1At one time the Buddha was staying between a pair of saltrees in the sal forest of the Mallas at Upavattana near Kusinārā at the time of his final extinguishment. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

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“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“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.

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3For a second time the Buddha addressed the mendicants: … For a second time, the mendicants kept silent.

4For a third time the Buddha addressed the mendicants: … For a third time, the mendicants kept silent.

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5Then 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.”

6“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, bound for awakening.”

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.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.