[629] [1] The Saṅgha should be informed by a competent and capable bhikkhu from among the bhikkhus belonging to the one side:
"Venerable sirs, let the Saṅgha listen to me. While we have been living given to strife, given to quarrels, and fallen into disputes, much has been perpetrated and spoken that is unworthy of ascetics. If we were to deal with one another for these offenses (āpatti), that legal issue (adhikaraṇa) might conduce to harshness, to savagery, to schism. If the Saṅgha is ready, I would confess in the midst of the Saṅgha, by the covering over with grass (tiṇavatthāraka), both whatever is the offense of these venerable ones and whatever is my own offense — for the benefit of these venerable ones and for my own benefit — excepting a grave fault (thullavajja) and excepting what is connected with laypeople. This is the motion (ñatti).
"Venerable sirs, let the Saṅgha listen to me. While we have been living given to strife, given to quarrels, and fallen into disputes, much has been perpetrated and spoken that is unworthy of ascetics. If we were to deal with one another for these offenses, that legal issue might conduce to harshness, to savagery, to schism. I confess in the midst of the Saṅgha, by the covering over with grass, both whatever is the offense of these venerable ones and whatever is my own offense — for the benefit of these venerable ones and for my own benefit — excepting a grave fault and excepting what is connected with laypeople. Whichever venerable one approves of the confession of these offenses of ours in the midst of the Saṅgha by the covering over with grass, excepting a grave fault and excepting what is connected with laypeople, let him be silent; whichever one does not approve, let him speak.
"These offenses of ours have been confessed in the midst of the Saṅgha by the covering over with grass, excepting a grave fault and excepting what is connected with laypeople. It is approved by the Saṅgha; therefore it is silent. Thus do I hold it."
#1 M(yanmar edition): athāparesaṃ.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.