1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kusinārāā between the twin sal trees in the sal-tree grove of the Mallas at Upavattana, on the occasion of his final nibbāna. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!"

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"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

2"Bhikkhus, it may be that even a single bhikkhu has some doubt or uncertainty about the Buddha, the Dhamma, or the Saṅgha, about the path or the practice. [n.770] What occurs from this point on is also in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, DN 16.6.5, II 154–55. Then ask, bhikkhus. Do not be remorseful later, thinking: ‘Our teacher was present before us, yet we could not bring ourselves to question the Blessed One when we were in his presence.’

When this was said, the bhikkhus were silent.

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3-4A second time … A third time the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus … And a third time the bhikkhus were silent.

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5Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "It may be the case, bhikkhus, that you do not ask out of respect for the teacher. Then report your questions to a friend." When this was said, the bhikkhus were still silent.

Then the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "It is astounding and amazing, Bhante! I am confident that there is not a single bhikkhu in this Saṅgha who has any doubt or uncertainty about the Buddha, the Dhamma, or the Saṅgha, about the path or the practice."

6"You speak out of confidence, Ānanda, but the Tathāgata knows this for a fact. For among these five hundred bhikkhus, even the least is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to rebirth in the lower world, fixed in destiny, heading for enlightenment."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ viharati upavattane mallānaṁ sālavane antarena yamakasālānaṁ parinibbānasamaye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

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"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"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.

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3Dutiyampi 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.

4Tatiyampi 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.

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5Atha 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.

6"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.

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Chaṭṭhaṁ.