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Devadatta moved down in their estimation, while the Buddha moved up.
Unsuccessful Devadatta was, however, not to sit quiet. He set his mind to devising more effective plans for the Buddha's annihilation. He came to Kokālika Katamoratissaka and Khanda Deviputra Samudradatta. In order to inspire them to effect the split of the Sangha, he placed before them a proposal for their consideration which was as follows:
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"I intend to request Sramana Gautama to prescribe
five new rules for the monks of his order. These rules are as follows:
(1) The monks should remain throughout life in the forests, and never in the villages (or towns).
(2) The monks should subsist on begging, and should never expect to be invited.
(3) The monks should put on rags; they should not use cloth supplied by the householders.
(4) The monks should live at the foot of the trees.
(5) The monks should not touch fish or meat throughout
their life.
I am sure Sramana Gautama will never accept these rules for his monks, in which case it will be easy for me to turn the people against him and for myself".
With his followers, Devadatta came to the Buddha. He saluted him and placed before him his well-conceived plan for his consideration. The Buddha said in reply.
"Devadatta! These are all right. I have already asked the monks to live in the forests as well as in the villages; to live on begging as well as to accept invitation to receive food; to put on rags as well as clothes provided by the householders; to sit and lie under the shade of the trees; and I have asked the monks to subsist on meat. They have three conditions to fulfil viz., not seen the slaughter, they have
