Related:: [[Buddha]], [[Sariputta|Sāriputta]]
# 🙏 Venerable Ānanda | Guardian of the [[Dhamma]]
> [!tldr] The Guardian of Dhamma 🙏
> Ānanda is the Narrator of the [[Suttas|Sutta's]], as in:
>
> > ***==Evaṁ me sutaṁ==***
> > So I have heard.
> [!tldr] Ānanda's Life
> - Life story:
> - [accesstoinsight.org](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/hecker/wheel273.html)
> - Theragāthā
> - [[Thag17.3 Ānandattheragāthā]]
> - Ananda's enlightenment
> - Pañcasatikakkhandhaka (The chapter on the group of five hundred) ([pli-tv-kd21](https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-kd21/en/brahmali))
> - (In Cūḷavagga, Khandhaka, Theravāda Vinayapiṭaka)
> - Ananda's teachings
> - [[SN51.15 Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta]]
> - Give up desire, through desire
> - MN108 Gopakamoggallānasutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/mn108/en/sujato))
> - How Dhamma can continue on after Buddha passed away
## Buddha's Last words to Ānanda
![[DN16 Mahāparinibbānasutta#^enough-ananda]]
![[DN16 Mahāparinibbānasutta#^you-and-dhamma-as-refuge|DN16]]
![[DN16 Mahāparinibbānasutta#^dhamma-as-teacher]]
![[DN16 Mahāparinibbānasutta#^last-words-appamadena-sampadetha]]
## Theragāthā
![[Thag17.3 Ānandattheragāthā#^great-learnings]]
![[Thag17.3 Ānandattheragāthā#^kayagatasati-only-friend]]
## Ānanda's Enlightenment
> [!NOTE] "Let me lie down!" — Ānanda's Enlightenment — In Pañcasatikakkhandhaka ([pli-tv-kd21](https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-kd21/en/brahmali))
> Venerable Ānanda thought,
> _Atha kho āyasmā ānando—_
>
> “It wouldn’t be proper for me to go to the assembly tomorrow if **I’m still a trainee**.”
> _“sve sannipāto na kho metaṁ patirūpaṁ, **yohaṁ sekkho** samāno sannipātaṁ gaccheyyan”ti—_
>
> After spending most of the night with **==mindfulness directed to the body==**, early in the morning he **bent over** to lie down. (Thinking **=="Let me lie down!"==**)
> _bahudeva rattiṁ **==kāyagatāya satiyā==** vītināmetvā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ “**==nipajjissāmī==**”ti kāyaṁ **āvajjesi**._
>
> In the interval **between his feet coming off the ground and his head hitting the pillow**,
> _Appattañca sīsaṁ bibbohanaṁ, bhūmito ca pādā muttā._
>
> his **mind was freed from the corruptions through letting go**.
> _Etasmiṁ antare **==anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci==**._
>
> And Venerable Ānanda went to the assembly as a **perfected one**.
> _Atha kho āyasmā ānando **arahā** samāno sannipātaṁ agamāsi._
^ananda-enlightenment
## Suttas
### Teachings of Ānanda
- [[MN53 Sekhasutta]]
- [[SN51.15 Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta]]
### Important Suttas with Ānanda
- [[DN15 Mahānidānasutta]]
- [[SN45.2 Upaḍḍhasutta]]
### Life of Ānanda
- thag17.3 Ānandattheragāthā ([link](https://suttacentral.net/thag17.3/en/sujato))
- SN9.5 Ānandasutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/sn9.5/en/sujato))
- Deity urged Ananda to work hard on his own liberation