So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Now at that time several mendicants had declared their enlightenment in the Buddha’s presence: “We understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’” Sunakkhatta the Licchavi heard about this.

He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“Sir, I have heard that several mendicants have declared their enlightenment in the Buddha’s presence. I trust they did so rightly—or are there some who declared enlightenment out of overestimation?”