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and a monk senior to one is to be addressed as 'bhante' or 'äyuşmān'.
(3)
"Ananda ! After I am gone, if the Sangha so desires, it may drop the minor and ordinary rules for the monks.
(4)
"Ananda ! After I am gone, Monk Channa is to be made the Brahma-danda".
Then addressing the assembled monks, the Buddha said,
"If anyone from among you has any doubt about the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, he may have his doubt clarified. Otherwise, he may later repent because he could have his doubt resolved".
The Buddha repeated the words for the second and for the third time, but the monks remained silent.
Said Ananda,
"Bhante ! There is none among these 500 monks who has any shred of doubt. All have full faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha".
Said the Buddha,
hanta yani bhiksave amantayami vo vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadeya ti
"Hallow ! Bhikşus ! I say so to you: Things done are transient; free from deceit, do your duties. These are the last words of the Tathagata to you".
Bhagavan Buddha had his first bout of meditation. Having completed it, he had his second bout, then the third and the fourth. The one after the other, he attained Akāsāntyāyatana (the first of the four formless Brahmalokas), Vijñānantyāyatana (the second), Ākincanyāyatana (the thira) and Naivasanjñānās anjñāyatana (the fourth). Then he attained Sanjñā-vedayita-nirodha (a form of trance). Ananda said to Anuruddha,