old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

suchness. Returning to suchness can also be expressed by the term tathagata, or ‘one who thus goes.’ In truth, dharmas do not arise from
anywhere or go to any place, because their nature is already suchness. Anuruddha, the truer meaning of suchness is ‘one who comes from
nowhere,’ and ‘one who goes nowhere.’ Anuruddha, from now on, I will call myself ‘Tathagata’. I like this term because it avoids the
discrimination that arises when one uses the words, ‘I’ and ‘mine’.”
Anuruddha smiled and said, “We know that all of us arise in suchness, but we will reserve the name ‘Tathagata’ for you. Every time you
refer to yourself as ‘Tathagata’, we will be reminded how we all have the nature of suchness which has no beginning and no end.”
The Buddha smiled too, and said, “The Tathagata is pleased with your suggestion, Anuruddha.”
Venerable Ananda was present at this conversation between the Buddha and Venerable Anuruddha. He followed Anuruddha out of the
hut and suggested that they share the conversation with the rest of the community at the next day’s Dharma discussion. Anuruddha happily
agreed. He said he would introduce the exchange by first recounting his meeting with the ascetics in Savatthi.