Kalahavivādasutta

Sutta Nipāta 4.11

Anthology of Discourses 4.11

Kalahavivādasutta

Quarrels and Disputes

“Kutopahūtā kalahā vivādā,

“Where do quarrels and disputes come from?

Paridevasokā sahamaccharā ca;

And lamentation and sorrow, and stinginess?

Mānātimānā sahapesuṇā ca,

What of conceit and arrogance, and slander too—

Kutopahūtā te tadiṅgha brūhi”.

tell me please, where do they come from?”

“Piyappahūtā kalahā vivādā,

“Quarrels and disputes come from what we hold dear,

Paridevasokā sahamaccharā ca;

as do lamentation and sorrow, stinginess,

Mānātimānā sahapesuṇā ca,

conceit and arrogance.

Maccherayuttā kalahā vivādā;

Quarrels and disputes are linked to stinginess,

Vivādajātesu ca pesuṇāni”.

and when disputes have arisen there is slander.”

“Piyā su lokasmiṁ kutonidānā,

“So where do things held dear
in the world spring from?

Ye cāpi lobhā vicaranti loke;

And the lusts that are loose in the world?

Āsā ca niṭṭhā ca kutonidānā,

Where spring the hopes and aims

Ye samparāyāya narassa honti”.

a man has for lives to come?”

“Chandānidānāni piyāni loke,

“What we hold dear in the world spring from desire,

Ye cāpi lobhā vicaranti loke;

as do the lusts that are loose in the world.

Āsā ca niṭṭhā ca itonidānā,

From there spring the hopes and aims

Ye samparāyāya narassa honti”.

a man has for lives to come.”

“Chando nu lokasmiṁ kutonidāno,

“So where does desire in the world spring from?

Vinicchayā cāpi kutopahūtā;

And evaluations, too, where do they come from?

Kodho mosavajjañca kathaṅkathā ca,

And anger, lies, and indecision,

Ye vāpi dhammā samaṇena vuttā”.

and other things spoken of by the Ascetic?”

“Sātaṁ asātanti yamāhu loke,

“What they call pleasure and pain in the world—

Tamūpanissāya pahoti chando;

based on that, desire comes about.

Rūpesu disvā vibhavaṁ bhavañca,

Seeing the manifestation and vanishing of forms,

Vinicchayaṁ kubbati jantu loke.

a personage makes evaluations in the world.

Kodho mosavajjañca kathaṅkathā ca,

Anger, lies, and indecision—

Etepi dhammā dvayameva sante;

these things are, too, when that pair is present.

Kathaṅkathī ñāṇapathāya sikkhe,

One who is indecisive should train
in the path of knowledge;

Ñatvā pavuttā samaṇena dhammā”.

it is from knowledge
that the Ascetic speaks of these things.”

“Sātaṁ asātañca kutonidānā,

“Where do pleasure and pain spring from?

Kismiṁ asante na bhavanti hete;

When what is absent do these things not occur?

Vibhavaṁ bhavañcāpi yametamatthaṁ,

And also, on the topic of
manifesting and vanishing—

Etaṁ me pabrūhi yatonidānaṁ”.

tell me where they spring from.”

“Phassanidānaṁ sātaṁ asātaṁ,

“Pleasure and pain spring from contact;

Phasse asante na bhavanti hete;

when contact is absent they do not occur.

Vibhavaṁ bhavañcāpi yametamatthaṁ,

And on the topic of
manifesting and vanishing—

Etaṁ te pabrūmi itonidānaṁ”.

I tell you they spring from there.”

“Phasso nu lokasmi kutonidāno,

“So where does contact in the world spring from?

Pariggahā cāpi kutopahūtā;

And possessions, too, where do they come from?

Kismiṁ asante na mamattamatthi,

When what is absent is there no possessiveness?

Kismiṁ vibhūte na phusanti phassā”.

When what vanishes do contacts not strike?”

“Nāmañca rūpañca paṭicca phasso,

“Name and form cause contact;

Icchānidānāni pariggahāni;

possessions spring from wishing;

Icchāyasantyā na mamattamatthi,

when wishing is absent there is no possessiveness;

Rūpe vibhūte na phusanti phassā”.

when form vanishes, contacts don’t strike.”

“Kathaṁ sametassa vibhoti rūpaṁ,

“Form vanishes for one proceeding how?

Sukhaṁ dukhañcāpi kathaṁ vibhoti;

And how do happiness and suffering vanish?

Etaṁ me pabrūhi yathā vibhoti,

Tell me how they vanish;

Taṁ jāniyāmāti me mano ahu”.

I think we ought to know these things.”

“Na saññasaññī na visaññasaññī,

“Without normal perception
or distorted perception;

Nopi asaññī na vibhūtasaññī;

not lacking perception,
nor perceiving what has vanished.

Evaṁ sametassa vibhoti rūpaṁ,

Form vanishes for one proceeding thus;

Saññānidānā hi papañcasaṅkhā”.

for judgments due to proliferation
spring from perception.”

“Yaṁ taṁ apucchimha akittayī no,

“Whatever I asked you have explained to me.

Aññaṁ taṁ pucchāma tadiṅgha brūhi;

I ask you once more, please tell me this:

Ettāvataggaṁ nu vadanti heke,

Do some astute folk here say that this
is the highest extent

Yakkhassa suddhiṁ idha paṇḍitāse;

of purity of the spirit?

Udāhu aññampi vadanti etto”.

Or do they say it is something else?”

“Ettāvataggampi vadanti heke,

“Some astute folk do say that this
is the highest extent

Yakkhassa suddhiṁ idha paṇḍitāse;

of purity of the spirit.

Tesaṁ paneke samayaṁ vadanti,

But some of them, claiming to be experts,

Anupādisese kusalā vadānā.

speak of an occasion when there is no residue.

Ete ca ñatvā upanissitāti,

Knowing that these states are dependent,

Ñatvā munī nissaye so vimaṁsī;

and knowing what they depend on,
the inquiring sage,

Ñatvā vimutto na vivādameti,

having understood, is freed, and enters no dispute.

Bhavābhavāya na sameti dhīro”ti.

The attentive do not proceed to life after life.”

Kalahavivādasuttaṁ ekādasamaṁ.