mn32:4.1 Sāriputta saw them coming off in the distance
mn32:4.2 and said to Ānanda,
mn32:4.3 “Come, Venerable Ānanda.
mn32:4.4 Welcome to Ānanda, the Buddha’s attendant, who is so close to the Buddha.
mn32:4.5 Reverend Ānanda, the sal forest park at Gosiṅga is lovely, the night is bright, the sal trees are in full blossom, and heavenly scents seem to float on the air.
mn32:4.6 What kind of mendicant would grace this park?”
mn32:4.7 “Reverend Sāriputta, it’s a mendicant who is very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.
mn32:4.8 And they teach the four assemblies in order to uproot the underlying tendencies with well-rounded and coherent words and phrases.
mn32:4.9 That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.”