Numbered Discourses 4.180

18. Intention

The Four Great References

At one time the Buddha was staying near the city of Bhoga, at the Ānanda Tree-shrine.

There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “Bhikkhus!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

The Buddha said this: “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the four great references. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Bhikkhus, what are the four great references?

Take a bhikkhu who says: ‘Friend, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they do not fit in the discourse and are not exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that bhikkhu.’ And so you should reject it.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘Friend, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that bhikkhu.’ You should remember it. This is the first great reference.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery lives a Saṅgha with seniors and leaders. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that Saṅgha: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they do not fit in the discourse and are not exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that Saṅgha.’ And so you should reject it.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery lives a Saṅgha with seniors and leaders. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that Saṅgha: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that Saṅgha.’ You should remember it. This is the second great reference.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there are several senior bhikkhus who are very learned, inheritors of the heritage, who remember the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of those senior bhikkhus: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they do not fit in the discourse and are not exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by those senior bhikkhus.’ And so you should reject it.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there are several senior bhikkhus who are very learned, inheritors of the heritage, who remember the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of those senior bhikkhus: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by those senior bhikkhus.’ You should remember it. This is the third great reference.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there is a single senior bhikkhu who is very learned, an inheritor of the heritage, who has memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that senior bhikkhu: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they do not fit in the discourse and are not exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that senior bhikkhu.’ And so you should reject it.

Take another bhikkhu who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there is a single senior bhikkhu who is very learned, an inheritor of the heritage, who has memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that senior bhikkhu: this is the teaching, this is the training, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that bhikkhu’s statement. Instead, having carefully memorized those words and phrases, you should make sure they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training. If they fit in the discourse and are exhibited in the training, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that senior bhikkhu.’ You should remember it. This is the fourth great reference.

These are the four great references.”