Tha Ap 504Ekapattadāyaka

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

499. {502.} Ekapattadāyaka

Walt 5396 In the city, Haṁsavatī,

I was a potter at that time .

I saw the Buddha, Stainless One,

the Flood-Crosser, Undefiled One. Verse 1

Walt 5397 I gave to him, the Best Buddha,

a well-fashioned bowl made of clay.

Giving that bowl to the Buddha,

the Honest One, the Neutral One, Verse 2

Walt 5398 being reborn in existence,

I’m receiving plates made of gold,

and flat bowls made of silver, gold,

and also some made out of gems; Verse 3

Walt 5399 I’m enjoying all these dishes:

that is the fruit of good karma.

I am the owner of bowls made

for the famous and the wealthy. Verse 4

Walt 5400-5401 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 is this bowl-donation,

well- planted in the Buddha-field:

when it rains the joy-bringing rain,

the fruit will be pleasing to me. Verse 5-6

Walt 5402 As far as merit- fields exist—

even the Assemblies and groups—

the Buddha-field has no equal,

giving great happiness to all. Verse 7

Walt 5403 Praise to you, O Well-Bred Person!

Praise to you, Ultimate Person!

After giving a single bowl,

I’ve attained the unshaking state. Verse 8

Walt 5404 In the ninety-one aeons since

I gave him that bowl at that time,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of Buddha- pūjā . Verse 9

Walt 5405 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 10

Walt 5406 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 11

Walt 5407 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 12

Thus indeed Venerable Ekapattadāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Ekapattadāyaka 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