[330] "And how is it, sir, that I am so devoted to the ascetic Gotama? Suppose, sir, a skilled elephant-forest tracker (nāgavanika) were to enter an elephant forest, and there in the elephant forest he were to see a great elephant's footprint, long in length and broad in breadth. He would come to the conclusion: 'Great indeed, sir, is this bull elephant (nāga)!' Even so, when I saw four footprints in the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: 'The Blessed One is a Perfectly Enlightened One (sammāsambuddha); the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing well.' What are the four?
"Here, sir, I see certain learned khattiyas — subtle, practiced in the doctrines of others, able, as it were, to split hairs — who go about, one would think, demolishing views with their wisdom. They hear: 'It is said, sirs, that the ascetic Gotama will come down to such-and-such a village or town.' They formulate a question thus: 'We shall approach the ascetic Gotama and ask him this question. If, asked by us thus, he answers thus, we shall refute his doctrine thus; and if, asked by us thus, he answers thus, we shall refute his doctrine thus.' They hear: 'It is said, sirs, that the ascetic Gotama has come down to such-and-such a village or town.' They approach the ascetic Gotama. The ascetic Gotama instructs, rouses, inspires, and gladdens them with a talk on the Dhamma. And they, instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened by the ascetic Gotama with a talk on the Dhamma, do not even ask the ascetic Gotama their question — how then could they refute his doctrine? Invariably, they become disciples of the ascetic Gotama himself. When, sir, I saw this first footprint in the ascetic Gotama, then I came to the conclusion: 'The Blessed One is a Perfectly Enlightened One; the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing well.'
"Again, sir, I see certain learned brahmins here … certain learned householders … certain learned ascetics — subtle, practiced in the doctrines of others, able, as it were, to split hairs — who go about, one would think, demolishing views with their wisdom. They hear: 'It is said, sirs, that the ascetic Gotama will come down to such-and-such a village or town.' They formulate a question thus: 'We shall approach the ascetic Gotama and ask him this question. If, asked by us thus, he answers thus, we shall refute his doctrine thus; and if, asked by us thus, he answers thus, we shall refute his doctrine thus.' They hear: 'It is said, sirs, that the ascetic Gotama has come down to such-and-such a village or town.' They approach the ascetic Gotama. The ascetic Gotama instructs, rouses, inspires, and gladdens them with a talk on the Dhamma. And they, instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened by the ascetic Gotama with a talk on the Dhamma, do not even ask the ascetic Gotama their question — how then could they refute his doctrine? Invariably, they ask the ascetic Gotama himself for the opportunity to go forth from the home life into homelessness. The ascetic Gotama gives them the going forth (pabbajjā). Having gone forth there, dwelling withdrawn, heedful, ardent (ātāpī), and resolute, before long they realize for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness, and, having entered upon it, they dwell therein. They say this: 'We were all but lost, sirs! We were all but lost, sirs! For formerly, though we were not ascetics at all, we claimed, "We are ascetics"; though we were not brahmins, we claimed, "We are brahmins"; though we were not arahants, we claimed, "We are arahants." But now indeed we are ascetics, now indeed we are brahmins, now indeed we are arahants.' When, sir, I saw this fourth footprint in the ascetic Gotama, then I came to the conclusion: 'The Blessed One is a Perfectly Enlightened One; the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing well.'
"Since, sir, I saw these four footprints in the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: 'The Blessed One is a Perfectly Enlightened One; the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing well.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.