7.
The Discourse on the Invitation Ceremony
215.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in Migāramātā's mansion, together with a large Community of monks, about five hundred monks, all of them Worthy Ones.
Now at that time, on the uposatha day, the fifteenth, for the invitation ceremony to admonish, the Blessed One was seated in the open air surrounded by the Community of monks.
Then the Blessed One, having surveyed the Community of monks who were silent, addressed the monks -
"Come now, monks, I invite you to admonish me.
Do you censure anything in me, bodily or verbal?"
When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta, having risen from his seat, having arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, having extended joined palms in salutation towards the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One - "We do not, venerable sir, censure anything in the Blessed One, bodily or verbal. For the Blessed One, venerable sir, is the producer of the unarisen path, the generator of the unproduced path, the declarer of the undeclared path, the knower of the path, the expert in the path, skilled in the path. And now, venerable sir, the disciples dwell following the path, having become endowed with it afterwards; and I, venerable sir, invite the Blessed One to admonish me. And the Blessed One does not censure anything in me, bodily or verbal."
"I do not indeed censure anything in you, Sāriputta, bodily or verbal. You are wise, Sāriputta, you are of great wisdom, Sāriputta, you are of broad wisdom, Sāriputta, you are of joyful wisdom, Sāriputta, you are of swift wisdom, Sāriputta, you are of sharp wisdom, Sāriputta, you are of penetrative wisdom, Sāriputta. Just as, Sāriputta, the eldest son of a wheel-turning monarch rightly keeps turning the wheel set in motion by his father; so too, Sāriputta, you rightly keep turning the unsurpassed wheel of the Teaching that was set in motion by me."
"If indeed, venerable sir, the Blessed One does not censure anything in me, bodily or verbal, does the Blessed One, venerable sir, censure anything in these five hundred monks, bodily or verbal?" "I do not indeed, Sāriputta, censure anything in these five hundred monks, bodily or verbal. For, Sāriputta, of these five hundred monks, sixty monks are possessors of the threefold true knowledge, sixty monks possess the six higher knowledges, sixty monks are liberated in both ways, and the rest are liberated by wisdom."
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having risen from his seat, having arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, having extended joined palms in salutation towards the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One - "It occurs to me, Blessed One, it occurs to me, Fortunate One." "Let it occur to you, Vaṅgīsa" - the Blessed One said. Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa praised the Blessed One face to face with fitting verses -
Cutters of the bonds and fetters, free from trouble, with rebirth eliminated, sages.
Travels all around this earth bounded by the ocean.
The disciples attend upon, possessors of the threefold true knowledge, conquerors of death.
The destroyer of the dart of craving, I pay homage to the kinsman of the sun."