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9. Then King Pasenadi [120] entered the dwelling. Prostrating himself with his head at the Blessed One’s feet, he covered the Blessed One’s feet with kisses and caressed them with his hands, pronouncing his name: “I am King Pasenadi of Kosala, venerable sir; I am King Pasenadi of Kosala, venerable sir.”

“But, great king, what reason do you see for doing such supreme honour to this body and for showing such friendship?”

10. “Venerable sir, I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’ Now, venerable sir, I see some recluses and brahmins leading a limited holy life for ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or forty years, and then on a later occasion I see them well groomed and well anointed, with trimmed hair and beards, enjoying themselves provided and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure. But here I see bhikkhus leading the perfect and pure holy life as long as life and breath last. Indeed, I do not see any other holy life elsewhere as perfect and pure as this. This is why, venerable sir, I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’

11. “Again, venerable sir, kings quarrel with kings, nobles with nobles, brahmins with brahmins, householders with householders; mother quarrels with son, son with mother, father with son, son with father; brother quarrels with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend with friend.838 But here I see bhikkhus living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, [121] viewing each other with kindly eyes. I do not see any other assembly elsewhere with such concord. This too, venerable sir, is why I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’

12. “Again, venerable sir, I have walked and wandered from park to park and from garden to garden. There I have seen some recluses and brahmins who are lean, wretched, unsightly, jaundiced, with veins standing out on their limbs, such that people would not want to look at them again. I have thought: ‘Surely these venerable ones are leading the holy life in discontent, or they have done some evil deed and are concealing it, so lean and wretched are they…such that people would not want to look at them again.’ I went up to them and asked: ‘Why are you venerable ones so lean and wretched…such that people would not want to look at you again?’ Their reply was: ‘It is our family sickness, great king.’ But here I see bhikkhus smiling and cheerful, sincerely joyful, plainly delighting, their faculties fresh, living at ease, unruffled, subsisting on what others give, abiding with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s. I have thought: ‘Surely these venerable ones perceive successive states of lofty distinction in the Blessed One’s Dispensation, since they abide thus smiling and cheerful…with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s.’ This too, venerable sir, is why I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’

13. “Again, venerable sir, being a head-anointed noble king, [122] I am able to have executed those who should be executed, to fine those who should be fined, to exile those who should be exiled. Yet when I am sitting in council, they break in and interrupt me. Though I say: ‘Gentlemen, do not break in and interrupt me when I am sitting in council; wait till the end of my speech,’ still they break in and interrupt me. But here I see bhikkhus while the Blessed One is teaching the Dhamma839 to an