of many, for the unhappiness of many, for the disadvantage, for the detriment, for the suffering of many people, of devas and humans.'" "Small is that dispute, Ānanda, which is about livelihood or the Pātimokkha. But if a dispute were to arise in the Saṅgha, Ānanda, concerning the path or the practice, that would be..." a dispute is for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the disadvantage of many people, for the harm, for the suffering of gods and humans. 44. "There are these six, Ānanda, roots of dispute. Which six? Here, Ānanda, a monk is angry and resentful. That monk, Ānanda, who is angry and resentful, he dwells without respect for the Teacher, without deference; without respect for the Dhamma, without deference; without respect for the Saṅgha, without deference; and he is not a fulfiller of the training. That monk, Ānanda, who dwells without respect for the Teacher, without deference; for the Dhamma, without respect, without deference; for the Saṅgha, without respect, without deference; and is not a fulfiller of the training, he generates dispute in the Saṅgha; which dispute is for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the disadvantage of many people, for the harm, for the suffering of gods and humans. If you, Ānanda, should perceive such a root of dispute, whether internally or externally, then, Ānanda, you should endeavor for the abandoning of that evil root of dispute.