Tha Ap 134Sudassana

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

132. Sudassana

Walt 1879 On the Vitattha River’s bank,

there was a fig tree bearing fruit.

While I was searching for that tree

I saw the Leader of the World. Verse 1

Walt 1880 Seeing a pandanus in bloom,

after having cut off a stalk,

I gifted it to the Buddha,

Sikhi, the Kinsman of the World. Verse 2

Walt 1881 “Whatever knowledge you’ve attained

of the eternal, deathless, state,

I sing that knowledge’s praises,

O Best Buddha, O Sage so Great.” Verse 3

Walt 1882 Doing pūjā thus for knowledge,

I then saw the fruiting fig tree;

I have obtained that perception:

that’s the fruit of knowledge- pūjā . Verse 4

Walt 1883 In the thirty-one aeons since

I offered that flower to him,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of knowledge- pūjā . Verse 5

Walt 1884 In the thirteenth aeon ago

there were twelve named Phaluggata,

wheel-turning kings with great power,

possessors of the seven gems. Verse 6

Walt 1885 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 7

Thus indeed Venerable Sudassana Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sudassana Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

Legends of the Buddhist Saints (Apadāna) is released under the Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike license.

This is the first-ever complete translation of Apadāna into a Western language.

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