AN 5.169

Khippanisantisutta

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

Quick-witted

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him:

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu khippanisanti ca hoti, kusalesu dhammesu suggahitaggāhī ca, bahuñca gaṇhāti, gahitañcassa nappamussatī”ti? “Āyasmā kho ānando bahussuto. Paṭibhātu āyasmantaṁyeva ānandan”ti. “Tenahāvuso sāriputta, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmato ānandassa paccassosi. Āyasmā ānando etadavoca:

“Reverend Sāriputta, how are we to define a mendicant who is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings, who learns well, learns much, and does not forget what they’ve learned?” “Well, Venerable Ānanda, you’re very learned. Why don’t you clarify this yourself?” “Well then, Reverend Sāriputta, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” Sāriputta replied. Venerable Ānanda said this:

“Idhāvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu atthakusalo ca hoti, dhammakusalo ca, byañjanakusalo ca, niruttikusalo ca, pubbāparakusalo ca. Ettāvatā kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu khippanisanti ca hoti kusalesu dhammesu, suggahitaggāhī ca, bahuñca gaṇhāti, gahitañcassa nappamussatī”ti. “Acchariyaṁ, āvuso, abbhutaṁ, āvuso. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ āyasmatā ānandena. Imehi ca mayaṁ pañcahi dhammehi samannāgataṁ āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dhārema: ‘āyasmā ānando atthakusalo dhammakusalo byañjanakusalo niruttikusalo pubbāparakusalo’”ti.

“It’s when a mendicant is skilled in the meaning, skilled in the teaching, skilled in definition, skilled in phrasing, and skilled in sequence. That is how to define a mendicant who is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings, who learns well, learns much, and does not forget what they’ve learned.” “It’s incredible, it’s amazing! How well this was said by Venerable Ānanda! And we will remember Venerable Ānanda as someone who possesses these five qualities: ‘Reverend Ānanda is skilled in the meaning, skilled in the teaching, skilled in definition, skilled in phrasing, and skilled in sequence.’”