Psalms of the Brethren CCLIII: Sela

O thou of perfect form and beauty rare,
Of fairest parts and lovely to behold,
Exalted One! thy colour like fine gold,
Thou valiant spirit, with the dazzling teeth,

Whose body shows the features that betray
The man of perfectly adjusted parts,
Yea, all the traits that mark the Super-Man;

Thou with the eyes so clear, thy countenance
So fair, broad, straight, majestic, thou dost shine
As doth the sun, the centre thou of all
The chosen band of brethren gathered round:

Thou bhikkhu noble of aspect, whose skin
Resembleth gold, say, what is friar’s life
To thee with presence so supremely fair?

A Prince thou dost deserve to be, a Bull
Drawing the chariot of the world’s empire;
Lord of the earth from end to end foursquare,
A conqueror, of Jambudipa chief.

Nobles and wealthy lords thy vassals be,
Thou sovran lord of lords, thou king of men,
Take thou thy power, O Gotama, and reign!

King of the Norm, above me there is none.
And by my doctrine do I turn the wheel
. Of sovereignty, wheel irreversible.’

Wholly enlightened thou dost own thyself:
‘King of the Norm, above me there is none
And by my doctrine do I turn the wheel
Of sovereignty’ — so sayst thou, Gotama.

Who is the general of my lord the King,
Disciple following in the Master’s steps?
Who after his example turns the wheel?

‘The wheel I set a-going of the Norm,
Above which, Sela, there is none, that wheel
Doth Sariputta after my example turn,
Who hath become like Him -who -Thus-hath — Come.

All that which should be known is known by
All culture of the mind, that have I wrought,
Whate’er should be renounced I have renounced,
Hence, brahmin! am I Buddha— one Awake.

Subdue thy doubts regarding me, brahmin!
Have faith in me. Hard, hard it is to win
Repeated seeing — [as thou mayest now] —
Of them who rise on earth Buddhas Supreme.

And ’tis of such whose advent in the world
Is difficult and rare, that I in sooth
Am one, O brahmin! yea, a Buddha I,
Surgeon and Healer, over whom there’s none.

Supreme my place and past compare my work,
In crushing the assaults of Mara’s hosts.
All that is hostile lieth ’neath my sway,
And I rejoice for no whence cometh fear.’

‘Now pay good heed, sirs, to the words that He
Who sees, Healer and Hero, speaks to us,
Impressive as a forest lion’s roar.

Supreme in place and past compare in work,
Who crusheth the assaults of Mara’s hosts: —

Who that hath seen him would not feel convinced,
And were he never so obscure of birth?
He who is fain for me may follow me;
And whoso is not fain may go his way;
But I will in this Rule renounce the world,
’Neath him who is so noble and so wise.’

‘If to thy judgment, sir, this Rule of him,
The Supreme Buddha, doth commend itself,
We too will in that Rule renounce the world,
’Neath him who is so noble and so wise.’

These thrice one hundred brahmins with clasped hands
Beseech thee, O Exalted One, that we
May lead the holy life beneath thine eye.

‘Well, Sela, is the holy life set forth,
Clear to be seen and heard; swift is the fruit,
Wherein not futile is the coming forth
For one who earnestly doth train himself.’

Lo! thou who seest all, ’tis eight days since
We came and refuge found. In one sennight,
Exalted One! we’re trained in thy Rule.

Thou art Buddha! our Master thou! and thou
The mighty Seer who Mara didst o’erthrow.
Thou who all evil tendencies hast purged,
And crossed [the flood of life’s eternal sea],
’Tis thou dost aid the sons of men to cross.

Thou hast transcended every cause of birth,
And shattered every poison-growth within,
Thou even as a lion, grasping nought,
Hast banished every source of fear and dread.

Three hundred bhikkhus lo! before thee stand,
With clasped hands outstretched to honour thee,
Stretch forth thy feet, O hero! suffer them,
Thine arahants, their Master to salute.