Tha Ap 69Vatthadāyaka

– Therāpadāna

– The Legends of the Theras

67. Vatthadāyaka

Walt 1393 I was born as a bird back then,

with good strong wings, a harpy-king.

I saw the Stainless Buddha go

on Gandhamādana Mountain . Verse 1

Walt 1394 Shedding my harpy appearance,

I got dressed in human clothing.

One piece of cloth I gave to the

Lord of Bipeds, the Neutral One. Verse 2

Walt 1395 Having taken that piece of cloth,

the Buddha, the World’s Top Leader,

the Teacher, standing in the sky

spoke these verses about me then : Verse 3

Walt 1396 “Because of the gift of this cloth

and the resolve in his own heart,

abandoning the harpy womb

he’ll delight in the world of gods.” Verse 4

Walt 1397 But Atthadassi, Blessed One,

the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,

after praising the gift of cloth

then departed facing the north. Verse 5

Walt 1398 When I’m reborn in existence

attainments of cloth befall me;

there’s a canopy in the sky:

that is the fruit of giving cloth. Verse 6

Walt 1399 Seven men named Aruṇaka

were wheel-turners with great power.

In the thirty-fourth aeon hence

they were the lords over people. Verse 7

Walt 1400 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 8

Thus indeed Venerable Vatthadāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Vatthadāyaka 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.

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