Trouble in the Sangha: the Buddha’s teaching following the Quarrel at Kosambi
Sangha Day, 2011 (Talk at Cardiff Buddhist Centre) Listen to the talk
The Sangha Jewel represents an ideal of unity and harmony in the spiritual community of Buddhists. But unlike the Buddha and Dharma Jewels, sangha in the sense of the community of Buddhists we actually experience is made up of flawed material: frail and flawed human beings like you and me. The sangha, in this sense,is bound to disappoint us – and that is an important part of the practice.
It’s not just our sangha that is imperfect. According to the early scriptures, the monastic community the Buddha established had its own problems, especially the quarrel between the monks of Kosambi, which is said to have occurred nine years after his Enlightenment. The story occurs in various places, but the one that is probably earliest is the Kosambiya Sutta (MN48). An edited version of the text, suitable for study is below.
The Kosambi monks are quarrelling: ‘throwing sharp words at each other.’ In this version of the story we don’t hear how the dispute arose, and the version of the story in the Vinaya fills the gap with an account of a dispute over the observance of the monastic rules. The issue seems quite minor, but it touches a nerve. That version has many lessons about how big problems can arise form small things if they touch rigid views or structures, and how we can mistake the letter for spirit of teaching. It shows the dangers of factionalism when people become loyal to a particular teacher or group, and when monastic ‘rank’ and takes precedence over ethical observance. Most strikingly, the Buddha’s intervention is ignored and Kosambi later became the focus of an extended myth of the eventual downfall of Sangha as a result of dissension.
The Sutta leaves out these elements and focuses on the Buddha’s response to the fact of the quarrel. He isn’t concerned with rights and wrongs of the argument, but with the more fundamental ethical issue of how we relate to one another when problems arise. He asks them if they are relating to one another with loving kindness in their bodily, vocal and mental actions when events clearly indicate that they aren’t.
That’s the first lesson of this Sutta. The Buddha throws responsibility back onto monks and brings the issue out of the sphere of politics and into the realm of practice. Whether or not you are ‘right’ about the in the initial issue, he tells them, you go wrong when you react angrily to what has happened. Difficulties aren’t a sign of failure: they are inevitable and Dharma practice turns on what we make of them. This is relevant to sangha and Buddhist communities, but politics and disputes are everywhere: in world around us, in our families and in our work. The Buddha’s principles apply in all these spheres.
The Buddha lists six things we can do that ‘conduce to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other’, whether in sangha situations or elsewhere. Responding with loving kindness in our bodily actions quite simply means acting kindly towards one another. There’s a danger here. We can think this means that the sangha implicitly promises to help us when we need it, and provide a resource of kindness when we are in difficulties. The danger is that this brings unrealistic expectations, and a sense that we are entitled to whatever help we expect. In practice sometimes those expectations are disappointed, and I have seen people become very disillusioned and even bitter. The Buddha’s point is that practising sangha is about what we can do for others, not what we can expect for ourselves. I’d go further. I think we should expect the sangha to disappoint us. After all, it is made up of frail and mostly unenlightened individuals.
By ‘verbal acts of loving kindness’ the Buddha means speaking kindly about one another. Note that he says we should do this openly and in secret (i.e. in private). Every group, including the sangha offers endless opportunities for gossip, politics, and letting off steam behind people’s backs. But private conversations quickly become public, or at least have an effect on our attitudes in public situations. It’s not that we can’t discuss difficulties, but we must be careful how we do. Speech motivated by negative emotions has a powerful effect, even if it is conducted in private.
This also applies to how we think about people we find difficult. It’s not enough to keep our mouths shut: resentment has an effect on ourselves and, in the end on others. As the Buddha said in one of his most famous dicta: “Look how he abused me and hurt me, How he threw me down and robbed me.” Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.” (Dhammapada 1, 12)
The Buddha’s next three points take this deeper. First, he says, if we truly wish to relate with loving kindness this needs to manifest as sharing. In the Vinaya version of the story, the Kosambi story is paired with the account of the Buddha’s visit to three monks led by Anuruddha who exemplify harmony and cooperation and share everything they have with each other.
Even so, this behaviour is the manifestation of inner qualities, so the Buddha’s next point is that we should cultivate those virtues. In doing so, he suggests, we serve others and serve our community. And finally, virtue itself rests upon our views: our fundamental beliefs and attitudes. The Buddha says that the presence of negative mental states indicates the presence of wrong views and then lists seven reflections that can inform us whether we have right views or not.
This list is interesting in itself, but it helps to relate it to the context the sutta is offering. The two parties of monks believe that they are in the right and the others are wrong: each thinks it possesses right view. The Buddha relates the question of belief to that of mental states. If we are in a negative mental state, our views will be distorted and made wrong, willy-nilly. In effect he is asking them, ‘Do you really believe that ‘hatred is not overcome by hatred, but only by love …’? In fact, the Dhammapada Commentary states that the Buddha first coined this memorable saying on this occasion. Their actions suggest that, for all their fierce conviction that they are right, all the monks are wrong in this sense.
Taking a dispute as his starting point the Buddha asks us to be honest with ourselves and others at the deepest level, to recognise our true motivations and to bring the essential teachings of the Dharma to bear in our responses.
The Kosambiya Sutta (MN48)
At one time the Blessed One was living in Ghosita’s monastery in Kosambi. At that time the bhikkhus of Kosambi had aroused a dispute and were quarrelling with each other, throwing sharp words at each other. They would not discuss the matter among themselves and come to an understanding.
Then the Blessed One said to those bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, is it true that you have aroused a dispute among yourselves are quarrelling with each other throwing sharp words at each other. You wouldn’t discuss the matter among yourselves and come to an understanding?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Bhikkhus, at a time when you have aroused a dispute among yourselves are quarrelling with each other throwing sharp words at each other, are you established in bodily actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly? Established in verbal actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly? Established in mental actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Bhikkhus, you have aroused a dispute among yourselves quarrelling with each other, throwing sharp words at each other. Now you are not established in bodily actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly or secretly. You are not established in verbal actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly or secretly. You are not established in mental actions of loving kindness, towards co-associates in the holy life openly or secretly. Foolish men, seeing what good have you aroused this dispute? You do not discuss this matter among yourselves and come to an understanding. Foolish men, this will be for your undoing for a long time.”
Six Things Conducing to Unity
Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: Bhikkhus, there are six things which conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other. What six:
1. Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu should be established in bodily actions of loving kindness towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly. This is a thing which conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other.
2. Again, the bhikkhu should be established in verbal actions of loving kindness towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly. This too is a thing which conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other.
3. Again the bhikkhu should be established in mental actions of loving kindness towards co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly. This too is a thing that conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other.
4. Again bhikkhus, gains rightfully obtained, as far as what is put into the bowl, the bhikkhu would not partake without sharing equally with the co-associates in the holy life. This too is a thing that conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other.
5. Again the bhikkhu becomes equal in virtues with the co-associates in the holy life openly and secretly. The virtues that are not broken, fissured or spotted, are consistent and praised by the wise as unaffected and conductive to concentration. This too is a thing that conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other.
6. Again the bhikkhu becomes equal with the co-associates in the holy life in the noble view that leads to the beyond. Which rightfully shows the destruction of unpleasantness to one who thinks logically. This too is a thing that conduces to reverence, unity, friendliness and love for each other. Bhikkhus, of these six the noble view that leads to the beyond and rightfully shows the destruction of unpleasantness to one who thinks logically is the foremost and the chief. It binds all others at the top most beam of the gabled house.
Seven Characteristics of one with Noble View
“Bhikkhus, what is that noble view that leads to the beyond and rightfully shows the destruction of unpleasantness to one who thinks logically? The bhikkhu gone to a forest or to the root of a tree, or to an empty house reflects. ‘Are there undispelled hindrances in me? Do they obstruct my mind, from knowing and seeing as it really is?’
• Am I overcome by sensual lust, or is my mind hindered by them?
• Am I overcome by anger, or is my mind hindered by it?
• Am I overcome by sloth and torpor, or is my mind hindered by sloth and torpor?
• Am I overcome by restlessness and worry, or is my mind hindered by restlessness and worry?
• Is my mind overcome with doubts, about this world and the other world?
• Or am I with a dispute quarrelling, throwing rough words at others, is my mind hindered in this manner?’
The bhikkhu knows, ‘I haven’t undispelled hindrances on account of which my mind would not see it, as it really is. These things are thoroughly dispelled from my mind and it is ready for realising the truth.’
1. Here. Bhikkhus, the bhikkhu gone to a forest or to the root of a tree, or to an empty house reflects. ‘Are there undispelled hindrances in me? Do they obstruct my mind, from knowing and seeing as it really is? The bhikkhu knows, I haven’t undispelled hindrances on account of which my mind would not see it, as it really is. These things are thoroughly dispelled from my mind and it is ready for realising the truth.
2. Again, the noble disciple reflects, ‘When I practise and develop this view much, I experience internal appeasement, and internal extinction.’
3. Again the noble disciple reflects, ‘This view I have gained is it also the view of the recluses and brahmins of other sects. Then he knows, this view with which I am endowed, is not shared by recluses and brahmins of other sects.’
4. Again, bhikkhus, the noble disciple reflects, ‘I share this view with those come to righteousness of view. I’m also endowed with that unique characteristic.’ Bhikkhus, what is that unique characteristic of one come to righteousness or view? When he does any wrong, it becomes manifest to him, and he instantly goes to the Teacher or a wise co-associate in the holy life and declares and makes it manifest and makes amends for future restrain, like a toddler who is slow to stand and lie would tread on a burning piece of charcoal and would instantly pull away from it. In the same manner when he does any wrong, it becomes manifest to him, and he instantly goes to the Teacher or a wise co-associate in the holy life and declares and makes amends for future restrain. This is a unique character of one come to righteousness of view..
5. Again, bhikkhus, the noble disciple reflects, ‘I’m also endowed with … the unique characteristic of one come to righteousness view, to be greatly intent in completing any work high or low that has to be done for the co-associates in the holy life. Mindful of the high virtues, training, and high wisdom.’
6. One come to righteousness of view listens to the Teaching attending carefully to take the essential with the mind well concentrated.
7. The power of one come to righteousness of view to listen to the Teaching taught by the Blessed One and gain the meanings, experience the Teaching and experience the joy. Then he knows, ‘With whatever power the one come to righteousness of view is endowed, I too share that power.’
When the noble disciple is endowed with these seven characteristics, he is ready to realise the fruits of the entry into the stream of the Teaching.
