Discourses on Voidness

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in the Palace of Migāra’s Mother.

2. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Ānanda rose from meditation, went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and said to the Blessed One:

3. “Venerable sir, on one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country where there is a town of the Sakyans named Nagaraka. There, venerable sir, I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Now, Ānanda, I often abide in voidness.’ Did I hear that correctly, venerable sir, did I learn that correctly, attend to that correctly, remember that correctly?” “Certainly, Ānanda, you heard that correctly, learned that correctly, attended to that correctly, remembered that correctly. As formerly, Ānanda, so now too I often abide in voidness.

4. “Ānanda, just as this Palace of Migāra’s Mother is void of elephants, cattle, horses, and mares, void of gold and silver, void of the assembly of men and women, and there is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the Sangha of bhikkhus; so too, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of village, not attending to the perception of people — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of forest. His mind enters into that perception of forest and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of village, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of people, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of forest.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of village; this field of perception is void of the perception of people. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of forest.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remain there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

5. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of people, not attending to the perception of forest — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. Just as a bull’s hide becomes free from folds when fully stretched with a hundred pegs; so too, a bhikkhu — not attending to any of the ridges and hollows of this earth, to the rivers and ravines, the tracts of stumps and thorns, the mountains and uneven places — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of people, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of forest, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of earth.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of people; this field of perception is void of the perception of forest. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of earth.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

6. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of forest, not attending to the perception of earth — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space. His mind enters into that perception of the base of infinite space and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of forest, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of earth, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of forest; this field of perception is void of the perception of earth. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

 7. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of earth, not attending to the perception of the base of infinite space — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite consciousness. His mind enters into that perception of the base of infinite consciousness and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of earth, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite consciousness.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of earth; this field of perception is void of the perception of the base of infinite space. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite consciousness.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

 8. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of the base of infinite space, not attending to the perception of the base of infinite consciousness — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of nothingness. His mind enters into that perception of the base of nothingness and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of infinite consciousness, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of nothingness.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of the base of infinite space; this field of perception is void of the perception of the base of infinite consciousness. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of nothingness.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

9. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of the base of infinite consciousness, not attending to the perception of the base of nothingness — attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. His mind enters into that perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of infinite consciousness, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of nothingness, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of the base of infinite consciousness; this field of perception is void of the perception of the base of nothingness. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

10. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of the base of nothingness, not attending to the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception — attends to the singleness dependent on the signless concentration of mind. His mind enters into that signless concentration of mind and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understand thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of nothingness, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, that connected with the six bases that are dependent on this body and conditioned by life.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of the base of nothingness; this field of perception is void of the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, that connected with the six bases that are dependent on this body and conditioned by life.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this too is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.

 11. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu — not attending to the perception of the base of nothingness, not attending to the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception — attends to the singleness dependent on the signless concentration of mind. His mind enters into that signless concentration of mind and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘This signless concentration of mind is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.’When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’

12. “He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the taint of sensual desire, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the taint of being, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the taint of ignorance, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, that connected with the six bases that are dependent on this body and conditioned by life.’

 He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the taint of sensual desire; this field of perception is void of the taint of being; this field of perception is void of the taint of ignorance. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, that connected with the six bases that are dependent on this body and conditioned by life.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness, supreme and unsurpassed.

13. “Ānanda, whatever recluses and brahmins in the past entered upon and abided in pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness, all entered upon and abided in this same pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the future will enter upon and abide in pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness, all will enter upon and abide in this same pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the present enter upon and abide in pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness, all enter upon and abide in this same pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness. Therefore, Ānanda, you should train thus: ‘We will enter upon and abide in pure, supreme, unsurpassed voidness.’”

That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

translation: Nanamoli Thera
Bhikkhu Bodhi


The Greater Discourse on Voidness
(Mahāsuññata Sutta; Majjhima Nikāya 122)

1. Thus I heard: At one time the Blessed One was living in the country of the Sakyans, at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha’s park.

2. Then when it was morning, the Blessed One dressed and taking his bowl and robe went into Kapilavatthu for alms. After he had returned from his almsround, after his meal, he went to spend the day at the dwelling of Kāḷakhemaka the Sakyan. On that occasion, however, there were many resting places prepared in the dwelling of Kāḷakhemaka the Sakyan. When the Blessed One saw this, he thought: “There are many resting places prepared in the dwelling of Kāḷakhemaka the Sakyan; do many bhikkhus live there?”

3. But on that occasion the Venerable Ānanda was engaged with many bhikkhus in making robes at the dwelling of Ghatā the Sakyan. Then when it was evening, the Blessed One rose from meditation and he went to the dwelling of Ghatā the Sakyan: on arriving there he sat down on the appointed seat; when he had done so, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Ānanda: “There are many resting places prepared in the dwelling of Kāḷakhemaka the Sakyan; do many bhikkhus live there?”

“Many resting places, Venerable Sir, are prepared in the dwelling of Kāḷakhemaka the Sakyan; many bhikkhus are living there. A time for making robes is permitted to us, Venerable Sir.”

5. “A bhikkhu, Ānanda, does not shine forth by delighting in company, enjoying company, devoted to delight in company, delighting in society, enjoying society, finding satisfaction in society.

6. “Indeed, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu delighting in company, enjoying company, devoted to delight in company, delighting in society, enjoying society, finding satisfaction in society should come to obtain the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace the bliss of enlightenment at will, without trouble and in full, that is not possible. But when a bhikkhu lives alone, apart from society, that he may be expected to obtain the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of enlightenment at will, without trouble and in full, that is possible.

7. “Indeed, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu delighting in company, enjoying company, devoted to delight in company, delighting in society, enjoying society, finding satisfaction in society should enter upon and dwell in either the temporary, or the permanent and unshakeable, delectable mind deliverance, that is not possible. But when a bhikkhu lives alone, apart from society, that he may be expected to enter upon and dwell in the temporary, or the permanent and unshakeable, delectable mind deliverance, that is possible.

8. “I do not see, Ānanda, even one material form that, because of the change and alteration of that material form, will not cause sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief, and woe to arise in him who delights and takes pleasure therein.

9. “But this is the abiding, Ānanda, discovered by the Perfect One, that is, to enter upon and dwell in voidness internally by not bringing to mind any sign. If the Perfect One, Ānanda, dwelling therein by that abiding, is visited by bhikkhus or bhikkhunis, by men or women lay disciples, by kings or kings’ ministers, by other sectarians or their followers, on such occasions, Ānanda, since his mind tends to seclusion, inclines to seclusion, is bent on seclusion, is detached, delights in renunciation and has put an end to all states that give rise to cankers, the Perfect One will assuredly give only such talk as is associated with dismissal.

10. “Therefore, Ānanda, if a bhikkhu should wish, ’May I enter upon and dwell in voidness internally,’ that bhikkhu must settle, steady, unify and concentrate his mind internally.

11. “And how, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu settle, steady, unify, and concentrate his mind internally?

“Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, secluded from sense desires, secluded from unprofitable things, enters upon and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, and is filled with rapture and bliss born of seclusion.
“With the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, he enters upon and dwells in the second jhāna, which possesses internal serenity and singleness of mind and is without applied thought and without sustained thought, and is filled with rapture and bliss born of concentration.

With the fading away of rapture he dwells in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and he feels with his mental faculties that bliss, of which the Noble Ones say: ’He who has equanimity and is mindful dwells happily;’ thus he enters upon and dwells in the third jhāna.

“With the abandoning of bodily bliss and bodily pain, and with the disappearance of previous joy and grief, he enters upon and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant and possesses mindfulness purified by equanimity.
“Thus, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu settle, steady, unify, and concentrate his mind internally.

12. “He brings to mind voidness internally. While bringing to mind voidness internally, still his mind does not enter into voidness internally, nor does it become settled, steady and resolute. When that is so, Ānanda, the bhikkhu understands thus: ’While bringing to mind voidness internally, still my mind does not enter voidness internally, nor does it become settled, steady and resolute.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

“He brings to mind voidness externally … .
“He brings to mind voidnesss internally and externally … .

13. “He brings to mind the imperturbable. While bringing to mind the imperturbable, still his mind does not enter into the imperturbable, nor does it become settled, steady and resolute. When that is so, Ānanda, the bhikkhu understands thus: ’While bringing to mind the imperturbable, still my mind does not enter into the imperturbable, nor does it become settled, steady and resolute.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

14. “That bhikkhu, Ānanda, must then continue to settle, steady, unify, and concentrate his mind internally in that same sign of concentration as before.

15. “He brings to mind voidness internally. While bringing to mind voidness internally, his mind enters into voidness internally, becomes settled, steady and resolute. When that is so, Ānanda, the bhikkhu understands thus: “While bringing to mind voidness internally, my mind enters into voidness internally, becomes settled, steady and resolute.” Thus he is possessed of full awareness herein.

“He brings to mind voidness externally … .
“He brings to mind voidness internally and externally … .

16. “He brings to mind the imperturbable. While bringing to mind the imperturbable, his mind enters into the imperturbable, becomes settled, steady and resolute. When that is so, Ānanda, the bhikkhu understands thus: ’While bringing to mind the imperturbable, my mind enters into the imperturbable, becomes settled, steady and resolute.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

17. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to walking, he walks: ’Walking thus, the evil, unprofitable states of covetousness and grief will not invade me.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

18. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to standing, he stands: ’Standing thus, the evil, unprofitable states of mind will not invade me.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

19. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to sitting, he sits … .
20. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to lying down, he lies down … .

21. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to talking he resolves: ’Such talk as is low, vulgar, base, ignoble, as leads to harm, as leads not to revulsion, to fading away, to cessation, to pacification, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; that is to say, talk of kings, robbers, ministers, armies, alarms, battles, food, drink, clothing, beds, garlands, perfumes, relatives, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, countries, women heroes, street inhabitants, wells, the dead, trivialities, the origin of the world, the origin of the sea, whether things are so or are not so—in such talk I shall not indulge.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

22. “But Ānanda, he resolves: ’Such talk as is concerned with effacement, as favours the mind’s release, as leads to complete revulsion, to fading away, to cessation, to pacification, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; that is to say, talk on wanting little, on contentment, seclusion, aloofness from contact, strenuousness, virtuous conduct, concentration, understanding deliverance, knowledge and vision concerning deliverance—in such talk I shall indulge.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

23. “If, Ānanda, dwelling in this way, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines to thinking, he resolves, ’Such thoughts as are low, vulgar, base, ignoble, as lead to harm, as lead not to revulsion, to fading away, to cessation, to pacification, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; that is to say, thoughts of lust, of ill-will, of cruelty—in such thoughts I shall not indulge.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

24. “But, Ānanda, he resolves, ’Such thoughts as are noble, as lead forth from the round of rebirths, and lead on rightly to the destruction of suffering for him who practises them; that is to say, thoughts of renunciation, non-ill-will, non-cruelty—in such thoughts I shall indulge.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

25. “There are, Ānanda, these five cords of sense-desire. What five? Visible objects cognizable by the eye that are sought after, desired, pleasing, gratifying, associated with desire, and productive of greed; sounds cognizable by the ear … ; odours cognizable by the nose …; flavours cognizable by the tongue…; tangible objects cognizable by the body that are sought after, desired, pleasing, gratifying, associated with desire and productive of greed. These are the five cords of sense-desire wherein a bhikkhu should constantly review his own mind thus: ’Does there arise in me any mental attachment concerned with any source of defilement among these five cords of sense-desire?’

26. “If, Ānanda, while reviewing, the bhikkhu understands, ’There arises in me mental attachment concerned with some source of defilement among these five cords of sense-desire,’ then the bhikkhu understands thus: ’Greed for the five cords of sense-desire is not abandoned in me.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

27. “But if, Ānanda, while reviewing, the bhikkhu understands: ’There does not arise in me any mental attachment concerned with any source of defilement among these five cords of sense-desire,’ then the bhikkhu understands thus, “Greed for the five cords of sense-desire is abandoned in me.’ Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

28. “There are, Ānanda, these five aggregates as objects of clinging, wherein a bhikkhu should dwell contemplating arising and passing away: ’Thus is matter, thus its arising, thus its passing away; thus is feeling, thus its arising, thus its passing away; thus is perception, thus its arising, thus its passing away; thus are formations, thus their arising, thus their passing away; thus is consciousness, thus its arising, thus its passing away.’

29. “In one who dwells contemplating arising and passing away of these five aggregates as objects of clinging, the conceit ’I am,’ based on these five aggregates as objects of clinging is abandoned. This being so the bhikkhu understands thus: ’The conceit “I am,” based on the five aggregates as objects of clinging is abandoned in me.”

“Thus he is possessed of full awareness therein.

30. “These, Ānanda, are states of wholly profitable origin; they are noble, supramundane, inaccessible to the Evil one.

31. “What do you think, Ānanda? With what aim in view is a disciple justified in seeking the Master’s company, even if resisted?”

32. “Our doctrines [dhamma], Venerable Sir, have their roots in the Blessed One; they have the Blessed One as their leader, have the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good if the meaning of these words would occur to the Blessed One; having heard it, the bhikkhus will bear it in mind.”

33. “A disciple, Ānanda, is not justified in seeking the Master’s company for the sake of expositions of discourses and stanzas. Why is that? For long, Ānanda, these doctrines have been heard by you, borne in mind, recited by word, reviewed by the mind, thoroughly mastered by the understanding. But such talk as is concerned with effacement, as favours the mind’s release, as leads to complete revulsion, to fading away, to cessation, to pacification, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; that is to say, talk on wanting little, contentment, seclusion, aloofness from contact, strenuousness, virtuous conduct, concentration, understanding, deliverance, knowledge, and vision concerning deliverance—for the sake of such talk, Ānanda, a disciple is justified in seeking the Master’s company, even if resisted.

34. “Yet when this is so, Ānanda, there comes to be the teacher’s undoing, there comes to be the pupil’s undoing, and there comes to be the undoing of the dweller in the life of purity.

35. “And how, Ānanda, comes to be the teacher’s undoing? Here, Ānanda, some teacher retires to a secluded abode: to the forest, the root of a tree, a rock, a hill cleft, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a woodland solitude, an open space, a heap of straw. While dwelling thus in retreat, priests and laymen from town and country visit him. When that happens, he goes astray, hungers, succumbs to craving, and reverts to abundance. This teacher, Ānanda, is said to be undone by the teacher’s undoing. He has been struck down by evil unprofitable things that bring defilement; cause continued becoming; conduce to misery; result in pain; and produce future birth, ageing and death. Thus, Ānanda, there comes to be the teacher’s undoing.

36. “And how, Ānanda, does there come to be the pupil’s undoing? A pupil of that teacher, emulating the teacher’s seclusion, retires to a secluded abode … . Thus, Ānanda, there comes to be the pupil’s undoing.

37. “And how, Ānanda, does there come to be the undoing of the dweller in the life of purity? Here, Ānanda, the Perfect One appears in the world, Accomplished, Fully Enlightened, endowed with clear vision and virtuous conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, Enlightened, Blessed. He retires to a secluded abode: to the forest, the root of a tree, a rock, a hill cleft, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a woodland solitude, an open space, a heap of straw. While dwelling thus in retreat, priests and laymen from town and country visit him. When this happens, he does not go astray, nor hunger, nor succumb to craving, nor revert to abundance. But a disciple of this teacher, emulating his teacher’s seclusion, retires to a secluded abode … . While dwelling thus in retreat, priests and laymen from town and country visit him. When this happens, he goes astray, hungers, succumbs to craving and reverts to abundance. This dweller in the life of purity, Ānanda, is said to be undone by the undoing of the dweller in the life of purity. He has been struck down by evil, unprofitable things that bring defilement; cause continued becoming, conduce to misery; result in pain; and produce future birth, ageing and death. Thus, Ānanda, there comes to be the undoing of a dweller in the life of purity. And herein, Ānanda, the undoing of a dweller in the life of purity has a more painful result, a more bitter result, than the teacher’s undoing or the pupil’s undoing, and it even leads to rebirth in the states of woe.

38. “And herein, Ānanda, bear yourselves towards me in amity, not in hostility; long shall that be to your welfare and happiness.

39. “And how, Ānanda, do disciples bear themselves in hostility towards the Master, not in amity? Here, Ānanda, compassionate and seeking their welfare, the Master teaches the Truth [dhamma] to the disciples out of compassion: ’This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.’ His disciples do not want to hear, do not give ear, do not lend their minds to knowledge; erring, they turn aside from the Master’s teaching. Thus do disciples bear themselves in hostility towards the Master, not in amity.

40. “And how, Ānanda, do disciples bear themselves in amity towards the Master, not in hostility? Here, Ānanda, compassionate and seeking their welfare, the Master teaches the Truth to the disciples out of compassion: ’This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.’ His disciples want to hear, give ear, lend their minds to knowledge; nor, erring, do they turn aside from the Master’s teaching. Thus do disciples bear themselves in amity towards the Master, not in hostility.

“Therefore, Ānanda, bear yourselves in amity towards me, not in hostility; long shall this be for your welfare and happiness.

41. “I shall not, Ānanda, treat you as the potter treats the raw damp clay. Repeatedly admonishing, repeatedly testing, I shall speak to you, Ānanda. He who is sound will stand the test.”

So said the Blessed One. Glad at heart, the Venerable Ānanda rejoiced at his words.

translation: Nanamoli Thera