AN 4.243

Saṅghabhedakasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “api nu taṁ, ānanda, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasantan”ti? “Kuto taṁ, bhante, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasamissati. Āyasmato, bhante, anuruddhassa bāhiyo nāma saddhivihāriko kevalakappaṁ saṅghabhedāya ṭhito. Tatrāyasmā anuruddho na ekavācikampi bhaṇitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.

Schism in the Saṅgha

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Well, Ānanda, has that disciplinary issue been settled yet?” “How could it be, sir? Venerable Anuruddha’s protégé Bāhiya remains entirely committed to creating a schism in the Saṅgha. But Anuruddha doesn’t think to say a single word about it.”

“Kadā panānanda, anuruddho saṅghamajjhe adhikaraṇesu voyuñjati. Nanu, ānanda, yāni kānici adhikaraṇāni uppajjanti, sabbāni tāni tumhe ceva vūpasametha sāriputtamoggallānā ca.

“But Ānanda, since when has Anuruddha been involved in disciplinary issues in the midst of the Saṅgha? Shouldn’t you, together with Sāriputta and Moggallāna, settle all disciplinary issues that come up?

Cattārome, ānanda, atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati. Katame cattāro? Idhānanda, pāpabhikkhu dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti— dussīlo pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujātoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, paṭhamaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha. What four? 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. He thinks: ‘Suppose the monks know that I’m a bad monk … If they’re in harmony, they’ll expel me, but if they’re divided they won’t.’ A bad monk sees this as the first reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti— micchādiṭṭhiko antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgatoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, dutiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view. He thinks: ‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong view … If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me, but if they’re divided they won’t.’ A bad monk sees this as the second reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchāājīvo hoti, micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappeti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti— micchāājīvo micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappetīti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, tatiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong livelihood and earns a living by wrong livelihood. He thinks: ‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong livelihood … If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me, but if they’re divided they won’t.’ A bad monk sees this as the third reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu lābhakāmo hoti sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmo. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti— lābhakāmo sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmoti, samaggā maṁ santā na sakkarissanti na garuṁ karissanti na mānessanti na pūjessanti; vaggā pana maṁ sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, catutthaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati. Ime kho, ānanda, cattāro atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandatī”ti.

Furthermore, a bad monk desires material things, honor, and admiration. He thinks: ‘Suppose the monks know that I desire material things, honor, and admiration. If they’re in harmony they won’t honor, respect, revere, or venerate me, but if they’re divided they will.’ A bad monk sees this as the fourth reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha. A bad monk sees these four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha.”