Tha Ap 409Hemaka

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

404. {407.} Hemaka

Walt 4072 Near the top of a mountain slope,

the ascetic named Anoma,

making a well-built hermitage,

dwelt in a hall made of leaves then. Verse 1

Walt 4073 His practices were successful;

the goal attained by his own strength.

Heroic in his own monkhood,

he was zealous, clever, a sage. Verse 2

Walt 4074 Confident in his religion,

he was skilled in others’ doctrines,

expert and skillful in reading

omens on earth and in the sky. Verse 3

Walt 4075 Meditating, trance-loving sage,

he did not covet, was grief-free,

happy if receiving or not,

ate little food, did not kill beasts. Verse 4

Walt 4076 Piyadassi, the Sambuddha,

Chief, Compassionate One, the Sage,

wishing to help beings across,

spread the Teaching with compassion. Verse 5

Walt 4077 Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,

seeing folks who could understand,

having gone is exhorting them,

in a thousand universes. Verse 6

Walt 4078 With a desire to lift me up,

he then approached my hermitage.

I had not formerly seen him,

nor heard of him from anyone. Verse 7

Walt 4079 Omens, dreams and auspicious marks

were very clear to me back then ,

an expert, skilled in horoscopes,

both on the earth and in the sky. Verse 8

Walt 4080 After hearing of the Buddha,

I gladdened my heart over him.

Whether eating or sitting down,

I remember him all the time. Verse 9

Walt 4081 When I was thus remembering,

the Blessed One thought of me too.

Joy arose in me all the time,

when I thought about the Buddha. Verse 10

Walt 4082 Returning at a later time,

the Sage So Great came up to me.

When he arrived I did not know

that he’s the Buddha, the Great Sage. Verse 11

Walt 4083 Full of Pity, Compassionate,

Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,

then introduced himself to me :

“I am the Buddha in the world.” Verse 12

Walt 4084 Coming to know the Sambuddha,

Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,

filling my own heart with pleasure,

I spoke these words to him back then : Verse 13

Walt 4085 “You are sitting down on other

chairs and palanquins and deck-chairs,

but you, the Seer of All Things,

should sit upon a gem-set throne. Verse 14

Walt 4086 At that time someone created

a chair made out of all the gems,

a magically-created seat

for Piyadassi, the Great Sage. Verse 15

Walt 4087 Then I gave a rose-apple fruit,

as big as a jug of water,

to Buddha seated on that chair

magically-fashioned out of gems. Verse 16

Walt 4088 At that time the Great Sage ate it ,

generating great mirth for me.

Then bringing pleasure to my heart,

I saluted him , the Teacher. Verse 17

Walt 4089 But Piyadassi, Blessed One,

the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,

sitting upon that gem-set throne,

spoke these verses about me then : Verse 18

Walt 4090 “He who gave me this gem-set chair

and also this ambrosial fruit,

I shall relate details of him;

all of you listen to my words: Verse 19

Walt 4091 “For seventy-seven aeons

he’ll delight in the world of gods,

and fifty-seven times he’ll be

a king who turns the wheel of law . Verse 20

Walt 4092 Thirty-two times the lord of gods,

he will exercise divine rule,

and there will be much local rule,

innumerable by counting. Verse 21

Walt 4093 He will receive seats made of gems

and also made out of rubies,

and many palanquins well-made

out of gold and out of silver. Verse 22

Walt 4094 Even when walking back and forth,

palanquins of different sorts,

all the time will wait upon

this man possessing good karma. Verse 23

Walt 4095 Huts with gables and palaces,

and beds which are very costly,

all of the time will come to be,

discerning what he is thinking. Verse 24

Walt 4096-4097 And sixty thousand elephants,

decked out in all the ornaments,

mātaṅgas with gold headdresses,

clothed in harnessing made of gold,

mounted by elephant-trainers

with lances and goads in hand,

are going to wait on this man :

that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair. Verse 25-26

Walt 4098-4099 Sixty thousand horses as well ,

decked out in all the ornaments,

thoroughbreds of good pedigree,

horses from Sindh, fast vehicles,

mounted by trainers of horses

wearing armor with bows in hand,

are going to wait on this man :

that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair. Verse 27-28

Walt 4100-4101 Sixty thousand chariots too ,

decked out in all the ornaments,

covered in the skins of leopards

and likewise tigers, flags hoisted,

mounted by animal-trainers

wearing armor with bows in hand,

will constantly wait on this man :

that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair. Verse 29-30

Walt 4102 Sixty thousand milch-cows as well,

red in color, best of the best,

will give birth to many good calves:

that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair. Verse 31

Walt 4103-4104 Sixty thousand women as well ,

decked out in all the ornaments,

with varied clothes and jewelry

and wearing earrings made of gems,

with long eyelashes, lovely smiles

and slim waists, pleasant to look at,

constantly will wait on this man :

that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair. Verse 32-33

Walt 4105 Eighteen hundred aeons from now,

the Eyeful One named Gotama,

doing away with the darkness,

will be the Buddha in the world. Verse 34

Walt 4106 Coming to look at him, this man

will go forth having nothing.

Satisfying the Teacher, he’ll

delight in the dispensation. Verse 35

Walt 4107 Having listened to his Teaching,

he will destroy the defilements.

Knowing well all the defilements,

he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled. Verse 36

Walt 4108 Vigorous effort’s the yoked ox

carrying perfect peace for me.

Wishing for ultimate meaning,

I dwell in the dispensation. Verse 37

Walt 4109 This is the final time for me;

my last rebirth is proceeding.

All defilements are exhausted;

now there will be no more rebirth. Verse 38

Walt 4110 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 39

Walt 4111 Being in Best Buddha’s presence

was a very good thing for me.

The three knowledges are attained;

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 40

Walt 4112 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 41

Thus indeed Venerable Hemaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Hemaka Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

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