[554] "Friends (āvuso), suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, were to pass over the very root and pass over the trunk of a great standing tree possessed of heartwood, and imagine that the heartwood was to be sought among the branches and leaves — such is what has come to pass for the venerable ones: while the Teacher was present face to face, you passed by that Blessed One and thought that this matter should be asked of us. For, friends, that Blessed One, knowing, knows; seeing, he sees; he has become the eye, become knowledge (ñāṇa), become the Dhamma, become Brahmā (the divine); he is the speaker, the proclaimer, the one who draws out the meaning, the giver of the Deathless (amata), the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathāgata. That indeed was the time when you should have asked the Blessed One himself about this matter; as the Blessed One answered it, so you should have remembered it."
"Surely, friend Kaccāna, the Blessed One, knowing, knows; seeing, he sees; he has become the eye, become knowledge, become the Dhamma, become Brahmā (the divine); he is the speaker, the proclaimer, the one who draws out the meaning, the giver of the Deathless, the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathāgata. That indeed was the time when we should have asked the Blessed One himself about this matter; as the Blessed One would have answered us, so we would have remembered it. Yet the Venerable Mahākaccāna is praised by the Teacher and esteemed by his wise companions in the holy life, and the Venerable Mahākaccāna is capable of analyzing in detail the meaning of this summary recital, taught in brief by the Blessed One without its meaning being analyzed in detail. Let the Venerable Mahākaccāna analyze it, without finding it burdensome."
"Then, friends, listen and attend closely; I shall speak."
"Yes, friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Mahākaccāna.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.