Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
The Buddha's self-assurance in teaching Dhamma appropriately to different people, truly knowing every case as it is, rests on the identical ten powers of a Realized One already named at AN 10.21.
A private conversation, not a public roar
Where AN 10.21 framed these powers as the Buddha's authority before an assembly, this discourse frames the identical content as a private claim made directly to Ānanda — the same ten powers, now grounding personal self-assurance rather than public declaration.
Unsurpassable knowledge, named before the powers themselves
This discourse adds a claim AN 10.21 doesn't make explicitly: knowing whether something exists or doesn't, is inferior or superior, is the ‘unsurpassable knowledge,’ truly knowing each and every case, with no other knowledge said to be better or finer — a framing statement introducing the same ten powers that follow.
Identical content, worth reading as a pair
Apart from this opening framing and its narrower audience, this discourse's ten powers are word for word AN 10.21's own list, right down to the shared closing refrain — the two discourses worth reading together for how the same teaching serves two different rhetorical purposes.
Key terms
The text
Unsurpassable knowledge, claimed to Ānanda
§1Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Ānanda, I claim to be self-assured regarding the teachings that lead to realizing by insight the various different hypotheses. So I am able to teach the Dhamma in appropriate ways to different people. Practicing accordingly, when something exists they’ll know it exists. When it doesn’t exist they’ll know it doesn’t exist. When something is inferior they’ll know it’s inferior. When it’s superior they’ll know it’s superior. When something is not supreme they’ll know it’s not supreme. When it is supreme they’ll know it’s supreme. And they will know or see or realize it in whatever way it should be known or seen or realized. This is possible. But this is the unsurpassable knowledge, that is: truly knowing each and every case. And Ānanda, I say that there is no other knowledge better or finer than this.
Ten powers of a Realized One
§2The Realized One possesses ten powers of a Realized One. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel. What ten? Firstly, the Realized One truly understands the possible as possible, and the impossible as impossible. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. Relying on this he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel.
§3Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the result of deeds undertaken in the past, future, and present in terms of grounds and causes. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§4Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands where all paths of practice lead. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§5Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the world with its many and diverse elements. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§6Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the diverse convictions of sentient beings. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§7Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the faculties of other sentient beings and other individuals after encompassing them with his mind. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§8Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands corruption, cleansing, and emergence regarding the absorptions, liberations, immersions, and attainments. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§9Furthermore, the Realized One recollects many kinds of past lives, with features and details. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§10Furthermore, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, the Realized One sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. He understands how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …
§11Furthermore, the Realized One has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and lives having realized it with his own insight due to the ending of defilements. Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. … These are the ten powers of a Realized One that the Realized One possesses. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel.”
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