Majjhima Nikāya
1. Mūla-Paṇṇāsa
5. Cūḷa Yamaka Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings
I. The First Fifty Discourses
5. The Lesser Division of the Pairs

Sutta 48

Kosambīya Suttaɱ

Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, O.B.E., M.A.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[383]

[1][chlm][olds][upal][than] THUS have I heard:

At one time the Lord was staying near Kosambī
in Ghosita’s monastery.

Now at that time, the monks of Kosambī,
disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,^[2]
lived wounding another with the weapons of the tongue.^[3]

They neither convinced one another
nor came to be convinced themselves,
nor did they win one another over
or come to be won over themselves.^[4]

Then a certain monk approached the Lord;
having approached,
having greeted the Lord,
he sat down at a respectful distance.

As he was sitting down at a respectful distance,
that monk spoke thus to the Lord:

“Now, Lord, the monks of Kosambī,
disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
live wounding another with the weapons of the tongue.

They neither convinced one another
nor came to be convinced themselves,
nor did they win one another over
or come to be won over themselves.”

Then the Lord addressed a certain monk,
saying:

“Come you, monk,
summon these monks in my name,
saying:

‘The Teacher is summoning you.'”

“Yes, Lord,”
and this monk,
having answered the Lord in assent,
approached those monks;
having approached,
he spoke thus to those monks:

“The Teacher is summoning the venerable ones.”

“Yes, your reverence,”
and those monks
having answered that monk in assent,
approached the Lord;
having approached,
having greeted the Lord,
they sat down at a respectful distance.

The Lord spoke thus
to those monks
as they were sitting down at a respectful distance:

“Is it true, as is said, that you, monks,
are disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
and live wounding another with the weapons of the tongue.

That you neither convince one another
nor came to be convinced yourselves,
that you neither win one another over
nor are won over yourselves?”

[384] “Yes, Lord.”

“What do you think about this, monks?

At the time when you,
disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
live wounding one another
with the weapon of the tongue,
is a friendly act of body^[5] offered^[6] your fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private?

Is a friendly act of speech offered your fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private?

Is a friendly act of thought offered your fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private?

“No, Lord.”

“Then it is to be said, monks,
that at that time when you,
disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
live wounding one another
with the weapons of the tongue –
at that time no friendly act of body is offered your fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private
no friendly act of speech is offered your fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private
no friendly act of thought
is offered your fellow Brahma-farers,
either in public or in private.

Therefore, knowing what,
seeing what,
is it that you,
foolish men,
disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
live wounding one another
with the weapons of the tongue?

You neither convince one another
nor are convinced yourselves,
neither do you win one another over
nor are won over yourselves.

So this, foolish men,
will be for a long time
for your woe and sorrow.”

Then the Lord addressed the monks,
saying:

“Monks, these six things
are to be remembered;^[7]
making for affection,
making for respect,
they conduce to concord,
to lack of contention,
to harmony
and unity.

What six?

Herein, monks, a monk should offer his fellow Brahma-farers
a friendly act of body
both in public and in private.

This is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

■

And again, monks,
a monk should offer a friendly act of speech
both in public and in private.

This is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

■

And again, monks,
a monk should offer a friendly act of thought
both in public and in private.

This is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

■

And again, monks,
whatever those lawful acquisitions,
lawfully acquired,
if they be even but what is put into the begging bowl –
a monk should be one to enjoy sharing such acquisitions,
to enjoy them in common
with his virtuous fellow Brahma-farers.

This too is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

■

And again, monks,
whatever those moral habits that are faultless,
without flaw,
spotless,
without blemish,
freeing,
praised by wise men,
untarnished,
conducive to concentration –
a monk should dwell united in virtues such as [385] these
with his fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private.

This too is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

■

And again, monks,
whatever view is ariyan,^[8]
leading onwards,
leading him who acts according to it
to the complete destruction of anguish –
a monk should dwell united in a view such as this
with his fellow Brahma-farers,
both in public and in private.

This too is a thing to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduces to concord,
to lack of contention,
harmony
and unity.

Monks, these are the six things to be remembered,
making for affection,
making for respect,
which conduce to concord,
to lack of contention,
to harmony and unity.

And, monks,
of these six things to be remembered,
this is the topmost,
this the roof-plate,
this the dome,^[9]
that is to say
whatever view is ariyan,
leading onwards,
leading him who acts according to it
to the complete destruction of anguish.

As, monks, in a house with a peaked roof,
this is the topmost,
the roof-plate,
the dome,
that is to say the peak,
even so, monks,
of these six things to be remembered,
this is the topmost,
this the roof-plate,
this the dome,
that is to say
whatever view is ariyan,
leading onwards,
leading him who acts according to it
to the complete destruction of anguish.

And what, monks, is that view
which is ariyan,^[10]
leading onwards,
and which leads him who acts according to it
to the complete destruction of anguish?

Herein, monks,
a monk who is forest-gone
or gone to the root of a tree
or gone to an empty place,
reflects like this;

‘Now, have I a subjective obsession,
not got rid of,
owing to which I,
if my mind were obsessed by it,
could not know,
could not see
(things) as they really are?

If, monks, a monk is obsessed
by addiction to sense-pleasures,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk is obsessed
by malevolence,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk is obsessed
by sloth and torpor,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk is obsessed
by restlessness and worry,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk is obsessed
by doubt, to this extent is his mind obsessed,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk centres his thought
on this world,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk centres his thought
on the world beyond,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

If, monks, a monk, disputatious,
quarrelsome,
contentious,
lives wounding with the weapons of his tongue,
to this extent is his mind obsessed.

■

He comprehends thus:

‘I have no subjective obsession,
not got rid of,
owing to which I,
if my mind were obsessed by it,
[386] could not know,
could not see
(things) as they really are;
my thought is well directed
towards awakening as to the truths.’

This is the first knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

And again, monks,
the ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘While I am following,
developing,
maturing this view,
I gain calm for myself,
I gain quenchedness^[11] for myself.’

■

He comprehends thus:

‘While I am following,
developing,
maturing this view,
I gain calm for myself,
I gain quenchedness for myself.^[12]

This is the second knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

■

And again, monks,
an ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘Is there another recluse or brahman –
outside here –
who is possessed of a view
such as I am possessed of?’

He comprehends thus:

‘There is no other recluse or brahman –
outside here –
who is possessed of a view
such as I am possessed of.’

This is the third knowledge won by him,
ariyan, transcendental,
not in common with average men.

■

And again, monks, the ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘Am I too possessed
of the kind of propriety
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with right view?’

And what kind of propriety, monks,
is a man possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

This is propriety, monks,
for a man endowed with (right) view:

Whatever kind of offence he falls into
he makes known the removal^[13] of such an offence,
for he confesses it,
discloses it,
declares it quickly to the Teacher
or to intelligent fellow Brahma-farers;
having confessed,
disclosed
and declared it,
he comes to restraint in the future.^[14]

Just as an innocent little baby
lying on its back
quickly draws back its hand or foot
if it has touched a live ember –
even so, monks,
this is propriety
for a man endowed with (right) view:

Whatever kind of offence he falls into
he makes known the removal of such an offence,
for he confesses it,
discloses it,
declares it quickly to the Teacher
or to intelligent fellow Brahma-farers;
having confessed,
disclosed
and declared it,
he comes to restraint in the future.

He comprehends thus:

‘I too am possessed
of the kind of propriety
which a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view.’

This is the fourth knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

■

[387] And again, monks, the ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘Am I too possessed
of the kind of propriety
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?’

And what kind of propriety, monks,
is a man possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

This is propriety, monks,
for a man endowed with (right) view:

If he is zealous
concerning those manifold things^[15]
which are to be done for fellow Brahma-farers,
he then becomes of strong aspiration
for training in the higher moral habit,
for training in the higher thought,
for training in the higher intuitive wisdom.

Just as a cow with a young calf,
while she is pulling the grass
keeps an eye on the calf –
even so, monks, this is propriety
for a man endowed with (right) view:

If he is zealous
concerning those manifold things
which are to be done for fellow Brahma-farers,
he then becomes of strong aspiration
for training in the higher moral habit,
for training in the higher thought,
for training in the higher intuitive wisdom.

He comprehends thus:

‘I too am possessed
of the kind of propriety
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view.’

This is the fifth knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

And again, monks, the ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘Am I too possessed
of the kind of strength
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

And what kind of strength, monks,
is a man possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

This is strength, monks,
for a man endowed with (right) view:

While Dhamma and discipline
proclaimed by the Tathāgata
are being taught,
having applied himself,
paying attention,
concentrating with all the mind,
he listens to Dhamma with ready ear.^[16]

He comprehends thus:

‘I too am possessed
of the kind of strength
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view.’

This is the sixth knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

■

And again, monks,
the ariyan disciple reflects thus:

‘Am I too possessed
of the kind of strength
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

And what kind of strength, monks,
is a man possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view?

This is strength, monks,
for a man endowed with (right) view:

While Dhamma and discipline
proclaimed by the Tathāgata
are being taught,
he acquires knowledge of the goal,
he acquires knowledge of Dhamma,
he acquires the rapture that is connected with [388] Dhamma.^[17]

He comprehends thus:

‘I too am possessed
of the kind of strength
a man is possessed of
who is endowed with (right) view.’

This monks, is the seventh knowledge won by him,
ariyan,
transcendental,
not in common with average men.

Thus, monks, propriety
has come to be well sought by an ariyan disciple
who is possessed of seven factors
for realising the fruit of stream-attainment.

Possessed of seven factors thus, monks,
an ariyan disciple is possessed of the fruit of stream-attainment.”

Thus spoke the Lord.

Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Discourse at Kosambī

^[1] Called at MA. ii. 389 and DA. i. 123 Kosambaka sutta, “Discourse to the monks of Kosambī.” At MA. i. 176 and DA. i. 123 it is cited as a discourse which arose out of a quarrel.

^[2] Cf. Vin. i. 341, 352 ff., M. iii. 152 f.

^[3] Cf. Ud. 67.

^[4] Cf. Vin. i. 337 f.

^[5] mettaɱ kāyakammaɱ.

^[6] paccupaṭṭhita, offered, presented.

^[7] dhammā sārāṇīya; MA. ii. 394 saritabbayuttā, that should be remembered. Also at M. ii. 250 f.; A. iii. 288; D. ii, 80, iii. 245.

^[8] Connected with the Way, MA. ii. 401.

^[9] As at A. iii. 10.

^[10] Here the view of the Way (or stage) of stream-attainment, MA. ii. 401. So, it is said at the end of this Discourse, the seven kinds of knowledge enumerated in it pertain to a stream-attainer.

^[11] nibbuti, explained at MA. ii. 401 as kilesavūpamma, allayment of the defilements.

^[12] I.e. a view of one who has attained the stage of stream-entrant.

^[13] By confession or by a formal act of the Order (saṅghakamma); MA. ii. 402. He does not keep his offence concealed.

^[14] The view that future restraint or control results from confession is often met with in the Vinaya- and Sutta-piṭakas.

^[15] Greater and lesser duties, the former comprising the making and dyeing of robe-material, keeping the shrine clean, and duties in the Observance-hall and so on. The lesser duties comprise putting out water for washing the feet, oil and so forth. Alternative lists are then given, MA. ii, 402.

^[16] Cf. M. i. 445, iii. 201; S. i. 112; Ud. 80; also Vin. i. 103, etc.

^[17] M. i. 37, 221.