The Four Kinds of Perfect Self-confidence (Vesārajja-ñāṇa)

(1) The Buddha made His bold admission that “I am the Supremely Enlightened Buddha endowed with the All-knowing Wisdom,” and truly is He possessed of the All-knowing Wisdom.

(2) He made His bold admission that “I am an arahat who has destroyed all the defilements,” and truly is He an arahat.

(3) He boldly declared with His All-knowing Wisdom that “Such and Such factors are impediments to go to good destinations, to jhāna, magga and phala,” and truly are those factors of impediments.

(4) He boldly declared with His All-knowing Wisdom that “Such and such factors are those that lead to emancipation from the woeful round of existences,” and truly are those factors productive of emancipation.

(1) That being so, there is no one who can challenge the Buddha on good grounds saying:

“You claim to be Omniscient, but you do not know such and such thing.”

And there is indeed not a single thing that the Buddha does not know, that would provide good ground for anyone to make such a challenge. Knowing Himself thus unassailable, the Buddha has perfect self-confidence that His attainment of Perfect Enlightenment is truly perfect; and this self-confidence gives Him great delightful satisfaction coupled with the reviewing Knowledge of His own attainment. [This is one kind of Perfect Self-confidence (Knowledge) dependent on his successful Knowledge.]

(2) Likewise, there is no one who can question the Buddha’s claim about purity. No one can challenge him, on good grounds saying:

“You claim to be completely pure, yet you still have such and such impurity or defilement.”

For there is indeed no defilement that the Buddha has not rid Himself of, that would provide good reasons for anyone to make such a challenge. Knowing Himself thus unassailable, the Buddha has perfect self-confidence that His purity is truly perfect; and this self-confidence gives Him great delightful satisfaction coupled with the reviewing Knowledge of His purity. [This is one kind of perfect Selfconfidence (Knowledge) dependent on His successful abandonment of defilements.]

(3) Likewise, there is no one who can challenge the Buddha, on good grounds, saying:

“The factors that you declare to be obstructions against going to the good destinations, to jhāna, magga, phala, and Nibbāna, have no obstructing effects on those who resort to them.”

For there is indeed no impediment that fails to obstruct achievement of due results of the practice of the Dhamma. Knowing Himself thus unassailable, the Buddha has perfect Self-confidence that what He has declared to be impediments are truly impediments to the Noble practice; and this self-confidence gives Him great delightful satisfaction coupled with the reviewing Knowledge of His own Doctrine. [This is one kind of perfect Self-confidence (Knowledge) dependent on His special accomplishment in imparting knowledge.]

(4) Likewise, there is no one who can challenge the Buddha, on good grounds, saying:

“The factors, that you declare to be leading to emancipation from the woefulness of the round of existences, do not lead to emancipation of those who take up these factors.”

For there is no factor of emancipation that does not bring emancipation to the diligent. Knowing Himself thus unassailable, the Buddha has perfect self-confidence that what He has declared to be emancipating factors are truly emancipatory; and this self-confidence gives Him great delightful satisfaction coupled with the reviewing Knowledge of His own Doctrine. [This is one kind of perfect Self-confidence (Knowledge) dependent on the peaceful security of the Dhamma.]

The above four kinds of Perfect Self-confidence of the Buddha are called the four Vesārajjañāṇas. Of these four, the first two go to prove the fact that the Doctrine expounded by the Buddha is well-expounded in that it is excellent in the beginning, in the middle and at the end. It is perfect in meaning and in wording. It need not be either added to or expunged. It is perfectly pure in its prescription of the Noble Practice in its two modes. (which is the first interpretation of svakkhāta above).

The remaining two substantiate the fact that the Doctrine is well-expounded because whatever is declared as impeding factors are truly impediments and also because whatever is declared as contributory factors to emancipation are truly emancipatory (which is the second interpretation above). (This is how the pariyatti dhamma the Doctrine, is svākkhāto or well-expounded).