AN7.58 — Arakkheyyasutta

Disciples, there are four things the Tathāgata must protect, and by three he is blameless.

What are the four things the Tathāgata must protect?

Disciples, the Tathāgata has pure bodily conduct; there is no bad bodily conduct for the Tathāgata to hide, thinking:

May others not know this about me. The Tathāgata has pure verbal conduct; there is no bad verbal conduct for the Tathāgata to hide, thinking: May others not know this about me. The Tathāgata has pure mental conduct; there is no bad mental conduct for the Tathāgata to hide, thinking: May others not know this about me. The Tathāgata has a pure livelihood; there is no wrong livelihood for the Tathāgata to hide, thinking: May others not know this about me. These are the four things the Tathāgata must protect.

What are the three by which he is blameless? Disciples, the Tathāgata has well-proclaimed the Dhamma. It is impossible that any ascetic, brahmin, deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world could rightly accuse me of not having well-proclaimed the Dhamma. Seeing no such reason I dwell secure, fearless, and confident.

Moreover the path leading to Nibbāna for my disciples is well-explained. My disciples practice accordingly and, realizing through direct knowing, they dwell having attained the destruction of the āsavas, mental liberation, and wisdom liberation in this very life. It is impossible that any ascetic, brahmin, deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world could rightly accuse me regarding the path leading to Nibbāna for my disciples and their practice.

Seeing no such reason I dwell secure, fearless, and confident. Furthermore many hundreds of my disciple assembly dwell having attained the destruction of the āsavas, mental liberation, and wisdom liberation in this very life. It is impossible that any ascetic, brahmin, deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world could rightly accuse me regarding the many hundreds in my disciple assembly. Seeing no such reason I dwell secure, fearless, and confident. By these three, I am blameless.

These are the four things the Tathāgata must protect, and by these three, he is blameless.