English
O deity By what deed is your such a complexion, such a power, such a radiance, O deity? O deity, whatever enjoyments are desired by your mind, by what deed do those enjoyments arise? O deity, questioned by me, tell, tell of what deed all this is the fruit. Thus Sakka asks. Questioned by the King of Devas, that daughter of devas, delighted, answered Sakka's question. O King of Devas, I, having gone a long way, saw the delightful stupa of the glorious Kassapa, the Blessed One. Having seen it, I gladdened my mind at that stupa. Delighted, I worshipped with my own hands, with lotus flowers. Of that very deed, all this is the fruit, the result. Having done merit, I obtained such a fruit. Thus she answered Sakka. "Thus have I heard," says Mahāmoggallāna, is the connection. Because it is said that "the suttas specified are indeed the suttas pertaining to the basis for purification," it is stated, "This is the basis for purification: the discourse on giving, the discourse on virtue, the discourse on heaven, the discourse on merit, the discourse on the result of merit," and so on. Therein, the teaching by which giving and the fruit of giving are shown, that teaching is called the discourse on giving. The teaching by which virtue and the fruit of virtue are shown, that teaching is called the discourse on virtue. The teaching by which heavens and the deeds that lead to rebirth in heavens are shown, that teaching is called the discourse on heaven. The teaching by which the ten kinds of meritorious deeds — such as giving, virtue, and development — are shown, that teaching is called the discourse on merit. The teaching by which the varied result of such meritorious deeds is shown, determining "this is the result of this merit," that teaching is called the discourse on the result of merit. Those people who, delighted, at the stupas made of earth, with relics placed inside, dedicated to the Perfectly Enlightened Ones who possess the ten powers, those people, having performed meritorious deeds at that stupa, are reborn in heavens and rejoice. Thus is the connection. This sutta, or... (ellipsis)... sutta. 97. With the complexion of a deva's son, with a complexion like that of a deva's son, of beautiful form... Standing in auspicious form, all people, having moistened the earth with water, may they raise a stupa. "Whose stupa is this?" they ask. O well-gone, beautiful-bodied deities, delighted in that stupa, these gods and humans, having made meritorious deeds, may they be released from old age and death. "This stupa is to be known as the stupa of the Great Seer, the holder of the ten powers of the Dhamma, the Sugata," so it is said, is the explanation. This discourse or... (rest omitted)... discourse. I, indeed I, on the stupa of the Great Seer, offered four lotuses and a garland. That merit made by me was truly immense. From that eon until today, for thirty eons, having worshipped the stupa of the Teacher, for so long, I have not known a bad destination, I have not gone to a state of woe, is the explanation. This discourse or... (rest omitted)... discourse. I, of him bearing the thirty-two marks, endowed with the thirty-two marks, of the conqueror of conquerors, the world's protector, worshipped the stupa. Having worshipped, for a hundred thousand eons, for eons of life, I was joyful. The merit produced by me, by that merit, not coming to a state of woe, I created divine splendor and divine kingdoms. Or rather, divine splendor was created by me, and kingdoms were created by me. In the teaching of the tamer of the untamed, the eye, the eye of wisdom, that was established, and the mind, the liberated mind, that was established, all that, the eye of wisdom and the liberated mind, was attained by me. I, having become one whose craving, like a creeper, is shaken off, am endowed with a liberated mind, a mind liberated by the fruit, so it was said, is the explanation. This discourse or... (rest omitted)... discourse. 98. To the one with a liberated mind, endowed with a mind liberated by the fruit, unblemished, free from the five mental fetters, taintless, dwelling in peace, of peaceful conduct, with an unattached mind, with an ungrasping mind, to the Paccekabuddha, I gave an offering of just a measure of sāmāka-rice. In that Paccekabuddha, I placed my trust in the supreme Dhamma, the Dhamma of Paccekabodhi. I believed, "That supreme Dhamma exists." Thus, by dwelling in the noble way... May I have a meeting with Paccekabuddhas, May I never be expectant, I made a wish concerning that Dhamma: "May I too realize the Dhamma attained by this Paccekabuddha." I set my mind on this. Due to the result of that very deed done for the Paccekabuddha, I was reborn a thousand times among the long-lived, the selfless, those without attachment, without possessions, the excellent, the unblemished Kurus, the Uttarakurus, among beings, among creatures. Due to the result of that very deed, I became a god in Tāvatiṃsa, adorned with varied garlands, ornaments, and unguents, renowned, surrounded by attendants, having attained an excellent body, I was reborn a thousand times. Due to the result of that very deed, I, with a liberated mind, unhindered, without defilements, met with these Paccekabuddhas, who discern what is beneficial and harmful, who transcend the wholesome and unwholesome, who bear their final bodies, or with the disciples of the Buddha. "What is wished by the virtuous, that is fulfilled." The victorious Tathāgata, having directly experienced this saying, spoke it. In whatever way, by whatever means, I thought in my mind, in that very way, by that very means, it was fulfilled. This existence is the final existence. This Sutta or... this Sutta. In the thirty-first eon, the victorious, tranquil, all-seeing one, named Sikhī, arose. I, being a king, the brother of that Blessed One, devoutly devoted to Sikhiddha and Sikhī, the Buddhas, and to the Dhamma of that Blessed One, when the guide of the world had attained final Nibbāna, made a vast, great stupa, a gāvuta in circumference, for the God of gods, the supreme among men, the great sage. A man, offering a sacrifice, an offering of veneration, at that stupa, joyfully took a jātisumana flower and worshipped. One flower of this man was struck by the wind and fell. I picked up that fallen flower and gave it to the owner of that flower. That man, the owner of the flower, with a devout mind, you gave me, saying, "You alone offer this one flower." Here, in "dadāsīti," the "da" syllable is an augment. I, taking that one flower, repeatedly recollecting the Buddha and the Buddha's virtues, in which eon I offered it, from that eon until today, thirty eons have passed. In those eons, I have not known misfortune, nor have I gone to a state of woe. This is the fruit of offering to a stupa, so it is said. This Sutta, or... (rest omitted)... Sutta. King Brahmadatta, named Brahmadatta, had a city named Kapila, well-divided in its parts, excellently laid out, with great roads, well-provided with great roads, thronged, filled with people of various kinds, prosperous and flourishing. In that best of cities of the Pañcālas, I sold gruel. I saw the glorious Ariṭṭha, a Paccekabuddha, standing near, above. Having seen him, delighted, having purified my mind, I invited Ariṭṭha, the best of men, with the permanent alms-food that was in my house. And when, at what time, Kattika was full on the fifteenth day, that full moon, the fifteenth day, arrived. Then, at that time, I took a new pair of cloths and presented them to Ariṭṭha, the Paccekabuddha named Ariṭṭha. The best of men, compassionate, merciful, the Muni who destroys craving, the Paccekabuddha, knowing my mind to be serene, accepted it. I, having performed wholesome deeds praised by the Buddha, having wandered among gods and humans, having passed away from there, was reborn in the city of Bārāṇasī, in a wealthy family, as the only son of a merchant, and was dearer than life. Then, at that time, having attained maturity, urged by a divine being, I descended from the palace and approached the Buddha, the Blessed One Gotama. That Buddha, the Blessed One Gotama, out of compassion, taught me the Dhamma. Suffering, the truth of suffering, the origin of suffering, the truth of origin, the cessation of suffering, the truth of cessation, the noble eight-fold path. The eightfold path leading to the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path – thus the four truths were taught. The Muni, the Blessed Gotama, taught the dhamma that produces these. I, having heard the words of that Blessed Gotama, lived delighting in the teaching. I, day and night, unwearied, penetrated calm. And those defilements within, and those defilements without, were eradicated by the path. All those defilements were known to me, and they will not arise again. Suffering, "whose suffering has been brought to an end," was brought to an end. This accumulation, the cycle of birth and death, was the last, the final. Now, after this existence, there is no rebirth for me, so it is said. The various suttas pertaining to latent tendencies, which are determined by way of example, these various suttas are called "suttas pertaining to latent tendencies" because they function as expounders and indicators in the section of latent tendencies, in the sphere of merit. The various suttas pertaining to latent tendencies were determined by the teacher, and known by us. Because it is to be asked, "Which sutta pertains to penetration?", it is said, "Among these, which sutta pertains to penetration?" He asks, "Among those sixteen suttas beginning with those pertaining to defilement, which sutta is called 'the sutta pertaining to penetration'?" Upwards in the Brahma-world, downwards in the sense-sphere existence, everywhere in all existences, the Arahant, completely liberated, does not perceive "this dhamma is I". Thus liberated, the Arahant has crossed the flood,