1. Áyácana Sutta.-The good monk, if he would perfectly aspire, should wish to be like Sáriputta and Moggallána ; the nun to be like Khemá and Uppalavanná; the householder like Citta and Hatthaka; the house-mistress like Khujjuttará and Velukantakí, the mother of Nanda. A.ii.164.
2. Áyácana Sutta.-Contains the story of the reluctance felt by the Buddha, while meditating at Uruvelá, in the eighth week after the Enlightenment, to preach his doctrine to the world, feeling that it would not appeal to the human temperament; and of the appearance before him, of the Brahmá Sahampatí, who had read his thoughts and who entreated him to overcome this reluctance. He assured the Buddha that there were in the world many who would comprehend the Dhamma if they heard it. The Buddha saw that this assurance was justified and agreed to set forth as a teacher (S.i.136ff).
The sutta appears verbatim in the Vinaya (i.4ff) and almost verbatim in the Digha Nikáya (ii.36ff), as an episode in the life of each of the Buddhas mentioned there, but with two variants; the Brahma repeats his request three times and the stanzas in which the request is made, as given in the Samyutta, are omitted.
1. Áyácana Vagga. The twelfth chapter of the Duka Nipáta of the Anguttara Nikáya. It contains eleven suttas on different topics. A.i.89-91.
2. Áyácana Vagga.-The third chapter of the Rádha Samyutta of the Samyutta Nikáya. S.iii.198-200.