4.
The Discourse on the Assembly
96.
"There are these three assemblies, monks.
Which three?
The assembly with excellence, the incomplete assembly, the complete assembly.
"And what, monks, is the assembly with excellence? Here, monks, in whatever assembly the elder monks are not luxurious, not lax, having laid down the responsibility for falling away, forerunners in solitude, they arouse energy for the attainment of the unattained, for the achievement of the unachieved, for the realisation of the unrealised, their later generation follows the example of what they have seen. They too are not luxurious, not lax, having laid down the responsibility for falling away, forerunners in solitude, they arouse energy for the attainment of the unattained, for the achievement of the unachieved, for the realisation of the unrealised. This is called, monks, the assembly with excellence.
"And what, monks, is the incomplete assembly? Here, monks, in whatever assembly the monks are quarrelling, disputing, engaging in contention, wounding each other with verbal daggers, they dwell thus, this is called, monks, the incomplete assembly.
"And what, monks, is the complete assembly? Here, monks, in whatever assembly the monks dwell in unity, being joyful, without contention, blended like milk and water, regarding one another with eyes of affection, this is called, monks, the complete assembly.
"At the time, monks, when monks dwell in unity, being joyful, without contention, blended like milk and water, regarding one another with eyes of affection, monks, monks at that time generate much merit. Monks, monks at that time dwell in a supreme dwelling, that is to say, in the liberation of mind through altruistic joy. In one who is gladdened, rapture arises; when the mind is filled with rapture, the body becomes calm; one whose body is calm feels happiness; the mind of one who is happy becomes concentrated.
"Just as, monks, when the sky rains with large drops on the upper mountain, that water flowing according to the slope fills the mountain grottoes, clefts, and channels; the mountain grottoes, clefts, and channels being full, fill the small pools; the small pools being full, fill the large pools; the large pools being full, fill the rivulets; the rivulets being full, fill the great rivers; the great rivers being full, fill the ocean.
"So too, monks, at the time when monks dwell in unity, being joyful, without contention, blended like milk and water, regarding one another with eyes of affection, monks, monks at that time generate much merit. Monks, monks at that time dwell in a supreme dwelling, that is to say, in the liberation of mind through altruistic joy. In one who is gladdened, rapture arises; when the mind is filled with rapture, the body becomes calm; one whose body is calm feels happiness; the mind of one who is happy becomes concentrated. These, monks, are the three assemblies." The fourth.