25. The Eighteen Special Qualities of the Buddha (ARV25)

Herein, monastics, what are the eighteen special qualities of the Buddha?

They are as follows:

The Realised One does not stumble,

he does not cry out,

he does not lose mindfulness,

he does not have uncollectedness of mind,

he does not have perceptions of variety (of feelings),

he does not have equanimity due to lack of consideration,

he does not have a loss of desire,

he does not have a loss of energy,

he does not have a loss of mindfulness,

he does not have a loss of concentration,

he does not have a loss of wisdom,

he does not have a loss of freedom,

he has independent, unobstructed knowledge and insight into the past time,

he has independent, unobstructed knowledge and insight into the future time,

he has independent, unobstructed knowledge and insight into the present time,

all his bodily deeds are preceded by knowledge, in accordance with knowledge,

all his verbal deeds, are preceded by knowledge, in accordance with knowledge,

all his mental deeds, are preceded by knowledge, in accordance with knowledge.

These are the eighteen special qualities of the Buddha.

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, 2016

Based on the edition by Prof. N. H. Samtani in The Arthaviniścaya-sūtra & its commentary (Nibandhana) (Patna, 1971), updated to include the corrections he printed in that work on pp. 180–181, most of which were also printed in his translation of the same, Gathering the Meanings (Berkeley, 2002), on pp. 309–310.

Original translation with comments to be found at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.