4.12. Smaller Discourse on Quarrelling

“Sakaṁsakaṁdiṭṭhiparibbasānā,

Viggayha nānā kusalā vadanti;

Yo evaṁ jānāti sa vedi dhammaṁ,

Idaṁ paṭikkosamakevalī so.

Evampi viggayha vivādayanti,

Bālo paro akkusaloti cāhu;

Sacco nu vādo katamo imesaṁ,

Sabbeva hīme kusalāvadānā”.

“Parassa ce dhammamanānujānaṁ,

Bālomako hoti nihīnapañño;

Sabbeva bālā sunihīnapaññā,

Sabbevime diṭṭhiparibbasānā.

Sandiṭṭhiyā ceva na vīvadātā,

Saṁsuddhapaññā kusalā mutīmā;

Na tesaṁ koci parihīnapañño,

Diṭṭhī hi tesampi tathā samattā.

Na vāhametaṁ tathiyanti brūmi,

Yamāhu bālā mithu aññamaññaṁ;

Sakaṁ sakaṁ diṭṭhimakaṁsu saccaṁ,

Tasmā hi bāloti paraṁ dahanti”.

“Yamāhu saccaṁ tathiyanti eke,

Tamāhu aññe tucchaṁ musāti;

Evampi vigayha vivādayanti,

Kasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti”.

“Ekañhi saccaṁ na dutīyamatthi,

Yasmiṁ pajā no vivade pajānaṁ;

Nānā te saccāni sayaṁ thunanti,

Tasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti”.

“Kasmā nu saccāni vadanti nānā,

Pavādiyāse kusalāvadānā;

Saccāni sutāni bahūni nānā,

Udāhu te takkamanussaranti”.

“Na heva saccāni bahūni nānā,

Aññatra saññāya niccāni loke;

Takkañca diṭṭhīsu pakappayitvā,

Saccaṁ musāti dvayadhammamāhu.

Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā,

Ete ca nissāya vimānadassī;

Vinicchaye ṭhatvā pahassamāno,

Bālo paro akkusaloti cāha.

Yeneva bāloti paraṁ dahāti,

Tenātumānaṁ kusaloti cāha;

Sayamattanā so kusalāvadāno,

Aññaṁ vimāneti tadeva pāva.

Atisāradiṭṭhiyā so samatto,

Mānena matto paripuṇṇamānī;

Sayameva sāmaṁ manasābhisitto,

Diṭṭhī hi sā tassa tathā samattā.

Parassa ce hi vacasā nihīno,

Tumo sahā hoti nihīnapañño;

Atha ce sayaṁ vedagū hoti dhīro,

Na koci bālo samaṇesu atthi.

Aññaṁ ito yābhivadanti dhammaṁ,

Aparaddhā suddhimakevalī te;

Evampi titthyā puthuso vadanti,

Sandiṭṭhirāgena hi tebhirattā.

Idheva suddhiṁ iti vādayanti,

Nāññesu dhammesu visuddhimāhu;

Evampi titthyā puthuso niviṭṭhā,

Sakāyane tattha daḷhaṁ vadānā.

Sakāyane vāpi daḷhaṁ vadāno,

Kamettha bāloti paraṁ daheyya;

Sayaṁva so medhagamāvaheyya,

Paraṁ vadaṁ bālamasuddhidhammaṁ.

Vinicchaye ṭhatvā sayaṁ pamāya,

Uddhaṁsa lokasmiṁ vivādameti;

Hitvāna sabbāni vinicchayāni,

Na medhagaṁ kubbati jantu loke”ti.

Cūḷabyūhasuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 885Question
Each attached to their own views,
They dispute, and the experts say,
“Whoever knows this understands the Dhamma,
Whoever rejects it is imprefect.”

SC 2SC Verse 886Arguing like this, they disagree, saying
“My opponent is a fool, and is no expert”
Which of these doctrines is the truth,
Since all of them say they are experts?

SC 3SC Verse 887Buddha
If by not accepting another’s teaching
One became a fool of debased wisdom
Then, honestly, all are fools of debased wisdom,
Since all are attached to views.

SC 4SC Verse 888But if people are washed by their own views,
With pure wisdom, experts, thoughtful,
Then none of them has debased wisdom,
For their views are perfect.

SC 5SC Verse 889I don’t say, “This is how it is”,
Like the fools who oppose each other.
Each of them makes out that their view is the truth,
So they treat their opponent as a fool.

SC 6SC Verse 890Question
What some say is the truth,
Others say is false.
So they argue, disagreeing;
Why don’t the ascetics teach one truth?

SC 7SC Verse 891Buddha
Indeed the truth is one, there’s not another,
about this the One who Knows
does not dispute with another,
but the Samaṇas proclaim their varied “truths”
and so they speak not in the same way.

SC 8SC Verse 892Why do they speak such varied truths,
these so-called experts disputatious—
Are there really many and various truths
Or do they just rehearse their logic?

SC 9SC Verse 893Buddha
Indeed, there are not many and varied truths
differing from perception of the ever-true in the world;
but they work upon their views with logic:
“Truth! Falsehood!” So they speak in dualities.

SC 10SC Verse 894Based on what is seen, heard,
On precepts and vows, or what is cognized,
They look down on others.
Convinced of their own theories,
pleased with themselves,
They say, “My opponent is a fool, no expert.”

SC 11SC Verse 895They consider themselves expert for the same reasons
That they despise their opponent as a fool.
Calling themselves experts, they despise the other,
Yet they speak the very same way.

SC 12SC Verse 896And since perfected in some extreme view,
puffed with pride and maddened by conceit,
he anoints himself as though the master-mind,
likewise thinking his view’s perfected too.

SC 13SC Verse 897If their opponent says they are deficient,
They too are of deficient understanding.
But if they are wise and knowledgeable,
Then there are no fools among the ascetics.

SC 14SC Verse 898“Anyone who teaches a doctrine other than this,
Has fallen short of purity and perfection.”
This is what followers of other paths say,
Passionately defending their very different views.

SC 15SC Verse 899“Here alone is purity,” so they say,
“There is no purity in the teachings of others.”
This is what followers of other paths strongly assert,
Each entrenched in their own different path.

SC 16SC Verse 900Strongly asserting their own path,
What opponent would they take to be a fool?
They would only bring trouble on themselves
By calling an opponent a fool of impure teachings.

SC 17SC Verse 901Convinced of their own theories,
Comparing others to oneself,
They get into more disputes with the world.
But by leaving behind all theories,
They don’t have any problems with the world.