The Remaining Water and the Earth-Shaking Dispute

From a leftover basin of bathwater, two monks and the entire Sangha fell into fierce argumentation. This conflict caused the Buddha to leave in silence, led laypeople to withhold their support, and etched a profound lesson on impermanence (anicca) into history.

That afternoon, at the monastery in Gosita, golden sunlight faded gently through the leaves of the bodhi trees. A dharma teacher had just finished bathing. His body was still wet as he stepped out of the bathhouse. He was in a hurry because he needed to prepare his lecture for his disciples. He turned briefly to glance at the clay basin. The water had been mostly poured out, leaving only a small amount at the bottom. He thought, “This little bit of water can be used to water plants tomorrow,” and left without turning the basin upside down.

But only a few minutes later, a Vinaya master entered. He was an expert in monastic discipline, famous for his strictness. His eyes swept around the room and stopped at the upturned basin, where light reflected off the remaining water. He frowned slightly. To a Vinaya master, failing to empty the water completely or turn the basin over after bathing was a breach of etiquette and a lack of responsibility toward those who came after. He went outside and called to the dharma teacher, who was standing on the porch.

“Venerable sir, did you just finish bathing?”

“Yes.”

“Did you leave the basin upside down with some water remaining?”

“Yes. I left it that way with some water inside.”

“Do you know this is a fault?”

“Yes, I know it is a fault. But I did not realize it was a fault because the rules are so subtle. Now that I know it is a fault, I wish to perform repentance.”

The dharma teacher spoke very humbly. The Vinaya master nodded. “It is fine. If you have acknowledged the fault, consider it cleansed.” The two greeted each other and returned to their respective duties. It seemed the matter was settled.

However, when the Vinaya master went outside and met his disciples—several hundred monks sitting under the trees—he made a casual remark, light as a breeze. “That dharma teacher finished bathing but did not clean up. There was water left in the basin, yet he did not know it was a fault. Ignorance of a fault is itself a violation.”

That was all. But once words leave the mouth, they no longer belong to the speaker. They traveled from one ear to another, passing through many mouths, becoming distorted and inflated. The phrase “ignorance of a fault is itself a violation” was misunderstood by the Vinaya master’s disciples as: “The dharma teacher committed a fault but refused to admit it.” Rumors spread like fire meeting dry grass. Within a single afternoon, the entire monastery knew: the dharma teacher had made a mistake, was confronted, and then denied it.

When the news reached the dharma teacher, he was stunned. “What? I admitted my fault and performed repentance that day. The Vinaya master is lying!” He told his own disciples, “The Vinaya master is a liar.”

Thus, two factions formed. One side supported the dharma teacher; the other supported the Vinaya master. The entire monastery split in two. Monks who were not disciples of either side also took positions. The arguments grew increasingly intense. Some said, “The dharma teacher is wrong; the Vinaya master is right.” Others said, “The Vinaya master is lying; the dharma teacher is unjustly accused.” Laypeople in the region heard the news and came to join the dispute, dividing themselves into camps. Even in the heavens, devas watched from above. Strangely enough, the devas too divided into two groups: some believed the dharma teacher was right, while others believed the Vinaya master was right.

When monks with supernatural powers reported this to the Buddha, He quietly came to the center of the monastery. The Buddha raised His hand. His voice was gentle yet filled with authority.

“Monks, please be harmonious. Please unite. Stop arguing.”

But no one listened. They continued to quarrel. The Buddha spoke a second time. They replied, “World-Honored One, You are advanced in age. Please focus on Your own practice. Let us handle this matter. We must determine who is right and who is wrong; we cannot leave it unresolved.”

The Buddha spoke a third time, at greater length. He recounted stories from the past about people who lost their lives or fell into misery due to endless disputes. The monks remained unmoved. “World-Honored One, You are old and frail. Please enter meditative concentration and let us resolve this.”

The Buddha shook His head. He held no coercive power and could not punish anyone. He could only offer advice. When His advice was rejected, He did something unexpected. One day, after returning from alms round, He did not go back to the monastery. He left alone.

The Buddha visited the elder Pagu, then entered the Grove of the Horned Deer. There, He met three venerables: Kimila, Anuruda, and Nandiya. These three Arhats lived together in perfect harmony, blending like water and milk. The Buddha asked, “How do you live together?” They replied, “World-Honored One, we take responsibility voluntarily without waiting for reminders. Whoever wakes first handles the cleaning. We share our alms food equally. After eating, we save portions for our brothers. We live according to the spirit of brotherhood, not according to personal preference.” The Buddha praised them and gave a prophecy: “From now until forever, whoever hears the names of these three will receive great blessings. In families experiencing discord, recite the names of these three.”

Then, the Buddha entered the pristine forest of Parileyyaka and stayed there alone. A king elephant, possessing superior intuition, recognized the Holy One. He approached, bowed, and served the Buddha for three months. He fanned Him cool, cleaned the stream for bathing, and picked ripe fruits to make offerings. A monkey tried to imitate the elephant. However, overcome with joy, it jumped and danced, accidentally breaking a branch. It fell onto a sharp stake and died instantly, being reborn in a heavenly realm.

Meanwhile, at the Gosita monastery, the laypeople discovered that the Buddha had left. They asked why. Upon learning the cause, they became angry. “You promised to ordain following the World-Honored One, yet you would not listen to even one word of His teaching. You are no longer worthy of receiving our offerings.” They imposed a boycott. No one brought any offerings. During the three-month Rains Retreat, the monks suffered hunger. Inside the monastery, no one dared to go out due to the strict rules of the retreat, and no one brought food in. They starved, nearly dying. At that moment, facing imminent death, all arguments about right and wrong vanished. Only one fear remained: hunger.

They felt remorse. They apologized to one another. They reconciled. But they had to wait until the end of the retreat before they could seek out the Buddha. When Venerable Ananda led the group into the forest, the king elephant initially reacted aggressively. But the Buddha said, “These are My disciples,” and the elephant calmed down. The monks knelt and performed repentance. The Buddha said, “Only because you did not reflect that everyone must die did you argue endlessly. If you truly understood that impermanence (anicca) is approaching, who would want to compete for victory or defeat?”

The Buddha bid farewell to the elephant. He said, “This is the last time I meet you. In this life, bearing the form of an animal, you cannot attain meditative concentration or saintly fruit. But your mind of reverence will lead you to a heavenly realm.” The elephant knelt and touched its trunk to the ground in homage. As the Buddha disappeared from sight, the elephant stood watching, its heart broken. It died on the spot and was reborn in heaven.

The group of monks traveled to the kingdom of King Pasenadi. Hearing the news, the King mobilized his army to block their entry. But upon meeting the Buddha, the King dismounted his elephant and knelt. “World-Honored One, are these the monks who argued? I wish to forbid them from entering my territory.” The Buddha replied, “Great King, they have acknowledged their faults, repented, and reconciled. Please do not forbid them.” The King withdrew his order. From then on, the lessons of impermanence (anicca) and harmony were deeply engraved in the Sangha.

The Meaning of the Story

This story reminds us that all disputes and competitions stem from forgetting the truth of impermanence (anicca): everyone must die. If we clearly recognize this, we will no longer desire to claim correctness or superiority. Instead, we will learn to live in harmony, remain silent regarding the faults of others, and humbly perform repentance for our own mistakes. Selfless (non-self or anatta) harmony is the foundation for all blessings from merit and true peace.

Compiled from the dharma talk by Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang