sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.76

Kusinārasutta

At Kusinārā

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ viharati upavattane mallānaṁ sālavane antarena yamakasālānaṁ parinibbānasamaye.
At one time the Buddha was staying between a pair of sal trees in the sal forest of the Mallas at Upavattana near Kusinārā at the time of his final extinguishment.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā, pucchatha, bhikkhave, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha:
“Perhaps even a single mendicant has doubt or uncertainty regarding the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the path, or the practice. So ask, mendicants! Don’t regret it later, thinking:

‘sammukhībhūto no satthā ahosi, nāsakkhimha bhagavantaṁ sammukhā paṭipucchitun’”ti.
‘We were in the Teacher’s presence and we weren’t able to ask the Buddha a question.’”

Evaṁ vutte, te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
When this was said, the mendicants kept silent.

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
For a second time the Buddha addressed the mendicants: …

“siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā, pucchatha, bhikkhave, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha:

‘sammukhībhūto no satthā ahosi, nāsakkhimha bhagavantaṁ sammukhā paṭipucchitun’”ti.

Dutiyampi kho te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
For a second time, the mendicants kept silent.

Tatiyampi kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
For a third time the Buddha addressed the mendicants: …

“siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā, pucchatha, bhikkhave, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha:

‘sammukhībhūto no satthā ahosi, nāsakkhimha bhagavantaṁ sammukhā paṭipucchitun’”ti.

Tatiyampi kho te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
For a third time, the mendicants kept silent.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants:

“siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, satthugāravenapi na puccheyyātha, sahāyakopi, bhikkhave, sahāyakassa ārocetū”ti.
“Mendicants, perhaps you don’t ask out of respect for the Teacher. So let a friend tell a friend.”

Evaṁ vutte, te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
When this was said, the mendicants kept silent.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha:

“acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.
“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing!

Evaṁ pasanno ahaṁ, bhante. Natthi imasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā”ti.
I am quite confident that there’s not even a single mendicant in this Saṅgha who has doubt or uncertainty regarding the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the path, or the practice.”

“Pasādā kho tvaṁ, ānanda, vadesi. Ñāṇameva hettha, ānanda, tathāgatassa: ‘natthi imasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā’.
“Ānanda, you speak from faith. But the Realized One knows that there’s not even a single mendicant in this Saṅgha who has doubt or uncertainty regarding the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the path, or the practice.

Imesañhi, ānanda, pañcannaṁ bhikkhusatānaṁ yo pacchimako bhikkhu so sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.
Even the last of these five hundred mendicants is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.