The Surangama Sutra: Twenty-Five Means to Enlightenment, Session Six, Part 1 of 7 April 8, 2019

The Buddha said that He wanted to cause Ananda to become enlightened. So, He asked Manjusri to contemplate all the 25 Arhats, irreversible Arhats, non-returnable Bodhisattvas, that told you 25 methods. "Could you explain it to Ananda and the assembly and the beings after my [the Buddha's] extinction, after my Nirvana, which expedient door is the best?" Means all good, good, good. so now, because He wants Ananda to be enlightened quicker. Ananda wasn't enlightened at all, at that point, and being with Buddha all this time, staying next to Him. Memorized so many, many discourses and miracles that happened within the assembly, within the followers of the Buddha. Imagine that?! So, intellectual cleverness or sharp faculty of memory means nothing. But we have to thank the Reverend Ananda for all of this.