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B0102051303yudhañjayavaggo (victorious battle chapter)

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English

“Roaring, thus, the great-crested one; Gradually burning, the fire came to me. 76. “Terrified by the speed of the fire, my parents, trembling; Abandoned me in the nest, and saved themselves. 77. “I shed my wings and feet, I have no bodily strength; I, helpless there, thus I thought at that time. 78. “‘Those whom I would seek for refuge, frightened, trembling with fear; They have abandoned me and gone, what is to be done by me today? 79. “‘There is in the world the virtue of morality, truth, purity, compassion; By that truth, I will make a supreme act of truth. 80. “‘Invoking the power of Dhamma, remembering the former Jinas; Relying on the power of truth, I made an act of truth. 81. “‘There are wings that do not fly, there are feet that do not walk; My parents have departed, O fire, turn back!’ 82. “When the truth was spoken by me, the great blazing flame; Avoided sixteen karīsas, just as a flame meeting water; There is none equal to me in truth, this is my perfection of truth.” The ninth, the Vaṭṭapotaka Cariya. 10. The Maccharāja Cariya 83. “Again, when I was a great fish king in a great lake; In the heat of the sun’s scorching, the water in the lake dried up. 84. “Then crows and vultures, herons, ospreys, and hawks; Devoured the fish day and night, settling upon them. 85. “Thus I thought there, afflicted with my relatives; ‘By what means, indeed, can I release my relatives from suffering?’ 86. “Having considered the meaning of Dhamma, I saw truth as a refuge; Standing in truth, I released my relatives from that great destruction. 87. “Remembering the Dhamma of the good, contemplating the ultimate truth; I made an act of truth, which is eternal and permanent in the world. 88. “‘Since I remember myself, since I attained understanding; I do not know of intentionally harming even a single living being. 89. “‘By this utterance of truth, may Parjunya…” Let it be. "O cloud, thunder forth, Destroy the crow's treasure; Plunge the crow into sorrow, Release the fish from sorrow." 90. With these true words, The cloud thundered forth; Filling high and low ground, It rained in an instant. 91. Having made such a true vow, And put forth supreme effort; I made the great cloud rain, Supported by the power of truth; There is none equal to me in truth, this is my perfection of truth. The tenth, the Conduct of the King of Fish. 11. The Conduct of Kaṇhadīpāyana 92. Again, when I was The sage Kaṇhadīpāyana; For more than fifty years, I lived discontent. 93. No one knew My discontented mind; I told no one, Discontent dwelt in my heart. 94. My fellow ascetic Maṇḍabya, My great sage friend; Due to past karma, Was impaled on a stake. 95. I attended to him, And he recovered his health; Having taken leave, I returned To my own hermitage. 96. My brahmin friend, Bringing his wife and son; Three people came together, As guests. 97. Chatting with them, Seated in my hermitage; The boy, throwing a stick, Angered a venomous snake. 98. Then the boy, Searching for the stick; Touched the venomous snake's Head with his hand. 99. Angered by his touch, The snake, full of venom; Extremely enraged, Bit the boy instantly. 100. Bitten by the venomous snake, The boy fell to the ground; Then I was distressed, that suffering fell upon me. 101. Comforting them, Distressed and pierced by sorrow; First I performed an act, A supreme, excellent truth. 102. "For seven days, with a joyful mind, Desiring merit, I lived the holy life; But this other life of mine, Is for more than fifty years. 103. Unwillingly I live, By this truth, May there be well-being; "The poison is destroyed, Yaññadatta lives!" 104. As soon as the truth was spoken by me, he who was pierced by the poison's power, awoke and rose up, and the youth was well; There is none equal to me in truth, this is my perfection of truth. The Eleventh, the Conduct of Kaṇhadīpāyana. 12. The Conduct of Sutasoma 105. Again, when I was Sutasoma, the king; Seized by the man-eater, I remembered my promise to the brahmin. 106. A hundred and one khattiyas, he had bound in his hands; Having crushed them, he brought me for his sacrifice. 107. The man-eater asked me, "What do you wish for release? I will do as you desire, if you will return to me." 108. Having promised him my return at the appointed time; I went to the delightful city, and then gave up the kingdom. 109. Remembering the good Dhamma, practiced by former Buddhas; Having given wealth to the brahmin, I went to the man-eater. 110. I had no doubt there, whether he would kill me or not; Protecting my word of truth, I went to give up my life; There is none equal to me in truth, this is my perfection of truth. The Twelfth, the Conduct of Sutasoma. 13. The Conduct of Suvaṇṇasāma 111. When I was Sāma in the forest, created by Sakka; In the forest, to lions and tigers, I extended loving-kindness. 112. By lions, tigers, leopards, bears, and buffaloes; And by excellent deer, surrounded, I lived in the forest. 113. No one frightens me, nor do I fear anyone; Supported by the power of loving-kindness, I rejoiced in the forest then. The Thirteenth, the Conduct of Suvaṇṇasāma. 14. The Conduct of Ekarāja 114. Again, when I was known as Ekarāja; Establishing supreme virtue, I ruled the great earth. 115. In the ten wholesome courses of action, I practiced completely; With the four bases of sympathy, I gathered the great populace. 116. Thus, for me, diligent, in this world and the next; Dabbasena came, cutting off Oh, my capital. 117. Royal towns, dependent on the king, all strongholds, all kingdoms, Having seized everything, they buried me in a pit. 118. The circle of ministers, the kingdom, my prosperous inner palace, taken by force, I regarded as a dear son. None is equal to me in loving-kindness. This is my perfection of loving-kindness. The conduct of the Sole King, the fourteenth. 15. The Conduct of Mahālomahaṃsa 119. I made my bed in the charnel ground, placing a corpse's bone nearby. People from the villages came, showing a little form. 120. Others brought perfumes and garlands, various and abundant food, bringing offerings, with joyful and agitated minds. 121. Those who brought me suffering, and those who gave me happiness, I was equal to all of them. No compassion or anger existed. 122. Like a balance in happiness and suffering, in fame and infamy, I was equal everywhere. This is my perfection of equanimity. The conduct of Mahālomahaṃsa, the fifteenth. The chapter on Yudhañjaya, the third. Its summary – Yudhañjaya, Somanassa, Ayoghara, Bhisena, Soṇananda, Mūgapakkha, the Monkey King, Saccasavhaya. Vaṭṭaka, and the Fish King, the sage Kaṇhadīpāyana, Sutasoma, again, was, Sāma, and Ekarāja. The perfection of equanimity was, thus spoken by the Great Sage. Thus, various kinds of suffering, and various kinds of prosperity, having experienced in existence after existence, he attained the supreme enlightenment. Having given the gift that should be given, having fulfilled virtue completely, having gone to the perfection in renunciation, he attained the supreme enlightenment. Having questioned the wise, having made supreme effort, having gone to the perfection in patience, he attained the supreme enlightenment. Having made a firm determination, having protected truthful speech, having gone to the perfection in loving-kindness, he attained the supreme enlightenment. In gain and loss, in fame and infamy, in honor O lovely-faced one; Having become equal everywhere, He attained supreme enlightenment. Seeing laziness as fearful, And the start of effort as safe; Be resolute in effort, This is the Buddha's instruction. Seeing contention as fearful, And non-contention as safe; Be harmonious and friendly, This is the Buddha's instruction. Seeing heedlessness as fearful, And heedfulness as safe; Develop the eightfold path, This is the Buddha's instruction. Thus indeed the Blessed One, Reflecting on his past conduct, Spoke this discourse called "The Buddha's Deeds." The Basket of Conduct is finished.

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