English
‘A palace named Sudassana, built by Vissakamma; Endowed with excellent pinnacled chambers, adorned with seven jewels. 77. ‘That free from ten noises, crowded with sky-dwellers; Like the city Sudassana, it will be for the devas. 78. ‘Its radiance emanates, as if the sun were rising; It will always illuminate that, eight yojanas all around. 79. ‘In a hundred thousand eons, born in the Okkāka lineage; By clan name Gotama, a Teacher will be in the world. 80. ‘Having fallen from Tusita, impelled by his root of merit; Of the Blessed Gotama, he will be the son. 81. ‘If he were to dwell in a home, he would be a universal monarch; It is not possible that such a one would find delight in a home. 82. ‘Having gone forth from home, the well-behaved one will go forth; By name Rāhula, he will be an Arahant.’ 83. ‘As a hen protects an egg, as a yak its tail; The wise one, endowed with virtue, the great sage protected me.’ 84. ‘Having understood his Dhamma, I dwelt delighted in the Dispensation; Having fully known all defilements, Oh, I dwell undefiled. 85. The four analytical knowledges, And these eight liberations; The six supernormal powers are realized, The Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled. Thus indeed the Venerable Elder Rāhula spoke these verses. The Sixth Apadāna of Elder Rāhula. 7. The Apadāna of Elder Upasena Vaṅgantaputta 86. The Blessed One Padumuttara, Foremost in the world, a bull among men; Sitting in a cave, I approached that supreme man. 87. Seeing a Kaṇikāra flower, Cutting its stem then I; Having adorned it on an umbrella, I offered it to the Buddha. 88. And I gave alms food, Excellent food, a good meal; The Buddha was the ninth there, I fed eight ascetics. 89. The Great Hero rejoiced, The Self-Existent, the foremost person; By this gift of an umbrella, And the offering of excellent food. 90. By that clarity of mind, You will experience prosperity; Thirty-six times, as king of devas, You will rule the deva kingdom. 91. And twenty-one times, You will be a wheel-turning monarch; Extensive regional rule, Countless in number. 92. After a hundred thousand aeons, Born in the Okkāka clan; Named Gotama by clan, A teacher will arise in the world. 93. In his dispensation, while in a divine state, You will attain human existence; An heir in his teachings, A true son, created by Dhamma. 94. Named Upasena, You will be a disciple of the Teacher; Because of your all-round pleasing conduct, He will place you in the foremost position. 95. This is my last existence, All existences are uprooted; I bear my final body, Having conquered Māra with his retinue. 96. The four analytical knowledges, And these eight liberations; The six supernormal powers are realized, The Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled. Thus indeed, the Elder Upasena Vaṅgantaputta spoke these verses. The Apadāna of the Elder Upasena Vaṅgantaputta, the seventh. The Third Recitation Section. 8. The Apadāna of the Elder Raṭṭhapāla 97. To the Blessed One Padumuttara, the leader of the world, the steadfast one; A noble elephant was given by me, with tusks like a ploughshare, well-grown. 98. Adorned with a white parasol, with trappings, with an elephant-driver; Having valued all of that, I built a monastery for the Saṅgha. 99. Fifty-four thousand palaces I built; Having made a great offering, I dedicated it to the Great Seer. 100. The Great Hero approved, the Self-Existent, the foremost person; Making all people joyful, he taught the deathless state. 101. The Buddha, named Jalajuttara, declared this to me; Seated in the assembly of monks, he spoke these verses. 102. ‘Fifty-four thousand palaces this one built; I will tell the result, listen to my words. 103. ‘Eighteen thousand gabled houses there will be; Born in the highest mansion, and all of them made of gold. 104. ‘Fifty times the lord of devas, he will rule as king of devas; And fifty-eight times, he will be a world-ruling monarch. 105. ‘In a hundred thousand aeons, born in the Okkāka clan; A teacher named Gotama by clan, will appear in the world. 106. ‘Having fallen from the deva world, impelled by wholesome roots; In a rich family, with great wealth, he will be reborn immediately. 107. ‘He, later having gone forth, impelled by wholesome roots; Named Raṭṭhapāla, will be a disciple of the Teacher. 108. ‘He, with effort applied, peaceful, without defilements; Having fully understood all cankers, will attain Nibbāna, without cankers.’ 109. Having risen and gone forth, having abandoned the abundance of wealth; Like a lump of spittle, no affection for wealth exists in me. 110. My energy is like a burden-bearer, leading to security from bondage; I bear this last body, in the teaching of the Fully Self-Enlightened One. The four analytical knowledges, and these eight liberations; The six supernormal powers realized, the Buddha's teaching has been done. Thus indeed, the Venerable Thera Raṭṭhapāla spoke these verses. The eighth Apadāna of Thera Raṭṭhapāla. 9. The Apadāna of Thera Sopāka As I was cleaning a cave, in a supreme mountain forest, the Blessed One named Siddhattha came to my presence. Seeing the Buddha approach, the Steadfast One, chief of the world, having spread a mat, I offered a flower seat. Seating himself on the flower seat, Siddhattha, leader of the world, knowing my destiny, spoke of impermanence. “Impermanent, alas, are formations, subject to arising and passing away; Having arisen, they cease, their cessation is bliss.” Having said this, the Omniscient One, chief of the world, bull among men, the hero ascended into the sky, like a king of swans in the air. Abandoning my own view, I cultivated the perception of impermanence. Having cultivated it for one day, I passed away there. Having experienced two felicities, impelled by that root of merit, when my last existence arrived, I was born into a Sopāka family. Having left home, I went forth into homelessness. I was seven years old by birth, when I attained arahantship. With aroused energy, resolute mind, well-established in virtue, having pleased the Great Nāga, I obtained ordination. Ninety-four aeons ago, the deed I did then, I know no bad destination; this is the fruit of the flower offering. Ninety-four aeons ago, the perception I cultivated then, by cultivating that perception, the destruction of defilements was attained by me. The four analytical knowledges, and these eight liberations; The six supernormal powers realized, the Buddha's teaching has been done. Thus indeed, the Venerable Thera Sopāka spoke these verses. The ninth Apadāna of Thera Sopāka. I, wishing to offer a sacrifice, having prepared food, awaiting brahmins, stood in a spacious mansion. Then I saw the Fully Awakened One, Piyadassī, of great fame, the trainer of all the world, self-born, the foremost person. The Blessed One, radiant, surrounded by disciples, shining like the sun, proceeding along the road. Raising my hands in reverence, I gladdened my own mind; I invited him mentally: "May the Great Sage come!" Knowing my intention, the Teacher, unsurpassed in the world, with thousands of Arahants, came to my door. Homage to you, noble man, homage to you, supreme man; Having ascended the mansion, sit on the lion's throne. The tamed one, with a tamed retinue, crossed over, the best of those who cross others; Having ascended the mansion, he sat on the excellent seat. Whatever food I had prepared in my own house, that I offered to the Buddha, delighted with my own hands. With a gladdened mind, joyful, filled with rapture, with hands joined; I paid homage to the best of Buddhas: "Oh, the generosity of the Buddha!" Many Arahants ate, attended by eight; This is indeed your power; I go to you for refuge. And Blessed Piyadassī, the world's eldest, the bull among men, having sat in the assembly of monks, spoke these verses. 'He who fed the Sangha, upright and composed, and the Tathāgata, the Fully Awakened One, listen to my words. 'Twenty-seven times he will rule as king of devas; Delighting in his own deeds, he will rejoice in the deva world. 'Eighteen times he will be a wheel-turning monarch; For five hundred reigns on earth, he will dwell on the earth.' Having entered the forest grove, a jungle frequented by tigers, having exerted effort, defilements have been burnt by me. Eighteen For a hundred aeons, the gift I gave then; I do not know a bad destination, this is the fruit of the food-gift. 140. The four analytical knowledges, and these eight liberations; The six supernormal powers are realized, the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled. Thus indeed the Venerable Elder Sumaṅgala spoke these verses. The Tenth Apadāna of Elder Sumaṅgala. Its summary – Sīhāsanī, Ekathambhī, and Nanda, Cūḷapanthaka; And Pilinda, Rāhula, Vaṅganta, Raṭṭhapālaka. And Sopāka, Maṅgala, these ten in the second section; And one hundred and thirty-eight verses are declared here. The Second Section, Sīhāsanī.