When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “Wait, sir! Let the Buddha, the Lord of the Dhamma, remain passive, dwelling in blissful meditation in this life. We will be known for this fighting, quarreling, arguing, and disputing.” For a second time … and a third time the Buddha said to those mendicants, “Enough, mendicants! Stop fighting, quarreling, and disputing.” For a third time, that mendicant said to the Buddha, “Wait, sir! Let the Buddha, the Lord of the Dhamma, remain passive, dwelling in blissful meditation in this life. We will be known for this fighting, quarreling, arguing, and disputing.”

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kosambī for alms. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he set his lodgings in order. Taking his bowl and robe, he recited these verses while standing right there:

“Many voices shout at once, yet no one thinks that they’re the fool. Even as the Saṅgha splits, they think no better of the other. Dolts pretending to be astute, they talk, their words out of bounds. They blab at will, their mouths agape, and not one knows what leads them on. ‘They abused me, they hit me! They beat me, they robbed me!’ For those bearing such a grudge, hatred is never laid to rest.