Thi Ap 6Ekapiṇḍadāyikā

– Therīpadāna

– The Legends of the Therīs

6. Ekapiṇḍadāyikā

Walt 46 In the city, Bandhumatī,

there was a king named Bandhuma.

I was then the wife of that king,

behaving in a certain way. Verse 1

Walt 47 Gone off alone, having sat down,

I then reflected in this way:

“I’ve done no wholesome deeds that I

can take and go when I have died . Verse 2

Walt 48 I have no doubt about the fact

that I’ll certainly go to hell,

blazingly hot, laden with grief,

of frightful form, and very cruel.” Verse 3

Walt 49 After having approached the king,

I then spoke these words to him :

“O kṣatriyan, do give to me

one monk, whom I will thenceforth feed.” Verse 4

Walt 50 That great king gave a monk to me,

with cultivated faculties.

After having taken his bowl,

I satisfied him with milk-rice. Verse 5

Walt 51 Having filled it up with milk-rice,

I applied some scented ointment.

Covering it with some netting,

I closed it with a blue lotus. Verse 6

Walt 52 Making that my object of thought

for as long as my life lasted ,

bringing pleasure to my heart there,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then . Verse 7

Walt 53 I was fixed in the chief queen’s place

of thirty kings among the gods.

Whatever my mind wishes for

comes into being as desired. Verse 8

Walt 54 I was fixed in the chief queen’s place

of twenty kings who turned the wheel.

With accumulated merit,

I transmigrated through lifetimes. Verse 9

Walt 55 I am set free from every bond;

my substrata are gone away;

all defilements are extinguished;

now there will be no more rebirth. Verse 10

Walt 56 In the ninety-one aeons since

I gave that almsgiving back then,

I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:

that’s the fruit of food that’s begged for. Verse 11

Walt 57 My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint. Verse 12

Walt 58 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 13

Walt 59 The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 14

Thus indeed Bhikkhunī Ekapiṇḍadāyikā spoke these verses.

The legend of Ekapiṇḍadāyikā 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.

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