ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 23.20

23.20

and manifest arhatship. Just as the Buddha Kāśyapa commended my preceptor as foremost among keepers of the teachings, may the Śākya sage, the most excellent King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among keepers of the teachings. After his parinirvāṇa may I make known the treasury of his teachings.’

“O monks, what do you think? The one who was that monk then is none other than Ānanda himself. At that time he prayed thus, and so it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that he has pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship; that I have commended him as foremost among keepers of the teachings; and that after my parinirvāṇa, he will make the teachings known.

“Monks, the monk Kāśyapa also went forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, and the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended the one who had led him to go forth as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices.

“At that time he practiced pure conduct all his life, and at the time of his death, he prayed, ‘While I may not have attained any great virtues, still I have gone forth like this in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and practiced pure conduct all my life. Therefore, may I please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. Going forth in his doctrine alone, may I cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.