The Buddha teaches on schism in the saṅgha, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.243 Schism in the Saṅgha

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “api nu taṁ, ānanda, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasantan”ti?

“Kuto taṁ, bhante, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasamissati. Āyasmato, bhante, anuruddhassa bāhiyo nāma saddhivihāriko kevalakappaṁ saṅghabhedāya ṭhito. Tatrāyasmā anuruddho na ekavācikampi bhaṇitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.

“Kadā panānanda, anuruddho saṅghamajjhe adhikaraṇesu voyuñjati. Nanu, ānanda, yāni kānici adhikaraṇāni uppajjanti, sabbāni tāni tumhe ceva vūpasametha sāriputtamoggallānā ca.

Cattārome, ānanda, atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati. Katame cattāro? Idhānanda, pāpabhikkhu dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti dussīlo pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujātoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, paṭhamaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti micchādiṭṭhiko antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgatoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, dutiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchāājīvo hoti, micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappeti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti micchāājīvo micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappetīti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti; vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, tatiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu lābhakāmo hoti sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmo. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti lābhakāmo sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmoti, samaggā maṁ santā na sakkarissanti na garuṁ karissanti na mānessanti na pūjessanti; vaggā pana maṁ sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessantī’ti. Idaṁ, ānanda, catutthaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

Ime kho, ānanda, cattāro atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandatī”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him,

“api nu taṁ, ānanda, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasantan”ti?

“Well, Ānanda, has that disciplinary issue been settled yet?”

“Kuto taṁ, bhante, adhikaraṇaṁ vūpasamissati.

“How could it be, sir?

Āyasmato, bhante, anuruddhassa bāhiyo nāma saddhivihāriko kevalakappaṁ saṅghabhedāya ṭhito.

Venerable Anuruddha’s protégé Bāhiya remains entirely committed to creating a schism in the Saṅgha.

Tatrāyasmā anuruddho na ekavācikampi bhaṇitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.

But Anuruddha doesn’t think to say a single word about it.”

“Kadā panānanda, anuruddho saṅghamajjhe adhikaraṇesu voyuñjati.

“But Ānanda, since when has Anuruddha been involved in disciplinary issues in the midst of the Saṅgha?

Nanu, ānanda, yāni kānici adhikaraṇāni uppajjanti, sabbāni tāni tumhe ceva vūpasametha sāriputtamoggallānā ca.

Shouldn’t you, together with Sāriputta and Moggallāna, settle all disciplinary issues that come up?

Cattārome, ānanda, atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idhānanda, pāpabhikkhu dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto.

Take an unethical monk, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti

‘Suppose the monks know that I’m a bad monk …

dussīlo pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujātoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;

If they’re in harmony, they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.

but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, paṭhamaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees this as the first reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato.

Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti

‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong view …

micchādiṭṭhiko antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgatoti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;

If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.

but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, dutiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees this as the second reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu micchāājīvo hoti, micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappeti.

Furthermore, a bad monk has wrong livelihood and earns a living by wrong livelihood.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti

‘Suppose the monks know that I have wrong livelihood …

micchāājīvo micchāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappetīti, samaggā maṁ santā nāsessanti;

If they’re in harmony they’ll expel me,

vaggā pana maṁ na nāsessantī’ti.

but if they’re divided they won’t.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, tatiyaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees this as the third reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, pāpabhikkhu lābhakāmo hoti sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmo.

Furthermore, a bad monk desires material things, honor, and admiration.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

He thinks:

‘sace kho maṁ bhikkhū jānissanti

‘Suppose the monks know that I desire material things, honor, and admiration.

lābhakāmo sakkārakāmo anavaññattikāmoti, samaggā maṁ santā na sakkarissanti na garuṁ karissanti na mānessanti na pūjessanti;

If they’re in harmony they won’t honor, respect, revere, or venerate me,

vaggā pana maṁ sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessantī’ti.

but if they’re divided they will.’

Idaṁ, ānanda, catutthaṁ atthavasaṁ sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandati.

A bad monk sees this as the fourth reason to relish schism in the Saṅgha.

Ime kho, ānanda, cattāro atthavase sampassamāno pāpabhikkhu saṅghabhedena nandatī”ti.

A bad monk sees these four reasons to relish schism in the Saṅgha.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Ethical conduct

Ethical conduct

A disciplined way of living grounded in harmlessness and integrity. Ethical conduct restrains the body and speech from harm, purifies behavior, and forms the foundation for collectedness and wisdom.

Also known as: moral integrity, right action, virtue
Pāli: sīla, sammākammanta
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Respect

Respect

A mental attitude of reverent attentiveness that values goodness and wisdom in oneself and others. It steadies conduct and opens the mind to learning and humility.

Also known as: reverence, veneration, regard, admiration, appreciation, deference, honour, attentiveness
Pāli: gārava, pūjā, sakkāra
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Wrong livelihood

Wrong livelihood

Sustaining oneself through deceit, exploitation, or manipulation for gain. It includes cheating, flattery, hinting for favors, belittling others, and pursuing gain by means of gain.

Also known as: unwholesome livelihood, wrong way of earning a living
Pāli: micchāājīva
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Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
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Last updated on July 27, 2026