Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
IV. Devatā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
IV. The Devas
Sutta 36
Vivāda-Mūla Suttaṃ
The Roots of Contention
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1] Thus have I heard:
the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
2. 'Monks, these six are the roots of contention.[1]
What six?
3. Monks, suppose a monk be angry, scornful.
An he be so, he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas[2] and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.[3]
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
■
4. Again, monks, suppose a monk be a hypocrite,
malicious.
An he be a hypocrite, malicious,
he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
■
5. Again, monks, suppose a monk be envious,
mean.
An he be envious, mean,
he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
■
6. Again, monks, suppose a monk be deceitful,
crafty.
An he be deceitful, crafty,
he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
■
7. Again, monks, suppose a monk be evil-minded,
wrong in view.
An he be evil-minded, wrong in view,
he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
■
8. Again, monks, suppose a monk be view-bound,
tenacious, stubborn.[4]
An he be view-bound, tenacious, stubborn,
he lives without reverence,
respect for the Master,
Dhamma
or the Order;
he fulfils not the training.
And he who lives thus,
causes contention in the Order,
and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk,
to the harm of many folk,
to the hurt and ill of devas and men.
Monks, if you see this root of contention among you
or among others,
strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing;
and if [236] you see it not,
step the way to stop its future cankering.
Thus is this evil root of contention rid;
and thus shall there be no future cankering.
Verily, monks, these six are the roots of contention.'
[1] This recurs at D. iii, 246; M. ii, 245; Vin. ii, 89. Cf. Proverbs xxii, 10: 'Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out.'
[2] Comy. refers us to Vin. i, 252 as to how quarrelling among monks affects devas.
[3] An-avassvāya paṭipajjeyyātha, √sru and √pad.
[4] Sandiṭṭhi-parāmāsī ādhāna-gāhī duppaṭinissaggī; cf. M. i, 42; D. iii, 46; A. v, 150. All read ādhāna-, with S.e. and Comy. but A. has v.l. ādāna. Ādāna-gāhī is 'grasping-seizing' (cf. ādāna-paṭinissagga at Dhp. 89; S. i, 236; v, 24: 'grasping-foregoing'), and our Comy. glosses: daḷha-gāhi.
