༺ Pali Canon Anthology ༻

Simile of the Infant

Aṅguttara Nikāya 94 (V, 7)

To save a child from choking you would hold its head with one hand and with a crooked finger remove whatever was in their mouth even if it hurt the child and drew blood. Sometimes harsh actions are necessary.

The Buddha watches over the ordained until he is sure that they have ‘grown up’ and can look after themselves.