Reading guide
A question the Buddha asks, not one he is asked
Uniquely among this book's discourses, the opening exchange here is initiated by the Buddha himself questioning Ānanda, rather than a godling approaching to question or praise the Buddha — the entire discourse grows outward from this reversed initiative.
Ānanda's cascading list of qualities
Ānanda's praise names Sāriputta's wisdom in five overlapping terms — great, widespread, laughing, swift, sharp, penetrating — before moving to character (few wishes, content, secluded, aloof, energetic) and finally to conduct (giving and accepting advice, accusing and criticizing wickedness), building a portrait through accumulation rather than a single summarizing claim.
An assembly's praise made visible as light
When Susīma's assembly of godlings hears this same praise confirmed, their reaction is not verbal but visual: ‘uplifted and overjoyed, full of rapture and happiness’, they display a rainbow of bright colors — an assembly's shared feeling made externally visible, unlike anywhere else in this book.
Four similes for one radiance
The text does not settle for one comparison but offers four in succession — a lustrous, eight-faceted beryl gem; a smith-wrought gold pendant; the Morning Star in a clear autumn sky; the rising sun dispelling all darkness — each restating the same underlying image of shining radiance from a different angle.
A verse pair sharing three lines, differing in one
Susīma's closing verse and the Buddha's reply share their first three lines exactly, differing only in the fourth: Susīma frames Sāriputta's excellence through the Buddha's own praise, while the Buddha's version instead says Sāriputta, developed and well-tamed, ‘awaits his time’ — a further instance of this book's single-line-substitution technique, here applied to praise of a third person rather than to teaching.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Ānanda, do you endorse Sāriputta?”
§2“Sir, who on earth would not endorse Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged? Venerable Sāriputta is astute, he has great wisdom, widespread wisdom, laughing wisdom, swift wisdom, sharp wisdom, and penetrating wisdom. He has few wishes, he’s content, secluded, aloof, and energetic. He gives advice and accepts advice; he accuses and criticizes wickedness. Who on earth would not endorse Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?”
§3“That’s so true, Ānanda! That’s so true! Who on earth would not endorse Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?” And the Buddha repeated all of Ānanda’s terms of praise.
§4While this praise of Sāriputta was being spoken, the godling Susīma approached the Buddha, escorted by a large assembly of godlings. He bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:
§5“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! Who on earth would not endorse Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?” And he too repeated all the terms of praise of Sāriputta, adding,
§6“For I too, sir, whenever I go to an assembly of godlings, frequently hear the same terms of praise.”
§7While this praise of Sāriputta was being spoken, the godlings of Susīma’s assembly—uplifted and overjoyed, full of rapture and happiness—displayed a rainbow of bright colors. Suppose there was a beryl gem that was naturally lustrous, eight-faceted, well-worked. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate. In the same way, the godlings of Susīma’s assembly displayed a rainbow of bright colors. Suppose there was a pendant of Black Plum River gold, fashioned by a deft smith, well wrought in the forge. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate. In the same way, the godlings of Susīma’s assembly displayed a rainbow of bright colors.
§8Suppose that in the autumn the heavens were clear and cloudless. At the crack of dawn, the Morning Star shines and glows and radiates. In the same way, the godlings of Susīma’s assembly displayed a rainbow of bright colors. Suppose that in the autumn the heavens were clear and cloudless. As the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, shines and glows and radiates. In the same way, the godlings of Susīma’s assembly displayed a rainbow of bright colors.
§9Then the godling Susīma spoke this verse about Venerable Sāriputta in the Buddha’s presence: “He’s considered astute, Sāriputta, free of anger. Few in wishes, gentle, tamed, the seer shines in the Teacher’s praise!”
§10Then the Buddha replied to Susīma with this verse about Venerable Sāriputta: “He’s considered astute, Sāriputta, free of anger. Few in wishes, gentle, tamed; developed and well-tamed, he awaits his time.”
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