Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.51

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 6.51

5. Dhammikavagga
5. About Dhammika

Ānandasutta

With Ānanda

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Ānanda sat down to one side, and said to Sāriputta:

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu assutañceva dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutā cassa dhammā na sammosaṁ gacchanti, ye cassa dhammā pubbe cetasā samphuṭṭhapubbā te ca samudācaranti, aviññātañca vijānātī”ti?
“Reverend Sāriputta, how does a mendicant get to hear a teaching they haven’t heard before? How do they remember those teachings they have heard? How do they keep rehearsing the teachings they’ve already got to know? And how do they come to understand what they haven’t understood before?”

“Āyasmā kho ānando bahussuto.
“Well, Venerable Ānanda, you’re very learned.

Paṭibhātu āyasmantaṁyeva ānandan”ti.
Why don’t you clarify this yourself?”

“Tenahāvuso sāriputta, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, Reverend Sāriputta, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmato ānandassa paccassosi.
“Yes, reverend,” Sāriputta replied.

Āyasmā ānando etadavoca:
Ānanda said this:

“Idhāvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—
“Reverend Sāriputta, take a mendicant who memorizes the teaching—

suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthaṁ udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ.
statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ deseti, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ vāceti, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karoti, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakketi anuvicāreti manasānupekkhati.
Then, just as they learned and memorized it, they teach others in detail, make them recite in detail, practice reciting in detail, and think about and consider the teaching in their heart, examining it with the mind.

Yasmiṁ āvāse therā bhikkhū viharanti bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā tasmiṁ āvāse vassaṁ upeti.
They enter the rains retreat in a monastery with senior mendicants who are very learned, inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines.

Te kālena kālaṁ upasaṅkamitvā paripucchati paripañhati:
From time to time they go up to those mendicants and ask them questions:

‘idaṁ, bhante, kathaṁ; imassa kvattho’ti?
‘Why, sir, does it say this? What does that mean?’

Te tassa āyasmato avivaṭañceva vivaranti, anuttānīkatañca uttānīkaronti, anekavihitesu ca kaṅkhāṭhāniyesu dhammesu kaṅkhaṁ paṭivinodenti.
Those venerables clarify what is unclear, reveal what is obscure, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu assutañceva dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutā cassa dhammā na sammosaṁ gacchanti, ye cassa dhammā pubbe cetasā samphuṭṭhapubbā te ca samudācaranti, aviññātañca vijānātī”ti.
This is how a mendicant gets to hear a teaching they haven’t heard before. It’s how they remember those teachings they have heard. It’s how they keep rehearsing the teachings they’ve already got to know. And it’s how they come to understand what they haven’t understood before.”

“Acchariyaṁ, āvuso, abbhutaṁ, āvuso, yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ āyasmatā ānandena.
“It’s incredible, reverend, it’s amazing! How well said this was by Venerable Ānanda!

Imehi ca mayaṁ chahi dhammehi samannāgataṁ āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dhārema.
And we will remember Venerable Ānanda as someone who has these six qualities.

Āyasmā hi ānando dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—
For Ānanda memorizes the teaching …

Āyasmā ānando yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ deseti, āyasmā ānando yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ vāceti, āyasmā ānando yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karoti, āyasmā ānando yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakketi anuvicāreti manasānupekkhati.

Āyasmā ānando yasmiṁ āvāse therā bhikkhū viharanti bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā tasmiṁ āvāse vassaṁ upeti.

Te āyasmā ānando kālena kālaṁ upasaṅkamitvā paripucchati paripañhati:

‘idaṁ, bhante, kathaṁ; imassa kvattho’ti?

Te āyasmato ānandassa avivaṭañceva vivaranti, anuttānīkatañca uttānīkaronti, anekavihitesu ca kaṅkhāṭhāniyesu dhammesu kaṅkhaṁ paṭivinodentī”ti.
Those venerables clarify to Ānanda what is unclear, reveal what is obscure, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.”

Navamaṁ.