Mahaparinibbanasutta 4.10

4.10.1

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṃ vadeyya:

Take another mendicant who says:

4.10.2

‘amukasmiṃ nāma āvāse sambahulā therā bhikkhū viharanti bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā.

‘In such-and-such monastery there are several senior mendicants who are very learned, inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines.

4.10.3

Tesaṃ me therānaṃ sammukhā sutaṃ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṃ—

I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of those senior mendicants:

4.10.4

ayaṃ dhammo ayaṃ vinayo idaṃ satthusāsanan’ti.

this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’

4.10.5

Tassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno bhāsitaṃ neva abhinanditabbaṃ …

You should neither approve nor reject that mendicant’s statement.

4.10.6

pe…

Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training.

4.10.7

na ca vinaye sandissanti, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṃ:

If they do not fit in the discourse and are not exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion:

4.10.8

‘addhā idaṃ na ceva tassa bhagavato vacanaṃ;

‘Clearly this is not the word of the Buddha.

4.10.9

tesañca therānaṃ duggahitan’ti.

It has not been correctly memorized by those senior mendicants.’

4.10.10

Itihetaṃ, bhikkhave, chaḍḍeyyātha.

And so you should discard it.

4.10.11

Tāni ce sutte osāriyamānāni …pe…

4.10.12

vinaye ca sandissanti, niṭṭhamettha gantabbaṃ:

If they do fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion:

4.10.13

‘addhā idaṃ tassa bhagavato vacanaṃ;

‘Clearly this is the word of the Buddha.

4.10.14

tesañca therānaṃ suggahitan’ti.

It has been correctly memorized by those senior mendicants.’

4.10.15

Idaṃ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṃ mahāpadesaṃ dhāreyyātha.

You should remember it. This is the third great reference.