Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said:

2"In what way, friend Sāriputta, is a bhikkhu one of quick apprehension concerning wholesome teachings, one who grasps well what he has learned, learns abundantly, and does not forget what he has learned?"

"The Venerable Ānanda is learned, so let him clear this up himself."

"Then listen, friend Sāriputta, and attend closely. I will speak."

"Yes, friend," the Venerable Sāriputta replied. The Venerable Ānanda said this:

3"Here, friend Sāriputta, a bhikkhu is skilled in meaning, skilled in the Dhamma, skilled in language, skilled in phrasing, and skilled in sequence. [n.1166] Atthakusalo, dhammakusalo, niruttikusalo, byañjanakusalo, pubbāparakusalo. I follow the sequence of Ce. Be and Ee put byañjanakusalo before niruttikusalo. As stated, the first three terms obviously correspond to the first three paṭisambhidā knowledges. Perhaps the last two can be comprised under paṭibhānapaṭisambhidā. Mp explains five types of sequence: sequence of meaning (atthapubbāpara), sequence of Dhamma (dhammapubbāpara), sequence of syllables (akkharapubbāpara), sequence of phrasing (byañjanapubbāpara), and sequence of sections within a sutta (anusandhipubbāpara). In this way, friend Sāriputta, a bhikkhu is one of quick apprehension concerning wholesome teachings, one who grasps well what he has learned, learns abundantly, and does not forget what he has learned."

"It's astounding and amazing, friend, how well this has been stated by the Venerable Ānanda! We consider the Venerable Ānanda to be one who possesses these five qualities: ‘The Venerable Ānanda is skilled in meaning, skilled in Dhamma, skilled in language, skilled in phrasing, and skilled in sequence.’"

1Atha 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:

2"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:

3"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.

Navamaṁ.