Tha Ap 414Ekachattiya

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

409. {412.} Ekachattiya

Walt 4299 On Candabhāgā River’s bank,

I had a well-made hermitage.

It was strewn with very white sand,

and furnished with halls made of leaves. Verse 1

Walt 4300 The river there was beautiful,

with flat banks and good bathing-fords.

It was full of fish and turtles;

crocodiles resorted to it . Verse 2

Walt 4301 There were bears, peacocks and leopards,

Indian cuckoos and mynah birds;

always chirping and growling, they’re

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 3

Walt 4302 Cuckoos with their lovely voices

and swans with their honey-sweet tones

are always singing their songs there,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 4

Walt 4303 Lions, tigers and wild boars too ,

wolves, more wolves, kara bānā bears,

roar even on bad mountain roads,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 5

Walt 4304 Eṇi -deer and sarabha -deer,

jackals and many hogs as well ,

cry even on bad mountain roads,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 6

Walt 4305 Golden shower and champak trees ,

trumpet-flower, Chinese chaste trees,

hiptage vines and ashoka trees

are blooming in my hermitage. Verse 7

Walt 4306 Sage-leaf alangium, jasmine,

sattali , bimbijālika ,

kaṇṇikā and dinner-plate trees

are blooming in my hermitage. Verse 8

Walt 4307 Ironwood, sal and salalā ,

white lotuses in bloom are here;

wafting divine fragrances, they’re

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 9

Walt 4308 Arjuna and silver greywood,

flowering sugarcane is here,

sal and kaṅgu -flowers too, are

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 10

Walt 4309 Mango, rose-apple, coral-bean

tree, neem, and sāla-kalyāṇi ,

wafting divine fragrances are

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 11

Walt 4310 Ashoka and wood-apple trees ,

blooming bhaginimāla here,

wafting divine fragrances are

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 12

Walt 4311 Kadam and banana trees and

isimugga are planted there .

They bear fruit continuously,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 13

Walt 4312 Myrobalan and gooseberry,

mango, rose-apple, bahera,

jujube, markingnut, bel

are fruiting in my hermitage. Verse 14

Walt 4313 Near the hermitage there’s a pond,

with good bathing-fords, beautiful,

covered with mandālaka blooms

and with pink and blue lotuses. Verse 15

Walt 4314 Pink lotuses germinate there;

others, flowering, make pollen.

Kaṇṇika trees with fallen leaves

are blooming in my hermitage. Verse 16

Walt 4315 Sheatfish, also pāvusa fish,

valaja , reed-fish and red-fish

are swimming in the clear water,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 17

Walt 4316 Shrubs like nayita , ambagandhi ,

and screw-pine, suited to water ,

wafting divine fragrances are

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 18

Walt 4317 Honey is flowing from the roots

and milk and oil flow from the stems;

wafting divine fragrances, they’re

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 19

Walt 4318 The sand that’s there is beautiful,

strewn about beside the water.

Young buds are always blossoming,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 20

Walt 4319 Those bearing weights of matted hair,

who wear deer-leather outer robes,

dressed in garments made of bark, are

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 21

Walt 4320 Looking but a plough’s length ahead,

clever and living peacefully,

not looking to indulge in lust,

they’re living in my hermitage. Verse 22

Walt 4321 With nails and armpit hair grown long,

muck in their teeth, heads soiled with dirt,

all dressed in muddy dirt-smeared robes,

they’re living in my hermitage. Verse 23

Walt 4322 Six special knowledge-perfecters,

they all can travel in the air.

They’re rising up into the sky,

beautifying my hermitage. Verse 24

Walt 4323 Surrounded by those students, I

am living in the forest then.

I do not know the day from night,

always doing meditation. Verse 25

Walt 4324 The Buddha in that period

was Atthadassi, the Great Sage.

Doing away with the darkness,

the Leader of the World arose. Verse 26

Walt 4325 At that time a certain student

arrived there at my hermitage,

wanting to ask for secret spells,

the six branches, reading of marks. Verse 27

Walt 4326 “A Buddha’s risen in the world,

the Great Sage named Atthadassi;

explaining the Four Noble Truths,

he’s declaring the deathless path.” Verse 28

Walt 4327 Thrilled, my hair on end in delight,

hoping to enter the Teaching,

going out from the hermitage,

I spoke these words to my students : Verse 29

Walt 4328 “A Buddha’s risen in the world,

Bearing the Thirty-two Great Marks.

Come, all of you, let us now go

into the Great Sambuddha’s midst.” Verse 30

Walt 4329 They all then followed my advice,

perfected in the great Teaching.

Seekers of ultimate meaning,

they agreed, saying, “Excellent!” Verse 31

Walt 4330 Those bearing weights of matted hair,

wearing deer-leather outer robes,

searching for ultimate meaning,

then departed from the forest. Verse 32

Walt 4331 The Buddha in that period

was Atthadassi, of Great Fame.

Explaining the Four Noble Truths,

he’s declaring the deathless path. Verse 33

Walt 4332 Taking a white umbrella, I

carried it for the Best Buddha.

Carrying it for one whole day,

I then worshipped the Best Buddha. Verse 34

Walt 4333 Atthadassi, the Blessed One,

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

seated in the monks’ Assembly,

spoke these verses about me then : Verse 35

Walt 4334 “Who bore this umbrella for me,

feeling well- pleased by his own hands,

I shall relate details of him:

all of you listen to my words: Verse 36

Walt 4335 When ever this one is reborn,

whether as a god or human,

umbrellas will be borne for him:

the fruit of giving umbrellas. Verse 37

Walt 4336 For seventy-seven aeons

he’ll delight in the world of gods.

A thousand times he’ll be a king,

a king who turns the wheel of law . Verse 38

Walt 4337 Seventy-seven times as well,

he will exercise divine rule,

and there will be much local rule,

innumerable by counting. Verse 39

Walt 4338 Eighteen hundred aeons from now,

Gotama, Bull of the Śākyas,

doing away with the darkness,

will arise, the One with Five Eyes. Verse 40

Walt 4339 Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma ,

Dhamma ’s legitimate offspring,

knowing well all the defilements,

he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled.” Verse 41

Walt 4340 Since I was that karma-doer,

bearing the Buddha’s umbrella,

right up to now I do not know

a white umbrella not carried. Verse 42

Walt 4341 This is the final time for me;

my last rebirth is proceeding;

today umbrella-carrying

is happening all of the time. Verse 43

Walt 4342 O! My karma was well-done for

Atthadassi, the Neutral One.

All defilements are exhausted;

now there will be no more rebirth. Verse 44

Walt 4343 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 45

Walt 4344 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 46

Walt 4345 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 47

Thus indeed Venerable Ekachattiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Ekachattiya Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

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