In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [129]
5. “Again, I have seen certain learned brahmins who were clever.… In actual fact, they too become his disciples. When I saw this second footprint of the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened.…’
6. “Again, I have seen certain learned householders who were clever.… In actual fact, they too become his disciples. When I saw this third footprint of the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened.…’
7. “Again, I have seen certain learned ascetics who were clever.… They do not so much as ask him the question, so how should they refute his doctrine? In actual fact, they ask the ascetic Gotama to allow them to go forth from the household life into homelessness, and he gives them the going forth. Not long after they have gone forth, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge they here and now enter upon and dwell in that supreme goal of the spiritual life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness. They say thus: ‘We were very nearly lost, we very nearly perished, for formerly we claimed that we were ascetics though we were not really ascetics; we claimed that we were brahmins though we were not really brahmins; we claimed that we were arahants though we were not really arahants. But now we are ascetics, now we are brahmins, now we are arahants.’ When I saw this fourth footprint of the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened.…’
“When I saw these four footprints of the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened, the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, the Saṅgha is practicing the good way.’”
8. When this was said, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi got down from his all-white chariot drawn by white mares, and arranging his upper robe on one shoulder, he extended his hands in reverential salutation toward the Blessed One and uttered this exclamation three times: “Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One! Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One! Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One! Perhaps some time or other I might meet Master Gotama and have some conversation with him.”
9. Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down to one side and related his entire conversation with the wanderer Pilotika. Thereupon the Blessed One told him: “At this point, brahmin, the simile of the elephant’s footprint has not yet been completed in detail. As to how it is completed in detail, listen and attend carefully to what I shall say.”—“Yes, sir,” the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi replied. The Blessed One said this:
10. “Brahmin, suppose an elephant hunter were to enter an elephant wood and were to see in the elephant wood a big elephant’s footprint, long in extent and broad across. A wise elephant hunter would not yet come to the conclusion: ‘Indeed, this is a big bull elephant.’ Why is that? In an elephant wood there are small she-elephants that leave a big footprint, and this might be one of their footprints. He follows it and sees in the elephant wood a big elephant’s footprint, long in extent and broad across, and some scrapings high up. A wise elephant hunter would not yet come