Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
V. Akkosa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
V: Reviling
Sutta 50
Bhaṇḍana Suttaṃ
Strife
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
On that occasion a number of monks
after returning from their alms-round
and eating their meal,
as they sat assembled together in the service-hall,
remained in strife and uproar and dispute,
abusing each other
with the weapons of the tongue.
Now the Exalted One at eventide,
rising from his solitude,
approached the service-hall,
and on reaching it
sat down on a seat made ready.
When he had sat down
the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Pray, monks, in what talk were ye engaged
as ye sit here,
and what was the topic of your talk
left unfinished?"
"Here, sir, after returning from our alms-round
and eating our meal,
we sat assembled together in the service-hall
and remained in strife, uproar and dispute,
abusing each other
with the weapons of the tongue."
"Monks, it is not seemly for you clansmen,
who in faith went forth from home to the homeless,
thus to abide in strife, uproar and dispute,
abusing each other
with the weapons of the tongue.
§
Monks, there are these ten conditions to be re- [64] membered,
[1] which, as they make for affection and respect,
do conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
What ten?
3. Herein a monk is virtuous,[2]
restrained with the restraint of the obligation,
proficient in following the practice of right conduct,
seeing ground for fear in the minutest faults,
and takes upon him
and trains himself
in the rules of morality.
In so far as a monk is virtuous, restrained with the restraint of the obligation,
proficient in following the practice of right conduct,
seeing ground for fear in the minutest faults,
and takes upon him
and trains himself
in the rules of morality,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
4. Then again, a monk has heard much,
he bears in mind what he has heard,
he hoards up what he has heard.
Those teachings which,
alike lovely at the beginning,
midway
and at the end (of life),
proclaim in spirit and in letter
the all-fulfilled,
utterly purified Brahma-life -
suchlike are the teachings he has much heard,
borne in mind,
practised in speech,
pondered in the heart
and rightly penetrated by view.
In so far as he has heard much,
he bears in mind what he has heard,
he hoards up what he has heard;
those teachings which,
alike lovely at the beginning,
midway
and at the end (of life),
proclaim in spirit and in letter
the all-fulfilled,
utterly purified Brahma-life -
suchlike are the teachings he has much heard,
borne in mind,
practised in speech,
pondered in the heart
and rightly penetrated by view,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
5. Again, a monk has a lovely friend,
a lovely comrade,
a lovely intimate.
In so far as he has a lovely friend,
a lovely comrade,
a lovely intimate,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
6. Again, a monk is easy to speak to,[3]
possessed of qualities
which make him easy to speak to;
he is tractable,
capable of being instructed.
In so far as he is easy to speak to,
possessed of qualities
which make him easy to speak to;
he is tractable,
capable of being instructed,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
7. Then again, in all the undertakings of his fellows in the Brahma-life,
be they matters weighty or trivial,
he is shrewd and energetic,
having ability to give proper consideration [65] thereto,
as to what is the right thing to do
and how to manage it.
In so far as a monk, in all the undertakings of his fellows in the Brahma-life,
be they matters weighty or trivial,
is shrewd and energetic,
having ability to give proper consideration thereto,
as to what is the right thing to do
and how to manage it,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
8. Again, a monk delights in dhamma,
is pleasant to converse with,
rejoices exceedingly in further dhamma,
in further discipline.
In so far as a monk delights in dhamma,
is pleasant to converse with,
rejoices exceedingly in further dhamma,
in further discipline,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
9. Again, a monk dwells resolute in energy
for the abandoning of bad qualities,
stout and strong
to acquire good qualities.
In so far as a monk dwells resolute in energy
for the abandoning of bad qualities,
stout and strong
to acquire good qualities,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
10. Then again, a monk is content
with whatsoever supply of robes,
alms-food,
bed
and lodging,
comforts and necessaries in sickness
he may get.
In so far as a monk is content
with whatsoever supply of robes,
alms-food,
bed
and lodging,
comforts and necessaries in sickness
he may get,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
11. Again, a monk is concentrated,
possessed of mindful discrimination
in the highest degree,
able to call to mind and remember
a thing done and said long ago.
In so far as a monk is concentrated,
possessed of mindful discrimination
in the highest degree,
able to call to mind and remember
a thing done and said long ago,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
■
12. Lastly, a monk is possessed of insight;
he has insight for tracing out the rise and fall of things,
insight which is Ariyan,
penetrating,
going on to the utter destruction of ill.
In so far as a monk is possessed of insight;
he has insight for tracing out the rise and fall of things,
insight which is Ariyan,
penetrating,
going on to the utter destruction of ill,
this is a condition to be remembered,
which, as it makes for affection and respect,
does conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.
These, monks, are the ten conditions to be remembered,
which, as they make for affection and respect,
do conduce to fellow-feeling,
to not-quarrelling,
to concord
and unity.'
[1] Sārāṇīya dhammā (MA. i, 394 = AA on A. iii, 288) = saritabba-yuttā ... na pamussitabbā (never-to-be-forgotten). Translated by Lord Chalmers and Mr. Hare respectively (loc. cit.), 'states of consciousness' and 'ways of being considerate.' Following Comy., I translate as above: thus also sārāṇīya-kathā is 'reminiscent talk' (about things remembered in common). Six others at D. iii, 245 = Dial. iii, 231; A. iii, 288 = G.S. iii, 208.
