Source of the story that Venerable Ananda attained arahanthood while lying down?

Q & A
1

Hello there! :slight_smile:

Does anyone know sources of the story that Venerable Ananda reached arahanthood after striving and putting his head to rest? :slight_smile:

I wonder what is the earliest text with this story?

Thank you! :anjal:

2

I believe you can find that in the Vinaya:

CÅ«įø·avagga, #21, PaƱcasatikakkhandhaka, Saį¹…gÄ«tinidāna

https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-kd21/en/brahmali?layout=sidebyside&reference=pts&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin#pli-tv-kd21:1.5.1

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ā€œsve sannipāto na kho metaį¹ patirÅ«paį¹, yohaį¹ sekkho samāno sannipātaį¹ gaccheyyanā€ti

"It would not be proper for me to go to the assembly tomorrow if Iā€™m still a trainee.ā€

bahudeva rattiį¹ kāyagatāya satiyā vÄ«tināmetvā rattiyā paccÅ«sasamayaį¹ ā€œnipajjissāmÄ«ā€ti kāyaį¹ āvajjesi. AppattaƱca sÄ«saį¹ bibbohanaį¹, bhÅ«mito ca pādā muttā. Etasmiį¹ antare anupādāya āsavehi cittaį¹ vimucci.

And after spending most of the night with mindfulness directed to the body, early in the morning he bent over to lie down. In the interval between his feet coming off the ground and his head hitting the pillow his mind was freed from the corruptions through letting go.

Ven. Brahmali, trans.

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4

This is a way of communicating the circadian rhythm, where the mind in the evening and morning moves between the waking and subconscious states and vice versa, thereby being the most suitable times for meditation, particularly for beginners.

ā€¢Ven Analayo has a publication on imagery in the suttas.