Sutta Piṭaka
Parisāsutta
Parisāsutta
“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, parisā. Katamā tisso? Aggavatī parisā, vaggā parisā, samaggā parisā.
Assemblies
“Mendicants, these are the three assemblies. What three? An assembly of the best, a divided assembly, and a harmonious assembly.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, aggavatī parisā? Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ therā bhikkhū na bāhulikā honti na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya, tesaṁ pacchimā janatā diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjati. Sāpi hoti na bāhulikā na sāthalikā okkamane nikkhittadhurā paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, aggavatī parisā.
And what is an assembly of the best? An assembly where the senior mendicants are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders. Instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. And those who come afterwards follow their example. They too are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders. Instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. This is called an assembly of the best.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, vaggā parisā? Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū bhaṇḍanajātā kalahajātā vivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ mukhasattīhi vitudantā viharanti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vaggā parisā.
And what is a divided assembly? An assembly where the mendicants fight, quarrel, and dispute, continually wounding each other with barbed words. This is called a divided assembly.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samaggā parisā? Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā khīrodakībhūtā aññamaññaṁ piyacakkhūhi sampassantā viharanti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samaggā parisā.
And what is a harmonious assembly? An assembly where the mendicants live in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes. This is called a harmonious assembly.
Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhū samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā khīrodakībhūtā aññamaññaṁ piyacakkhūhi sampassantā viharanti, bahuṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū tasmiṁ samaye puññaṁ pasavanti. Brahmaṁ, bhikkhave, vihāraṁ tasmiṁ samaye bhikkhū viharanti, yadidaṁ muditāya cetovimuttiyā. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.
When the mendicants live in harmony like this, they brim with much merit. At that time the mendicants live in a divine dwelling, that is, the heart’s release by rejoicing. When they’re joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they’re blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti, pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti, kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti, mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti, kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti, mahānadiyo paripūrā samuddaṁ paripūrenti.
It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye bhikkhū samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā khīrodakībhūtā aññamaññaṁ piyacakkhūhi sampassantā viharanti, bahuṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū tasmiṁ samaye puññaṁ pasavanti. Brahmaṁ, bhikkhave, vihāraṁ tasmiṁ samaye bhikkhū viharanti, yadidaṁ muditāya cetovimuttiyā. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati. Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso parisā”ti.
In the same way, when the mendicants are in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes, they brim with much merit. At that time the mendicants live in a divine dwelling, that is, the heart’s release by rejoicing. When they’re joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they’re blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. These are the three assemblies.”