6.
Discourse on Exhortation
149.
At Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove.
Then the Venerable Mahākassapa approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
To the Venerable Mahākassapa seated to one side, the Blessed One said this:
"Exhort the monks, Kassapa;
give a talk on the Teaching to the monks, Kassapa.
Either I, Kassapa, should exhort the monks or you;
either I should give a talk on the Teaching to the monks or you."
"Venerable sir, the monks nowadays are difficult to admonish, endowed with qualities that make them difficult to admonish, impatient, not receiving instruction respectfully. Here I, venerable sir, saw the monk named Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda's co-resident, and the monk named Abhijika, Anuruddha's co-resident, challenging each other with their learning - 'Come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?'"
Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk - "Come, monk, in my name address the monk Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda's co-resident, and the monk Abhijika, Anuruddha's co-resident - 'The Teacher calls the venerable ones.'" "Yes, venerable sir," that monk replied to the Blessed One and approached those monks; having approached, he said this to those monks - "The Teacher calls the venerable ones."
"Yes, friend," those monks replied to that monk and approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To those monks seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Is it true, monks, that you challenge each other with your learning - 'Come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?'" "Yes, venerable sir." "Do you, monks, understand the Teaching expounded by me thus - 'Come, monks, challenge each other with your learning - come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?'" "No, Venerable Sir." "If indeed you, monks, do not understand the Teaching expounded by me thus, then why now, foolish men, knowing what, seeing what, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Teaching and discipline, do you challenge each other with your learning - 'Come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?'"
Then those monks, having fallen at the Blessed One's feet with their heads, said this to the Blessed One: "A transgression overcame us, venerable sir, as ones who were foolish, as ones who were confused, as ones who were unwholesome, in that we, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Teaching and discipline, challenged each other with our learning - 'Come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?' May the Blessed One accept our transgression as a transgression for the sake of restraint in the future."
"Truly, monks, a transgression overcame you as ones who were foolish, as ones who were confused, as ones who were unwholesome, in that you, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Teaching and discipline, challenged each other with your learning - 'Come, monk, who will speak more, who will speak more beautifully, who will speak longer?' But since you, monks, having seen the transgression as a transgression, make amends according to the Teaching, we accept it from you. For this is growth, monks, in the Noble One's discipline: whoever, having seen a transgression as a transgression, makes amends according to the Teaching, and commits to restraint in the future." The sixth.