Reading guide
A specific quality named: non-harming
Confirmed by direct reading, unlike SN 55.34's own bare statement, this discourse specifies what the “footprint” actually consists of: not harming any creature, “firm or frail” — a concrete, singular ethical marker the disciple can directly verify in their own conduct.
A reported belief about the gods, held lightly
Confirmed by direct reading, the reflection's own framing — “I hear that these days the gods consider non-harming to be supreme” — is phrased as received report rather than the Buddha's own direct claim about divine opinion, a genuinely hedged construction this project notes rather than smooths over.
Confirmation repeated for all four factors
Confirmed by direct reading, the identical reflective structure — establishing the factor, then the same non-harming reflection — is repeated for all four, though only the first and fourth are given in full in the consulted English source, with the middle two elided via “…”.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, these four footprints of the gods are in order to purify unpurified beings and cleanse unclean beings. What four? Firstly, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ Then they reflect: ‘What now is the footprint of the gods?’ They understand: ‘I hear that these days the gods consider non-harming to be supreme. But I don’t hurt any creature firm or frail. I definitely live in possession of a footprint of the gods.’ This is the first footprint of the gods in order to purify unpurified beings and cleanse unclean beings.
§2Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the teaching … the Saṅgha … Furthermore, a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion. Then they reflect: ‘What now is the footprint of the gods?’ They understand: ‘I hear that these days the gods consider non-harming to be supreme. But I don’t hurt any creature firm or frail. I definitely live in possession of a footprint of the gods.’ This is the fourth footprint of the gods in order to purify unpurified beings and cleanse unclean beings. These four footprints of the gods are in order to purify unpurified beings and cleanse unclean beings.”
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