8.
The Discourse on Self-Confidence
8.
"There are, monks, these four grounds of self-confidence of the Truth-finder, endowed with which grounds of self-confidence the Truth-finder acknowledges a distinguished position, roars the lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the divine wheel.
What are the four?
'For you who acknowledge yourself as a Perfectly Enlightened One, these things have not been fully awakened to' - that indeed an ascetic or a brahmin or a god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world would reprove me with reason regarding that - I do not see this sign, monks.
Not seeing this sign, monks, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
'For you who acknowledge yourself as one who has eliminated the mental corruptions, these mental corruptions have not been eliminated' - that indeed an ascetic or a brahmin or a god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world would reprove me with reason regarding that - I do not see this sign, monks. Not seeing this sign, monks, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
'Those things that are obstructions that have been declared by you, for one indulging in them they are not sufficient for obstruction' - that indeed an ascetic or a brahmin or a god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world would reprove me with reason regarding that - I do not see this sign, monks. Not seeing this sign, monks, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence.
'The Teaching, for the purpose for which you expounded it, does not lead the one who practises it to the complete elimination of suffering'- that indeed an ascetic or a brahmin or a god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world would reprove me with reason regarding that - I do not see this sign, monks. Not seeing this sign, monks, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence. These, monks, are the four grounds of self-confidence of the Truth-finder, endowed with which grounds of self-confidence the Truth-finder acknowledges a distinguished position, roars the lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the divine wheel."
Upon which ascetics and brahmins depend;
Having reached the Truth-finder, they do not exist,
The self-confident one who has transcended grounds for disputation.
With compassion for all beings;
Beings pay homage to such a one, the foremost of gods and humans, who has gone beyond existence."
The eighth.