sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.243

Saṅghabhedakasutta

Schism in the Saṅgha

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him,

“api nu taṁ, ānanda, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasantan”ti?
“Well, Ānanda, has that disciplinary issue been settled yet?”

“Kuto taṁ, bhante, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasamissati.
“How could it be, sir?

Āyasmato, bhante, anuruddhassa bāhiyo nāma saddhivihāriko kevalakappaṁ saṅghabhedāya ṭhito.
Venerable Anuruddha’s protégé Bāhiya remains entirely committed to creating a schism in the Saṅgha.

Tatrāyasmā anuruddho na ekavācikampi bhaṇitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.
But Anuruddha doesn’t think to say a single word about it.”

“Kadā panānanda, anuruddho saṅghamajjhe adhikaraṇesu voyuñjati.
“But Ānanda, since when has Anuruddha been involved in disciplinary issues in the midst of the Saṅgha?

Nanu, ānanda, yāni kānici adhikaraṇāni uppajjanti, sabbāni tāni tumhe ceva vūpasametha sāriputtamoggallānā ca.
Shouldn’t you, together with Sāriputta and Moggallāna, settle all disciplinary issues that come up?

Cattārome, ānanda, atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.
A bad monk sees four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Idhānanda, pāpabhikkhu dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto.
Take an unethical monk, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti—
‘Suppose the monks know that I’m a bad monk …

dussīlo pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujātoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;
If they’re in harmony, they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.
but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, paṭhamaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.
A bad monk sees this as the first reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato.
Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti—
‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong view …

micchādiṭṭhiko antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgatoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;
If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.
but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, dutiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.
A bad monk sees this as the second reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchāājīvo hoti, micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappeti.
Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong livelihood and earns a living by wrong livelihood.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti—
‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong livelihood …

micchāājīvo micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappetīti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;
If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.
but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, tatiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.
A bad monk sees this as the third reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu lābhakāmo hoti sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmo.
Furthermore, a bad monk desires material things, honor, and admiration.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti—
‘Suppose the monks know that I desire material things, honor, and admiration.

lābhakāmo sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmoti, samaggā maṁ santā na sakkarissanti na garuṁ karissanti na mānessanti na pūjessanti;
If they’re in harmony they won’t honor, respect, revere, or venerate me,

vaggā pana maṁ sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessantī’ti.
but if they’re divided they will.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, catutthaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.
A bad monk sees this as the fourth reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Ime kho, ānanda, cattāro atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandatī”ti.
A bad monk sees these four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha.”

Paṭhamaṁ.