At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the monks from the group of six did legal procedures—censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, and ejection—against monks who were absent. The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the monks from the group of six do this?” They told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha of monks gathered and questioned them: “Is it true, monks, that the monks from the group of six are doing this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them, “It’s not suitable for those foolish men, it’s not proper, it’s not worthy of a monastic, it’s not allowable, it’s not to be done. How can they do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” After rebuking them … the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “You shouldn’t do legal procedures—censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, or ejection—against monks who are absent. If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct. An individual who speaks contrary to the Teaching; several people who speak contrary to the Teaching; a sangha that speaks contrary to the Teaching. An individual who speaks in accordance with the Teaching; several people who speak in accordance with the Teaching; a sangha that speaks in accordance with the Teaching.”

The group of nine on the dark side “An individual who speaks contrary to the Teaching persuades an individual who speaks in accordance with the Teaching—convinces him, makes him see, makes him consider, shows him, teaches him: ‘This is the Teaching, this is the Monastic Law, this is the Teacher’s instruction; learn this, accept this.’ If a legal issue is resolved like this, it’s resolved illegitimately by a face-to-face-like resolution. An individual who speaks contrary to the Teaching persuades several people who speak in accordance with the Teaching—convinces them, makes them see, makes them consider, shows them, teaches them: ‘This is the Teaching, this is the Monastic Law, this is the Teacher’s instruction; learn this, accept this.’ If a legal issue is resolved like this, it’s resolved illegitimately by a face-to-face-like resolution. An individual who speaks contrary to the Teaching persuades a sangha that speaks in accordance with the Teaching—convinces it, makes it see, makes it consider, shows it, teaches it: ‘This is the Teaching, this is the Monastic Law, this is the Teacher’s instruction; learn this, accept this.’ If a legal issue is resolved like this, it’s resolved illegitimately by a face-to-face-like resolution. Several people who speak contrary to the Teaching persuade an individual who speaks in accordance with the Teaching—convince him, make him see, make him consider, show him, teach him: ‘This is the Teaching, this is the Monastic Law, this is the Teacher’s instruction; learn this, accept this.’ If a legal issue is resolved like this, it’s resolved illegitimately by a face-to-face-like resolution.