Tha Ap 415Tiṇasūlakachādaniya

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

410. {413.} Tiṇasūlakachādaniya

Walt 4346 At that time I contemplated

birth and decrepitude and death.

Going out from the home alone,

I went forth into homelessness. Verse 1

Walt 4347 In the course of wandering, I

came to the banks of a river.

There on the riverbank I saw

a piece of earth in all fullness. Verse 2

Walt 4348 Fashioning a hermitage there,

I’m living in the hermitage.

My walkway is well-constructed,

housing flocks of various birds. Verse 3

Walt 4349 Trustingly they come up to me,

and sing their lovely songs to me .

Delighting there along with them,

I’m living in the hermitage. Verse 4

Walt 4350 Near that hermitage of mine were

wild beasts of four different kinds,

who came out of their forest haunts

and roared for me like the thunder. Verse 5

Walt 4351 When those wild beasts were making sounds,

great mirth was then produced in me.

While searching for those animals,

I saw the Leader of the World. Verse 6

Walt 4352 Then having seen the God of Gods,

Tissa, Chief Leader of the World,

happy, and with a happy heart,

I offered ironwood pollen. Verse 7

Walt 4353 I praised the Leader of the World,

like the sun when it is rising,

like a regal sal tree in bloom,

shining forth like the morning star: Verse 8

Walt 4354 “Omniscient One, with your knowledge,

you light up this world with its gods.

After having made you happy,

they’re liberated from rebirth. Verse 9

Walt 4355 Omniscient One, through not seeing

the Buddhas who see everything,

those obstructed by lust and hate

descend into avīci hell. Verse 10

Walt 4356 Coming to take a look at you,

Omniscient One, O World-Leader,

they are freed from all existence,

and realize the deathless state. Verse 11

Walt 4357 When the Buddhas, the Eyeful Ones,

the Light-Bringers are arising,

they display the light of the truth ,

burning up all the defilements.” Verse 12

Walt 4358 After praising the Sambuddha,

Tissa, Chief Leader of the World,

happy, and with a happy heart,

I offered Arab jasmine blooms. Verse 13

Walt 4359 Discerning what I was thinking,

Tissa, Chief Leader of the World,

sitting down there on his own seat,

spoke these verses about me then : Verse 14

Walt 4360 “He who covered me with flowers,

feeling well- pleased by his own hands,

I shall relate details of him;

all of you listen to my words: Verse 15

Walt 4361 Twenty-five times he’s going to

exercise rule over the gods,

and seventy-five times he’ll be

a king who turns the wheel of law . Verse 16

Walt 4362 And there will be much local rule,

innumerable by counting,

as a result of his karma

of doing pūjā with flowers. Verse 17

Walt 4363 When this person has bathed his head,

if he wishes for a flower,

then bound up with his good karma,

it will appear in front of him . Verse 18

Walt 4364 Whatever’s wished for through desires,

that all is going to appear.

Having fulfilled his intentions,

he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled. Verse 19

Walt 4365 The eighteenth recitation portion

Having burnt up the defilements,

attentive and intelligent,

sitting down on a single seat,

he will attain arahantship.” Verse 20

Walt 4366 Walking back and forth, lying down,

sitting down or else standing up,

remembering the Best Buddha,

I am living all of the time. Verse 21

Walt 4367 There’s no deficiency for me

in robes and food that I beg for,

in requisites and bed-and-seat:

that’s the fruit of Buddha -pūjā . Verse 22

Walt 4368 Now deathlessness has been attained,

the unsurpassed great state of peace.

Knowing well all the defilements,

I am living without constraint. Verse 23

Walt 4369 In the ninety-two aeons since

I did pūjā to the Buddha,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of Buddha -pūjā . Verse 24

Walt 4370 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 25

Walt 4371 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 26

Walt 4372 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 27

Thus indeed Venerable Tiṇasūlakachādaniya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Tiṇasūlakachādaniya Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

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