1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion two bhikkhus had a quarrel and one bhikkhu had transgressed against the other. Then the former bhikkhu confessed his transgression to the other bhikkhu, but the latter would not pardon him. [n.666] According to monastic discipline (Khandaka 1), if one bhikkhu offends against another he should apologize, and the latter should accept his apology.

Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported to him what had happened.

2The Blessed One said:"Bhikkhus, there are two kinds of fools: one who does not see a transgression as a transgression; and one who, when another is confessing a transgression, does not pardon him in accordance with the Dhamma. These are the two kinds of fools.

"There are, bhikkhus, two kinds of wise people: one who sees a transgression as a transgression; and one who, when another is confessing a transgression, pardons him in accordance with the Dhamma. These are the two kinds of wise people.

3"Once in the past, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, instructing the Tāvatiṁsa devas in the Sudhamma assembly hall, on that occasion recited this verse: sn.i.240

4v.944 "‘Bring anger under your control;
Do not let your friendships decay.
Do not blame one who is blameless;
Do not utter divisive speech.
Like a mountain avalanche
Anger crushes evil people.’" [n.667] Spk offers alternative explanations of pāda b: ma ca mittehi vo jara. "Here, hi is a mere indeclinable, and the sense is: ‘Do not let decay be produced in your friendliness (tumhakaṁ mittadhamme jara nama ma nibbatti).’ Or else mittehi is an instrumental used with a locative sense, that is: ‘Do not let decay be produced among your friends (mittesu vo jara ma nibbatti).’ The meaning is: ‘Do not let deterioration be produced in your friendships.’" It is likely that mittehi here is a vestigial Eastern form of the locative plural; see Geiger, Pali Grammar, §80.3.

1Sāvatthiyaṁ … pe … ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena dve bhikkhū sampayojesuṁ. Tatreko bhikkhu accasarā. Atha kho so bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno santike accayaṁ accayato deseti; so bhikkhu nappaṭiggaṇhāti. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "idha, bhante, dve bhikkhū sampayojesuṁ, tatreko bhikkhu accasarā. Atha kho so, bhante, bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno santike accayaṁ accayato deseti, so bhikkhu nappaṭiggaṇhātī"ti.

2"Dveme, bhikkhave, bālā. Yo ca accayaṁ accayato na passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāti – ime kho, bhikkhave, dve bālā.

Dveme, bhikkhave, paṇḍitā. Yo ca accayaṁ accayato passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ paṭiggaṇhāti – ime kho, bhikkhave, dve paṇḍitā.

3Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sudhammāyaṁ sabhāyaṁ deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

4‘Kodho vo vasamāyātu,
Mā ca mittehi vo jarā;
Agarahiyaṁ mā garahittha,
Mā ca bhāsittha pesuṇaṁ;
Atha pāpajanaṁ kodho,
Pabbatovābhimaddatī’"ti.