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Mahāpadesa Sutta

Taught at the Ānanda-cetiya in Bhoganagara.

The Buddha tells the monks of the four great authorities (mahāpadesā) to be respected by them. If a monk says he has a certain teaching direct from the Buddha himself, his statement should be compared with the rest of the Vinaya and Dhamma; if these do not agree, it should be rejected; if they do, accepted.

The same applies to that which is said to have been learnt from a group of monks led by a Thera from a body of senior monks residing in a certain place, or from a single senior monk, proficient in the Dhamma, the Vinaya, and the Mātikā. A.ii.167 ff; the sutta is incorporated in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (D.ii.123 ff).