Tha Ap 552Cūlasugandha

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

547. {550.} Cūlasugandha

Walt 6294 In this present lucky aeon

Brahmā’s Kinsman, Greatly Famed One,

known by the name of Kassapa,

Best Debater, Buddha, arose. Verse 1

Walt 6295 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 6296 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 6297 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 6298 At that very time I was born

in Benares, in a big clan,

rich in grain and abundant wealth,

with heaps of various gemstones. Verse 5

Walt 6299 Approaching the Leader, who was

seated with a large retinue,

I heard him preaching the Dhamma ,

undying, delighting the mind. Verse 6

Walt 6300 Bearing the Thirty-Two Marks like

the moon with the constellations,

Possessing Eighty Lesser Marks,

like a regal sal tree in bloom, Verse 7

Walt 6301 Encircled by a Net of Rays,

like a shining mountain of gold,

Having a Fathom-Wide Aura,

like the sun shining on a lake, Verse 8

Walt 6302 Excellent Golden-Faced Victor,

like a mountain made of gemstones,

with a Heart Full of Compassion,

like the ocean through his virtue. Verse 9

Walt 6303 The Ultimate Man, like Mt. Meru,

his Praises are Famous World-wide;

Widespread with Fame, the Great Hero,

the Sage, who is the Same as Space, Verse 10

Walt 6304 Heart Unattached in every place,

the Leader is thus like the wind;

Support for all living beings,

the Seventh Sage is like the earth. Verse 11

Walt 6305 Kassapa, Unsoiled by the World

like a pink lotus by water,

shines forth like a mountain of fire

Burning the Bad-Speech Undergrowth. Verse 12

Walt 6306 Everywhere, like an antidote,

he Destroys the Defilement-Poison,

Adorned with the Scent of Virtue,

like Gandhamādana Mountain. Verse 13

Walt 6307 The Hero’s a Mine of Virtues

like the ocean is of gemstones;

Thoroughbred Man like a Sindh horse,

he Carries Off Defilement’s Filth. Verse 14

Walt 6308 Like a champion great soldier,

he Crushes the Army of Death;

he is like a wheel-turning king,

Lord of Wisdom’s Seven Gems. Verse 15

Walt 6309 Just like a man of medicine,

he Doctors the Illness called Faults;

just like the very best surgeon,

he Drains the Abscess called False Views. Verse 16

Walt 6310 At that time, the Torch of the World,

Honored by Gods along with Men,

the Sun among Men, the Victor,

preached Dhamma to his retinue. Verse 17

Walt 6311 “Giving alms one becomes wealthy,

through morals one gains well-being,

through meditation, nirvana:”

thus indeed he gave instruction. Verse 18

Walt 6312 Everyone in the retinue

hears that, his very sweet preaching,

pure in beginning, middle, end,

very tasty, like ambrosia. Verse 19

Walt 6313 Having heard his honeyed Teaching,

pleased in Victor’s dispensation,

going to Buddha for refuge,

I praised him as long as I lived. Verse 20

Walt 6314-6315 At that time, for eight days each month,

I covered over the ground of

the perfumed hut where lived the Sage

with the four types of fragrant things ,

out of my wish for that good smell

for my own odor-free body.

Then the Victor prophesied that

I’d attain that fragrant body: Verse 21-22

Walt 6316-6317 “He who covered over the ground

of my own perfumed hut with scents,

as the result of that karma,

while being reborn here and there,

this man will be one who has a

good-smelling body everywhere.

Having the fragrance of virtue,

he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled.” Verse 23-24

Walt 6318 Due to that karma done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then . Verse 25

Walt 6319 And now in my final rebirth,

I’m born in a clan of brahmins.

When I was dwelling in the womb,

my mother’s body was fragrant. Verse 26

Walt 6320 And when I was departing from

my mother’s womb, then the city,

Śrāvasti, was diffused with good

scents, as though it had been perfumed. Verse 27

Walt 6321 And a perfumed rain of flowers,

divinely-scented, delightful,

and very costly incense too,

was wafted about all that time. Verse 28

Walt 6322 And the gods rained down on that house,

the house in which I had been born,

a perfumed rain with all good-scented

types of incense and flowers too . Verse 29

Walt 6323 And while I, a lucky young man,

remained in the prime of my youth,

then the Charioteer of Men

guided Sela with retinue. Verse 30

Walt 6324 I too , along with all of them,

came to the city, Śrāvasti.

Seeing the Buddha’s majestic

power, I went forth at that time. Verse 31

Walt 6325 Morals, meditation, wisdom

and the freedom that’s unsurpassed;

cultivating those four things,

I attained my arahantship. Verse 32

Walt 6326 And when I was a renouncer,

and when I was an arahant,

and when I attained nirvana,

there was then a good-smelling rain. Verse 33

Walt 6327 The fragrance of my body is always blowing

costly sandalwood, champaka and blue lotus.

In just that way, gone here and there I’m perfuming,

suppressing all different scents in every respect. Verse 34

Walt 6328 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 35

Walt 6329 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 36

Walt 6330 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 37

Thus indeed Venerable Cūlasugandha Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Cūlasugandha Thera is finished.

The Summary:

Bhaddiya, Elder Revata,

and Sīvalī, the great getter,

Vaṅgīsa, also Nandaka,

Kāḷudāyi, thus Ābhaya,

Lomasa and Vanavaccha,

and Sugandha done as the tenth.

There are three hundred verses here,

and also sixteen more than that.

Then there is the Summary of Chapters:

The chapter called Kaṇikāra,

Phalada, Tiṇadāyaka,

Kaccāna, Bhaddiya chapter;

the verses that are counted here

are nine hundred in this grouping

and exactly eighty-four more .

Five times one hundred plus fifty

apadānas are explained here .

Along with summary verses

these are six thousand verses here

and two hundred verses as well

plus eighteen verses more than that.

To that extent the Buddhāpadāna, Paccekabuddhāpadāna and Therāpadāna are finished. Let it be the basis for nirvana!

The Bhaddiya Chapter, the Fifty-Fifth

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters .

Whitman College, 2017

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