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Majjhima Nikāya 92

Selasutta

With Sela · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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awakened-one·sir“Buddhoti—bho Keṇiya,keṇiya, did you say?”vadesi”?
awakened-one·sir“Buddhoti—bho Sela,sela, I said.”vadāmi”.
awakened-one·sir“Buddhoti—bho Keṇiya,keṇiya, did you say?”vadesi”?
awakened-one·sir“Buddhoti—bho Sela,sela, I said.”vadāmī”ti.

“Did you say ‘the awakened one’?” “I said ‘the awakened one’.” “Did you say ‘the awakened one’?” “I said ‘the awakened one’.”

thenAtha indeedkho to Selaselassa to the brahminbrāhmaṇassa this·wasetadahosi:
even the sound“ghosopi indeedkho thiseso hard·obtaindullabho world + thatlokasmiṁ—yadidaṁ 'awakened one'‘buddho’ti.
have come downĀgatāni indeedkho to uspanamhākaṁ in the hymnsmantesu thirty-two·great man·marksdvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, whichyehi endowed withsamannāgatassa great manmahāpurisassa two·justdveyeva destiniesgatiyo there arebhavanti no otheranaññā.
ifSace at homeagāraṁ he dwellsajjhāvasati, a kingrājā he ishoti wheel·turningcakkavattī justdhammiko principle·kingdhammarājā four·sidecāturanto victoriousvijitāvī country·stability·achievedjanapadatthāvariyappatto seven·treasure·possessingsattaratanasamannāgato.
for him, theseTassimāni sevensatta treasuresratanāni there arebhavanti, that isseyyathidaṁ—
wheel·treasurecakkaratanaṁ, elephant·treasurehatthiratanaṁ, horse·treasureassaratanaṁ, jewel·treasuremaṇiratanaṁ, woman·treasureitthiratanaṁ, householder·treasuregahapatiratanaṁ, commander·treasure·justpariṇāyakaratanameva seventhsattamaṁ.
over a thousandParosahassaṁ indeedkho for himpanassa sonsputtā there arebhavanti valiantsūrā heroic·formvīraṅgarūpā enemy army·crushingparasenappamaddanā.
heSo thisimaṁ earthpathaviṁ sea·boundedsāgarapariyantaṁ without·rodadaṇḍena without·swordasatthena by principledhammena over·conquerabhivijiya he reignsajjhāvasati.
ifSace butpana from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ he goes forthpabbajati, a perfected onearahaṁ he becomeshoti fully·awakened onesammāsambuddho in the worldloke who casts off the veilvivaṭṭacchado”.

Then Sela thought: “It’s hard to even find the word ‘awakened one’ in the world. The thirty-two marks of a great man have been handed down in our hymns. A great man who possesses these has only two possible destinies, no other. If he stays at home he becomes a king, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. His dominion extends to all four sides, he achieves stability in the country, and he possesses the seven treasures. He has the following seven treasures: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the woman, the householder, and the commander as the seventh treasure. He has over a thousand sons who are valiant and heroic, crushing the armies of his enemies. After conquering this land girt by sea, he reigns by principle, without rod or sword. But if he goes forth from the lay life to homelessness, he becomes a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, who casts off the veil from the world.”

where“Kahaṁ butpana, worthybho Keṇiyakeṇiya, at presentetarahi heso the blessed onebhavaṁ Gotamagotamo dwellsviharati the perfected onearahaṁ the fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddho”ti?
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Keṇiyakeṇiyo the matted-hair asceticjaṭilo rightdakkhiṇaṁ armbāhuṁ having raisedpaggahetvā Selaselaṁ the brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ said thisetadavoca:
there“yenesā, worthybho Selasela, at that line of blue forestnīlavanarājī”ti.

He said, “But Keṇiya, where is the Blessed One at present, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha?” When he said this, Keṇiya pointed with his right arm and said, “There, worthy Sela, at that line of blue forest.”

thenAtha indeedkho Selaselo the brahminbrāhmaṇo with threetīhi young student·hundredmāṇavakasatehi together withsaddhiṁ towardsyena the Blessed Onebhagavā he approached himtenupasaṅkami.
thenAtha indeedkho Selaselo the brahminbrāhmaṇo thosete the young studentsmāṇavake he addressed:āmantesi:
being quiet“appasaddā sirsbhonto towards·comeāgacchantu steppade by steppadaṁ placingnikkhipantā;
hard·approachdurāsadā forhi theyte the Buddhasbhagavanto lion·likesīhāva living aloneekacarā.
whenYadā and Icāhaṁ, sirbho, with the asceticsamaṇena Gotamagotamena together withsaddhiṁ I should consultmanteyyaṁ, notmā myme sirsbhonto in betweenantarantarā talkkathaṁ interruptopātetha.
talk·endKathāpariyosānaṁ myme good sirsbhavanto let them waitāgamentū”ti.

Then Sela, together with his young students, approached the Buddha. He said to his young students, “Come quietly, gentlemen, tread gently. For the Buddhas are intimidating, like a lion living alone. When I’m consulting with the ascetic Gotama, don’t interrupt. Wait until I’ve finished speaking.”

thenAtha indeedkho Selaselo brahminbrāhmaṇo whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā him there·approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā together withsaddhiṁ exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ talkkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Selaselo brahminbrāhmaṇo of the Blessed Onebhagavato on the bodykāye thirty-two·great man·marksdvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni scrutinizedsamannesi.
he sawAddasā indeedkho Selaselo brahminbrāhmaṇo of the Blessed Onebhagavato on the bodykāye thirty-two·great man·marksdvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, mostlyyebhuyyena exceptṭhapetvā twodve.
about twoDvīsu great man·marksmahāpurisalakkhaṇesu doubtskaṅkhati is uncertainvicikicchati not·convincednādhimuccati notna has confidencesampasīdati—
sheathedkosohite andca of the private partsvatthaguyhe of the largeness of the tonguepahūtajivhatāya andca.
thenAtha indeedkho to the Blessed Onebhagavato this occurredetadahosi:
sees“passati indeedkho myme thisayaṁ Selaselo brahminbrāhmaṇo thirty-two·great man·marksdvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, mostlyyebhuyyena exceptṭhapetvā twodve.
about twoDvīsu great man·marksmahāpurisalakkhaṇesu doubtskaṅkhati is uncertainvicikicchati not·convincednādhimuccati notna has confidencesampasīdati—
sheathedkosohite andca of the private partsvatthaguyhe of the largeness of the tonguepahūtajivhatāya andcā”ti.

Then Sela went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and scrutinized the Buddha’s body for the thirty-two marks of a great man. He saw all of them except two, which he had doubts about: whether the private parts were sheathed in a foreskin, and the largeness of the tongue. Then it occurred to the Buddha, “Sela sees all the marks except two, which he has doubts about: whether the private parts are sheathed in a foreskin, and the largeness of the tongue.”

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā such·formtathārūpaṁ psychic power·constructioniddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ towards·fashionabhisaṅkhāsi, so thatyathā sawaddasa Selaselo the brahminbrāhmaṇo of the Blessed Onebhagavato sheath·placedkosohitaṁ cloth·secretvatthaguyhaṁ.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā tonguejivhaṁ out·bendninnāmetvā both·alsoubhopi ear·holeskaṇṇasotāni along·strokeanumasi back·strokepaṭimasi; both·alsoubhopi nose·holesnāsikasotāni along·strokeanumasi back·strokepaṭimasi; entire·alsokevalampi forehead·circlenalāṭamaṇḍalaṁ with his tonguejivhāya coveredchādesi.

The Buddha used his psychic power to will that Sela would see his private parts sheathed in a foreskin. And he stuck out his tongue and stroked back and forth on his ear holes and nostrils, and covered his entire forehead with his tongue.

thenAtha indeedkho to Selaselassa to the brahminbrāhmaṇassa this occurred to himetadahosi:
endowed“samannāgato indeedkho the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo thirty-two·great man·markdvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇehi completeparipuṇṇehi, notno incompleteaparipuṇṇehi;
notno andca indeedkho himnaṁ I knowjānāmi an awakened onebuddho orvā notno orvā.
heardSutaṁ indeedkho nowpana thismetaṁ of the brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ of oldvuddhānaṁ elderlymahallakānaṁ of the tutors of tutorsācariyapācariyānaṁ speakingbhāsamānānaṁ:
those who‘ye thosete arebhavanti perfected onesarahanto fully·awakened Buddhasammāsambuddhā theyte in their ownsake praisevaṇṇe being spokenbhaññamāne themselvesattānaṁ they revealpātukarontī’ti.
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ the asceticsamaṇaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ in his presencesammukhā with fittingsāruppāhi versesgāthāhi I should extollabhitthaveyyan”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho Selaselo the brahminbrāhmaṇo the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ in his presencesammukhā with fittingsāruppāhi versesgāthāhi extolledabhitthavi:

Then Sela thought, “The ascetic Gotama possesses the thirty-two marks completely, lacking none. But I don’t know whether or not he is an awakened one. I have heard that brahmins of the past who were elderly and senior, the tutors of tutors, said, ‘Those who are perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas reveal themselves when praised.’ Why don’t I extoll him in his presence with fitting verses?” Then Sela extolled the Buddha in his presence with fitting verses:

with perfect body“Paripuṇṇakāyo radiantsuruci,
well·bornSujāto lovely to beholdcārudassano;
gold·colorSuvaṇṇavaṇṇosi Blessed Onebhagavā,
very white·toothSusukkadāṭhosi strongvīriyavā.
of a manNarassa indeedhi well-bornsujātassa,
whichye there arebhavanti characteristicsviyañjanā;
allSabbe thesete yourtava on bodykāyasmiṁ,
marks of a great manmahāpurisalakkhaṇā.
clear·eyePasannanetto fair-facedsumukho,
formidablebrahā uprightuju majesticpatāpavā;
in the midstMajjhe of the Saṅgha of asceticssamaṇasaṅghassa,
sun + likeādiccova you dazzlevirocasi.
fine·to seeKalyāṇadassano mendicantbhikkhu,
with skin like goldkañcanasannibhattaco;
whatKiṁ to youte with the ascetic lifesamaṇabhāvena,
thusevaṁ of excellent appearanceuttamavaṇṇino.
a kingRājā you are fitarahasi to becomebhavituṁ,
wheel·turncakkavattī chief of charioteersrathesabho;
four·endCāturanto victoriousvijitāvī,
rose-apple·grovejambusaṇḍassa lordissaro.
aristocratsKhattiyā nobles and kingsbhogirājāno,
following·goinganuyantā let them bebhavantu yourte;
king·over·kingRājābhirājā lord of mankindmanujindo,
rulerajjaṁ may you reignkārehi Gotamagotama”.

“O Blessed One, your body’s perfect, you’re radiant, handsome, lovely to behold; golden colored, with teeth so white; you’re strong. The characteristics of a handsome man, the marks of a great man, are all found on your body. Your eyes are clear, your face is fair, you’re formidable, upright, majestic. In the midst of the Saṅgha of ascetics, you dazzle like the sun. You’re a mendicant fine to see, with skin that shines like lustrous gold. But with such excellent appearance, what do you want with the ascetic life? You’re fit to be a king, a wheel-turning monarch, chief of charioteers, victorious in the four quarters, lord of the Black Plum Tree Land. Aristocrats, nobles, and kings ought follow your rule. Gotama, may you reign as king of kings, lord of mankind!”

I am a king“Rājāhamasmi O Selaselāti,
teaching·kingdhammarājā supremeanuttaro;
by the teachingDhammena the wheelcakkaṁ I roll forthvattemi,
the wheelcakkaṁ which cannot be rolled backappaṭivattiyaṁ”.

“I am a king, Sela, the supreme king of the teaching. By the teaching I roll forth the wheel which cannot be rolled back.”

fully awakened one“Sambuddho you claimpaṭijānāsi,
teaching·kingdhammarājā supremeanuttaro;
with the teaching‘Dhammena wheelcakkaṁ I roll forthvattemi’,
thusiti you saybhāsasi Gotamagotama.
whoKo thennu generalsenāpati of you, sirbhoto,
disciplesāvako following the Teachersatthuranvayo;
whoKo keeps it rolling for youtetamanuvatteti,
teaching·wheeldhammacakkaṁ rolled forthpavattitaṁ”.

“You claim to be awakened, the supreme king of the teaching. ‘I roll forth the teaching’: so you say, Gotama. Then who is your general, the disciple who follows the Teacher’s way? Who keeps rolling the wheel of the teaching you rolled forth?”

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