• The Compendium Parivāra
  • The short section on conflict Cūḷasaṅgāma

The procedure for an investigator 14. Anuvijjakassapaṭipatti

“When a monk who is involved in a conflict is about to approach the Sangha, he should: Saṅgāmāvacarena bhikkhunā saṅghaṁ upasaṅkamantena: be humble; nīcacittena saṅgho upasaṅkamitabbo; be intent on removing defilements; rajoharaṇasamena cittena; be skilled in appropriate seating and where to sit down, taking a seat without encroaching on the senior monks and without blocking the junior monks; āsanakusalena bhavitabbaṁ nisajjakusalena; there bhikkhū anupakhajjantena, nave bhikkhū āsanena appaṭibāhantena, yathāpatirūpe āsane nisīditabbaṁ; not ramble or engage in worldly talk, but speak according to the Teaching or invite others to speak or value noble silence. anānākathikena bhavitabbaṁ atiracchānakathikena; sāmaṁ vā dhammo bhāsitabbo paro vā ajjhesitabbo ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo nātimaññitabbo.

An investigator—who has been approved by the Sangha and who wishes to investigate—should not ask about preceptor, teacher, student, pupil, co-student, co-pupil, caste, name, family, reciter tradition, home address, or nationality. Saṅghena anumatena puggalena anuvijjakena anuvijjitukāmena na upajjhāyo pucchitabbo, na ācariyo pucchitabbo, na saddhivihāriko pucchitabbo, na antevāsiko pucchitabbo, na samānupajjhāyako pucchitabbo, na samānācariyako pucchitabbo, na jāti pucchitabbā, na nāmaṁ pucchitabbaṁ, na gottaṁ pucchitabbaṁ, na āgamo pucchitabbo, na kulapadeso pucchitabbo, na jātibhūmi pucchitabbā. What is the reason for that? Taṁ kiṁ kāraṇā? In these cases there is affection or ill will. Atrassa pemaṁ vā doso vā. When there is affection or ill will, one might be biased by favoritism, ill will, confusion, or fear. Peme vā sati dose vā, chandāpi gaccheyya, dosāpi gaccheyya, mohāpi gaccheyya, bhayāpi gaccheyya.

An investigator—who has been approved by the Sangha and who wishes to investigate—should respect the Sangha, not individuals; should value the true Dhamma, not worldly things; should value the goal, not conforming to the gathering; should investigate at an appropriate time, not at an inappropriate one; should investigate truthfully, not falsely; should investigate gently, not harshly; should investigate beneficially, not unbeneficially; should investigate with a mind of good will, not with ill will; should not whisper in the ear; should not look for flaws; should not wink; should not raise an eyebrow; should not raise the head; should not signal with the hand; should not gesture with the hand. Saṅghena anumatena puggalena anuvijjakena anuvijjitukāmena saṅghagarukena bhavitabbaṁ no puggalagarukena, saddhammagarukena bhavitabbaṁ no āmisagarukena, atthavasikena bhavitabbaṁ no parisakappikena, kālena anuvijjitabbaṁ no akālena, bhūtena anuvijjitabbaṁ no abhūtena, saṇhena anuvijjitabbaṁ no pharusena, atthasaṁhitena anuvijjitabbaṁ no anatthasaṁhitena, mettācittena anuvijjitabbaṁ no dosantarena, na upakaṇṇakajappinā bhavitabbaṁ, na jimhaṁ pekkhitabbaṁ, na akkhi nikhaṇitabbaṁ, na bhamukaṁ ukkhipitabbaṁ, na sīsaṁ ukkhipitabbaṁ, na hatthavikāro kātabbo, na hatthamuddā dassetabbā.

He should be skilled in appropriate seating and where to sit down. Looking a plow’s length ahead, acting in line with his aim, he should sit down on his own seat. He should not get up from his seat, bungle the investigation, take a wrong path, or gesticulate. He should proceed without haste or force, not be fierce, and be patient with others’ speech. He should have mind of loving kindness with compassion and empathy, and strive for what is beneficial. He should not speak idly but to the point, without being angry or argumentative. He should assess himself, the others, the accuser, the accused, one who accuses illegitimately, one who is accused illegitimately, one who accuses legitimately, and one who is accused legitimately. Not omitting what has been said, nor announcing what has not been said, he should carefully scrutinize the sentences and words under consideration, question the others, and deal with them according to what they have admitted. He should gladden those who are confused, comfort those who are frightened, restrain those who are fierce, and expose those who are impure. Being upright and gentle, he should not be biased by favoritism, anger, confusion, or fear. He should be impartial in regard to the Teaching and the people involved. Āsanakusalena bhavitabbaṁ nisajjakusalena, yugamattaṁ pekkhantena atthaṁ anuvidhiyantena sake āsane nisīditabbaṁ, na ca āsanā vuṭṭhātabbaṁ, na vītihātabbaṁ, na kummaggo sevitabbo, na bāhāvikkhepakaṁ bhaṇitabbaṁ, aturitena bhavitabbaṁ asāhasikena, acaṇḍikatena bhavitabbaṁ vacanakkhamena, mettācittena bhavitabbaṁ hitānukampinā, kāruṇikena bhavitabbaṁ hitaparisakkinā, asamphappalāpinā bhavitabbaṁ pariyantabhāṇinā, averavasikena bhavitabbaṁ anasuruttena, attā pariggahetabbo, paro pariggahetabbo, codako pariggahetabbo, cuditako pariggahetabbo, adhammacodako pariggahetabbo, adhammacuditako pariggahetabbo, dhammacodako pariggahetabbo, dhammacuditako pariggahetabbo, vuttaṁ ahāpentena avuttaṁ apakāsentena otiṇṇāni padabyañjanāni sādhukaṁ pariggahetvā paro paṭipucchitvā yathā paṭiññāya kāretabbo, mando hāsetabbo, bhīrū assāsetabbo, caṇḍo nisedhetabbo, asuci vibhāvetabbo, ujumaddavena na chandāgatiṁ gantabbaṁ, na dosāgatiṁ gantabbaṁ, na mohāgatiṁ gantabbaṁ, na bhayāgatiṁ gantabbaṁ, majjhattena bhavitabbaṁ dhammesu ca puggalesu ca. In this way an investigator is acting in accordance with the instruction of the Teacher. And they are dear, agreeable, respected, and esteemed by their discerning fellow monastics. Evañca pana anuvijjako anuvijjamāno satthu ceva sāsanakaro hoti, viññūnañca sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca hoti manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo ca.

The Monastic Code is for the sake of concluding, a simile for the sake of illustration, the goal is to be made known, and questioning is for sake of establishing. Asking for permission is for the sake of accusing, accusing for reminding, reminding for directing, directing for obstructing, obstructing for investigating, investigating for weighing up, weighing up for deciding what is and is not the case, and deciding what is and is not the case is for the sake of restraining bad people and to support the good monks. The Sangha has the purpose of examining and accepting the decision. The Sangha should appoint people who are trustworthy to positions of authority. Suttaṁ saṁsandanatthāya, opammaṁ nidassanatthāya, attho viññāpanatthāya, paṭipucchā ṭhapanatthāya, okāsakammaṁ codanatthāya, codanā sāraṇatthāya, sāraṇā savacanīyatthāya, savacanīyaṁ palibodhatthāya, palibodho vinicchayatthāya, vinicchayo santīraṇatthāya, santīraṇaṁ ṭhānāṭhānagamanatthāya, ṭhānāṭhānagamanaṁ dummaṅkūnaṁ puggalānaṁ niggahatthāya, pesalānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ sampaggahatthāya, saṅgho sampariggahasampaṭicchanatthāya, saṅghena anumatā puggalā paccekaṭṭhāyino avisaṁvādakaṭṭhāyino.

The Monastic Law is for the sake of restraint, restraint for non-regret, non-regret for joy, joy for rapture, rapture for tranquility, tranquility for bliss, bliss for stillness, stillness for seeing things according to reality, seeing things according to reality for repulsion, repulsion for dispassion, dispassion for liberation, liberation for knowledge and vision of liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation is for the sake of extinguishment without grasping. Vinayo saṁvaratthāya, saṁvaro avippaṭisāratthāya, avippaṭisāro pāmujjatthāya, pāmujjaṁ pītatthāya, pīti passaddhatthāya, passaddhi sukhatthāya, sukhaṁ samādhatthāya, samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanatthāya, yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidatthāya, nibbidā virāgatthāya, virāgo vimuttatthāya, vimutti vimuttiñāṇadassanatthāya, vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ anupādāparinibbānatthāya. This is the purpose of discussion, this is the purpose of consultation, this is the purpose of vital conditions, this is the purpose of listening, Etadatthā kathā, etadatthā mantanā, etadatthā upanisā, etadatthaṁ sotāvadhānaṁ—that is, the release of mind without grasping.” yadidaṁ anupādācittassa vimokkhoti.

“Consider carefully the proper procedure of examination, Anuyogavattaṁ nisāmaya, As formulated by the skilled Awakened One, Kusalena buddhimatā kataṁ; Well-spoken in line with the training rules—Suvuttaṁ sikkhāpadānulomikaṁ, Do not ruin your future rebirth. Gatiṁ na nāsento samparāyikaṁ.

Ignorant about basis, failure, and offense, Vatthuṁ vipattiṁ āpattiṁ, As well as source and ways; Nidānaṁ ākāraakovido; Not knowing the right order, Pubbāparaṁ na jānāti, Nor what has and has not been done. Katākataṁ samena ca.

Ignorant about legal procedures and legal issues, Kammañca adhikaraṇañca, As well as their settling. samathe cāpi akovido; Greedy, angry, and confused, Ratto duṭṭho ca mūḷho ca, Biased by fear and confusion, bhayā mohā ca gacchati.

Not skilled in persuasion, Na ca saññattikusalo, Nor in making others understand; nijjhattiyā ca akovido; A shameless one who has obtained supporters, Laddhapakkho ahiriko, Disrespectful and doing dark deeds—kaṇhakammo anādaro; A monk such as this Sa ve tādisako bhikkhu, Is called ‘not worthy of attention’. appaṭikkhoti vuccati.

Understanding basis, failure, and offense, Vatthuṁ vipattiṁ āpattiṁ, As well as source and ways; nidānaṁ ākārakovido; Knowing the right order, Pubbāparañca jānāti, And also what has and has not been done. katākataṁ samena ca.

Understanding legal procedures and legal issues, Kammañca adhikaraṇañca, As well as their settling. samathe cāpi kovido; Not greedy, angry, or confused, Aratto aduṭṭho amūḷho, Biased neither by fear nor confusion, bhayā mohā na gacchati.

Skilled in persuasion, Saññattiyā ca kusalo, And in making others understand; nijjhattiyā ca kovido; A conscientious one who has obtained supporters, Laddhapakkho hirimano, Respectful and doing bright deeds—sukkakammo sagāravo; A monk such as this Sa ve tādisako bhikkhu, Is called ‘worthy of attention’.” sappaṭikkhoti vuccatīti.

The short section on conflict is finished Cūḷasaṅgāmaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

This is the summary: Tassuddānaṁ

“Humble, one may ask, Nīcacittena puccheyya, Respect for the Sangha, not individuals; garu saṅghe na puggale; The Monastic Code is for the sake of concluding, Suttaṁ saṁsandanatthāya, And through supporting the training—vinayānuggahena ca; The summary of the short section on conflict, uddānaṁ cūḷasaṅgāme, Made into one recitation.” ekuddeso idaṁ katanti.