Tripiṭaka 5. Parisavagga
The Chapter on Assemblies
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Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū uddhatā honti unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatī asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā pākatindriyā.
An assembly where the mendicants are restless, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, loose-tongued, unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū anuddhatā honti anunnaḷā acapalā amukharā avikiṇṇavācā upaṭṭhitassatī sampajānā samāhitā ekaggacittā saṁvutindriyā.
An assembly where the mendicants are not restless, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, or loose-tongued, but have established mindfulness, situational awareness, immersion, unified minds, and restrained faculties.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ gambhīrā parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the deep assembly.”
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū bhaṇḍanajātā kalahajātā vivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ mukhasattīhi vitudantā viharanti.
An assembly where the mendicants fight, quarrel, and dispute, continually wounding each other with barbed words.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā khīrodakībhūtā aññamaññaṁ piyacakkhūhi sampassantā viharanti.
An assembly where the mendicants live in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ samaggā parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the harmonious assembly.”
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ therā bhikkhū bāhulikā honti sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
An assembly where the senior mendicants are indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Sāpi hoti bāhulikā sāthalikā, okkamane pubbaṅgamā, paviveke nikkhittadhurā, na vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
They too become indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ therā bhikkhū na bāhulikā honti na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhanti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
An assembly where the senior mendicants are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Sāpi hoti na bāhulikā na sāthalikā, okkamane nikkhittadhurā, paviveke pubbaṅgamā, vīriyaṁ ārabhati appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
They too are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ aggavatī parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the assembly of the best.”
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti.
An assembly where the mendicants don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti.
An assembly where the mendicants truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ ariyā parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the noble assembly.”
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū chandāgatiṁ gacchanti, dosāgatiṁ gacchanti, mohāgatiṁ gacchanti, bhayāgatiṁ gacchanti.
An assembly where the mendicants make decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū na chandāgatiṁ gacchanti, na dosāgatiṁ gacchanti, na mohāgatiṁ gacchanti, na bhayāgatiṁ gacchanti.
An assembly where the mendicants make decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ parisāmaṇḍo”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the assembly of the cream.”
Okkācitavinītā parisā nopaṭipucchāvinītā, paṭipucchāvinītā parisā nookkācitavinītā.
An assembly educated in fancy talk, not in questioning, and an assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, okkācitavinītā parisā nopaṭipucchāvinītā?
And what is an assembly educated in fancy talk, not in questioning?
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatāpaṭisaṁyuttā tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsanti na sotaṁ odahanti na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhapenti na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññanti.
It is an assembly where, when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited the mendicants do not want to listen. They don’t actively listen or try to understand, nor do they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
Ye pana te suttantā kavitā kāveyyā cittakkharā cittabyañjanā bāhirakā sāvakabhāsitā tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsanti sotaṁ odahanti aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhapenti, te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññanti, te ca taṁ dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā na ceva aññamaññaṁ paṭipucchanti na ca paṭivicaranti:
But when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited the mendicants do want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand, and they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing. But when they’ve memorized those teachings they don’t question or examine each other, saying:
Te avivaṭañceva na vivaranti, anuttānīkatañca na uttānīkaronti, anekavihitesu ca kaṅkhāṭhāniyesu dhammesu kaṅkhaṁ na paṭivinodenti.
So they don’t reveal what is hidden or clarify what is unclear, or dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, okkācitavinītā parisā no paṭipucchāvinītā.
This is called an assembly educated in fancy talk, not in questioning.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, paṭipucchāvinītā parisā nookkācitavinītā?
And what is an assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk?
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū ye te suttantā kavitā kāveyyā cittakkharā cittabyañjanā bāhirakā sāvakabhāsitā tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsanti na sotaṁ odahanti na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhapenti, na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññanti.
It is an assembly where, when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited the mendicants do not want to listen. They don’t actively listen or try to understand, nor do they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
Ye pana te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatāpaṭisaṁyuttā tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsanti sotaṁ odahanti aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhapenti, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññanti.
But when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited the mendicants do want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand, and they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
Te taṁ dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā aññamaññaṁ paṭipucchanti paṭivicaranti:
And when they’ve memorized those teachings they question and examine each other, saying:
Te avivaṭañceva vivaranti, anuttānīkatañca uttānīkaronti, anekavihitesu ca kaṅkhāṭhāniyesu dhammesu kaṅkhaṁ paṭivinodenti.
So they reveal what is hidden, clarify what is unclear, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paṭipucchāvinītā parisā nookkācitavinītā.
This is called an assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ paṭipucchāvinītā parisā nookkācitavinītā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the assembly educated in questioning, not in fancy talk.”
Āmisagaru parisā no saddhammagaru, saddhammagaru parisā no āmisagaru.
An assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching, and an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āmisagaru parisā no saddhammagaru?
And what is an assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching?
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū gihīnaṁ odātavasanānaṁ sammukhā aññamaññassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsanti:
It is an assembly where the mendicants praise each other in front of the white-clothed laypeople, saying:
‘asuko bhikkhu ubhatobhāgavimutto, asuko paññāvimutto, asuko kāyasakkhī, asuko diṭṭhippatto, asuko saddhāvimutto, asuko dhammānusārī, asuko saddhānusārī, asuko sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo, asuko dussīlo pāpadhammo’ti.
‘The mendicant so-and-so is freed both ways; so-and-so is freed by wisdom; so-and-so is a direct witness; so-and-so is attained to view; so-and-so is freed by faith; so-and-so is a follower of teachings; so-and-so is a follower by faith; so-and-so is ethical, of good character; so-and-so is unethical, of bad character.’
Te taṁ lābhaṁ labhitvā gathitā mucchitā ajjhopannā anādīnavadassāvino anissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti.
And when they get these things, they use them tied, infatuated, attached, blind to the drawbacks, and not understanding the escape.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āmisagaru parisā no saddhammagaru.
This is called an assembly that values things of the flesh, not the true teaching.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, saddhammagaru parisā noāmisagaru?
And what is an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh?
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū gihīnaṁ odātavasanānaṁ sammukhā aññamaññassa vaṇṇaṁ na bhāsanti:
It is an assembly where the mendicants don’t praise each other in front of the white-clothed laypeople, saying:
‘asuko bhikkhu ubhatobhāgavimutto, asuko paññāvimutto, asuko kāyasakkhī, asuko diṭṭhippatto, asuko saddhāvimutto, asuko dhammānusārī, asuko saddhānusārī, asuko sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo, asuko dussīlo pāpadhammo’ti.
‘The mendicant so-and-so is freed both ways; so-and-so is freed by wisdom; so-and-so is a direct witness; so-and-so is attained to view; so-and-so is freed by faith; so-and-so is a follower of teachings; so-and-so is a follower by faith; so-and-so is ethical, of good character; so-and-so is unethical, of bad character.’
Te taṁ lābhaṁ labhitvā agathitā amucchitā anajjhosannā ādīnavadassāvino nissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti.
And when they get these things, they use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saddhammagaru parisā noāmisagaru.
This is called an assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ saddhammagaru parisā noāmisagarū”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the assembly that values the true teaching, not things of the flesh.”
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ adhammakammāni pavattanti dhammakammāni nappavattanti, avinayakammāni pavattanti vinayakammāni nappavattanti, adhammakammāni dippanti dhammakammāni na dippanti, avinayakammāni dippanti vinayakammāni na dippanti.
An assembly where legal acts against the teaching proceed, while legal acts following the teaching don’t proceed. Legal acts against the training proceed, while legal acts following the training don’t proceed. Legal acts against the teaching are explained, while legal acts following the teaching aren’t explained. Legal acts against the training are explained, while legal acts following the training aren’t explained.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ dhammakammāni pavattanti adhammakammāni nappavattanti, vinayakammāni pavattanti avinayakammāni nappavattanti, dhammakammāni dippanti adhammakammāni na dippanti, vinayakammāni dippanti avinayakammāni na dippanti.
An assembly where legal acts following the teaching proceed, while legal acts against the teaching don’t proceed. Legal acts following the training proceed, while legal acts against the training don’t proceed. Legal acts following the teaching are explained, while legal acts against the teaching aren’t explained. Legal acts in line with the training are explained, while legal acts following training aren’t explained.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ samā parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the just assembly.”
Adhammikā ca parisā dhammikā ca parisā …pe… imā kho, bhikkhave, dve parisā.
An unprincipled assembly and a principled assembly …
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammikā parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the principled assembly.”
Adhammavādinī ca parisā dhammavādinī ca parisā.
An assembly with unprincipled speech, and an assembly with principled speech.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū adhikaraṇaṁ ādiyanti dhammikaṁ vā adhammikaṁ vā.
It is an assembly where the mendicants take up disciplinary issues, whether legitimate or not.
Te taṁ adhikaraṇaṁ ādiyitvā na ceva aññamaññaṁ saññāpenti na ca saññattiṁ upagacchanti, na ca nijjhāpenti na ca nijjhattiṁ upagacchanti.
But they don’t persuade each other or allow themselves to be persuaded, nor do they convince each other or allow themselves to be convinced.
Te asaññattibalā anijjhattibalā appaṭinissaggamantino tameva adhikaraṇaṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa voharanti:
Unable to persuade or convince each other, they can’t let go of their opinions. They obstinately stick to that disciplinary issue, insisting that:
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, adhammavādinī parisā.
This is called an assembly with unprincipled speech.
Idha, bhikkhave, yassaṁ parisāyaṁ bhikkhū adhikaraṇaṁ ādiyanti dhammikaṁ vā adhammikaṁ vā.
It is an assembly where the mendicants take up disciplinary issues, whether legitimate or not.
Te taṁ adhikaraṇaṁ ādiyitvā aññamaññaṁ saññāpenti ceva saññattiñca upagacchanti, nijjhāpenti ceva nijjhattiñca upagacchanti.
Then they persuade each other or allow themselves to be persuaded, and they convince each other or allow themselves to be convinced.
Te saññattibalā nijjhattibalā paṭinissaggamantino, na tameva adhikaraṇaṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa voharanti:
Since they are able to persuade and convince each other, they let go of their opinions. They don’t obstinately stick to that disciplinary issue or insist that:
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammavādinī parisā.
This is called an assembly with principled speech.
Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ parisānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammavādinī parisā”ti.
The better of these two assemblies is the assembly with principled speech.”
Parisavaggo pañcamo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Uttānā vaggā aggavatī,
Ariyā kasaṭo ca pañcamo;
Okkācitaāmisañceva,
Visamā adhammādhammiyena cāti.
Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.