Due to his impeccable behavior as a monk, Ananda seemed predestined to be the Buddha’s attendant. When he was asked why he was the only one who had not offered his services, he replied the Buddha knew best who was suitable to be his attendant. He had so much confidence in the Blessed One it did not occur to him to express his own wishes, even though he would have liked to become the Master’s attendant.
When the Buddha declared Ananda would be pleasing to him and would be the best choice for the post. Ananda was in no way proud the Master had preferred him to the other disciples, but instead asked for eight favors.
The first four favors were negative in character: First, the Master should never pass a gift of robes to him; second, he should never give him any almsfood which he himself had received; third, having received a dwelling place, he should never give it to him; fourth, he should never include him in any personal invitations (such as an occasion for teaching the Dharma when a meal would be offered).
The second four were positive: If he was invited to a meal, he asked for the right to transfer this invitation to the Buddha; if people came from outlying areas, he asked for the privilege to lead them to the Buddha; if he had any doubts or inquiries about the Dharma, he asked for the right to have them cleared up at any time; and if the Buddha gave a discourse during his absence, he asked for the privilege to have it repeated to him privately.
Ananda explained if he did not pose the first four conditions, people could say he had accepted the post of attendant only with an eye on the material gains he would enjoy by living so close to the Master. But if he did not express the second four conditions, then it could rightly be said he fulfilled the duties of his post without being mindful of his own advancement on the noble path.
The Buddha granted Ananda these very reasonable requests, which were quite in accordance with the Dharma.
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