འཕགས་པ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ་ཤས་ལྡན་གྱ་མད notes.6

notes.6

6. Again, this refers to a stock phrase in which the venerable Ānanda (or others in the Buddha’s retinue) inquire as to the reason why the Buddha smiles. Usually the question is articulated to the Buddha, rather than here where Ānanda merely wonders in his thoughts. Although there are all sorts of variant versions that differ in length and content, the following example is typical of shorter versions: “At this point, Venerable Ānanda arose from his seat and, placing his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee. With palms pressed together in the direction of the Blessed One, he spoke the following words to the Blessed One: ‘Blessed One, since the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened buddhas do not smile without a cause, without a reason, what is the cause for your smile? What is the reason?’.” (See The Questions of the Householder Vīradatta, Toh 72, 1.94.)