[36] On one occasion the Blessed One was travelling along the highway between Ukkaṭṭhā and Setabya. The brahmin Doṇa was also travelling along the highway between Ukkaṭṭhā and Setabya. The brahmin Doṇa saw in the Blessed One's footprints wheels with a thousand spokes, with rims and with hubs, complete in every aspect. Having seen them, it occurred to him: "It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is marvellous indeed, sir! Surely these will not be the footprints of one who is a human being."
Then the Blessed One stepped off the road and sat down at the foot of a certain tree, folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect, having established mindfulness (sati) before him. Then the brahmin Doṇa, following the Blessed One's footprints, saw the Blessed One seated at the foot of a certain tree — graceful, inspiring confidence, with peaceful faculties and peaceful mind, having attained the supreme taming and calm, tamed, guarded, with peaceful faculties, a nāga. Having seen him, he approached the Blessed One and said to him:
"Could you be a deva, sir?"
"I will not be a deva, brahmin."
"Could you be a gandhabba, sir?"
"I will not be a gandhabba, brahmin."
"Could you be a yakkha, sir?"
"I will not be a yakkha, brahmin."
"Could you be a human being, sir?"
"I will not be a human being, brahmin."
"When asked, 'Could you be a deva, sir?' you say, 'I will not be a deva, brahmin.' When asked, 'Could you be a gandhabba, sir?' you say, 'I will not be a gandhabba, brahmin.' When asked, 'Could you be a yakkha, sir?' you say, 'I will not be a yakkha, brahmin.' When asked, 'Could you be a human being, sir?' you say, 'I will not be a human being, brahmin.' What, then, could you be, sir?"
"Brahmin, those taints (āsava) because of whose non-abandonment I might become a deva — those taints have been abandoned by me, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, no longer subject to arising in the future. Brahmin, those taints because of whose non-abandonment I might become a gandhabba … might become a yakkha … might become a human being — those taints have been abandoned by me, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, no longer subject to arising in the future. Just as, brahmin, a blue lotus, a red lotus, or a white lotus, born in the water, grown up in the water, stands having risen above the water, unsoiled by the water — even so, brahmin, born in the world, grown up in the world, I dwell having overcome the world, unsoiled by the world. Remember me, brahmin, as a Buddha.
That [taint] by which I might have been reborn as a deva,
or as a gandhabba who travels through the sky;
that by which I might have reached the state of a yakkha,
and might have attained the state of a human being —
those taints of mine are destroyed, demolished, cut down like reeds.
As a white lotus, risen up, is not soiled by the water,
so I am not soiled by the world:
therefore, brahmin, I am a Buddha."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.