English
7. The Discourse on Marks The Thirty-two Marks of a Great Man 198. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One spoke thus: 199. “These, bhikkhus, are the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, with which a Great Man endowed has only two destinies, no other. If he lives in a house, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch, a righteous king of righteousness, a conqueror of the four quarters, one who has achieved stability in his country, endowed with the seven treasures. These are his seven treasures: namely, the wheel treasure, the elephant treasure, the horse treasure, the gem treasure, the woman treasure, the householder treasure, and the adviser treasure as the seventh. He has more than a thousand sons, who are brave, heroic in form, crushers of hostile armies. He conquers this earth, bounded by the ocean, without rod or sword, by righteousness, and dwells therein. If, however, he goes forth from the home life into homelessness, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, one who has removed the veil from the world. 200. “And what, bhikkhus, are these thirty-two marks of a Great Man, with which a Great Man endowed has only two destinies, no other? If he lives in a house, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch… If, however, he goes forth from the home life into homelessness, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, one who has removed the veil from the world. “Here, bhikkhus, the Great Man has well-planted feet. That, bhikkhus, the Great Man has well-planted feet, this too, bhikkhus, is a mark of a Great Man. “Furthermore, bhikkhus, the Great Man has wheels arisen on the soles of his feet, with a thousand spokes, with felloe and nave. which are complete in all aspects. And further, monks, the Great Man has wheels born on the soles of his feet, with a thousand spokes, with felloes, with naves, complete in all aspects. This too, monks, is a Great Man's mark of a Great Man. And further, monks, the Great Man has long heels. has long fingers and toes. has soft, tender hands and feet. has webbed hands and feet. has high insteps. has legs like an antelope. standing upright, without bending, he can touch and stroke his knees with both hands. has his private parts retracted into a sheath. has a golden complexion, skin like burnished gold. has very fine skin, so fine that no dust or dirt adheres to his body. has one hair per pore, each hair growing from a single pore. has hairs growing upwards, blue-black, like collyrium, curled and turning to the right. has a divine, upright body. has seven protuberances. has the forepart of his body like a lion. has a full space between his shoulders. is proportioned like a banyan tree, his height is equal to his arm-span, and his arm-span is equal to his height. has evenly rounded shoulders. has a keen sense of taste. has a jaw like a lion. has forty teeth. has even teeth. has no gaps between his teeth. has very white canines. has a large tongue. has a divine voice, like the karavīka bird. has very dark blue eyes. has eyelashes like a cow. has a tuft of hair between his eyebrows, white and soft like cotton down. And further, monks, the Great Man has a tuft of hair between his eyebrows, white and soft like cotton down. This too, monks, is a Great Man's mark of a Great Man. And further, monks, the Great Man has a head like a turban. And further, monks, the Great Man has a head like a turban. This too, monks, is a Great Man's mark of a Great Man. A man has the marks of a Great Man. “These, monks, are the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, endowed with which a Great Man has only two destinies, no other. If he lives in a home, he becomes a Wheel-turning King… But if he goes forth from home to the homeless life, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, one who has removed the veil from the world.” “These thirty-two marks of a Great Man, monks, are also held by external ascetics, but they do not know: ‘Because of the doing of this karma, this mark is obtained.’” (1) The Mark of Firmly Planted Feet 201. Whatever, monks, the Tathāgata in a former birth, in a former existence, in a former dwelling, being previously a human being, was firm in his resolve in wholesome states, steadfast in his resolve in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, good mental conduct, in sharing gifts, in undertaking precepts, in observing Uposatha, in motherly devotion, in fatherly devotion, in respect for ascetics, in respect for brahmins, in honoring elders in the family, and in various other more wholesome states. Because of the doing of that karma, its accumulation, its abundance, its vastness, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, in the heavenly world. There he surpasses other devas in ten respects: in divine life-span, in divine beauty, in divine happiness, in divine fame, in divine sovereignty, in divine forms, in divine sounds, in divine smells, in divine tastes, in divine touches. Having fallen from there, having come to this state of being, he obtains this mark of a Great Man. He has firmly planted feet. He places his foot evenly on the ground, he lifts it evenly, he touches the ground evenly with the entire soles of his feet. 202. Endowed with that mark, if he lives in a home, he becomes a Wheel-turning King, righteous, a king of righteousness, ruling the four quarters, victorious, having attained stability in his country, endowed with the seven jewels. His These seven jewels exist; namely, the wheel-jewel, the elephant-jewel, the horse-jewel, the gem-jewel, the woman-jewel, the householder-jewel, and the leader-jewel as the seventh. Moreover, he has more than a thousand sons, heroic, of valiant form, crushers of enemy armies. He conquers and dwells over this earth, bounded by the ocean, unbroken, without dissension, without thorns, prosperous, flourishing, safe, auspicious, unperplexed, by righteousness, without rod, without weapon. Being a king, what does he gain? He is unshakeable by any human foe or enemy. Being a king, he gains this. "But if he goes forth from home to homelessness, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, one who has removed the veil in the world." Being a Buddha, what does he gain? He is unshakeable by internal or external foes or enemies: by lust, or by hatred, or by delusion, or by any ascetic, or by any brahmin, or by any deity, or by Māra, or by Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. Being a Buddha, he gains this." The Blessed One spoke this meaning. 203. Therein it is said: In truth and in Dhamma, in self-control and in restraint, in purity, in virtue, in abodes, in Uposatha, delighting in giving, in non-harming, in non-violence, firmly undertaking, he practiced completely. By that deed, he ascended to heaven, and experienced happiness and playful delights. Having fallen from there, he returned here, and touched the earth with even feet. The assembled interpreters of marks declared: "For one with evenly placed feet, there is no wavering; whether for a householder or for one gone forth, that mark becomes a sign, revealing that meaning." He is unshakeable while dwelling in a home, not overcome by enemies, not crushed. By any human being here, he is unshakeable, by the fruit of that karma. And if such a one goes forth into homelessness, delighting in the desire for renunciation he is discerning; The foremost one never goes to waver, This is indeed the nature of that best of men.” (2) The Mark of Wheels on the Soles of the Feet 204. “And further, monks, in a former birth, a former existence, a former dwelling, the Tathāgata, when he was a human being, brought happiness to many people, he removed fear, terror, and dread, and he provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard, and he gave gifts with his retinue. Having performed, accumulated, heaped up, and extensively developed that action, after the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world… and having passed away from there, he comes to this state and obtains this mark of a Great Man. On the soles of his feet, wheels are formed, with a thousand spokes, with felloes, with naves, complete in all aspects, with well-divided interspaces. “Endowed with that mark, if he lives in a house, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch… What does he obtain as a monarch? He has a great retinue; he has a great retinue of Brahmins and householders, townspeople and country folk, accountants and high officials, soldiers, doorkeepers, ministers, councilors, tributary kings, and princes. As a monarch, he obtains this. But if he goes forth from the home to the homeless life, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, one who has cast off the veil in the world. What does he obtain as a Buddha? He has a great retinue; he has a great retinue of monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, devas, humans, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas. As a Buddha, he obtains this.” The Blessed One spoke this meaning. 205. Therein it is said: “In former times, in former births, When he was a human, he brought happiness to many; He removed fear, terror, and dread, And was diligent in protection, shelter, and guard. “By that action, he ascended to heaven, And experienced happiness and joyful delights; Having passed away from there, he came back here, And finds wheels on both his feet. “With rims all around and a thousand spokes, The diviners, having gathered, declared; Having seen the prince, with a hundred marks of merit, He will be surrounded, a subduer of foes. For indeed, wheels with rims all around, If such a one does not go forth; He turns the wheel, ruling the earth, And kings here become his followers. “They surround him, the greatly renowned, But if such a one goes forth;