The Long Āgama Sūtra 17.11

17.11

「周那！或有導師出世，使弟子生憂；或有導師出世，使弟子無憂。云何導師出世，使弟子生憂？周那！導師新出世間，成道未久，其法具足，梵行清淨，如實真要而不布現，然彼導師速取滅度，其諸弟子不得修行，皆愁憂言：『師初出世，成道未久，其法清淨，梵行具足，如實真要，竟不布現，而今導師便速滅度，我等弟子不得修行。』是為導師出世，弟子愁憂。云何導師出世，弟子不憂？謂導師出世，其法清淨，梵行具足，如實真要而廣流布，然後導師方取滅度，其諸弟子皆得修行，不懷憂言：『師初出世，成道未久，其法清淨，梵行具足，如實真要而不布現，而今導師便速滅度，使我弟子不得修行。』如是，周那！導師出世，弟子無憂。」

“Cunda, when some teachers leave the world, it makes their disciples grieve. Some teachers leave the world, and it doesn’t make their disciples grieve.

“How does a teacher leaving the world make his disciples grieve? Cunda, suppose a teacher has recently left the world, and it wasn’t long after he achieved awakening. His teaching was complete, his religious practice was pure, and his essentials were true, but these things weren’t widely known. The teacher’s final liberation was so soon that his disciples can’t cultivate his practice. They lament, saying, ‘The teacher was first to leave the world, not long after achieving awakening. His teaching was pure, his religious practice was complete, and his essentials were true, but they weren’t widely known. Now, the teacher’s final liberation was so soon, we disciples can’t cultivate his practice!’ This is a teacher who leaves the world, and his disciple grieve over it.

“How does a teacher leaving the world not make his disciples grieve? Suppose when a teacher leaves the world, his teaching is pure, his religious practice is complete, and his essentials are true. These things are widely known. After the teacher’s final liberation, his disciples can cultivate his practice. They don’t lament, saying, ‘The teacher was first to leave the world, not long after achieving awakening. His teaching was pure, his religious practice was complete, and his essentials were true, but they weren’t widely known. Now, the teacher’s final liberation was so soon, we disciples can’t cultivate his practice!’ Thus, Cunda, a teacher leaves the world, and his disciples have no grief over it.”