The Discourse about the Great Emancipation

The Second Chapter for Recitation
side. While sitting on one side venerable Ānanda said this to the
Gracious One:
“I have seen, reverend Sir, the Gracious One comfortable, I have seen,
reverend Sir, the Gracious One bearing up (while sick), 74 and my body,
reverend Sir, became faint as it were, and although I could not see
(straight), and things were not clear, 75 it appeared to me, reverend Sir,
that the Gracious One was sick, (but) it was some small comfort that
the Gracious One would not attain Final Emancipation until the
Gracious One had spoken regarding the Community of monks.”
“But what, Ānanda, does the Community of monks expect of me? The
Teaching has been taught by me, Ānanda, without having made (a
distinction between) esoteric and exoteric, for the Realised One there
is nothing, Ānanda, of a (closed) teacher's fist in regard to the
Teaching.
74 I am not sure about the translation here, it maybe that we should parse
Bhagavato 'phāsu (= aphāsu), and translate: I have seen…the Gracious One
uncomfortable…(and) bearing up (while sick). Neither the Commentary nor
the Sub-commentary help here.
75 Comm: satipaṭṭhānādidhammā mayhaṁ pākaṭā na hontī ti dīpeti.
Tantidhammā pana Therassa supagunā; he explains: (such) things as the
ways of attending to mindfulness were not well-known to me. But the texts
were still familiar to the Elder. This comment seems to guard against any
doubt as to Ven. Ānanda's ability to remember the texts, which might put
their reliability into question.
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