40b: The Last Days 2, In Vajji – 1547 

 

not yet sure of themselves in the righteousness of their conduct, not yet 
possessed of wide knowledge, not yet able to memorize the teaching, not yet 
able to practise according to the teaching leading to the supermundane, not yet 
able to take up the proper practice, not yet settled in their practice; not yet able 
to expound, to set forth, to show, to establish, to elucidate, to analyse, or to make 
evident the teacher’s doctrine that they have learnt; so long as they are not yet 
able to thoroughly refute on righteous grounds other doctrines as may arise, and 
expound the wonderful teaching. 

Wicked One, so long as my female monastics … my lay male disciples … 
Wicked One, so long as my female lay-disciples are not yet well versed in the 
doctrine, not yet well disciplined in the threefold training, not yet sure of 
themselves in the righteousness of their conduct, not yet possessed of wide 
knowledge, not yet able to memorize the teaching, not yet able to practise 
according to the teaching leading to the supermundane, not yet able to take up 
the proper practice, not yet settled in their practice; not yet able to expound, to 
set forth, to show, to establish, to elucidate, to analyse, or to make evident the 
teacher’s doctrine that they have learnt; so long as they are not yet able to 
thoroughly refute on righteous grounds other doctrines as may arise, and 
expound the wonderful teaching. Wicked One, I shall not pass away so long as 
this teaching of mine, which is the practice of purity, is not yet sufficiently 
developed among the disciples, not yet prosperous, widespread, having reached 
the multitudes, and become renowned, to the extent that it can be thoroughly 
made known by wise Devas and humans.’ 

Ānanda, Māra the Wicked One just now came to me at the Cāpāla Shrine, and 
standing at a suitable distance, again addressed me thus: ‘Venerable sir, let the 
Fortunate One realize Parinibbāna now, let the Fortunate One pass away! 
Venerable sir, it is time now for the Fortunate One to pass away. Venerable sir, 
the Fortunate One has said this to me: “Wicked One, I shall not pass away so 
long as my disciples, the male monastics, are not yet well versed in the doctrine, 
not yet well disciplined in the threefold training, not yet sure of themselves in 
the righteousness of their conduct, not yet possessed of wide knowledge, not yet 
able to memorize the teaching, not yet able to practise according to the teaching 
leading to the supermundane, not yet able to take up the proper practice, not yet 
settled in their practice; not yet able to expound, to set forth, to show, to 
establish, to elucidate, to analyse, or to make evident the teacher’s doctrine that 
they have learnt; so long as they are not yet able to thoroughly refute on