Saṁyutta Nikāya 20.7 1.

The Discourse on the Peg - Āṇi Sutta

Opammavagga Āṇisutta Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, dasārahānaṁ ānako nāma mudiṅgo ahosi.

Disciples, there was once a drum called Summoner belonging to the Dasārahas.

Tassa dasārahā ānake ghaṭite aññaṁ āṇiṁ odahiṁsu.

When the Summoner drum was cracked, the Dasārahas inserted another peg.

Ahu kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ ānakassa mudiṅgassa porāṇaṁ pokkharaphalakaṁ antaradhāyi.

There came a time when the original drumhead of the Summoner disappeared, leaving only a mass of pegs.

Āṇisaṅghāṭova avasissi. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhavissanti bhikkhū anāgatamaddhānaṁ, ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsissanti na sotaṁ odahissanti na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti.

In the same way in the future there will be disciples who, when those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata: deep, profound in meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness: are being recited, will not listen, will not lend an ear, will not apply their minds to know them, and will not think those teachings should be learned and mastered.

Ye pana te suttantā kavikatā kāveyyā cittakkharā cittabyañjanā bāhirakā sāvakabhāsitā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissanti, sotaṁ odahissanti, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti.

But when those discourses that are poetically composed, with elegant words and phrases, created by poets, spoken by disciples, are being recited, they will listen, lend an ear, apply their minds to know them, and think those teachings should be learned and mastered.

Evametesaṁ, bhikkhave, suttantānaṁ tathāgatabhāsitānaṁ gambhīrānaṁ gambhīratthānaṁ lokuttarānaṁ suññatappaṭisaṁyuttānaṁ antaradhānaṁ bhavissati.

Thus there will be a disappearance of those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata: deep, profound in meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissāma, sotaṁ odahissāma, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessāma, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissāmā’ti.

Therefore you should train yourselves thus: When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata: deep, profound in meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness: are being recited, we will listen, lend an ear, apply our minds to know them, and think those teachings should be learned and mastered.

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. Sattamaṁ.

Thus should you train yourselves, disciples.