Tha Ap 398Bakkula

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

393. {396.} Bakkula

Walt 3758 In the Himalayan region,

there’s a mountain named Sobhita.

My well-constructed hermitage

was built by my own students there . Verse 1

Walt 3759 There were many canopies there,

and flowering Chinese chaste trees.

There were many wood-apple trees,

and jīvajīvakas in bloom. Verse 2

Walt 3760 There were many nigguṇḍi trees,

jujube, also gooseberry,

phārusaka and bottle-gourds

and white lotus flowers in bloom. Verse 3

Walt 3761 There was āḷakā and bel there,

plantain, and also citron trees;

there was lots of sugarcane there,

arjuna and piyaṅguka . Verse 4

Walt 3762 Neem, salalā , yellow

cheesewoods, banyan, wood-apple trees,

my hermitage was one like that;

I lived there with my students then. Verse 5

Walt 3763 Anomadassi, Blessed One,

the Self-Become One, World-Leader,

looking for a secluded place,

then came up to my hermitage. Verse 6

Walt 3764 When the Great Hero had approached,

Anomadassi of Great Fame,

suddenly some internal pain,

arose for the Lord of the World. Verse 7

Walt 3765-3766 Wandering in the hermitage,

I saw the Leader of the World.

Having approached the Sambuddha,

the Eyeful One, he of Great Fame,

and having seen his deportment,

I diagnosed him at that time:

“without a doubt some illness has

been born inside of the Buddha.” Verse 8-9

Walt 3767 Wishing to practice medicine,

I ran back to the hermitage.

In the presence of my students,

I then addressed all my students. Verse 10

Walt 3768 All the students were respectful;

having listened to what I said,

they assembled in one group for

me, who respected the Teacher. Verse 11

Walt 3769 Having quickly scaled a mountain,

I fetched all of the healing herbs.

Making them into a liquid,

I gave it to the Best Buddha. Verse 12

Walt 3770 When the Great Hero consumed it ,

the Omniscient One, World-Leader,

quickly that illness was suppressed

for the Well-Gone-One, the Great Sage. Verse 13

Walt 3771 Having seen his distress relieved,

Anomadassi of Great Fame,

after sitting on his own seat,

spoke these verses to us back then : Verse 14

Walt 3772 “This one who gave me medicine

and thereby relieved my disease,

I shall relate details of him;

all of you listen to my words: Verse 15

Walt 3773 For one hundred thousand aeons

he’ll delight in the world of gods.

When instruments are sounded there,

this one constantly will be thrilled. Verse 16

Walt 3774 Coming to the world of humans,

incited by his wholesome roots,

a thousand times he’ll be a king,

a king who turns the wheel of law . Verse 17

Walt 3775 In the fifty-fifth aeon hence

he’ll be the king named Anoma,

lord of the grove of rose-apples,

victorious on all four sides. Verse 18

Walt 3776 A wheel-turning king with great strength,

possessor of the seven gems,

he will exercise sovereignty,

making even the heavens shake. Verse 19

Walt 3777 Whether born human or divine,

he’ll be one with little disease.

Throwing away his possessions,

he’ll transcend illness in the world. Verse 20

Walt 3778 Aeons beyond measure from now,

arising in Okkāka’s clan,

the one whose name is Gotama

will be the Teacher in the world. Verse 21

Walt 3779 Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma ,

Dhamma ’s legitimate offspring,

knowing well all the defilements,

he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled.” Verse 22

Walt 3780 Burning up all his defilements

he will cross the flood of clinging.

He’ll be the Teacher’s follower,

the monk whose name is Bakkula. Verse 23

Walt 3781 Having come to know all of this,

Gotama, Bull of the Śākyas,

seated in the monks’ Assembly

will place him in that foremost place.” Verse 24

Walt 3782 Anomadassi, Blessed One,

the Self-Become One, World-Leader,

looking for a secluded place,

came to my hermitage back then . Verse 25

Walt 3783 With all the healing herbs I served

the Great Hero who had approached,

Omniscient One, the World-Leader,

feeling well- pleased by my own hands. Verse 26

Walt 3784 I can’t even start to spend the

harvest of that seed well-planted,

that karma I did well for him,

well done by me so long ago. Verse 27

Walt 3785 My gains were well-obtained be me

who saw the Leader of the World ;

through the remainder of that deed,

I realized the deathless state. Verse 28

Walt 3786 Having come to know all of that,

Gotama, Bull of the Śākyas,

seated in the monks’ Assembly

has placed in that foremost place. Verse 29

Walt 3787 In the vast number of aeons

since I did that karma back then,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that is the fruit of medicine. Verse 30

Walt 3788 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

All defilements are exhausted;

now there will be no more rebirth. Verse 31

Walt 3789 My being in Buddha’s presence

was a very good thing for me.

The three knowledges are attained;

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 32

Walt 3790 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 33

Thus indeed Venerable Bakkula Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Bakkula 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.

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