Tha Ap 490Taraṇiya

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

485. {488.} Taraṇiya

Walt 5177 Atthadassi, the Blessed One,

the Self-Become One, World-Leader,

the Thus-Gone-One then came up to

the banks of river Vinatā. Verse 1

Walt 5178 A water-dwelling tortoise then,

I had come out from the water.

I went up to the World-Leader,

the Buddha; he desired to cross. Verse 2

Walt 5179 “Let the Buddha climb onto me,

O Atthadassi, O Great Sage;

I will carry you across; you

are the Ender of Suffering.” Verse 3

Walt 5180 Discerning what I was thinking,

Atthadassi, the Greatly Famed,

after climbing onto my back,

stood there , the Leader of the World. Verse 4

Walt 5181 As far back as I remember,

ever since I reached discretion,

I have not had such happiness

as when his soles then touched my back . Verse 5

Walt 5182 After crossing, the Sambuddha,

Atthadassi, the Greatly Famed,

remaining on the river bank,

spoke these verses about me then : Verse 6

Walt 5183 “Just as I ferry folks across

the stream of doubt which is the mind,

this turtle king, full of merit,

ferries me across the river . Verse 7

Walt 5184 Through this Buddha-ferrying and

practice of loving-heartedness,

for eighteen hundred aeons he

will delight in the world of gods. Verse 8

Walt 5185 Coming back here from the gods’ world,

incited by his wholesome roots,

sitting down on a single seat,

he’ll cross over the stream of doubt. Verse 9

Walt 5186-5187 As with a seed which is planted,

in a field which is bountiful:

when it rains, with proper support,

fruit pleases the cultivator;

so too within this Buddha-field,

preached by the Sammāsambuddha:

when it rains, with proper support,

the fruit will be pleasing to me.” Verse 10-11

Walt 5188 I am one bent on exertion,

calmed, devoid of grounds for rebirth,

knowing well all the defilements,

I am now living, undefiled. Verse 12

Walt 5189 In the eighteen hundred aeons

since I did that karma back then,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that is the fruit of ferrying. Verse 13

Walt 5190 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 14

Walt 5191 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 15

Walt 5192 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 16

Thus indeed Venerable Taraṇiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Taraṇiya 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.

For more information, visit apadanatranslation.org