The Related Suttas Collection 21.11

1. Monks

With Mahākappina

At Sāvatthī.

Then Venerable Mahākappina went to see the Buddha.

The Buddha saw him coming off in the distance, and addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, do you see that monk coming—white, thin, with a pointy nose?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That bhikkhu is very mighty and powerful. It’s not easy to find an attainment that he has not already attained. And he has realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lives having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.”

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“The aristocrat is best among people who take clan as the standard. But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct is best among gods and humans.

The sun blazes by day, the moon glows at night, the aristocrat shines in armor, and the brahmin shines in jhāna. But all day and all night, the Buddha shines with glory.”