II. Value of the praises given by the Buddhas

Furthermore, other people, other beings, whose minds are clouded by lust (rāga), hatred (dveṣa) and delusion (moha), are unable to praise in accordance [283a] with the truth. Why? If they have the tendency to love, they do not see the real defects (doṣa) and they see only the qualities (guṇa); if they have the tendency to hate, they see only the defects and do not see the qualities; if delusion is predominant in them, they are incapable of really discerning the beautiful (suvarṇa) from the ugly (durvarṇa).

Gods and humans have a [certain] wisdom (prajñā) and the threefold (triviṣa) poison is subdued (tanu) in them; however, they too are incapable of praising in accordance with the truth. Indeed, they are still subject to error (vañcana), they do not have omniscience (sarvajñatā) and their fetters are not broken (asamucchinnasaṃyojana).

The śrāvakas^[1] and pratyekabuddhas, while they have eliminated the threefold poison, they too cannot praise in accordance with truth for they have not yet exhausted all the traces of passion (vāsanā) and, in addition, their wisdom (prajñā) is not perfect (saṃpanna).

The Buddha alone has definitively destroyed the three poisons and their traces (vāsanā) and his omniscience (sarvajñatā) is complete. This is why he can praise in accordance with the truth, without exaggerating or minimizing (anūnānadhikam). Consequently the yogin wants to obtain the praise of the Buddhas in order to know his real qualities. He does not seek the praise of other people.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Here, these are the śrāvakas who have attained arhathood.