[91] Venerable sir, whatever is to be attained by a clansman endowed with faith, of aroused energy (vīriya), possessed of strength — by human strength, by human energy, by human exertion, by human capacity to bear the burden — that has been fully attained by the Blessed One. And, venerable sir, the Blessed One is not devoted to the pursuit of indulgence in sensual pleasure among sensual objects — a pursuit that is low, vulgar, belonging to the ordinary person, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit — nor is he devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification — painful, ignoble, and unconnected with benefit. And the Blessed One is one who gains at will, gains without trouble, gains without difficulty the four meditative absorptions (jhāna) that pertain to the higher mind and are pleasant abidings in the present life.
If, venerable sir, someone were to ask me thus: "Friend Sāriputta, have there been in the past other ascetics or brahmins superior in direct knowledge to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening (sambodhi)?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "No." "But, friend Sāriputta, will there be in the future other ascetics or brahmins superior in direct knowledge to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "No." "But, friend Sāriputta, is there at present any other ascetic or brahmin superior in direct knowledge to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "No."
But if, venerable sir, someone were to ask me thus: "Friend Sāriputta, have there been in the past other ascetics or brahmins exactly equal to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "Yes." "But, friend Sāriputta, will there be in the future other ascetics or brahmins exactly equal to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "Yes." "But, friend Sāriputta, is there at present any other ascetic or brahmin exactly equal to the Blessed One with regard to full awakening?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would say "No."
But if, venerable sir, someone were to ask me thus: "Why, then, does the Venerable Sāriputta concede the one and not concede the other?" — being asked thus, venerable sir, I would answer thus: "Friends, I have heard this in the Blessed One's own presence, received it in his own presence: 'There have been in the past Arahants, Fully Awakened Ones, exactly equal to myself with regard to full awakening.' Friends, I have heard this in the Blessed One's own presence, received it in his own presence: 'There will be in the future Arahants, Fully Awakened Ones, exactly equal to myself with regard to full awakening.' And, friends, I have heard this in the Blessed One's own presence, received it in his own presence: 'It is impossible, there is no opportunity, that two Arahants, Fully Awakened Ones, should arise in one and the same world-system (lokadhātu) neither before nor after one another — such a thing cannot be.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.