[8] Bhikkhus, there are these four grounds of self-confidence (vesārajja) of the Tathāgata, endowed with which self-confidences the Tathāgata claims the place of the chief bull (āsabhaṇṭhāna), roars the lion's roar (sīhanāda) in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahmā (brahmacakka). What four?
"While you claim to be a Fully Enlightened One (Sammāsambuddha), these dhammas have not been fully awakened to by you" — I see no ground (nimitta), bhikkhus, on which any ascetic or brahmin, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world, could legitimately reprove me thus. Not seeing any such ground, bhikkhus, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
"While you claim to be one whose taints (āsava) are destroyed, these taints of yours are not fully destroyed" — I see no ground, bhikkhus, on which any ascetic or brahmin, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world, could legitimately reprove me thus. Not seeing any such ground, bhikkhus, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
"Those things declared by you to be obstructive are not truly able to obstruct one who engages in them" — I see no ground, bhikkhus, on which any ascetic or brahmin, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world, could legitimately reprove me thus. Not seeing any such ground, bhikkhus, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
"The Dhamma taught by you for the sake of some goal does not lead the one who practices accordingly to the complete destruction of suffering (dukkha)" — I see no ground, bhikkhus, on which any ascetic or brahmin, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world, could legitimately reprove me thus. Not seeing any such ground, bhikkhus, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
These, bhikkhus, are the four grounds of self-confidence of the Tathāgata, endowed with which self-confidences the Tathāgata claims the place of the chief bull, roars the lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahmā.
Whatever pathways of debate there are, deployed far and wide,
on which ascetics and brahmins rely —
reaching the Tathāgata, they come to naught,
the confident one who has passed beyond all pathways of debate.
He who, having overcome all, set rolling
the Wheel of Dhamma in its entirety, compassionate toward all beings —
to such a one, best of devas and humans,
beings pay homage, the one gone beyond existence.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.