3.2. The Six Roots of Dispute

[Full title: Reflection of Mind on Language Behaviours (2): The Six Roots of Dispute]

In the Five Nikāyas, we sometimes find out some cases in which a group or several bhikkhus did not satisfy and delight in the Buddha’s teaching. Even while the Buddha was being present some disputes still had broken out among the bhikkhus. This situation is specially found in the Sutta Kosambiya ‘The Kosambians’ (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 48). The first cause of the quarrel came from a misunderstanding of a minor disciplinary rule and quickly flared up to become a rowdy dispute and brawl between Kosambians. It is for this situation that is the origination of the six memorable qualities (sārāṇīyā dhammā). In these six memorable qualities there is a quality for verbal acts in which the Buddha advises bhikkhus to maintain verbal acts of lovingkindness both in public and in private towards their companions in the holy life (see Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 48.6).

Furthermore, the Buddha in Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 104 also points out six roots of disputes as follows:

1. Angry and revengeful,
2. Contemptuous and domineering,
3. Envious and avaricious,
4. Deceitful and fraudulent,
5. One who has evil wishes and wrong view,
6. One adheres to his own view, holds on to them tenaciously, and relinquishes them with difficulty.

Whenever any of these six evil roots either underlies or arises in a one’s mind, he would behave disrespectful and undeferential towards others. He would create disputes in any place where he is being and such dispute would bring the harm, loss, suffering, unhappiness to himself and people around him.

If six evil roots either underlies or arises in a bhikkhu’s mind, he would dwell disrespectful and undeferential towards the Teacher, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He would therefore not fulfil the training and create a dispute in the Saṅgha which would bring the loss and unhappiness to himself and the people around him. So, when any such root of dispute arises either in a bhikkhu himself or others, he is advised striving to abandon it. If he however does not see any such root of dispute arises either on him or others, he is advised to practise in such a way that the same evil root of dispute does not erupt in the future. Such a bhikkhu is called one who has abandoned the six roots of dispute, and made them not erupt in the future (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number104.7-11).