Bv 11The History of the Buddha Nārada

– BUDDHA HISTORY

11. The History of the Buddha Nārada:

Inda-bh 1After (the Buddha) Paduma, there was an Omniscient One, a Supreme Person named Nārada, without equal, without rival.

Inda-bh 2That Buddha, the beloved eldest son of a Wheel-Turning King, adorned with a garland of pearls, went (on foot) to the park.

Inda-bh 3There was a famous, supremely beautiful, great, and pure tree in that place. Having gone there, he sat down at the foot of the great Soṇa tree.

Inda-bh 4There, noble and boundless wisdom, (sharp) as a diamond, arose. By means of it, he examined the formations in the upward manner and in the downward manner.

Inda-bh 5There, he drove away all defilements without remainder, attained the state of complete Enlightenment, and the fourteen kinds of wisdom of a Buddha.

Inda-bh 6Having attained the state of Omniscience, he set the Wheel of the True Dhamma in motion. The first comprehension was of one hundred thousand koṭis (one thousand billion, one million million) persons.

Inda-bh 7While training the Nāga King Mahādoṇa, the Great Sage displayed that marvel (the twin miracle) for the world together with the devas to behold.

Inda-bh 8At that time, in that exposition of the Dhamma to devas and humans, ninety thousand koṭis (nine hundred billion) persons crossed over all their doubts.

Inda-bh 9At the time the Great Hero instructed his own son, the third comprehension was of eighty thousand koṭis (eight hundred billion) persons.

Inda-bh 10The Great Sage Nārada had three assemblies. The first assembly was of one hundred thousand koṭis of persons.

Inda-bh 11At the time the Buddha expounded the virtues of the Buddhas together with the narrative of causes, ninety thousand koṭis of unsullied persons assembled together.

Inda-bh 12At the time the dragon Verocana offered a gift of food to the Teacher, eighty hundred thousand (eight million) sons of the Victor assembled together.

Inda-bh 13At that time, I was a matted-hair ascetic of the highest austerity, moving through the air, accomplished in the five higher knowledges.

Inda-bh 14Then, having satisfied the one equal to the incomparable ones together with the assembly and retinue with food and drink, I offered sandalwood.

Inda-bh 15That Buddha, the World-Leader Nārada, also uttered this aspiration for me: "In immeasurable aeons from this moment, this one will become a Buddha in the world.

Inda-bh 16Having departed from the beautiful city named Kapila, the Tathāgata will strive with great effort and perform the deed that is difficult to perform (the austerities).

Inda-bh 17Having sat down at the foot of the goatherds' tree, the Tathāgata will receive the milk-rice there and then go to the Nerañjarā (River).

Inda-bh 18At the bank of the Nerañjarā River, that Victor will eat the milk-rice and then go to the Bodhi tree by the noble path that has been prepared.

Inda-bh 19Then, after circumambulating the precinct of the Bodhi tree, the Supreme One, the one of great fame, will be enlightened at the foot of the Assattha tree.

Inda-bh 20The mother who gives birth to this one will be named Māyā. The father will be named Suddhodana. This one will be Gotama.

Inda-bh 21Kolita and Upatissa will be the foremost (two) disciples. The attendant named Ānanda will serve that Victor.

Inda-bh 22Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā will be the foremost (two) female disciples. The Bodhi tree of that Blessed One is called 'Assattha.'

Inda-bh 23Citta and Haṭṭhāḷavaka will be the foremost male lay supporters. Uttarā and Nandamātā will be the foremost female lay supporters. The lifespan in the time of that famous Gotama will be one hundred years."

Inda-bh 24Having heard these words of the incomparable Great Sage, the devas and humans rejoiced, thinking: "This one is the seed and germ of the Buddhas."

Inda-bh 25They uttered cries of joy, clapped their hands, and smiled. The ten thousand worlds together with the devas pressed their palms together in reverence and said:

Inda-bh 26"If we fail with the teaching of this World-Leader, we will meet that one in the distant future.

Inda-bh 27Just as people who are crossing a river and do not reach the far bank cross the great river after reaching the bank further downstream,

Inda-bh 28in the very same way, if we all miss the opportunity with this Victor, we will meet that one in the distant future."

Inda-bh 29Having heard those words, I gladdened my mind greatly. I resolved upon the supreme practice in order to fulfill the ten perfections completely.

Inda-bh 30The city was named Dhaññavatī; the king of the Khattiyas was named Sudeva; the mother of the Great Sage Nārada was named Anomā.

Inda-bh 31He lived among his family for nine thousand years. There were three magnificent palaces: Jita, Vijita, and Vijitābhirāma.

Inda-bh 32There were forty-three thousand adorned women. That woman (his wife) was named Vijitasenā. His son was named Nanduttara.

Inda-bh 33Having seen the four signs, the World-Leader went forth on foot and practiced the effort of striving for seven days.

Inda-bh 34Requested by the Brahmā, the World-Leader, the Great Hero Nārada, set the Wheel (of the Dhamma) in motion in the splendid Dhanañjaya park.

Inda-bh 35Bhaddasāla and Jitamitta were the foremost (two) disciples. The attendant of the Great Sage Nārada was named Vāseṭṭha.

Inda-bh 36Uttarā and Phaggunī were the foremost (two) female disciples. The Bodhi tree of that Blessed One is called "the great Soṇa."

Inda-bh 37Uggarinda and Vasabha will be the foremost male lay supporters. Indīvarī and Undī will be the foremost female lay supporters.

Inda-bh 38Eighty-eight ratanas (22 metres) tall, that Great Sage illuminated the ten thousand worlds just like a golden pillar adorned with a garland of flowers.

Inda-bh 39At that time, the bodily radiance of that one shone forth in all directions continuously day and night and radiated (around) for one league.

Inda-bh 40At that time, being flooded by the radiance of the Buddha, those within one league around did not light any lamps or torches.

Inda-bh 41The lifespan is known to have extended to ninety thousand years. While lasting that long, he helped many beings to cross over.

Inda-bh 42Just as the sky is adorned and made brilliant by the stars, in the very same way his Dhamma shone resplendently by means of the arahants.

Inda-bh 43Having firmly established the bridge of the Dhamma to help those remaining who had attained (the path of a trainee) to cross over the flood of saṃsāra, that Bull among Men attained nirvana.

Inda-bh 44That Buddha was equal to the incomparable ones, and those Asavas-exhausted ones were of incomparable might; all have utterly vanished — are not all formations empty?

Inda-bh 45The foremost Victor Nārada attained nirvana at the city of Sudassana. The noble stupa of the Victor was erected four leagues high at that very place.

The history of the Buddha Nārada is the ninth portion.