THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF CONCORD

  WHILST the dispute between the parties was not yet settled, the

Blessed One left Kosambi, and wandering from place to place he came at

last to Savatthi. In the absence of the Blessed One the quarrels

grew worse, so that the lay devotees of Kosambi became annoyed and

they said: "These quarrelsome monks are a great nuisance and will

bring upon us misfortune. Worried by their altercations the Blessed

One is gone, and has selected another abode for his residence. Let us,

therefore, neither salute the bhikkhus nor support them. They are

not worthy of wearing yellow robes, and must either propitiate the

Blessed One, or return to the world."

  And the bhikkhus of Kosambi, when no longer honored and no longer

supported by the lay devotees, began to repent and said: "Let us go to

the Blessed One and let him settle the question of our

disagreement." Both parties went to Savatthi to the Blessed One. And

the venerable Sariputta, having heard of their arrival, addressed

the Blessed One and said: "These contentious, disputatious, and

quarrelsome bhikkhus of Kosambi, the authors of dissensions, have come

to Savatthi. How am I to behave, O Lord, toward those bhikkhus."

  "Do not reprove them, Sariputta, said the Blessed One, "For harsh

words do not serve as a remedy and are pleasant to no one. Assign

separate dwelling-places to each party and treat them with impartial

justice. Listen with patience to both parties. He alone who weighs

both sides is called a muni. When both parties have presented their

case, let the Sangha come to an agreement and declare the

re-establishment of concord."

  Pajapati, the matron, asked the Blessed One for advice, and the

Blessed One said: "Let both parties enjoy the gifts of lay members, be

they robes or food, as they may need, and let no one receive

preference over any other."

  The venerable Upali, having approached the Blessed One, asked

concerning the re-establishment of peace in the Sangha: "Would it be

right, O Lord, said he, that the Sangha, to avoid further

disputations, should declare the restoration of concord without

inquiring into the matter of the quarrel?"

  The Blessed One said: "If the Sangha declares the reestablishment of

concord without having inquired into the matter, the declaration is

neither right nor lawful. There are two ways of re-establishing

concord; one is in the letter, and the other one is in the spirit

and in the letter.

  "If the Sangha declares the re-establishment of concord without

having inquired into the matter, the peace is concluded in the

letter only. But if the Sangha, having inquired into the matter and

having gone to the bottom of it, decides to declare the

re-establishment of concord, the peace is concluded in the spirit

and also in the letter. The concord re-established in the spirit and

in the letter is alone right and lawful."

  And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus and told them the story

of Prince Dighavu, the Long-lived. He said: "In former times, there

lived at Benares a powerful king whose name was Brahmadatta of Kasi;

and he went to war against Dighiti, the Long-suffering, a king of

Kosala, for he thought, The kingdom of Kosala is small and Dighiti

will not be able to resist my armies." And Dighiti, seeing that

resistance was impossible against the great host of the king of

Kasi, fled leaving his little kingdom in the hands of Brahmadatta; and

having wandered from place to place, he came at last to Benares, and

lived there with his consort in a potter's dwelling outside the town.

  "The queen bore him a son and they called him Dighavu. When

Dighavu had grown up, the king thought to himself: 'King Brahmadatta

has done us great harm, and he is fearing our revenge; he will seek to

kill us. Should he find us he will slay all three of us.' And he

sent his son away, and Dighavu having received a good education from

his father, applied himself diligently to learn all arts, becoming

very skillful and wise.

  "At that time the barber of King Dighiti dwelt at Benares, and he

saw the king, his former master, and being of an avaricious nature,

betrayed him to King Brahmadatta. When Brahmadatta, the king of

Kasi, heard that the fugitive king of Kosala and his queen, unknown

and in disguise, were living a quiet life in a potter's dwelling, he

ordered them to be bound and executed; and the sheriff to whom the

order was given seized King Dighiti and led him to the place of

execution.

  "While the captive king was being led through the streets of Benares

he saw his son who had returned to visit his parents, and, careful not

to betray the presence of his son, yet anxious to communicate to him

his last advice, he cried: 'O Dighavu, my son! Be not far-sighted,

be not near-sighted, for not by hatred is hatred appeased; hatred is

appeased by not-hatred only.'

  "The king and queen of Kosala were executed, but Dighavu their son

bought strong wine and made the guards drunk. When the night arrived

he laid the bodies of his parents upon a funeral pyre and burned

them with all honors and religious rites. When King Brahmadatta

heard of it, he became afraid, for he thought, Dighavu, the son of

King Dighiti, is a wise youth and he will take revenge for the death

of his parents. If he espies a favorable opportunity, he will

assassinate me.'

  "Young Dighavu went to the forest and wept to his heart's content.

Then he wiped his tears and returned to Benares. Hearing that

assistants were wanted in the royal elephants' stable, he offered

his services and was engaged by the master of the elephants. And it

happened that the king heard a sweet voice ringing through the night

and singing to the lute a beautiful song that gladdened his heart. And

having inquired among his attendants who the singer might be, was told

that the master of the elephants had in his service a young man of

great accomplishments, and beloved by all his comrades. They said He

is wont to sing to the lute, and he must have been the singer that

gladdened the heart of the king.'

  "The king summoned the young man before him and, being much

pleased with Dighavu, gave him employment in the royal castle.

Observing how wisely the youth acted, how modest he was and yet

punctilious in the performance of his work, the king very soon gave

him a position of trust. Now it came to pass that the king went

hunting and became separated from his retinue, young Dighavu alone

remaining with him. And the king worn out from the hunt laid his

head in the lap of young Dighavu and slept.

  "Dighavu thought: 'People will forgive great wrongs which they

have suffered, but they will never be at ease about the wrong which

they themselves have done. They will persecute their victims to the

bitter end. This King Brahmadatta has done us great injury; he

robbed us of our kingdom and slew my father and my mother. He is now

in my power. Thinking thus he unsheathed his sword. Then Dighavu

thought of the last words of his father. 'Be not far-sighted, be not

near-sighted. For not by hatred is hatred appeased. Hatred is appeased

by not-hatred alone.-Thinking thus, he put his sword back into the

sheath.

  "The king became restless in his sleep and he awoke, and when the

youth asked, 'Why art thou frightened, O king?' he replied: 'My

sleep is always restless because I often dream that young Dighavu is

coming upon me with his sword. While I lay here with my head in thy

lap I dreamed the dreadful dream again; and I awoke full of terror and

alarm.' Then the youth, laying his left hand upon the defenseless

king's head and with his right hand drawing his sword, said: 'I am

Dighavu, the son of King Dighiti, whom thou hast robbed of his kingdom

and slain together with his queen, my mother. I know that men overcome

the hatred entertained for wrongs which they have suffered much more

easily than for the wrongs which they have done, and so I cannot

expect that thou wilt take pity on me; but now a chance for revenge

has come to me.

  "The king seeing that he was at the mercy of young Dighavu raised

his hands and said: 'Grant me my life, my dear Dighavu, grant me my

life. I shall be forever grateful to thee.' And Dighavu said without

bitterness or ill-will: 'How can I grant thee thy life, O king,

since my life is endangered by thee? I do not mean to take thy life.

It is thou, O king, who must grant me my life."

  "And the king said: 'Well, my dear Dighavu, then grant me my life,

and I will grant thee thine.' Thus, King Brahmadatta of Kasi and young

Dighavu granted each other's life and took each other's hand and swore

an oath not to do any harm to each other.

  "Then King Brahmadatta of Kasi said to young Dighavu: 'Why did thy

father say to thee in the hour of his death: "Be not far-sighted, be

not near-sighted, for hatred is not appeased by hatred. Hatred is

appeased by not-hatred alone,"-what did thy father mean by that?'

  "The youth replied: 'When my father, O king, in the hour of his

death said: 'Be not far-sighted," he meant, Let 'Be not hatred go far.

And when my father said near-sighted," he meant, be not hasty to

fall out with thy friends. And when he said For not by hatred is

hatred appeased; hatred is appeased by not-hatred, he meant this: Thou

hast killed my father and mother, O king, and if I should deprive thee

of thy life, then thy partisans in turn would take away my life; my

partisans again would deprive thine of their lives. Thus by hatred,

hatred would not be appeased. But now, O king, thou hast granted me my

life, and I have granted thee thine; thus by not-hatred hatred has

been appeased.'

  "Then King Brahmadatta of Kasi thought: 'How wise is young Dighavu

that he understands in its full extent the meaning of what his

father spoke concisely.' And the king gave him back his father's

kingdom and gave him his daughter in marriage."

  Having finished the story, the Blessed One said: "Brethren, ye are

my lawful sons in the faith, begotten by the words of my mouth.

Children ought not to trample under foot the counsel given them by

their father; do ye henceforth follow my admonitions. Then the

bhikkhus met in conference; they discussed their differences in mutual

good will, and the concord of the Sangha was re-established.