[2] Then the brahmin Verañja approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the courteous and memorable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the brahmin Verañja said this to the Blessed One: "I have heard this, Master Gotama: 'The ascetic Gotama does not bow down to brahmins who are aged, elderly, of great age, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he rise up for them, nor invite them to a seat.' And that, Master Gotama, is just so: for Master Gotama does not bow down to brahmins who are aged, elderly, of great age, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he rise up for them, nor invite them to a seat. That, Master Gotama, is not at all proper."
"Brahmin, in this world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and human beings, I do not see anyone whom I should bow down to, or rise up for, or invite to a seat. For if the Tathāgata were to bow down to anyone, or rise up for him, or invite him to a seat, brahmin, even that person's head would split and fall."
"Master Gotama is devoid of taste (arasarūpo)."
"There is indeed a way (pariyāya), brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is devoid of taste.' For those tastes of forms, tastes of sounds, tastes of odors, tastes of flavors, and tastes of tangibles, brahmin, have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is devoid of taste' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is devoid of enjoyment (nibbhogo)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is devoid of enjoyment.' For those enjoyments of forms, enjoyments of sounds, enjoyments of odors, enjoyments of flavors, and enjoyments of tangibles, brahmin, have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is devoid of enjoyment' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is a proclaimer of non-doing (akiriyavādo)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a proclaimer of non-doing.' For I, brahmin, proclaim the non-doing of bodily misconduct, of verbal misconduct, and of mental misconduct; I proclaim the non-doing of the many kinds of evil, unwholesome states. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a proclaimer of non-doing' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is a proclaimer of annihilation (ucchedavādo)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a proclaimer of annihilation.' For I, brahmin, proclaim the annihilation of lust (rāga), of hatred, and of delusion; I proclaim the annihilation of the many kinds of evil, unwholesome states. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a proclaimer of annihilation' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is one who abhors (jegucchī)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one who abhors.' For I, brahmin, abhor bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct; I abhor the undertaking of the many kinds of evil, unwholesome states. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one who abhors' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is one who leads away (venayiko)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one who leads away.' For I, brahmin, teach the Dhamma for the removal (vinaya) of lust, of hatred, and of delusion; I teach the Dhamma for the removal of the many kinds of evil, unwholesome states. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one who leads away' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is a mortifier (tapassī)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a mortifier.' For I, brahmin, declare that evil, unwholesome states — bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct — are to be burned away (tapanīya). One in whom the evil, unwholesome states that are to be burned away have been abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future — him I call a mortifier. In the Tathāgata, brahmin, the evil, unwholesome states that are to be burned away have been abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is a mortifier' — but not in the sense you intend."
"Master Gotama is one gone beyond the womb (apagabbho)."
"There is indeed a way, brahmin, in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one gone beyond the womb.' For one in whom future lying in a womb and rebirth into renewed existence have been abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future — him I call one gone beyond the womb. In the Tathāgata, brahmin, future lying in a womb and rebirth into renewed existence have been abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palmyra stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. This, brahmin, is the way in which one speaking rightly could say of me: 'The ascetic Gotama is one gone beyond the womb' — but not in the sense you intend."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.