substantial reality, its cessation, the origin of substantial reality, and the noble eightfold path that leads to the stilling of suffering.
And then the long-lived gods, so beautiful and glorious, are afraid and full of terror, like the other beasts when they hear a lion.
‘We haven’t passed beyond substantial reality! It turns out we’re impermanent!’ So they say when they hear the word of the perfected one, free and unaffected.”
Numbered Discourses 4.34 4. Situations The Best Kinds of Confidence
“Mendicants, these four kinds of confidence are the best. What four? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is said to be the best of all sentient beings—be they footless, with two feet, four feet, or many feet; with form or formless; with perception or without perception or with neither perception nor non-perception. Those who have confidence in the Buddha have confidence in the best. Having confidence in the best, the result is the best.
The noble eightfold path is said to be the best of all conditioned things. Those who have confidence in the noble eightfold path have confidence in the best. Having confidence in the best, the result is the best.
Fading away is said to be the best of all things whether conditioned or unconditioned. That is, the quelling of vanity, the removing of thirst, the uprooting of clinging, the breaking of the round, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment. Those who have confidence in the teaching of fading away have confidence in the best. Having confidence in the best, the result is the best.