10: The Story of Sātāgiri and Hemavata – 454 

 

own. I shall bear its consequences in Saṁsāra. Just do not come to a decision in 
that matter, please!” 

Being persistently and unavoidably pressed by the monk who taught what was 
against Dhamma, the elders who uphold the Discipline finally gave in and said: 
“All right, monk!” After obtaining the consent of the elders who uphold the 
Discipline, the monk who taught what was against Dhamma went back to the 
village monastery; and, thinking: “I have done everything I wanted to do with 
the elders who uphold the Discipline,” and he became more domineering, 
repressive, contemptuous, harsh and adamant in dealing with the monk who 
taught Dhamma. 

The monk who taught Dhamma, thinking: “This monk who taught what was 
against Dhamma has in fact no fear indeed!” instantly departed from the 
monastery and went to the thousand monks who were the followers of the elders 
who uphold the Discipline and addressed them: “Brethren, should not the matter 
coming up to the Saṅgha be decided in accordance with the Discipline? Or, 
without allowing the matter to come up to the Saṅgha, should not the 
complainant (

codaka

) monk and the accused (

cuditaka

) monk be made to admit 

their own faults and have their dispute amicably settled? But now, these elders 
who uphold the Discipline neither decide the matter by themselves nor allow it 
to be amicably settled by us through compromise. What does 

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 this mean?” 

On hearing the words of the monk who taught Dhamma and thinking: “There 
must have been some irregular thing already known to the elders who uphold 
the Discipline,” the thousand monastic disciples of the elders who uphold the 
Discipline did not give any reply but remained silent. 

Taking advantage of this, the monk who taught what was against Dhamma said 
in repressive terms: “My friend, you have said previously that the elders who 
uphold the Discipline would know. Well, you had better report that matter now 
to them.” He then departed after saying harshly: “From now on, you are totally 
ruined! Don’t come back to the village monastery where we dwell!” 

Thereafter the monk who taught Dhamma went to the elders who uphold the 
Discipline and bewailed loudly: “Venerable sirs, thinking: “This monk who 
taught what was against Dhamma attends to our needs and pleases us,” you have 
no consideration for the Dispensation (

Sāsana

) of the Buddha but have 

consideration only for an individual; you give no protection to the Dispensation 
(

Sāsana

) but only give protection to a shameless immoral individual (

alajjī-