The Buddha answers step-by-step to a series of questions starting with the source of quarrels and disputes, followed by the arising of various things such as hopes, aims, desires, possessions; leading all the way to the description of the ultimate purity of the spirit.

SNP 4.11  Kalahavivāda sutta - Quarrels and Disputes

“Kutopahūtā kalahā vivādā,
Paridevasokā sahamaccharā ca;
Mānātimānā sahapesuṇā ca,
Kutopahūtā te tadiṅgha brūhi”.

“From where do quarrels and |disputes::arguments, contentions [vivādā]| arise,
|lamentation::wailing, crying [parideva]|, |sorrow::grief, sadness [soka]|, and |mutual envy::mutual jealousy [sahamacchara]|?
|Conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]| and |arrogance::egotism, haughtiness, pride [atimāna]|, with |mutual slander::back-biting each other [sahapesuṇa]|—
pray tell me, from where have these arisen?”

“Piyappahūtā kalahā vivādā,
Paridevasokā sahamaccharā ca;
Mānātimānā sahapesuṇā ca,
Maccherayuttā kalahā vivādā;
Vivādajātesu ca pesuṇāni”.

“Quarrels and disputes |arise from what is pleasing::(are) born from what is dear [piyappahūta]|,
as do lamentation, sorrow, and mutual envy,
conceit and arrogance along with mutual slander;
Quarrels and disputes are tied up with |selfishness::meanness, stinginess, tight-fistedness [macchera]|,
and when disputes arise, |divisive talk::back-biting, denigration, slander [pesuṇa]| follows.”

“Piyā su lokasmiṁ kutonidānā,
Ye cāpi lobhā vicaranti loke;
Āsā ca niṭṭhā ca kutonidānā,
Ye samparāyāya narassa honti”.

“From what do pleasing things in the world arise,
and states of |greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]| that wander in the world?
From what do |hopes::wishes, desires, longings, expectations [āsā]| and |aims::goals, conclusions [niṭṭhā]| arise—
which a person holds concerning the |future::destiny, next life [samparāya]|?”

“Chandānidānāni piyāni loke,
Ye cāpi lobhā vicaranti loke;
Āsā ca niṭṭhā ca itonidānā,
Ye samparāyāya narassa honti”.

“Pleasing things in the world arise from |desire::intention, wish, impulse, interest [chanda]|,
as do states of greed that wander in the world;
Hopes and aims likewise arise from this—
which a person holds concerning the future.”

“Chando nu lokasmiṁ kutonidāno,
Vinicchayā cāpi kutopahūtā;
Kodho mosavajjañca kathaṅkathā ca,
Ye vāpi dhammā samaṇena vuttā”.

“From what in the world does desire arise,
and from what do |judgments::assessments, evaluations, opinions [vinicchayā]| too arise;
|Anger::rage, wrath, fury, indignation [kodha]|, |false speech::lie, untruth [mosavajja]|, and |doubt::confusion, perplexity [kathaṅkathā]|,
and those [other] things the |ascetic::recluse, holy man, epithet of the Buddha [samaṇa]| has stated?”

“Sātaṁ asātanti yamāhu loke,
Tamūpanissāya pahoti chando;
Rūpesu disvā vibhavaṁ bhavañca,
Vinicchayaṁ kubbati jantu loke.

“When people in the world say, ‘this is |pleasant::agreeable, appealing [sāta]|, this is |unpleasant::disagreeable, unappealing [asāta]|,’
desire arises depending on that;
Having seen the |decline::loss, regress [vibhava]| and coming-to-be of |forms::visible objects such as beautiful sights, faces, expressions, art, ornaments, possessions, status symbols, admired appearances, enticing scenery, or objects of desire and attachment [rūpe]|,
a person forms judgment in the world.

Kodho mosavajjañca kathaṅkathā ca,
Etepi dhammā dvayameva sante;
Kathaṅkathī ñāṇapathāya sikkhe,
Ñatvā pavuttā samaṇena dhammā”.

Anger, false speech, and doubt,
these things, too, arise when that |duality::a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different, dichotomy. Here, this is referring to: when people in the world say, ‘this is pleasant, this is unpleasant’ [dvaya]| exists;
One doubtful should train on the path of |insight::understanding, knowing [ñāṇa]|,
having known, the ascetic has stated these things.”

“Sātaṁ asātañca kutonidānā,
Kismiṁ asante na bhavanti hete;
Vibhavaṁ bhavañcāpi yametamatthaṁ,
Etaṁ me pabrūhi yatonidānaṁ”.

“From what does the pleasant and unpleasant arise,
when what does not exist, do these not come to be?
As to this matter of decline and coming-to-be,
tell me from what it originates.”

“Phassanidānaṁ sātaṁ asātaṁ,
Phasse asante na bhavanti hete;
Vibhavaṁ bhavañcāpi yametamatthaṁ,
Etaṁ te pabrūmi itonidānaṁ”.

“The pleasant and unpleasant arise from |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]|,
when contact does not exist, they do not come to be;
As to this matter of decline and coming-to-be,
I tell you that it originates from this.”

“Phasso nu lokasmi kutonidāno,
Pariggahā cāpi kutopahūtā;
Kismiṁ asante na mamattamatthi,
Kismiṁ vibhūte na phusanti phassā”.

“From what in the world does contact arise,
from what do |possessions::attachments, grasping, worldly belongings [pariggaha]| too arise?
When what does not exist is there no |taking as ‘mine’::self-identification, possession [mamatta]|?
When what has |ceased::disappeared, vanished [vibhūta]| do contacts not touch one?”

“Nāmañca rūpañca paṭicca phasso,
Icchānidānāni pariggahāni;
Icchāyasantyā na mamattamatthi,
Rūpe vibhūte na phusanti phassā”.

“Contact arises dependent on |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]|,
Possessions spring from |wishing::desiring, wanting [icchā]|;
When wishing does not exist, there is no taking as ‘mine’;
when form has ceased, contacts do not touch one.”

“Kathaṁ sametassa vibhoti rūpaṁ,
Sukhaṁ dukhañcāpi kathaṁ vibhoti;
Etaṁ me pabrūhi yathā vibhoti,
Taṁ jāniyāmāti me mano ahu”.

“How must one attend that form may cease,
and pleasure and pain likewise come to cease?
Please tell me this, how they come to cease,
for it is my mind’s wish to understand.”

“Na saññasaññī na visaññasaññī,
Nopi asaññī na vibhūtasaññī;
Evaṁ sametassa vibhoti rūpaṁ,
Saññānidānā hi papañcasaṅkhā”.

“Neither |aware of perception::recognizing concepts, percipient of conception [saññasaññī]|, nor |with deluded perception::with distorted conception; (comm) mad [visaññasaññī]|,
not |non-percipient::unaware, unconscious [asaññī]|, nor percipient of what has ceased;
For one who attends thus, form ceases,
for proliferation of concepts are based on perception.”

“Yaṁ taṁ apucchimha akittayī no,
Aññaṁ taṁ pucchāma tadiṅgha brūhi;
Ettāvataggaṁ nu vadanti heke,
Yakkhassa suddhiṁ idha paṇḍitāse;
Udāhu aññampi vadanti etto”.

“You explained to us whatever we asked you,
I ask you once more, please tell me this:
Do some wise men here say that,
this is the ultimate purity of the spirit;
or do they say it is something other than this?”

“Ettāvataggampi vadanti heke,
Yakkhassa suddhiṁ idha paṇḍitāse;
Tesaṁ paneke samayaṁ vadanti,
Anupādisese kusalā vadānā.

“Some wise men here say that,
this is the ultimate purity of the spirit;
But some among them, claiming to be skilled,
speak of a state |with no residual clinging::with no grasping to existence, with no fuel remaining [anupādisesa]|.

Ete ca ñatvā upanissitāti,
Ñatvā munī nissaye so vimaṁsī;
Ñatvā vimutto na vivādameti,
Bhavābhavāya na sameti dhīro”ti.

Having known these to be ‘dependent,’ and,
knowing what they depend on, the sage, |inquiring::investigating, researching [vimaṁsī]|;
Having understood, is freed, and enters no dispute,
the |steadfast::firm, stable, wise [dhīra]| one does not settle upon |any state of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|.”

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Discernment

Discernment

Clear seeing that distinguishes what is wholesome from unwholesome, true from false.

Also known as: ability to make out distinctions, ability to discriminate, distinguish, clear seeing, penetrating internal vision
Pāli: viveka, vipassanā, nipaka, niccheyya
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Free from attachment

Free from attachment

Release from grasping, not taking anything as “me” or “mine,” ceasing to appropriate or identify with people, things, views, or experiences.

Also known as: free from grasping, not appropriating, not taking as mine, without acquisitions, not clinging, not grasping, not holding onto
Pāli: nirūpadhi, nānupādāya, asita, anuggaha
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, vijjā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita
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Anger

Anger

A burning surge of aversion that erupts against people or situations, scorching clarity and kindness. It distorts perception and drives speech and action toward harm.

Also known as: rage, wrath, fury, indignation
Pāli: kodha, kopa
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Argumentativeness

Argumentativeness

Disposition or tendency to argue, disagree or engage in contention, often motivated by conceit or attachment to views. It obstructs harmony and feeds quarrels, rivalry, and feuding.

Also known as: bickering, contentiousness, contrariness, quarrelsomeness, Lead to:{aggressiveness, feuding}
Pāli: kalaha, viggaha, vivāda
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Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Dearness

Dearness

A mental quality of holding something or someone as 'dear' through attachment, which binds the mind with craving and possessiveness. It is the external fixation upon what the mind clings to, often giving rise to envy, quarrels, and sorrow.

Also known as: beloved, cherished, pleasing
Pāli: piya
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Doubt

Doubt

Paralyzing indecision about the path or practice. Doubt obstructs confidence and clarity.

Also known as: confusion, indecisiveness, uncertainty, wavering, perplexity
Pāli: vicikiccha, kaṅkhā, vimati
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Jealousy

Jealousy

A painful mental state that arises when seeing the good fortune or qualities of others. It begrudges what others have and resents their happiness, closing the heart to appreciative joy.

Also known as: covetousness, envy, possessiveness, protective of, unwilling to part with
Pāli: issā
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Lamentation

Lamentation

The verbal and bodily expression of grief—crying, wailing, and mourning—that arises from loss or separation from what is held dear. It gives voice to sorrow and can deepen the mind's entanglement with pain.

Also known as: crying, wailing, mourning
Pāli: parideva
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Self-making

Self-making

Spiritual or worldly striving to “be someone,” the “I must become something” energy

Also known as: an aspiration for identity, drive for status or attainment, craving to be, romanticizing some better self or future state
Pāli: bhavataṇhā, bhavesanā
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Sorrow

Sorrow

Grief or sadness that follows loss or disappointment, dimming the mind’s natural brightness. It clouds clear perception.

Also known as: grief
Pāli: soka, socati
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Wrong speech

Wrong speech

Speech that deceives, divides, wounds, or wastes. It includes lying, slander, harshness, and idle chatter. Such speech distorts truth, breaks trust, and stirs the mind toward harm and discord.

Also known as: false speech, lying, divisive, slanderous or defamatory or malicious speech, abusive or rude or unkind way of speaking, meaningless talk or idle chatter or gossip
Pāli: musāvāda, pisuṇavācā, pharusāvācā, samphappalāpa
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Last updated on December 13, 2025