“Mendicants, in some past lives the Realized One was reborn as a human being. He refrained from lying. He spoke the truth and stuck to the truth. He was honest and trustworthy, and didn’t trick the world with his words. Due to performing those deeds he was reborn in a heavenly realm. When he came back to this state of existence he obtained these two marks: his hairs grow one per pore, and between his eyebrows there grows a tuft, soft and white like cotton-wool.

Possessing these marks, if he stays at home he becomes a wheel-turning monarch. And what does he obtain as king? He has many close adherents among the brahmins and householders, people of town and country, treasury officials, military officers, guardsmen, ministers, counselors, rulers, tax beneficiaries, and princes. That’s what he obtains as king. And what does he obtain as Buddha? He has many close adherents among the monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, gods, humans, demons, dragons, and fairies. That’s what he obtains as Buddha.” That is what the Buddha said.

On this it is said:

“In past lives he was true to his promise,
with no forked tongue, he shunned lies.
He never broke his word to anyone,
but spoke what was true, real, and factual.

A tuft so very white like cotton-wool
grew prettily between his eyebrows.
And never two, but only one,
hair grew in each of his pores.

Many soothsayers learned in marks
and expert in signs gathered and prophesied:
‘One like this, with tuft and hair so well-formed,
will have many as his close adherents.

Even as householder many people will follow him,
due to the power of deeds in the past.
But once gone forth, owning nothing,
as Buddha the people will follow him.’”