[50] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now on that occasion a number of bhikkhus, having returned from the alms round after the meal, were sitting assembled together in the attendance hall, and having fallen into contention and dispute, they were wounding one another with the daggers of the tongue. Then the Blessed One, emerging from seclusion in the evening, approached the attendance hall; having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared, and having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, for what talk are you now sitting together here? And what was the conversation of yours that was left unfinished?"
"Here, venerable sir, having returned from the alms round after the meal, we sat assembled together in the attendance hall, and having fallen into contention, quarrelling, and dispute, we were dwelling wounding one another with the daggers of the tongue."
"Bhikkhus, this is not fitting for you, sons of good family who have gone forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness — that you should dwell fallen into contention, quarrelling, and dispute, wounding one another with the daggers of the tongue. Bhikkhus, there are these ten principles of cordiality (sāraṇīyā dhammā), which create affection and create respect, and which conduce to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity. What are the ten?
"Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, and having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. In that a bhikkhu is virtuous … having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is of great learning, a bearer of what he has heard, a store of what he has heard: those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, which proclaim with meaning and with phrasing the holy life entirely complete and pure — such teachings he has learned much of, retained, recited verbally, examined with the mind, and well penetrated by view. In that a bhikkhu is of great learning … well penetrated by view — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has good friends, good companions, good comrades. In that a bhikkhu has good friends, good companions, good comrades — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is easy to correct, endowed with qualities that make him easy to correct; he is patient and receives instruction respectfully. In that a bhikkhu is easy to correct, endowed with qualities that make him easy to correct, patient and receiving instruction respectfully — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is skilful and diligent in the various duties, high and low, to be done for his fellows in the holy life; he is endowed with the investigation that is the proper means thereto, able to carry them out, able to arrange them. In that a bhikkhu is skilful and diligent in the various duties, high and low, to be done for his fellows in the holy life, endowed with the investigation that is the proper means thereto, able to carry them out, able to arrange them — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu loves the Dhamma, is endearing in converse, and has abundant gladness in the higher Dhamma and the higher Vinaya. In that a bhikkhu loves the Dhamma, is endearing in converse, and has abundant gladness in the higher Dhamma and the higher Vinaya — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells with energy (vīriya) aroused for the abandoning of unwholesome states and the acquisition of wholesome states; he is strong, firm in exertion, not shirking the burden with regard to wholesome states. In that a bhikkhu dwells with energy aroused for the abandoning of unwholesome states and the acquisition of wholesome states, strong, firm in exertion, not shirking the burden with regard to wholesome states — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is content with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick. In that a bhikkhu is content with any kind of robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and discrimination, one who remembers and recollects what was done long ago and said long ago. In that a bhikkhu is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and discrimination, one who remembers and recollects what was done long ago and said long ago — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is wise, endowed with the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete destruction of suffering (dukkha). In that a bhikkhu is wise, endowed with the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete destruction of suffering — this too is a principle of cordiality, creating affection and creating respect, which conduces to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity.
"These, bhikkhus, are the ten principles of cordiality, which create affection and create respect, and which conduce to mutual support, to non-dispute, to concord, and to unity."
The Akkosa Vagga, the Fifth.
Its summary:
Disputes, the two on roots, Kusinārā, on entering,
Sakka, Mahāli, and the dhammas, those lodged in the body, and contention.
The First Set of Fifty: on Benefits (Ānisaṃsa-paṇṇāsaka).
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The Second Set of Fifty
The Sacitta Vagga, the First
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.