Thi Ap 21Bhaddā-Kuṇḍalakesā

– Therīpadāna

– The Legends of the Therīs

– Kuṇḍalakesā Chapter, the Third

21. Bhaddā-Kuṇḍalakesā

Walt 639 The Victor, Padumuttara,

was a Master of Everything.

That Leader arose in the world

one hundred thousand aeons hence. Verse 1

Walt 640 I was born in Haṁsavatī,

in a clan of millionaires then,

glistening with various gems,

endowed with supreme happiness. Verse 2

Walt 641 Having approached that Great Hero,

I heard him preaching the Dhamma .

Then, pleasure born in my heart, I

approached the Victor for refuge. Verse 3

Walt 642 Then the Great Compassionate One,

the Leader, Padumuttara,

fixed a nun in the foremost place

of those with quick intuition. Verse 4

Walt 643 Hearing that, being overjoyed,

having given the Great Sage alms,

bowing my head down at his feet

I aspired to attain that place. Verse 5

Walt 644 The Great Hero approved of that :

“Lucky one, there will be success

in everything for which you wish.

Be happy, you should feel appeased. Verse 6

Walt 645 In one hundred thousand aeons,

arising in Okkāka’s clan,

the one whose name is Gotama

will be the Teacher in the world. Verse 7

Walt 646 Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma ,

Dhamma ’s legitimate offspring,

named Bhaddākuṇḍalakesā

you’ll be the Teacher’s follower.” Verse 8

Walt 647 Due to that karma done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then . Verse 9

Walt 648 Fallen thence, I went to Yāma,

and then I went to Tusita,

and then to Nimmānarati,

and then Vāsavatti city. Verse 10

Walt 649 In whichever place I’m reborn,

in accordance with that karma,

everyplace I was made chief queen

of the gods who were the kings there . Verse 11

Walt 650 Fallen thence, in the human state,

everyplace I was made chief queen

of kings who turn the wheel of law,

and powerful regional kings. Verse 12

Walt 651 Having experienced success,

among gods as well as humans,

becoming happy everywhere,

I transmigrated for aeons. Verse 13

Walt 652 In this present lucky aeon,

Brahma’s Kinsman, Greatly Famed One,

the Buddha known as Kassapa

was born, the Best of Debaters. Verse 14

Walt 653 The attendant of the Great Sage

was the ruler of men back then,

the king of Kāsi, named Kiki,

in Benares, greatest city. Verse 15

Walt 654 I was then that king’s fourth daughter,

well-known as Bhikkhadāyikā.

Hearing the Best Victor’s Teaching,

I chose to seek ordination. Verse 16

Walt 655-656 Our father did not permit it;

we stayed at home during that time,

comfortable royal maidens

doing our practice with vigor

in virginal celibacy,

for twenty times a thousand years,

fond of waiting on the Buddha,

the king’s seven joyful daughters. Verse 17-18

Walt 657 Samaṇī, and Samaṇaguttā,

Bhikkhunī, Bhikkhadāyikā,

Dhammā, and also Sudhammā,

and seventh Saṅghadāyikā, Verse 19

Walt 658 now Uppalavaṇṇā, Khemā

also Paṭācārā and I,

Kisāgotamī, Dhammadinnā,

and Visākhā is the seventh. Verse 20

Walt 659 Due to those karmas done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then . Verse 21

Walt 660 And now, in my final rebirth,

in Giribbaja, best city,

I was born to rich millionaires.

When I’d become a young woman, Verse 22

Walt 661 attracted to a thief I saw

being led to execution,

my father, paying a thousand,

had him freed from execution. Verse 23

Walt 662 After that, discerning my mind,

my father gave me to that thief .

I was trustworthy for him, and

extremely kindly and friendly. Verse 24

Walt 663 He, out of greed for my jewels,

that enemy with ill-intent,

led me to the thieves’ precipice

on a mountain, plotting murder. Verse 25

Walt 664 Then stretching out to Sattuka,

hands which were well pressed together,

protecting my own breath of life,

I spoke these words to him just then: Verse 26

Walt 665 “This bracelet which is made of gold,

containing many pearls and gems,

Sir, carry all of this away;

announce that I’m your bed-slave.” Verse 27

Walt 666 “Take it off, O beautiful one,

and do not feel a lot of grief;

I am unable to accept

wealth that I did not kill to get. Verse 28

Walt 667 For as long as I remember,

ever since I reached discretion,

I have accepted no other

more beloved than you to me .” Verse 29

Walt 668 “Come here! Having embraced you, \[just

one more\] circumambulation.

And after now there will not be

intercourse between you and me.” Verse 30

Walt 669 The man is not the one who’s wise

in every single circumstance;

paying attention, here and there,

the woman is the one who’s wise. Verse 31

Walt 670 The man is not the one who’s wise

in every single circumstance;

quick-thinking, with good strategy,

the woman is the one who’s wise. Verse 32

Walt 671 Quickly indeed, in just a flash,

I came up with a clever trick:

like a deer by a mighty bow,

Sattuka was slaughtered by me. Verse 33

Walt 672 Who fails quickly to understand

the circumstances that arise,

he gets murdered, that silly thief,

in the belly of a mountain. Verse 34

Walt 673 Who does not fail to quickly grasp

the circumstances that arise,

she is freed from creaturely bonds;

such was I from Sattuka then. Verse 35

Walt 674 Then I made him, Sattuka, fall

from a treacherous mountain road.

Coming into the presence of

some white-clad adepts, I went forth. Verse 36

Walt 675 Then after plucking out my hair

altogether, using tweezers,

being ordained, in no long time,

they detailed their own tradition. Verse 37

Walt 676-677 Then after I had learned all that,

gone off by myself, sitting down,

I thought about that tradition.

Then a dog brought a human hand,

chewed off, and after dropping it

in my vicinity, ran off.

Seeing that maggoty hand, I

took it up for meditation. Verse 38-39

Walt 678 Then producing deep emotion,

I asked my co-religionists.

They said: “the Śākyan Buddhist monks

know the answer s to your questions .” Verse 40

Walt 679 “I’ll ask that meaning, approaching

the followers of the Buddha.”

Taking me along they all went

into the Best Buddha’s presence. Verse 41

Walt 680 He preached Dhamma to me: the heaps

in the thought-spheres and elements;

the Leader taught unpleasantness,

impermanence, dis-ease, no-self. Verse 42

Walt 681-682 After hearing his Dhamma , I

then purified the “ Dhamma eye.”

Learned in the good Teaching, I

asked to go forth and be ordained.

At that time he said this to me:

“Come, lucky one,” said the Leader.

Then being fully ordained, I

saw a little bit of water. Verse 43-44

Walt 683 Cleaning my feet, discerning that

some water splashed up, some spilled down,

then at that time I realized,

“all conditioned things are like that.” Verse 45

Walt 684 Then my heart was liberated,

altogether, without clinging.

Then the Victor dubbed me foremost

of those with quick intuition. Verse 46

Walt 685 I’ve mastered the superpowers

like the “divine ear” element.

I know the hearts of others too,

I have done what the Teacher taught. Verse 47

Walt 686 I remember my former lives;

my “divine eye” is purified.

Throwing off all the defilements,

I am purified, I’m stainless. Verse 48

Walt 687 The Teacher’s been worshipped by me;

I have done what the Buddha taught.

The heavy load has been laid down,

the ties to existence severed. Verse 49

Walt 688 The reason for which I went forth,

from my home into homelessness —

I have now achieved that purpose:

destruction of all the fetters. Verse 50

Walt 689 In meaning and in the Teaching,

etymology and preaching,

my knowledge is vast and flawless,

through the Great Sage’s majesty. Verse 51

Walt 690 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 52

Walt 691 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 53

Walt 692 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 54

Thus indeed Bhikkhunī Bhaddā-Kuṇḍalakesā spoke these verses.

The legend of Bhaddā-Kuṇḍalakesā Therī 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