The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [467]
25. “Therefore, Ānanda, behave towards me with friendliness, not with hostility. That will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. And how do disciples behave towards the Teacher with hostility, not with friendliness? Here, Ānanda, compassionate and seeking their welfare, the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the disciples out of compassion: ‘This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.’ His disciples do not want to hear or give ear or exert their minds to understand; they err and turn aside from the Teacher’s Dispensation. Thus do disciples behave towards the Teacher with hostility, not with friendliness.
26. “And how do disciples behave towards the Teacher with friendliness, not with hostility? Here, Ānanda, compassionate and seeking their welfare, the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the disciples out of compassion: ‘This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.’ His disciples want to hear and give ear and exert their minds to understand; they do not err and turn aside from the Teacher’s Dispensation. Thus do disciples behave towards the Teacher with friendliness, not with hostility. [118] Therefore, Ānanda, behave towards me with friendliness, not with hostility. That will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.
27. “I shall not treat you as the potter treats the raw damp clay. Repeatedly restraining you, I shall speak to you, Ānanda. Repeatedly admonishing you, I shall speak to you, Ānanda. The sound core will stand [the test].”1159
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Acchariya-abbhūta Sutta
Wonderful and Marvellous
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at S̄āvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
2. Now a number of bhikkhus were sitting in the assembly hall, where they had met together on returning from their almsround, after their meal, when this discussion arose among them: “It is wonderful, friends, it is marvellous, how mighty and powerful is the Tathāgata! For he is able to know about the Buddhas of the past—who attained to final Nibbāna, cut [the tangle of] proliferation, broke the cycle, ended the round, and surmounted all suffering—that for those Blessed Ones their birth was thus, their names were thus, their clans were thus, their virtue was thus, their state [of concentration] was thus, their wisdom was thus, their abiding [in attainments] was thus, their deliverance was thus.”1160
When this was said, the venerable Ānanda told the bhikkhus: “Friends, Tathāgatas are wonderful and have wonderful qualities. Tathāgatas are marvellous and have marvellous qualities.” [119]
However, their discussion was interrupted; for the Blessed One rose from meditation when it was evening, went to the assembly hall, and sat down on a seat made ready. Then he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, for what discussion are you sitting together here now? And what was your discussion that was interrupted?”
“Here, venerable sir, we were sitting in the assembly hall, where we had met together on returning from our almsround, after our meal, when this discussion arose among us: ‘It is wonderful, friends, it is marvellous…their deliverance was thus.’ When this was said, venerable sir, the venerable Ānanda said to us: ‘Friends, Tathāgatas are wonderful and have wonderful qualities. Tathāgatas are marvellous and have marvellous qualities.’
This was our discussion, venerable sir, that was interrupted when the Blessed One arrived.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “That being so, Ānanda, explain more fully the Tathāgata’s wonderful and marvellous qualities.”
3. “I heard and learned this, venerable sir, from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Mindful and fully aware, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta appeared in the Tusita heaven.’1161 That [120] mindful and fully aware the Bodhisatta appeared in the Tusita heaven—this I