Bv 8The History of the Buddha Sohita

– BUDDHA CHRONICLE

8. The History of the Buddha Sobhita:

Inda-bh 1After (the Buddha) Revata, the Leader named Sobhita was composed, of pure mind, without equal, without rival.

Inda-bh 2In his own home, that Conqueror had transformed his mind, had attained complete Enlightenment, and had set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma.

Inda-bh 3From below, from the Avīci hell, and from above, from the highest heavenly realm, during the teaching of the Dhamma there was an assembly in the middle between these two places.

Inda-bh 4The Fully Enlightened One set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma at that assembly. There was a first penetration that cannot be expressed by counting.

Inda-bh 5Afterwards, at another time, while teaching at a gathering of devas, there was a second penetration of ninety thousand koṭi persons.

Inda-bh 6On yet another occasion, a Khattiya prince named Jayasena, having had a garden planted, offered it to the Buddha at that time.

Inda-bh 7While announcing his offering, the One with Vision taught the Dhamma. At that time there was a third penetration of one thousand koṭi persons.

Inda-bh 8The Great Sage Sobhita had three assemblies of those with cankers destroyed, free from defilements, of pure mind, in such a manner.

Inda-bh 9The king named Uggata offered a gift to the Supreme Person. At that offering, one hundred koṭi arhats assembled together.

Inda-bh 10On yet another occasion, a group of people in a congregation offered a gift to the Supreme Person. At that time there was a second assembly of ninety koṭi persons.

Inda-bh 11At the time when the Conqueror descended to earth after having dwelt in the heavenly realm, at that time there was a third assembly of eighty koṭi persons.

Inda-bh 12At that time, I was a brahmin named Sujāta. At that time, I had pleased the Buddha together with his Disciples with food and drink.

Inda-bh 13That Buddha, the World-Leader Sobhita, also made this aspiration for me: "In immeasurable aeons from this moment, this person will become a Buddha.

Inda-bh 14Having departed from the beautiful city named Kapila, the Tathāgata will strive with effort and perform the deed that is difficult to perform (the ascetic practice).

Inda-bh 15Having sat down at the root of the goatherds' tree, the Tathāgata will receive the milk-rice offering there and then proceed to the Nerañjarā (river).

Inda-bh 16At the bank of the Nerañjarā river, that Conqueror will partake of the milk-rice offering and then proceed to the Bodhi tree by the noble path that has been prepared.

Inda-bh 17Then, having circumambulated the precinct of the Bodhi tree, the Supreme One, the one of great renown, will be enlightened at the root of the Assattha tree.

Inda-bh 18The mother who gives birth to him will be named Māyā. The father will be named Suddhodana. He will be Gotama.

Inda-bh 19Kolita and Upatissa will be the chief Disciples. The attendant named Ānanda will serve that Conqueror.

Inda-bh 20Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā will be the chief female Disciples. The Bodhi tree of that Blessed One is called 'Assattha.'

Inda-bh 21Citta and Haṭṭhāḷavaka will be the chief male lay supporters. Uttarā and Nandamātā will be the chief female lay supporters. The lifespan during the time of that renowned Gotama is one hundred years."

Inda-bh 22Having 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 23They burst forth with shouts of joy, clapping of hands, and smiles. The ten thousand worlds together with the devas joined their palms in homage, saying:

Inda-bh 24"If we should fail to attain the teaching of this World-Leader, we will come face to face with that one in the distant future.

Inda-bh 25Just as people who are crossing a river and do not reach the far bank cross the great river after reaching the bank downstream,

Inda-bh 26In the same way, if all of us should miss this Conqueror, we will come face to face with that one in the distant future."

Inda-bh 27Hearing those words, I became joyful, with an uplifted mind. I made earnest effort in pursuit of that very goal.

Inda-bh 28The city was named Sudhamma, the Khattiya king was named Sudhamma, the mother of the Great Sage Sobhita was named Sudhammā.

Inda-bh 29He lived in the midst of his household for nine thousand years. There were three splendid palaces: Kumuda, Kalīra, and Paduma.

Inda-bh 30There were seventy thousand adorned women. That woman (his wife) was named Makhilā. His son was named Sīha.

Inda-bh 31Having seen the four signs, the Supreme Person went forth in a palace and practised striving for seven days. And at that time, at the moment of enlightenment, that Buddha was enlightened at the root of the Nāga tree.

Inda-bh 32Requested by Brahmā, the World-Leader, the Great Hero Sobhita, set in motion the Wheel (of the Dhamma) at the splendid Sudhamma pleasure grove.

Inda-bh 33Asama and Sunetta were the chief Disciples. The attendant of the Great Sage Sobhita was named Anoma. Nakulā and Sujātā were the chief female Disciples.

Inda-bh 34Ramma and also Sudatta were the chief male lay supporters. Nakulā and also Cittā were the chief female lay supporters.

Inda-bh 35Fifty-eight ratanas tall (fourteen and a half metres), the Great Sage illuminated all directions like the rising sun.

Inda-bh 36Just as a great forest in full bloom is fragrant with various diverse fragrances, in the same way his proclamation was fragrant with the fragrances of virtue.

Inda-bh 37Just as the ocean cannot be satisfied by gazing upon it, in the same way his proclamation cannot be satisfied by listening to it.

Inda-bh 38His lifespan is known to have extended to ninety thousand years. Enduring for that long, he helped many beings to cross over.

Inda-bh 39Having given his teaching and exhorted the remaining beings, he, together with his Disciples, blazed like a flame and attained Nirvana.

Inda-bh 40That Buddha was the equal of the incomparable ones, and those Disciples had attained the spiritual powers; all have completely vanished — are not all conditioned phenomena empty?

Inda-bh 41The Buddha Sobhita, the noble Fully Enlightened One, attained Nirvana at the Sīha monastery. There was a distribution of relics from that place to all quarters.

The history of the Buddha Sobhita is the sixth part.