Selasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 92

With Sela · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Buddhoti—bho keṇiya, vadesi”?
“Buddhoti—bho sela, vadāmi”.
“Buddhoti—bho keṇiya, vadesi”?
“Buddhoti—bho sela, vadāmī”ti.

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

Atha kho selassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi:
“ghosopi kho eso dullabho lokasmiṁ—yadidaṁ ‘buddho’ti.
Āgatāni kho panamhākaṁ mantesu dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, yehi samannāgatassa mahāpurisassa dveyeva gatiyo bhavanti anaññā.
Sace agāraṁ ajjhāvasati, rājā hoti cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato.
Tassimāni satta ratanāni bhavanti, seyyathidaṁ—
cakkaratanaṁ, hatthiratanaṁ, assaratanaṁ, maṇiratanaṁ, itthiratanaṁ, gahapatiratanaṁ, pariṇāyakaratanameva sattamaṁ.
Parosahassaṁ kho panassa puttā bhavanti sūrā vīraṅgarūpā parasenappamaddanā.
So imaṁ pathaviṁ sāgarapariyantaṁ adaṇḍena asatthena dhammena abhivijiya ajjhāvasati.
Sace pana agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajati, arahaṁ hoti sammāsambuddho loke vivaṭṭacchado”.

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.”

“Kahaṁ pana, bho keṇiya, etarahi so bhavaṁ gotamo viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho”ti?
Evaṁ vutte, keṇiyo jaṭilo dakkhiṇaṁ bāhuṁ paggahetvā selaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
“yenesā, bho sela, nīlavanarājī”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.”

Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo tīhi māṇavakasatehi saddhiṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo te māṇavake āmantesi:
“appasaddā bhonto āgacchantu pade padaṁ nikkhipantā;
durāsadā hi te bhagavanto sīhāva ekacarā.
Yadā cāhaṁ, bho, samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ manteyyaṁ, mā me bhonto antarantarā kathaṁ opātetha.
Kathāpariyosānaṁ me bhavanto āgamentū”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.”

Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kāye dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni samannesi.
Addasā kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kāye dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, yebhuyyena ṭhapetvā dve.
Dvīsu mahāpurisalakkhaṇesu kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati—
kosohite ca vatthaguyhe pahūtajivhatāya ca.
Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“passati kho me ayaṁ selo brāhmaṇo dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, yebhuyyena ṭhapetvā dve.
Dvīsu mahāpurisalakkhaṇesu kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati—
kosohite ca vatthaguyhe pahūtajivhatāya cā”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.”

Atha kho bhagavā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāsi, yathā addasa selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kosohitaṁ vatthaguyhaṁ.
Atha kho bhagavā jivhaṁ ninnāmetvā ubhopi kaṇṇasotāni anumasi paṭimasi; ubhopi nāsikasotāni anumasi paṭimasi; kevalampi nalāṭamaṇḍalaṁ jivhāya chādesi.

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.

Atha kho selassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi:
“samannāgato kho samaṇo gotamo dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇehi paripuṇṇehi, no aparipuṇṇehi;
no ca kho naṁ jānāmi buddho vā no vā.
Sutaṁ kho pana metaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ vuddhānaṁ mahallakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
‘ye te bhavanti arahanto sammāsambuddhā te sake vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attānaṁ pātukarontī’ti.
Yannūnāhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthaveyyan”ti.
Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:

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:

“Paripuṇṇakāyo suruci,
Sujāto cārudassano;
Suvaṇṇavaṇṇosi bhagavā,
Susukkadāṭhosi vīriyavā.
Narassa hi sujātassa,
ye bhavanti viyañjanā;
Sabbe te tava kāyasmiṁ,
mahāpurisalakkhaṇā.
Pasannanetto sumukho,
brahā uju patāpavā;
Majjhe samaṇasaṅghassa,
ādiccova virocasi.
Kalyāṇadassano bhikkhu,
kañcanasannibhattaco;
Kiṁ te samaṇabhāvena,
evaṁ uttamavaṇṇino.
Rājā arahasi bhavituṁ,
cakkavattī rathesabho;
Cāturanto vijitāvī,
jambusaṇḍassa issaro.
Khattiyā bhogirājāno,
anuyantā bhavantu te;
Rājābhirājā manujindo,
rajjaṁ kārehi gotama”.

“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!”

“Rājāhamasmi selāti,
dhammarājā anuttaro;
Dhammena cakkaṁ vattemi,
cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ”.

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

“Sambuddho paṭijānāsi,
dhammarājā anuttaro;
‘Dhammena cakkaṁ vattemi’,
iti bhāsasi gotama.
Ko nu senāpati bhoto,
sāvako satthuranvayo;
Ko tetamanuvatteti,
dhammacakkaṁ pavattitaṁ”.

“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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