1.1.0Origin story

1.1.1PTS 3.171Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove,1.1.2Atha kho devadatto yena kokāliko kaṭamodakatissako khaṇḍadeviyā putto samuddadatto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā kokālikaṁ kaṭamodakatissakaṁ khaṇḍadeviyā puttaṁ samuddadattaṁ etadavoca—Devadatta went to Kokālika, Kaṭamodakatissaka, Khaṇḍadeviyāputta, and Samuddadatta. He said to them,1.1.3“etha mayaṁ, āvuso, samaṇassa gotamassa saṅghabhedaṁ karissāma cakkabhedan”ti.“Let’s cause a schism in the Sangha of the ascetic Gotama. Let’s break its authority.”¹

1.1.4Evaṁ vutte, kokāliko devadattaṁ etadavoca—Kokālika said to Devadatta,1.1.5“samaṇo kho, āvuso, gotamo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo.“The ascetic Gotama is powerful and mighty.1.1.6Kathaṁ mayaṁ samaṇassa gotamassa saṅghabhedaṁ karissāma cakkabhedan”ti?How can we achieve this?”

1.1.7“Etha mayaṁ, āvuso, samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ upasaṅkamitvā pañca vatthūni yācissāma—“Well, let’s go to the ascetic Gotama and request five things:1.1.8‘bhagavā, bhante, anekapariyāyena appicchassa santuṭṭhassa sallekhassa dhutassa pāsādikassa apacayassa vīriyārambhassa vaṇṇavādī.‘In many ways, sir, you praise fewness of wishes, contentment, self-effacement, ascetic practices, being inspiring, the reduction in things, and being energetic.1.1.9Imāni, bhante, pañca vatthūni anekapariyāyena appicchatāya santuṭṭhiyā sallekhāya dhutatāya pāsādikatāya apacayāya vīriyārambhāya saṁvattanti.And there are five things that lead to just that.1.1.10Sādhu, bhante, bhikkhūIt would be good, sir:

1. 1.1.11yāvajīvaṁ āraññikā assu;If the monks stayed in the wilderness for life,1.1.12yo gāmantaṁ osareyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.and whoever stayed near an inhabited area would commit an offense,
2. 1.1.13Yāvajīvaṁ piṇḍapātikā assu;If they ate only almsfood for life,1.1.14yo nimantanaṁ sādiyeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.and whoever accepted an invitational meal would commit an offense,
3. 1.1.15Yāvajīvaṁ paṁsukūlikā assu;If they wore rag robes for life,1.1.16yo gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.and whoever accepted robe-cloth from a householder would commit an offense,
4. 1.1.17Yāvajīvaṁ rukkhamūlikā assu;If they lived at the foot of a tree for life,1.1.18yo channaṁ upagaccheyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.and whoever took shelter would commit an offense,
5. 1.1.19Yāvajīvaṁ macchamaṁsaṁ na khādeyyuṁ;If they didn’t eat fish or meat for life,1.1.20yo macchamaṁsaṁ khādeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyyā’ti.and whoever did would commit an offense.’

1.1.21Imāni samaṇo gotamo nānujānissati.The ascetic Gotama won’t allow this.1.1.22Te mayaṁ imehi pañcahi vatthūhi janaṁ saññāpessāmāti.We’ll then be able to win people over with these five points.”

1.1.23Sakkā kho, āvuso, imehi pañcahi vatthūhi samaṇassa gotamassa saṅghabhedo kātuṁ cakkabhedo.Kokālika said, “It might be possible to cause a schism in the Sangha with these five points,1.1.24Lūkhapasannā hi, āvuso, manussā”ti.for people have confidence in austerity.”

1.2.1PTS 3.172Atha kho devadatto sapariso yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.Devadatta and his followers then went to the Buddha, bowed and sat down,1.2.2Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho devadatto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca—and Devadatta made his request.1.2.3“bhagavā, bhante, anekapariyāyena appicchassa …pe…1.2.4vīriyārambhassa vaṇṇavādī.1.2.5Imāni, bhante, pañca vatthūni anekapariyāyena appicchatāya …pe…1.2.6vīriyārambhāya saṁvattanti.1.2.7Sādhu, bhante, bhikkhū yāvajīvaṁ āraññikā assu;1.2.8yo gāmantaṁ osareyya vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya …pe…1.2.9yāvajīvaṁ macchamaṁsaṁ na khādeyyuṁ, yo macchamaṁsaṁ khādeyya vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyyā”ti.1.2.10“Alaṁ, devadatta,The Buddha replied, “No, Devadatta.1.2.11yo icchati āraññiko hotu, yo icchati gāmante viharatu;Those who wish may stay in the wilderness, and those who wish may live near inhabited areas.²1.2.12yo icchati piṇḍapātiko hotu, yo icchati nimantanaṁ sādiyatu;Those who wish may eat only almsfood, and those who wish may accept invitational meals.1.2.13yo icchati paṁsukūliko hotu, yo icchati gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyatu.Those who wish may wear rag robes, and those who wish may accept robe-cloth from householders.1.2.14Aṭṭhamāse kho mayā, devadatta, rukkhamūlasenāsanaṁ anuññātaṁ, tikoṭiparisuddhaṁ macchamaṁsaṁ—I have allowed the foot of a tree as a resting place for eight months of the year, as well as fish and meat that are pure in three respects:1.2.15adiṭṭhaṁ asutaṁ aparisaṅkitan”ti.one hasn’t seen, heard, or suspected that the animal was specifically killed to feed a monastic.”

1.2.16Atha kho devadatto—Devadatta thought,1.2.17“na bhagavā imāni pañca vatthūni anujānātī”ti haṭṭho udaggo sapariso uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.“The Buddha doesn’t allow the five points.” Glad and elated, he got up from his seat, bowed down, circumambulated the Buddha with his right side toward him, and left with his followers.

1.2.18Atha kho devadatto sapariso rājagahaṁ pavisitvā pañcahi vatthūhi janaṁ saññāpesi—Devadatta then entered Rājagaha and won people over with the five points,1.2.19“mayaṁ, āvuso, samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ upasaṅkamitvā pañca vatthūni yācimhā—1.2.20‘bhagavā, bhante, anekapariyāyena appicchassa santuṭṭhassa sallekhassa dhutassa pāsādikassa apacayassa vīriyārambhassa vaṇṇavādī.1.2.21Imāni, bhante, pañca vatthūni anekapariyāyena appicchatāya santuṭṭhiyā sallekhāya dhutatāya pāsādikatāya apacayāya vīriyārambhāya saṁvattanti.1.2.22Sādhu, bhante, bhikkhū yāvajīvaṁ āraññikā assu;1.2.23yo gāmantaṁ osareyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.1.2.24Yāvajīvaṁ piṇḍapātikā assu;1.2.25yo nimantanaṁ sādiyeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.1.2.26Yāvajīvaṁ paṁsukūlikā assu;1.2.27yo gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.1.2.28Yāvajīvaṁ rukkhamūlikā assu;1.2.29yo channaṁ upagaccheyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyya.1.2.30Yāvajīvaṁ macchamaṁsaṁ na khādeyyuṁ;1.2.31yo macchamaṁsaṁ khādeyya, vajjaṁ naṁ phuseyyā’ti.1.2.32Imāni samaṇo gotamo nānujānāti.saying, “The ascetic Gotama doesn’t agree to them,1.2.33Te mayaṁ imehi pañcahi vatthūhi samādāya vattāmā”ti.but we practice in accordance with them.”

1.3.1Tattha ye te manussā assaddhā appasannā dubbuddhino te evamāhaṁsu—The foolish people with little faith and confidence said,1.3.2“ime kho samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dhutā sallekhavuttino,“These Sakyan monastics are practicing asceticism and living with the aim of self-effacement.1.3.3samaṇo pana gotamo bāhulliko bāhullāya cetetī”ti.But the ascetic Gotama is extravagant and has chosen a life of indulgence.”1.3.4Ye pana te manussā saddhā pasannā paṇḍitā byattā buddhimanto te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—But the wise people who had faith and confidence complained and criticized Devadatta,1.3.5“kathañhi nāma devadatto bhagavato saṅghabhedāya parakkamissati cakkabhedāyā”ti.“How can Devadatta pursue schism in the Sangha of the Buddha? How can he break its authority?”³

1.3.6Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The monks heard the criticism of those people,1.3.7Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—and the monks of few desires complained and criticized him1.3.8“kathañhi nāma devadatto saṅghabhedāya parakkamissati cakkabhedāyā”ti.in the same way.

1.3.9Atha kho te bhikkhū devadattaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…After rebuking Devadatta in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Devadatta:1.3.10“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, devadatta, saṅghabhedāya parakkamasi cakkabhedāyā”ti?“Is it true, Devadatta, that you are doing this?”

1.3.11“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.3.12Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked him …1.3.13kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, saṅghabhedāya parakkamissasi cakkabhedāya.“Foolish man, how can you do this?1.3.14Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.3.15evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: