Venerable Tissa, the Blessed One’s paternal cousin, tells the monks that he is dissatisfied as a monk. When the Buddha hears of this, he calls Tissa to him, and questions him on the aggregates. As Tissa showed his understanding...
Venerable Yamaka had the wrong view that one whose defilements have ended is annihilated at death. The monks ask Sāriputta to help, and he asks Yamaka whether a realized one in this very life may be identified as one of the...
Venerable Anurādha is questioned by a number of ascetics, and ends up by saying that a realized one is described in terms other than “still existing after death” and so on. The wanderers say he’s a fool, so he checks with the...
Venerable Vakkali is ill, and asks the Buddha to visit him. The Buddha does so, but says there is no point in seeing his physical body, as one who sees the Dhamma sees him. Later, Vakkali is taken to the Black Rock on Isigili...
Venerable Assaji is ill, and asks the Buddha to visit him. The Buddha does so, and learns that Assaji has difficulty maintaining his meditation. The Buddha encourages him to contemplate the impermanence of the aggregates.
Venerable Khemaka is ill, and some senior mendicants ask Dāsaka to convey their concern to him. There follows a series of exchanges mediated by Dāsaka until eventually Khemaka, despite his illness, goes to see the other...
Hearing that the Buddha, while on his deathbed, had announced a special punishment for him, Venerable Channa asks for teachings from the mendicants. Unsatisfied, he seeks out Ānanda, who teaches him the address to Kaccāyana (SN...