Reconciliation of Schismatic Monks

The 500 monks who had left for Mount Gayashirsha to join Devadatta were all recently ordained. They had not yet had a chance to fully hear and reflect on the Buddha’s actual teachings for themselves so they took Devadatta’s derivative and self-serving teachings as the genuine article. They apparently were also lacking in discernment and self-confidence, qualities that would have enabled them to question what they were being told and to seek out alternative points of view in order to have a sold basis for comparison. The Buddha and his disciples were aware of this and out of compassion decided to do what they could to enable Devadatta’s followers to make a more informed choice.

Shariputra and Maudgalyayana went to the Blessed One. They told him: “Lord, Devadatta has created a schism in the Sangha and has set out for Gayashirsha with five hundred monks.”

“Do you not both feel pity for those new monks, Shariputra? Go, before they come to ruin.”

“Even so, Lord,” they replied. And they left for Gayashirsha. After they had gone, a monk stood not far from the Blessed One, weeping. The Blessed One asked him: “Why are you weeping, monk?”

“Lord, when the Blessed One’s chief disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, have gone to Devadatta, they will go over to his teaching too.”

“It is impossible, monk, it cannot happen, that Shariputra and Maudgalyayana should go over to Devadatta’s teaching. On the contrary, they will convert the monks who have gone over.”

Devadatta was sitting teaching the Dharma surrounded by a large assembly. He saw the venerable Shariputra and the venerable Maugalyayana coming in the distance. He told the monk: “See, monks, the Dharma is well proclaimed by me. Even the monk Gautama’s chief disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, come to me and come over to my teaching.”

When this was said, Kokalika warned Devadatta: “Friend Devadatta, do not trust them. They are in the grip of evil wishes.”

“Enough, friend; they are welcome since they have come over to my teaching.” (Ibid, p. 268)

The Buddha’s way of handling the schism is very instructive. He did not mount a public campaign against Devadatta or his followers or label them as evil or condemned to hell (though admittedly he did warn Devadatta of this before the schism took place), he did not appeal to King Bimbisara to have them forcefully suppressed, he did not request that the laity refuse alms to them, he did not send his followers over to harangue or physically harass Devadatta or his followers, he did not resort to any kind of physical or psychological violence or coercion the way many religious leaders even today feel justified in doing to those who disagree with them. Instead, he simply sent his two best teachers over to the rival group to dialogue with them in a friendly manner about the teachings. Furthermore, the Buddha was confident that those who had a thorough knowledge and personal realization of Buddha Dharma were immune to the wiles of Devadatta and people like him. There was no need to fear for them or to protect them from confusion or bad influences. Instead, the Buddha was confident in his disciples, confident that they were themselves good teachers who could have a good influence on others simply by being themselves and presenting the Dharma in a straightforward, calm, and confident manner.

Devadatta and Kokalika, on the other hand, demonstrate the qualities of arrogance on the one hand and a defensive paranoia on the other. Neither of them is concerned with the Dharma itself. Devadatta is convinced that he has won over even the Buddha’s chief disciples. He does not even question them as to their reason for coming but triumphantly assumes that they have come to support him. Kokalika is a little wiser, but he assumes that Shariputra and Maugalyayana have come to undermine their movement for the sake of sectarian rivalry. He cannot imagine that their real motivation is to share the Buddha Dharma with those who have not yet heard it clearly, and then to allow those who hear it to make up their own minds. Devadatta and Kokalika were not concerned with teaching the genuine Dharma so much as they were concerned with building up their own movement and jealously guarding their own following. Their concern was primarily with what will serve or threaten their own personal following. Their personal ambition blinded them to the true purpose of the Sangha. The Sangha was not intended to be a personality cult centered on the Buddha. The Sangha was meant to facilitate the sharing of the Dharma, so that each member could realize it for him or herself with the support and encouragement of their fellow practitioners.

Devadatta then offered the venerable Shariputra one half of his seat: “Come, friend Shariputra, sit here.”

“Enough, friend,” the venerable Shariputra replied, and taking a seat, he sat down at one side. The venerable Maudgalyayana did likewise. Now when Devadatta had instructed, urged, roused and encouraged the monks with talk on the Dharma for much of the night, he said to the venerable Shariputra: “Friend Shariputra, the Sangha of monks is still free from fatigue and drowsiness. Perhaps a talk on the Dharma may occur to you. My back is paining me, so I will rest it.”

“Even so, friend,” the venerable Shariputra replied. Then Devadatta laid out his cloak of patches folded in four, and he lay down on his right side in the lion’s sleeping pose, one foot overlapping the other. But he was tired, and he dropped off to sleep for a while, forgetful and not fully aware. (Ibid, pp. 268-269)

By asking Shariputra to teach while he himself took a rest, Devadatta was imitating the Buddha who had done the same in his later years. Unlike the Buddha, Devadatta falls asleep “forgetful and not fully aware” whereas when the Buddha takes the lion’s sleeping pose it is said that he rested “mindful and fully aware.” This is Devadatta’s undoing. While he sleeps, Shariputra takes the opportunity to teach the Dharma as he has learned it from the Buddha.

Then the venerable Shariputra advised and admonished the monks with talk on the Dharma using the marvel of reading minds, and the venerable Maudgalyayana advised and admonished them with talk on the Dharma using the marvel of supernormal power, till the spotless, immaculate vision of the Dharma arose in them: All that is subject to arising is subject to cessation.

Thereupon the venerable Shariputra addressed the monks: “Monks, we are going back to the Blessed One. Whoever upholds the Blessed One’s Dharma let him come with us.” And so the venerable Shariputra and the venerable Maudgalyayana took the five hundred monks with them back to the Bamboo Grove. (Ibid, p. 269)

Unlike Devadatta, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana fully understood the Dharma and attained personal realization and liberation. Based on their personal experience they were able to convey that realization to the monks so that they were able to get a real sense of it as well. If one does not care to take literally the references to “mind reading” and “supernormal powers,” it might be imagined that Shariputra had an intuitive sense of the feelings, thoughts, and aspirations of the monks, while Maudgalyayana was able to appeal to their hearts and imaginations through appropriate metaphors and similes.

In having a “vision of the Dharma” the monks who heard the teaching of Shariputra and Maudgalyayana became stream-enterers. They were now truly on the path of the Dharma. There is no indication that the Dharma talk that Shariputra and Maudgalyayana gave had anything to do with which Sangha to be part of. They simply taught the Dharma to those willing to hear it, even those in a rival camp.  Afterwards, they simply informed the monks that they were returning to the Buddha’s Sangha and any who wished could join them. They did not argue, cajole, threaten, or harangue them. In the end, all five hundred returned with them because those five hundred were given the chance to judge for themselves which teaching and practice was genuine. As for Devadatta, his reaction to this turn of events was as follows:

Kokalika roused Devadatta: “Friend Devadatta, get up! The monks have been led away by Shariputra and Maudgalyayana! Did I not tell you not to trust them because they have evil wishes and are in the grip of evil wishes?” And then and there hot blood gushed from Devadatta’s mouth. (Ibid, p. 269)

Shariputra and Maudgalyayana reported back to the Buddha to discuss the situation with him. Shariputra suggested that the monks be re-ordained, but the Buddha told him that is unnecessary, the monks only needed to confess to a serious transgression. He then took the opportunity to illustrate in what ways Devadatta was bringing about his own downfall by trying to imitate the Buddha when he was not qualified to do so.

Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Once, monks, there were some elephants living near a big pond in a forest. They would go into the pond and pull up lotus stalks with their trunks; and when they had washed them quite clean, the would chew them up and swallow them free from mud. That was good for both their looks and their health, and they incurred no death or deadly suffering because of that. But some young calves, uninstructed by those elephants, went into the pond and pulled up lotus stalks with their trunks; but instead of washing them quite clean, they chewed them up and swallowed them along with mud. That was not good for either their looks or their health, and they incurred death and deadly suffering because of that. So too, monks, Devadatta will die miserably through imitating me.”

“Through aping me he will die wretchedly

Just like the calf that eats the mud as well

When copying the tusker eating lotus,

Watchful in the river, shaking off soil.

(Ibid, pp. 269-270)

The Buddha then instructed them regarding eight qualities that a monastic needs in order to be entrusted with the kind of teaching mission that the Buddha had entrusted Shariputra and Maudgalyayana with.

“Monks, a monk is fit to go on a mission when he has eight qualities. What are the eight? Here a monk is one who listens, who gets others to listen, who learns, who remembers, who recognizes, who gets others to recognize, who is skilled in the consistent and the inconsistent, and who does not make trouble. A monk is fit to go on a mission when he has these eight qualities. Now Shariputra has these eight qualities; consequently he is fit to go on a mission.”

He does not falter when he comes

Before a high assembly;

He does not lose his thread of speech,

Or cover up his message.

Unhesitatingly, he speaks out;

No questioning can ruffle him –

A monk such as this is fit

To go upon a mission.

(Ibid, p. 270)

By contrast, the Buddha speaks of first eight and then three evil things that had overcome Devadatta and warns the monks to overcome such things within themselves:

“Monks, Devadatta is overcome and his mind is obsessed by eight evil things, for which he will inevitably go to the states of privation, to hell, for the duration of the age. What are the eight? They are gain, lack of gain, fame, lack of fame, honor, lack of honor, evil wishes, and evil friends. Devadatta will go to the states of privation, to hell, for the duration of the age because he is overcome and his mind is obsessed by these eight things.

“Monks, it is good to constantly overcome each and all of these eight things as they arise. And with what benefit in view does a monk do so? While taints and fever of defilement might arise in him who did not constantly overcome each and all of these things as they arise, there are no taints and fever of defilement in him who constantly overcomes each and all of these things as they arise. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus: ‘We shall constantly overcome each and all of these things as they arise.’

“Devadatta is overcome and his mind is obsessed by three evil things, for which he will inevitably go to the states of privation, to hell, for the duration of the age. What are the three? They are evil wishes, evil friends, and stopping halfway with the attainment of the mere earthly distinction of supernormal powers.” (Ibid, pp. 270-271)