689. This great being was born in the human world. This sage tamed himself, stilled the mind, made his conduct and behaviour pure, and lived delighting in the calming of the mind.
690. This great being, having reached the far shore, was released from everything in the world. Humans worship the Supreme Buddha. Gods also worship the Supreme Buddha; I heard this from the enlightened ones.
691. The Supreme Buddha, liberated from all fetters, came out of the forest of defilements. The Blessed One, giving up sensual pleasures, delighted in a secluded life. The Supreme Buddha is like a golden ornament that slides down smoothly from a rocky mountain top.
692. The Blessed One is indeed like the most beautiful elephant in the world. He is like the beautiful Himalaya Mountain which surpasses all the other mountains. The Blessed One is like a king elephant, extremely great and his name is indeed “Truth.”
693. Now I am going to describe the excellent king elephant to you. This elephant does no sin whatsoever. His front feet are virtue and compassion.
694. The elephant’s hind feet are clear mindfulness and wise awareness. This elephant has a beautiful trunk. Its name is faith. The elephant has two white tusks. Their names are equanimity.
695. This elephant’s beautiful neck is truth. His large head is wisdom. He has Dhamma intentions with wise consideration. His belly is the true Dhamma. He has a tail called seclusion.
696. Internally he has a perfectly still mind. He delights in extinguishing. He meditates. This elephant walks and stands with a stilled mind.
697. This elephant sleeps and sits with a stilled mind. He is restrained all the time. This is his success.
698. This elephant eats only what is received righteously. He never eats things that are received unrighteously. When he is offered food, drink and robes, he never stores them up.
699. He has cut every fetter and bond, large or small. Wherever he goes, he goes without any expectation.
700. The white lotus that grows in water is very beautiful and sweet smelling. But its flower is not touching the water.
701. The Buddha, born in this world, is exactly the same. The Buddha lives in this world like a lotus that is not touching the water. His life is not touched by anything that defiles the ordinary world.
702. A great blazing fire is extinguished when it has run out of fuel, and when the fire is dead and ashes arise, it is called “extinguished.”
703. This simile has been taught by the wise noble ones. Great enlightened ones are like great king elephants. I too am such an elephant. That is why I was able to recognize and describe the greatest king elephant called the Buddha.
704. This great king elephant called the Buddha doesn’t have any desire, hatred, or delusion. He is freed from all taints. Therefore, when the Buddha abandons the body here, he will attain final extinguishing.
These verses were said by Arahant Udāyi.
