mn.132 Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Discourses)

Ānanda and One Fine Night

who truly have that one fine night.”
So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, where he sat on the seat spread out,
and addressed the mendicants,
“Who was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night?”
“It was Venerable Ānanda, sir.”
Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda,
“But in what way were you inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night?”
“I was doing so in this way, sir,” replied Ānanda.
“Don’t run back to the past,
don’t hope for the future.
What’s past is left behind;
the future has not arrived;
and phenomena in the present
are clearly seen in every case.
Knowing this, foster it—
unfaltering, unshakable.
Today’s the day to keenly work—
who knows, tomorrow may bring death!
For there is no bargain to be struck
with Death and his mighty hordes.
The peaceful sage explained it’s those
who keenly meditate like this,
tireless all night and day,
(Ānanda went on to repeat the analysis as in the previous discourse, MN 131.)

















































“That’s how I was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.”
“Good, good, Ānanda.
It’s good that you were inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.”




(And the Buddha repeated the verses and analysis once more.)















That is what the Buddha said.
Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda was happy with what the Buddha said.