Theravāda — Pali Canon · Khuddaka Nikāya — The Minor Collection

Tha Ap 1Buddha Chapter, the First

Pāli / Sanskrit:Buddhaapadāna

📖2,299 words · ~9 min read

Save your scripture progress

Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.

Create account →

Full translation (English)

– Therāpadāna

– The Legend of the Buddhas

Buddha Chapter, the First

Praise Him, the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Complete Buddha!

Walt 1 The Sage of Vedeha, his body bent, asked

the Thus-Gone-One dwelling in Jetavana,

“Indeed there are those called Omniscient Buddhas;

through what causes do they become so , Hero?”

Walt 2 Then spoke the Omniscient, Outstanding, Great Sage,

to lucky Ānanda with his honeyed voice,

“Who performed service among former Buddhas,

but didn’t get freed in their dispensations,

Walt 3 because that is the means to awaken, wise,

they with sharp knowing, through knowledge and power,

because of their wishes and also great strength,

do come to attain that state of omniscience.

Walt 4 I too among former Buddhas

did wish to become a Buddha.

Through my mind alone there were

innumerable Dhamma -kings.”

Walt 5 Now listen, with purified minds,

to the legends of the Buddhas,

innumerable Dhamma -kings

who fulfilled thirty perfections. Verse 1

Walt 6 I worshipped them bowing my head,

having praised with ten fingers pressed,

those World-Chiefs with followers and

the Best Buddhas’ Awakening. Verse 2

Walt 7 I brought it all forth with my mind:

things on the ground and in the sky,

uncountable as are the gems

found in the fields of the Buddhas. Verse 3

Walt 8 I created a palace there,

with a floor made out of silver.

Various floors made out of gems

arose and stretched up toward the sky. Verse 4

Walt 9 There were varied well-made pillars,

well-proportioned, very costly.

The central beam was made of gold,

the gate was canopy-adorned. Verse 5

Walt 10 The first floor, lapis lazuli,

was lovely as a stainless cloud.

Lotus ponds were scattered about

on a floor made of superb gold. Verse 6

Walt 11 A coral floor , coral-colored,

was red and very beautiful;

that floor lit up the directions

with light the hue of red beetles. Verse 7

Walt 12 Doors and windows and turrets too ,

and four railings were well-laid-out.

It had a scented bamboo net

which was delightful to the mind. Verse 8

Walt 13 There were excellent gabled roofs

colored blue and yellow and red,

white and also mixed black-and-white,

adorned with the seven gemstones. Verse 9

Walt 14 Lovely pictures of birds and beasts

and lotuses fashioned for looks;

it was adorned with moon and sun,

dotted with star-constellations. Verse 10

Walt 15 It was covered with a gold net

furnished with little golden bells.

Those gold garlands sang in the force

of the wind, delighting the mind. Verse 11

Walt 16 A garland of flags was hoisted,

dyed in a spectrum of colors:

some light crimson, others deep red,

tawny, yellow and yellowish. Verse 12

Walt 17 Numerous various hundreds

of slabs were made out of silver,

made of crystal, made of ruby,

and likewise made out of cat’s eye. Verse 13

Walt 17e-f Walt 18 Various diverse couches were

spread with soft Benares muslin,

rugs, fine silk, and cloth from China,

fibrous cloth and yellow garments.

All of these various carpets

I laid out on them with my mind. Verse 14

Walt 19 On this floor and that floor too,

ornamented with huts of gems,

effulgent torches made of gems

are being carried and fixed well. Verse 15

Walt 20 Columns and pillars are splendid,

and beautiful golden gateways

made of special gold and hard woods,

and also made out of silver. Verse 16

Walt 21 Varied windows, well-proportioned;

painted cross-bars adorned the doors,

with “pots of plenty” on both sides,

filled with lotuses and lilies. Verse 17

Walt 22 I conjured up all past Buddhas,

World-Leaders, their Assemblies too,

with their natural complexions

and forms, and all their followers. Verse 18

Walt 23 Having entered through the doorway

all the Buddhas and followers

sat down on chairs all made of gold

and formed an exalted circle. Verse 19

Walt 24 Those Buddhas who live here-and-now,

who have no rivals in the world,

and those who lived in former times:

I brought them all into the world. Verse 20

Walt 25 Lonely Buddhas, many hundreds,

Self-dependent, Unconquered Ones,

and those who lived in former times:

I brought them all into the world. Verse 21

Walt 26 There are many wishing-trees there

who are both human and divine.

Having arranged all of the cloth

I give them each the triple robe. Verse 22

Walt 27 Filling lovely bowls made of gems

I then provided alms to them:

foods that were soft, and hard foods too ,

well-prepared food and drink to taste. Verse 23

Walt 28 Walt 29a-b Being given burnished-cloth robes

which were just like divine garments,

honey and crystallized sugar,

sesame oil and sugar-cane juice,

with milk-rice, each one satisfied,

they formed an exalted circle. Verse 24

Walt 29c-d Walt 30a-b Having entered a jeweled room

like a lion its secret cave,

they got onto priceless couches

in the sleeping-lion posture. Verse 25

Walt 30c-f Mindfully rising up they then

sat cross-legged on those couches,

filled with delight in altered states,

the pasturage of all Buddhas. Verse 26

Walt 31 Some are preaching their doctrines then ,

while others sport in miracles.

Others apply special knowledges,

masters of special knowledges.

Various lakhs of others still

transform into various shapes. Verse 27

Walt 32 Buddhas are questioning Buddhas

about the range of omniscience.

Understanding deep, abstruse points,

they achieve their Awakenings. Verse 28

Walt 33 Followers questioning Buddhas;

Buddhas questioning followers.

Questioning one another they

then provide each other answers. Verse 29

Walt 34 Buddhas and Lonely Buddhas too,

followers and the attendants,

thus delighting in devotions,

are really enjoying the palace. Verse 30

Walt 35 Let there be carried over head

a pearl-net-draped umbrella,

combined with more nets made of gold

and also of silver and gems. Verse 31

Walt 36 Let there be awnings made of cloth,

decorated with golden stars

and with diverse garlands spread out;

let all be carried over head. Verse 32

Walt 37 They are spread out with floral wreaths,

and beautified with scented wreaths;

studded with wreaths made out of cloth

decorated with wreaths of gems. Verse 33

Walt 38 They are strewn with varied flowers,

and scented with fragrant perfumes,

marked with special scented palm-prints,

and covered with golden covers. Verse 34

Walt 39 Let lotus-ponds in four directions,

full of lotuses and lilies,

appear like they were formed of gold,

exuding dusty lotus-pollen. Verse 35

Walt 40 Let all the trees that are around

the palace burst forth into bloom.

And in the evening let those flowers

release sweet scents, sprinkling the realm. Verse 36

Walt 41 Let peacocks there begin to dance

to the songs of heavenly swans,

and let cuckoos make melodies:

on all sides there’s a choir of birds. Verse 37

Walt 42 Let all the drums now be sounded;

let all the stringed instruments wail.

Let all the choruses commence

on every side of the palace. Verse 38

Walt 43-44 Let there be couches made of gold —

very large, endowed with brightness,

without blemish, fashioned with gems —

throughout the field of the Buddhas,

and in the universe beyond.

Let the stands of lamps be lighted;

let a series of ten thousand

all burn as though one single flame. Verse 39-40

Walt 45 Let courtesans and dancers dance,

and troupes of celestial nymphs.

Let them put on various shows

on all the sides of the palace. Verse 41

Walt 46 On tree top or mountain top

or the crest of Mount Sineru,

I am raising up all the flags,

decorated and five-colored. Verse 42

Walt 47 Let people, snake-gods, music-nymphs

and all the gods come forth as well ;

in homage, hands pressed together,

they attended on the palace. Verse 43

Walt 48 Whatever is wholesome karma,

which deeds were to be done by me,

with body, speech and with my mind,

I did them well to reach heaven. Verse 44

Walt 49 Whichever beings have consciousness

and also those who aren’t conscious,

let every one of them receive

the fruit of merit done by me. Verse 45

Walt 50 That which I did was widely known;

I gave away that good deed’s fruit

and gods went off to make it known

to all those who were unaware. Verse 46

Walt 51 Let all the beings in all worlds

whose lives depend on eating food

receive by means of my own mind

all appetizing things to eat! Verse 47

Walt 52 With my mind these alms were given,

with my mind the palace was built,

and likewise so were worshipped all

the Buddhas, Lonelies and followers. Verse 48

Walt 53 Due to that karma done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then . Verse 49

Walt 54 I witness two kinds of rebirth,

as a human and as a god.

I do not witness other states:

that’s the fruit of mental wishes. Verse 50

Walt 55 Among the gods I am the chief;

I am the ruler among men.

Endowed with beauty and good marks,

in knowledge unrivaled each birth. Verse 51

Walt 56 Savory foods of different types

and fabulous precious gemstones,

likewise clothes of various sorts

quickly come to me from the sky. Verse 52

Walt 57 On flat earth, so on a mountain,

in the air, in water or woods,