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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

I. At Bhaṇḍa Village — AN 4.8: Self-assured

1“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 holy wheel. What four?


I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to be fully awakened, but you don’t understand these things.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured.

2I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to have ended all defilements, but these defilements have not ended.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured.

3I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or Brahmā, 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.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured.

4I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or Brahmā, 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.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured.


A Realized One has 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 holy wheel.

5The various grounds for criticism
that ascetics and brahmins rely on
don’t touch a Realized One,
assured, gone beyond grounds for criticism.

6He rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma as a consummate one,
complete, compassionate for all living creatures.
Sentient beings revere him, best of gods and humans,
who has gone beyond rebirth.”

1"Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa vesārajjāni, yehi vesārajjehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti. Katamāni cattāri?


‘"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. Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

2‘"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. Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

3‘"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. Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

4‘"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. Etamahaṁ, bhikkhave, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.


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

5Ye kecime vādapathā puthussitā,
Yaṁnissitā samaṇabrāhmaṇā ca;
Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti,
Visāradaṁ vādapathātivattaṁ.

6Yo dhammacakkaṁ abhibhuyya kevalī,
Pavattayī sabbabhūtānukampī;
Taṁ tādisaṁ devamanussaseṭṭhaṁ,
Sattā namassanti bhavassa pāragun"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.