Samyuktagama 174
Saṃyuktāgama
174. [Discourse on Seeking Out the Great Teacher]
Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “For the sake of eradicating impermanent things, one should seek out the great teacher. What things are impermanent? That is, bodily form is an impermanent thing. For the sake of eradicating that thing, one should seek out the great teacher. Feeling … perception … formations … consciousness is also like this.”
When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.
In the same way [for the sake of eradicating impermanent things of the] past … future … present … past and future … past and present … future and present … past, future, and present one should seek out the great teacher. Eight types of discourses [in total] are in the same way.
[Just as one seeks out the great teacher, in the same way] in various modes [discourses should be recited] on: “the one who instructs accordingly”, “the peaceful one”, “the widely peaceful one”, “the totally peaceful one”, “the one who has mastered”, “the one who has widely mastered”, “the one who has ultimately mastered”, “the one who explains”, “the one who widely explains”, “the one who explains accordingly”, “the one who is one's second companion”, “the true friend”, “the trustworthy one”, “the one with empathy”, “the compassionate one”, “the one lofty in meaning”, “the one lofty in comfort”, “the [one lofty in] happiness”, “the one lofty in experience”, “the one lofty in tranquillity”, “the one who wishes [one's welfare]”, “the energetic one”, “the expedient one”, “the widely expedient one”, “the capably expedient one”, “the firm one”, “the strong one”, “the vigorous one”, “the courageous one”, “the bodily and mentally courageous one”, “the one difficult to conquer”, “the receptive one”, “the one who constantly trains himself”, “the one who is not negligent”, “the cultivated one”, “the attentive one”, “the mindful one”, “the awakened one”, “the understanding one”, “the knowing one”, “the wise one”, “the eloquent one”, “the thoughtful one”, “the one who lives the holy life”, “the one with [the bases of] supernormal power”, “the one established in mindfulness”, “the one with right effort”, “the one with the [five] faculties”, “the one with the [five] powers”, “the one with the [seven factors of] awakening”, “the one with the [eight factors of] the path”, “the one with tranquillity”, “the one with insight”, “the one with mindfulness of the body”, “the one with right recollection”, eight discourses are also to be recited for each of these as above.
Just as for “the sense of eradicating [what is impermanent]”, in the same way “the sense of understanding [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of extinguishing [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of vomiting out [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of ending [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of relinquishing [what is impermanent]” is also like this.