Sela

“Your body is perfect, you are radiant,
Handsome, lovely to behold,
Blessed One, you are golden coloured,
Your teeth are pure white, you are full of energy.
The characteristics
Of a handsome man,
The marks of a great man,
Are all in your body.
Your eyes are clear, your face is nice,
You are large, upright, and majestic.
In the middle of the Saṅgha of ascetics,
You shine like the sun.
You’re a good-looking monk,
With skin like gold;
With such excellent appearance,
What do you want with the ascetic life?
You’re worthy of being a king,
A wheel-rolling emperor, a bull among heroes,
Victorious in the four directions,
Lord of all India.
Warriors, lords, and kings
Are your followers
You are king above kings and lord of men—
Claim your kingship, Gotama!”
“Sela, I am a king,
Said the Blessed one to Sela,
“The unsurpassed king of Dhamma.
By Dhamma I set the wheel rolling,
The wheel which cannot be rolled back.”
“You claim to be awakened,”
Said Sela the brahman,
“The unsurpassed king of Dhamma.
‘By Dhamma I set the wheel rolling,’
That is what you say, Gotama.
Who is the Blessed One’s general,
The disciple who follows the teacher?
Who keeps on rolling
The wheel of Dhama you rolled forth?”
“I rolled forth the wheel,”
Said the Blessed One to Sela,
“The unexcelled wheel of Dhamma.
Sāriputta, who follows the Tathāgata’s example,
Keeps it rolling on.
What’s to be known is known;
What’s to be developed is developed;
I’ve abandoned what’s to be abandoned;
Therefore, brahmin, I am a Buddha.
Dispel your doubt in me;
Make up your mind, brahman!
It’s always hard to gain
The sight of Buddhas.
I am one of those whose appearance
Is always hard to find in this world;
I am a Buddha, brahman,
The unexcelled remover of darts.
Holy, unequalled,
Crusher of Māra’s army;
Having subdued all enemies,
I rejoice, fearing nothing in any direction.”
“Listen, sirs, to what,
Is spoken by the seer.
Remover of darts, great hero,
Roaring like a lion in the jungle.
Holy, unequalled,
Crusher of Māra’s army;
Who could see him and not have faith,
Even one whose nature is dark?
Those who wish may follow me;
Those who don’t wish may go.
Right here, I’ll go forth,
In the presence of the glorious wise one.”
“If, sir, you adopt
The teaching of the Buddha,
We will also go forth
In the presence of the glorious wise one.”
These three hundred brahmans
With hands held in añjalī, ask:
“May we live the holy life
In your presence, Blessed One?”
“The holy life is well proclaimed,”
Said the Buddha to Sela,
“Apparent in this very life, without delay,
In which the going forth isn’t in vain,
For one heedful in the training.”
“It’s the eighth day, o seer,
Since we went to you for refuge.
In seven days, Blessed One,
We were tamed in your teaching.
You are the Buddha, you are the teacher
You are the sage who has overcome Māra;
You have cut off the underlying tendencies,
And having crossed over yourself, you bring people across.
You have transcended attachments,
Your defilements have been torn apart;
Without grasping, like a lion,
You’ve abandoned fear and dread.
These three hundred monks
Stand with hands in añjalī:
Put out your feet, great hero,
Let these beings of power venerate the teacher.”