Tha Ap 557Vajjīputta

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

555. Vajjīputta

Walt 6379 The Blessed One, Thousand-Rayed One,

the Self-Become, Unconquered One,

rising up from his solitude,

went forth in order to seek food.

Walt 6380 Holding fruit in my hand, I saw

the Bull of Men who had approached.

Happy, with pleasure in my heart,

I gave him fruit with stems attached.

Walt 6381 In the ninety-four aeons since

I gave him that fruit at that time ,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that is the fruit of giving fruit.

Walt 6382 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint.

Walt 6383 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!

Walt 6384 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Venerable Vajjīputta Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Vajjīputta Thera, the fifth.

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.

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