Tha Ap 532Sugandha

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

527. {530.} Sugandha

Walt 5617 In this present lucky aeon

Brahmā’s Kinsman, Greatly Famed One,

named Kassapa through his lineage,

Best Debater, Buddha arose. Verse 1

Walt 5618 Possessing Eighty Lesser Marks,

Bearing the Thirty-Two Great Marks,

Having a Fathom-Wide Aura,

Gone into a Net of Light-Rays, Verse 2

Walt 5619 as Comforting as is the moon,

Maker of Light just like the sun,

Quenching just as does a raincloud,

a Mine of Gems like the ocean, Verse 3

Walt 5620 Through morals like earth; through wisdom

like the sky; through meditation

like Himalaya; like the wind

he does not stick to anything. Verse 4

Walt 5621 At one time he, the Sage So Great,

Confident among Multitudes,

is explaining the Noble Truths,

and lifting up the populace. Verse 5

Walt 5622 I was then a millionaire’s son

in Benares, very famous.

Back then I was the master of

considerable wealth and grain. Verse 6

Walt 5623-5624 While wandering about on foot,

I came up to the “Deer-Park” grove .

There I saw the such-like Buddha,

who was preaching the deathless state,

in distinct and delightful words,

with the sweet tone of a cuckoo,

with the noise of a swan or drum,

making the people understand. Verse 7-8

Walt 5625 Having seen that God Above Gods,

and hearing his honey -sweet words,

having abandoned no small wealth,

I went forth into homelessness. Verse 9

Walt 5626 Thus gone forth, in not a long time,

being a very learned monk ,

I became a Dhamma -preacher,

having diverse intelligence. Verse 10

Walt 5627 Amidst large multitudes I then ,

happy-hearted, repeatedly,

extolled the Buddha’s gold color,

skilled at extolling his beauty: Verse 11

Walt 5628 “This is Buddha, the Undefiled,

Unconfused One, With Doubt Cut Out,

he whose Karma is All Destroyed,

Freed in the End of Conditions. Verse 12

Walt 5629 This is Buddha, the Blessed One;

he’s the Unsurpassed, the Lion,

the Turner of the Brahma-wheel

for the world including the gods; Verse 13

Walt 5630 Tame, the Tamer, the Peaceful One,

the Appeaser, Blown Out, the Sage,

the Quencher and the Comforted,

the Comforter of the people; Verse 14

Walt 5631 The Hero, the God, the Wise One,

Wisdom, Compassionate, Master,

the Conqueror, and the Victor,

Not Being Reborn, Homeless One; Verse 15

Walt 5632 Lust-less One, Unshaking, Smart One,

Undeluded, Unequaled, Sage,

Yoke-Bearer, Bull, the Elephant,

Lion, Indra among gurus; Verse 16

Walt 5633 Passionless One, Stainless One, God,

God of Speakers, Fault-Renouncer,

Unobstructed and Free of Grief,

Unequaled, Restrained, the Pure One; Verse 17

Walt 5634 the Brahmin, the Monk and the Lord,

the Physician and the Surgeon,

Warrior, Buddha, Sacred Lore,

Unshaking, the Glad One, the Free; Verse 18

Walt 5635 Upholder, Ready, the Slayer,

the Doer, the Guide, Explainer,

the Gladdener, the Enjoyer,

the Cutter, the Hearer, the Praised; Verse 19

Walt 5636 Unobstructed and Extensive,

Unconfused One, Not Uncertain,

Lust-less, Unstained, the Companion,

Goer, the Speaker, Explainer; Verse 20

Walt 5637 the Crosser, the Meaning-Maker,

the Builder, also the Tearer,

Attainer, Bearer, Beloved,

Slayer, Energetic, Ascetic, Verse 21

Walt 5638 Even-Minded and Impartial,

Self-Dependent, Home of Kindness,

Wonderfully Peaceful, Honest,

Doer of the Deed, Seventh Sage; Verse 22

Walt 5639 Crossed Beyond Doubt, Free of Conceit,

the Boundless One, Beyond Compare,

Traveled the Roads of All Sayings,

Attained the Truth to Know, Victor. Verse 23

Walt 5640 Buddha’s palace brings deathlessness

in the best hardwood of beings;

the powerful have faith in the

Buddha, Teaching and Assembly.” Verse 24

Walt 5641 By means of virtues such as these,

I did my preaching of Dhamma ,

praising amidst the multitudes

the Three Worlds’ Unsurpassed Refuge. Verse 25

Walt 5642 Falling from there, in Tusitā,

having enjoyed great happiness,

falling from there, among people,

I’m born with a very good scent. Verse 26

Walt 5643 My wind, the fragrance of my mouth,

likewise too my body odor,

and the scent of my sweat, always

surpasses all other perfumes. Verse 27

Walt 5644 My mouth-fragrance always is of

pink and blue lotus and jasmine.

And so too my body -odor ,

always blowing very calmly. Verse 28

Walt 5645 All of you, minds concentrated,

listen to my words , I’ll extol

all of that most amazing fruit

for one who praised virtue’s value. Verse 29

Walt 5646 Having told the Buddha’s virtues

with kindness when people gather,

bound up with a honey-sweet sound,

I am happy in every place, Verse 30

Walt 5647 famous, happy, also held dear,

splendorous, lovely to look at,

a speaker, not disregarded,

free of faults and also most wise. Verse 31

Walt 5648 When life ends, nirvana’s easy

to reach for Buddha’s devotees.

I’m telling the cause of their ease ;

listen to that now truthfully: Verse 32

Walt 5649 I saluted in due form the

Blessed One’s fame for peacefulness.

Because of that I am famous

when I am reborn here and there. Verse 33

Walt 5650 I am happy because I praised

the Buddha who ends suffering,

and peaceful, unconditioned Truth,

giving happiness to beings. Verse 34

Walt 5651 Declaring the Buddha’s virtue,

bound up with joy in the Buddha,

I made him dear to self and to

others; therefore I am held dear. Verse 35

Walt 5652 Overcoming evil rivals

in the rival-strewn people-flood,

praising virtue I lit up the

Leader; therefore I’m splendorous. Verse 36

Walt 5653 Telling the Sambuddha’s virtue,

I made him lovely to people,

as is the moon in the autumn;

therefore I’m lovely to look at. Verse 37

Walt 5654 With all my words I praised Buddha,

to the extent I was able;

therefore I speak eloquently,

and have diverse intelligence. Verse 38

Walt 5655 With the great Teaching I restrained

those fools who, afflicted with doubt,

treat the Sage So Great with contempt;

therefore I’m not disregarded. Verse 39

Walt 5656 Through the virtues of the Buddha,

I drove out beings’ defilements.

I am now free of defilements,

as a result of that karma. Verse 40

Walt 5657 A preacher who recalls Buddha,

I brought Buddha to listeners.

Therefore I’m endowed with wisdom,

contemplating subtle meanings. Verse 41

Walt 5658 All my defilements are destroyed;

I’ve crossed the ocean of being.

Like fire, I have no attachments;

I will realize nirvana. Verse 42

Walt 5659 Within just this present aeon

since I thus praised him , the Buddha,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of praising Buddhas. Verse 43

Walt 5660 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 44

Walt 5661 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 45

Walt 5662 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 46

Thus indeed Venerable Sugandha Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sugandha Thera is finished.

The Summary:

Tiṇada and Pecchada too,

Saraṇ’, Abbhañjanappada,

Pūpatī and Daṇḍadāyī,

and likewise tooNelapūjī,

Bodhisammajak’, Āmaṇḍa,

and tenth Sugandha, a brahmin.

Altogether counted here are

one hundred twenty-three verses.

The Tiṇadāyaka Chapter, the Fifty-Third

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

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