1. Bhaṇḍagāmavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.8

Numbered Discourses 4.8

1. Bhaṇḍagāmavagga

1. At Wares Village

Vesārajjasutta

Self-assured

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa vesārajjāni, yehi vesārajjehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

“Mendicants, a Realized One has four kinds of self-assurance. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

‘“Sammāsambuddhassa te paṭijānato ime dhammā anabhisambuddhā”ti tatra vata maṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā devo vā māro vā brahmā vā koci vā lokasmiṁ sahadhammena paṭicodessatī’ti nimittametaṁ, bhikkhave, na samanupassāmi.

I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to be a fully awakened Buddha, but you don’t understand these things.’

Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

‘“Khīṇāsavassa te paṭijānato ime āsavā aparikkhīṇā”ti tatra vata maṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā devo vā māro vā brahmā vā koci vā lokasmiṁ sahadhammena paṭicodessatī’ti nimittametaṁ, bhikkhave, na samanupassāmi.

I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to have ended all defilements, but you still have these defilements.’

Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

‘“Ye kho pana te antarāyikā dhammā vuttā te paṭisevato nālaṁ antarāyāyā”ti tatra vata maṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā devo vā māro vā brahmā vā koci vā lokasmiṁ sahadhammena paṭicodessatī’ti nimittametaṁ, bhikkhave, na samanupassāmi.

I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘The acts that you say are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who performs them.’

Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

‘“Yassa kho pana te atthāya dhammo desito so na niyyāti takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāyā”ti tatra vata maṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā devo vā māro vā brahmā vā koci vā lokasmiṁ sahadhammena paṭicodessatī’ti nimittametaṁ, bhikkhave, na samanupassāmi.

I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘Though you teach that this teaching leads to the goal of the complete ending of suffering, it doesn’t lead there for one who practices it.’

Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri tathāgatassa vesārajjāni, yehi vesārajjehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavattetīti.

A Realized One possesses these four kinds of self-assurance. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel.

Ye kecime vādapathā puthussitā,

The various grounds for criticism

Yaṁnissitā samaṇabrāhmaṇā ca;

that ascetics and brahmins rely on

Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti,

vanish on reaching a Realized One,

Visāradaṁ vādapathātivattaṁ.

self-assured, gone beyond grounds for criticism.

Yo dhammacakkaṁ abhibhuyya kevalī,

He rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma <j>as a consummate one,

Pavattayī sabbabhūtānukampī;

complete, sympathetic for all living creatures.

Taṁ tādisaṁ devamanussaseṭṭhaṁ,

Sentient beings revere him, <j>first among gods and humans,

Sattā namassanti bhavassa pāragun”ti.

who has gone beyond rebirth.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.