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(25) 5. Chapter on the Fear of Offenses 1. Discourse on the Schismatic 243. At one time the Blessed One was staying in Kosambī, at Ghositārāma. Then the venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and saluted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. To the venerable Ānanda, seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Has that dispute, Ānanda, been settled?" "How could that dispute, venerable sir, be settled! Venerable sir, the venerable Anuruddha's co-resident, named Bāhiya, is entirely intent on causing a schism in the Sangha. And in that matter, the venerable Anuruddha does not consider even a single word should be spoken." "But when, Ānanda, does Anuruddha engage in disputes in the midst of the Sangha? Are not, Ānanda, whatever disputes arise, all of them settled by you and Sāriputta and Moggallāna? "There are these four reasons, Ānanda, seeing which a wicked monk delights in causing a schism in the Sangha. Which four? Here, Ānanda, a wicked monk is immoral, of wicked character, impure, of suspicious conduct, with concealed deeds, no ascetic but claiming to be an ascetic, no celibate but claiming to be a celibate, inwardly rotten, oozing, a heap of refuse. He thinks thus: 'If the monks know me to be immoral, of wicked character, impure, of suspicious conduct, with concealed deeds, no ascetic but claiming to be an ascetic, no celibate but claiming to be a celibate, inwardly rotten, oozing, a heap of refuse, then being united, they will destroy me; but being divided, they will not destroy me.' This, Ānanda, is the first reason, seeing which a wicked monk delights in causing a schism in the Sangha. "Furthermore, Ānanda, a wicked monk is of wrong view, endowed with an extremist view. He thinks thus: 'If the monks know me to be of wrong view, endowed with an extremist view, then being united, they will destroy me." but if they are divided, they will not destroy me.’ This, Ānanda, is the second reason a wicked monk, seeing, rejoices in a schism of the Saṅgha. “Again, Ānanda, a wicked monk has a wrong livelihood, he lives by a wrong livelihood. It occurs to him thus: ‘If the monks know me as one with a wrong livelihood, living by a wrong livelihood, being united, they will destroy me; but if they are divided, they will not destroy me.’ This, Ānanda, is the third reason a wicked monk, seeing, rejoices in a schism of the Saṅgha. “Again, Ānanda, a wicked monk is desirous of gain, desirous of honor, desirous of not being despised. It occurs to him thus: ‘If the monks know me as desirous of gain, desirous of honor, desirous of not being despised, being united, they will not honor me, they will not respect me, they will not revere me, they will not worship me; but if they are divided, they will honor me, they will respect me, they will revere me, they will worship me.’ This, Ānanda, is the fourth reason a wicked monk, seeing, rejoices in a schism of the Saṅgha. These, Ānanda, are the four reasons a wicked monk, seeing, rejoices in a schism of the Saṅgha.” The First. 2. The Discourse on the Fear of Offenses 244. “There are these four fears of offenses, monks. Which four? Just as, monks, they might seize a criminal, a wrongdoer, and show him to the king: ‘This, O King, is your criminal, a wrongdoer. Let the king inflict punishment upon him.’ Then the king might say to them: ‘Go, sirs, bind this man firmly with strong ropes, his arms behind his back, make him shaven-headed, and with a harsh-sounding drum, lead him from street to street, from crossroad to crossroad, and having led him out through the southern gate, cut off his head to the south of the city.’ Then the king’s men, having bound him firmly with strong ropes, his arms behind his back, made him shaven-headed, and with a harsh-sounding drum, from street along street by street, from crossroad to crossroad, lead him out by the southern gate, and cut off his head south of the city. Then, to some bystander, it would occur: 'Indeed, this man has committed an evil deed, a blameworthy act deserving of decapitation. For the king's men will bind him tightly, with his arms tied behind his back, shave his head, and with a harsh-sounding drum, lead him along street by street, from crossroad to crossroad, out by the southern gate, and cut off his head south of the city! May I never commit such an evil deed, a blameworthy act deserving of decapitation!' In the same way, bhikkhus, if any bhikkhu or bhikkhuni has such an intense fear regarding the pārājika offences, this is to be expected: either they will not commit a pārājika offence, or if they have committed a pārājika offence, they will rectify it according to the Dhamma. Just as, bhikkhus, a man, dressed in black clothes, with dishevelled hair, carrying a pestle on his shoulder, approaches a large crowd and says: 'Sirs, I have committed an evil deed, a blameworthy act of pounding. Whatever makes the venerable ones pleased, that I will do.' Then, to some bystander, it would occur: 'Indeed, this man has committed an evil deed, a blameworthy act of pounding. For he, dressed in black clothes, with dishevelled hair, carrying a pestle on his shoulder, approaches a large crowd and says: 'Sirs, I have committed an evil deed, a blameworthy act of pounding. Whatever makes the venerable ones pleased, that I will do.' May I never commit such an evil deed, a blameworthy act of pounding!' is afraid." Just so, bhikkhus, if any bhikkhu or bhikkhuni has such an intense perception of fear regarding the Saṅghādisesa rules, this is to be expected: either, not having committed a Saṅghādisesa offense, they will not commit one; or, having committed a Saṅghādisesa offense, they will rectify it according to the Dhamma. Just as, bhikkhus, a man, having put on black clothes, having disheveled his hair, having placed a basket of ashes on his shoulder, would approach a large crowd of people and say this: "Venerables, I have done a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a basket of ashes. Whatever makes the venerable ones pleased with me, that I will do." Then, to some bystander, it would occur thus: "Indeed, sirs, this man has done a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a basket of ashes. For he has put on black clothes, disheveled his hair, placed a basket of ashes on his shoulder, approached a large crowd of people, and said this: 'Venerables, I have done a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a basket of ashes; whatever makes the venerable ones pleased with me, that I will do.' May I never do such a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a basket of ashes!" Just so, bhikkhus, if any bhikkhu or bhikkhuni has such an intense perception of fear regarding the Pācittiya rules, this is to be expected: either, not having committed a Pācittiya offense, they will not commit one; or, having committed a Pācittiya offense, they will rectify it according to the Dhamma. Just as, bhikkhus, a man, having put on black clothes, having disheveled his hair, would approach a large crowd of people and say this: "Venerables, I have done a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a reproachable deed. Whatever makes the venerable ones pleased with me, that I will do." Then, to some bystander, it would occur thus: "Indeed, sirs, this man has done a bad deed, a blameworthy deed, a reproachable deed. For he has put on black clothes, disheveled his hair, having gathered a large crowd, will approach and say this: 'Venerable sirs, I have done evil deeds, reproachable, blameworthy; whatever the venerable ones are pleased with, that I will do.' 'I would not do such an evil deed, reproachable, blameworthy.' Even so, bhikkhus, for whichever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni such a strong perception of fear is present regarding the offenses that should be confessed, this is to be expected of them: either they will not commit an offense that should be confessed, or, having committed an offense that should be confessed, they will rectify it according to the Dhamma. These, bhikkhus, are the four fears of offenses." The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Benefits of Training 245. "This holy life, bhikkhus, is lived for the benefit of training, with wisdom as its highest, with liberation as its essence, with mindfulness as its chief. And how, bhikkhus, is it for the benefit of training? Here, bhikkhus, I have laid down for my disciples the training in proper conduct, for the gaining of faith by those without faith, and for the increase of faith in those who have faith. In whatever way, bhikkhus, I have laid down for my disciples the training in proper conduct, for the gaining of faith by those without faith, and for the increase of faith in those who have faith, in that way, he is one who practices that training without a break, without a flaw, without a blemish, without a stain, undertaking and training in the precepts. "Furthermore, bhikkhus, I have laid down for my disciples the training that is fundamental to the holy life, for the complete and utter destruction of suffering. In whatever way, bhikkhus, I have laid down for my disciples the training that is fundamental to the holy life, for the complete and utter destruction of suffering, in that way, he is one who practices that training without a break, without a flaw, without a blemish, without a stain, undertaking and training in the precepts. Thus, bhikkhus, is it for the benefit of training. "And how, bhikkhus, is it with wisdom as its highest? Here, bhikkhus, I have taught the Dhamma to my disciples for the complete and utter destruction of suffering. In whatever way, bhikkhus, I have taught the Dhamma to my disciples for the complete and utter destruction of suffering, completely for the right ending of suffering. In such a way, those teachings are examined by wisdom. Thus, monks, it is wisdom-supreme. And how, monks, is it liberation-essential? Here, monks, by me, teachings are taught to disciples completely for the right ending of suffering. In whatever way, monks, by me, teachings are taught to disciples