Tha Ap 336Ekadussadāyaka

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

334. Ekadussadāyaka

Walt 2949 In the city, Haṁsavatī,

I was a grass-bearer back then .

I am living by bearing grass,

and by that I feed my children.

Walt 2950 The Victor, Padumuttara,

was the Master of Everything.

Doing away with the darkness,

the World-Leader arose back then.

Walt 2951-2952 While sitting down in my own house,

this is what I thought at that time:

“The Buddha’s risen in the world,

but I lack anything to give.

I only have this single cloak,

I do not have my own donor.

Suffering is a taste of hell;

I will now plant a donation.”

Walt 2953 Contemplating it in this way,

I brought pleasure to my own heart.

Taking that single piece of cloth,

I gave it to the Best Buddha.

Walt 2954 Having given that single cloth,

I gave rise to great shouts of joy,

“If you are a Buddha, Wise One,

carry me across, O Great Sage.”

Walt 2955 Padumuttara, World-Knower,

Sacrificial Recipient,

singing the praises of my gift,

the Buddha then gave thanks to me:

Walt 2956 “Because of this single cloak -gift,

done with intention and resolve,

he will not go to a bad place

for one hundred thousand aeons.

Walt 2957 Thirty-six times a lord of gods,

he will exercise divine rule.

And thirty-three times he’ll become

a king who turns the wheel of law .

Walt 2958 There will be much regional rule,

incalculable by counting.

In the world of gods or of men,

you’ll transmigrate in existence.

Walt 2959 Good-looking and full of virtue,

with a body that’s not surpassed,

you’ll obtain, whenever you wish,

unwavering limitless cloth.”

Walt 2960 When he had said this, the Buddha

known by the name Supreme Lotus,

the Wise One rose into the sky,

just like a swan-king in the air.

Walt 2961 In whichever womb I’m reborn,

whether it’s human or divine,

I have no lack of possessions:

that’s the fruit of a single cloth.

Walt 2962 With every footstep that I take ,

some cloth is then produced for me.

I stand upon cloth underneath;

a canopy on top of me.

Walt 2963 And today I still am wishing

that I could cover with some cloth

even the whole universe

with its forests and its mountains.

Walt 2964 Just because of that single cloth,

transmigrating from birth to birth,

I was one of golden color,

transmigrating from birth to birth.

Walt 2965 One result of that single cloth:

no ruination anywhere.

This one will be my final life;

that now is bearing fruit for me.

Walt 2966 In the hundred thousand aeons

since I gave that cloth at that time,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of a single cloth.

Walt 2967 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint.

Walt 2968 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Venerable Ekadussadāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Ekadussadāyaka 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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