AN 4.76

Kusinārasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ viharati upavattane mallānaṁ sālavane antarena yamakasālānaṁ parinibbānasamaye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

At Kusinārā

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 full extinguishment. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. 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: ‘sammukhībhūto no satthā ahosi, nāsakkhimha bhagavantaṁ sammukhā paṭipucchitun’”ti. Evaṁ vutte, te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

“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: ‘We were in the Teacher’s presence and we weren’t able to ask the Buddha a question.’” When this was said, the mendicants kept silent.

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “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 Buddha addressed the mendicants: … For a second time, the mendicants kept silent.

Tatiyampi kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “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 Buddha addressed the mendicants: … For a third time, the mendicants kept silent.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, satthugāravenapi na puccheyyātha, sahāyakopi, bhikkhave, sahāyakassa ārocetū”ti. Evaṁ vutte, te bhikkhū tuṇhī ahesuṁ. Atha kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Evaṁ pasanno ahaṁ, bhante. Natthi imasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe ekabhikkhussapi kaṅkhā vā vimati vā buddhe vā dhamme vā saṅghe vā magge vā paṭipadāya vā”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Mendicants, perhaps you don’t ask out of respect for the Teacher. So let a friend tell a friend.” When this was said, the mendicants kept silent. Then Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! 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’. Imesañhi, ānanda, pañcannaṁ bhikkhusatānaṁ yo pacchimako bhikkhu so sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.

“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. Even the last of these five hundred mendicants is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”