English
ut on a supreme red rag-robe, the color of a fresh banyan leaf, he emerged from the grove of trees where he had been sitting, like a maned lion from a forest thicket, like the full moon from the peak of Udaya mountain, and like the rising sun. Then from his body, like flashes of lightning from the mouth of a cloud, rays emerged, and made the trees all around, with their leaves, flowers, fruits, branches, and twigs, golden-yellow, as if drenched by streams of golden liquid. At that very moment, the great Sangha of bhikkhus, taking their respective bowls and robes, surrounded the Blessed One. And those bhikkhus, standing around him, were of such a nature: of few desires, peaceful... Vigilant, secluded, unentangled, energetic, speakers, patient in speech, reprovers, censurers of evil, endowed with virtue, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, endowed with liberation, endowed with knowledge and vision of liberation. Surrounded by them, the Blessed One like a golden mass surrounded by red cloaks, like a golden ship in the midst of a cluster of red lotuses, like a golden palace surrounded by a coral railing, he shone forth. But the great elders, led by Mahakassapa, having put on robes of cloud-colored rags, surrounded him like great nāgas adorned with jeweled armor, free from passion, with defilements broken, with matted hair untangled, with bonds cut, unattached to family or group. Thus the Blessed One, himself free from passion, by those free from passion, free from hatred, by those free from hatred, free from delusion, by those free from delusion, free from craving, by those free from craving, free from defilements, by those free from defilements, himself enlightened, surrounded by those who have attained enlightenment, like the filaments surrounded by petals, like the pericarp surrounded by filaments, like Chaddanta, the king of nāgas, surrounded by eight thousand nāgas, like Dhataraṭṭha, the king of swans, surrounded by ninety thousand swans, like a universal monarch surrounded by his army, like Sakka, the king of devas, surrounded by the host of Maruts, like Hārita Mahābrahmā surrounded by the host of Brahmās, like the full moon surrounded by the host of stars, with unequaled Buddha-majesty, with immeasurable Buddha-grace, set out on the road to Pāṭaligāma. Then from his eastern side, golden-colored dense Buddha-rays arose, and occupied a space of eighty cubits. From his western side, from his right side, from his left side, golden-colored dense rays arose, and occupied a space of eighty cubits. Starting from the top of his hair, from all the hair-whorls, dense Buddha-rays the color of a peacock's neck arose, and occupied a space of eighty cubits in the sky. From the soles of his feet below, coral-colored rays arose, and occupied a space of eighty cubits in the dense earth. From his teeth, from the white parts of his eyes, and from the parts of his nails free from flesh, white. And dense Buddha-rays rose up and occupied a space of eighty cubits. From the mingled place of red and yellow colors, madder-colored rays rose up and occupied a space of eighty cubits. Everywhere, indeed, brilliant rays rose up. Thus, all around, a space of eighty cubits, the six-colored Buddha-rays, shining brightly, quivering, and spreading out, issuing forth from golden lamp-stands, and rushing into the sky, like great lamp flames, and like lightning flashes emerging from a great cloud over the four continents, rushed in every direction. By which all regions of space shone as if strewn with golden champaka flowers, as if sprinkled with streams of golden liquid issuing from golden pots, as if covered with spread-out golden cloths, as if scattered with the pollen of kimśuka, kaṇikāra, and kirāta flowers stirred up by the verambha wind, and as if dyed with Chinese powder. And the Blessed One's body, resplendent with eighty minor characteristics and a fathom-wide aura, adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great man, free from defilements like clouds and mist, shone like the sky illuminated by brilliant stars, like a blooming lotus forest, like the hundred-yojana Pāricchattaka tree in full bloom on all sides, and shone as if surpassing the glory of thirty-two moons, thirty-two suns, thirty-two universal monarchs, thirty-two kings of gods, and thirty-two great Brahmas, placed in a row. Just as it was adorned with the thirty perfections, perfectly fulfilled through the ten perfections, the ten minor perfections, and the ten ultimate perfections. Accumulated over four incalculable eons and a hundred thousand world-cycles, by giving of generosity, by observing morality, by performing wholesome deeds. It was as if it had arisen because the accumulated merit, unable to find space to yield its fruit in a single existence, had become constrained. It was like the time when the cargo of a thousand ships is loaded onto one ship. Like the cargo of a thousand carts is loaded onto one cart. It was like a flood, like the time when twenty-five rivers met at the mouth and became one mass. Even as the Blessed One was illuminated by this Buddha-radiance, thousands of torch-lamps were raised before him, and likewise behind, to his left, and to his right. Flowers like jasmine, champak, forest jasmine, red water lilies, blue water lilies, bakula, and sinduvara, and fragrant powders of blue, yellow, and other colors, were scattered like rain showers from great clouds over the four continents. The sounds of five-part musical instruments, and the sounds of praises connected with the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, filled all directions, making them seem to speak. The eyes of devas, supaṇṇas, nāgas, yakkhas, gandhabbas, and humans received it like a drink of ambrosia. Standing in this place, it is fitting to describe his walking in thousands of words. Here is just an introduction: Thus, perfect in all limbs, shaking the earth, without harming any beings, the leader of the world proceeds. Raising his right foot first, the bull among men, endowed with glory, proceeds, the best of two-footed beings shines. As the best of Buddhas proceeds, the soft sole of his foot touches the ground evenly, and is not soiled by dust. A low place rises up, as the leader of the world proceeds; and a high place becomes level, even the unconscious earth. Rocks and gravel, rough places, stumps, and thorns, all paths avoid him, as the leader of the world proceeds. He does not raise his foot too far, nor place it down too close; he proceeds without striking both his knees and ankles. The sage, with perfect gait, does not walk too swiftly; nor does he go too slowly, proceeding with collected mind. Up, down, across, and in the intermediate directions too; he does not look around, but looks only a yoke's length. With the gait of an elephant, the Conqueror shines in his walking; the foremost of the world walks gracefully, delighting the world with its devas. Shining like a king bull, the four- like a lion, he roams; Delighting many beings, he approached the headman of the village.’’ (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.22; Udā. Aṭṭha. 76); This is called the time for praise. At such times, regarding the Buddha’s bodily radiance or the praise of his virtues, the strength of the Dhamma speaker is the measure. Whatever can be said, whether in prose or in verse, should be said; one should not say “poorly spoken” or “entered with dissatisfaction.” For the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are of immeasurable praise; even Buddhas are unable to fully describe their praise. Even speaking for an entire eon, they cannot finish, much less other beings. With this glorious splendor, having entered the adorned and prepared Pāṭaligāma, the Blessed One, being honored by the joyful people with flowers, perfumes, incense, fragrant powders, and so forth, entered the rest house. Therefore it is said, “Then the Blessed One, having dressed and taken his bowl and robe, together with the community of bhikkhus, approached the rest house.” “Having washed his feet”—although dust and dirt do not cling to the feet of the Blessed One, yet desiring the increase of merit for those lay followers, and for the sake of others following his example, the Blessed One washed his feet. Moreover, an acquired body needs to be cooled, and for that purpose too, the Blessed One performs bathing and foot-washing. “Having placed the Blessed One in front”—having made the Blessed One foremost. There, the Blessed One, seated in the midst of the bhikkhus and lay followers, having been bathed with perfumed water, dried with a fine cloth, rubbed with pure vermilion, and placed on a seat covered with a red blanket, shone exceedingly like a solid golden statue. This is the ancient way of praise here— “Having gone to the circular hall, the one with the gait of a Nāga; Illuminating the world, the foremost one, sat on the excellent seat. “There seated, the charioteer of men to be tamed, The god of gods, marked with a hundred merits; Shines, seated in the Buddha-seat, Like a golden necklace, he on the Paṇḍukambala stone. “Like a gold ornament, placed on the Paṇḍukambala stone; It shines, free from stain, like the Verocana gem. “Like a great sāl tree in full bloom, adorned by Mount Meru, the king of mountains; Like a golden stupa, like a lotus in its sheath. “Shining like a lamp-tree, like a flame on a mountain peak; Like the Pāricchattaka tree of the gods, it shines in full bloom.” (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.22; Udā. Aṭṭha. 76); He addressed the lay followers in Pāṭaligāma, because among those lay followers, many people were established in virtue. Therefore, first, to reveal the danger of moral failure, and then to show the benefit of moral accomplishment, he addressed them with the discourse beginning “There are these five, householders.” Here, “dussīlo” means without virtue (Dī. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.149; A. Ni. Aṭṭha. 3.5.213; Udā. Aṭṭha. 76). Here, the prefix “du-” indicates absence, as in “duppañño” (unwise).