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Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. From the Characteristics Verses of Praise for the Buddha 1. In countless existences, He fulfilled the thirty perfections; In his conduct as the Fully Awakened One, He always made sacrifices. 2. In his existence as Vessantara, He gave away his children; Like his own black antelope skin, On the crooked mountain. 3. Having departed from there, in Tusita, The meritorious one was reborn; In form and other ten aspects, He surpassed other deities. 4. From thousands of world-systems, From ten directions, all around; Implored by gods and Brahmas, He consented to Buddhahood. 5. He made five great observations, The glorious one, with a beautiful head; Having departed from there, in Māyā's womb, He was reborn in the Sakyan clan. 6. On the auspicious full moon of Vesākha, He was born in Lumbinī Grove; Uttering a lion's roar, He took seven steps then. 7. Then in the sky shone, The stars, the moon, and the sun; And jewels on the earth, And various flowers bloomed. 8. The fires of Avīci cooled, Hunger and thirst vanished; Great light in the inter-worlds, The blind could see then. 9. Unstruck, played, Musical instruments in the sky; Sweetly they resounded, Proclaiming his fame then. 10. Singing songs of praise, Gods and Brahmas; Rejoicing, they stood, Near the Buddha-to-be. 11. The prince, by beautiful nurses, Was pleased in the royal palace; He grew up in comfort and safety, Among the Sakyan maidens. 12. At sixteen years old, the Sakyan, Prince, by his father's will; Was anointed to kingship, To delight in the three groves. 13. The golden-hued beauty of the groves, Yasodharā; He made her his chief queen, A delight to the eyes of the world. 14. In his twenty-ninth year, On the auspicious full moon of Vesākha; He went out with his army, By chariot to the pleasure grove. 15. Having seen the four omens, And heard of his son's birth; With a disturbed mind, He returned to the city then. 16. Having come back to the city from there, He reached the palace; He lay down like a king of gods, On a magnificent couch. 17. Surrounded by beautiful women, They delighted him with dance and song; Even so, he lay down, And went forth. Unmoved. 18. First, his son Rāhula, "Having seen, I will go forth," Thus thinking, he Went to his wife's dwelling. 19. Placing his foot at the door, And his neck inside, Looking, he saw Him sleeping with his mother. 20. "If I were to take him away From the queen's arm, She would not give leave to depart If Yasodharā were to wake up." 21. "Having attained Buddhahood, I will see Rāhula," thus thinking, Having mounted Kaṇḍaka, From there he departed secretly with Channa. 22. The doors opened by themselves, The circle of devas at the door, Thousands of jewel torches They lit up there. 23. "Do not depart, Siddhattha! From here, you, on the seventh day, Will become a Universal Monarch!" Thus the Evil One hindered him. 24. "Indeed, I know you, Māra! Stand aside, depart!" Thus having made Māra flee, He, released, proceeded. 25. Having reached the bank of the Oma river, He sent back the horse And Channa to the city, to Bimbā, The queen, to inform her. 26. His fragrant topknot, Bound by Yasodharā, Having cut with a sharp sword, He threw it up into the sky. 27. The eight excellent requisites, Having received, brought by Brahmā, Having abandoned his royal garments, He went forth for the ascetic life. 28. Performing difficult deeds, For six years he strove, With coarse food and drink, He sustained his body with perseverance. 29. On the full moon of Visākha, a golden Bowl filled with milk-rice, Brought by Sujātā, having taken it, He went to the Nerañjarā river. 30. On the bank of the Nerañjarā, Having eaten the excellent milk-rice, By the prepared excellent path, He went to the Bodhi-seat. 31. On the victory seat, on the cushion, Standing, the resolute one resolved: "I will not abandon my effort Until I attain Buddhahood." 32. The king of devas blowing a conch, The grandfather holding a white parasol, Pañcasikha playing a lute, Stood there. 33. Singing songs of praise, Stood the beautiful devas, Holding golden caskets Filled with divine flowers. 34. As the sun was setting, He put Māra's army to flight; At the time of dawn, He attained supreme Buddhahood. While contemplating the Paṭṭhāna, From the body of the Lord, beautiful, Six-colored rays emanate, And spread hither and thither. Blue, blue, yellow, yellow, Red, red, they shine forth; White, white, and crimson, From there, from there, they radiate. The Buddha, having attained enlightenment, The Conqueror, [seeing] the profundity of the Dhamma; Having considered, to teach it, He became disinclined. Then Brahmā Sahampati, Implored for the teaching; Therefore, that foremost [teaching], The Wheel of Dhamma, he taught. When the Buddha was one year [enlightened], On the full moon of the excellent Phagguṇa [month], He went to the city of the Sakyans, Surrounded by his disciples. At the gathering of his relatives, He caused a very cool rain to fall; And he taught the Great Cloud [Jātaka], The Jātaka of Vessantara. Having gone with a pair of disciples, To Yasodharā's dwelling; Having pleased her, he taught, The Candakinnara Jātaka. Having resided in the seventh year, On the stone seat in Tāvatiṃsa; With the Abhidhamma, he pleased, Many hosts of devas and brahmās. Spreading the net of wisdom, He illuminated the world always; To awaken with the light of enlightenment; The lotus-like people to be awakened. Seeing people to be awakened, Across successive world-systems; He went and awakened them, The supreme Buddha, the greatly enlightened one. And Brahmās like Bakā and others, And Yakkhas like Āḷavaka and others; Devas like Purindada and others, Rakkhasas like Sūciloma and others. Many Brahmins like Jāṇussoṇi and others, And those Brahmins who were not harsh; Nāgas like Cūḷodara and others, Elephants like Dhanapāla and others. Those who thought "This is not the Buddha", Many heretics with wrong views; The supreme one, the immortal, tamed them, The suppressor of others' doctrines. Endowed with minor characteristics, He, with the thirty-two marks [of a Great Man]; Encircled by a fathom-long aura, Adorned with a garland of light. Eighty-four thousand, Aggregates of Dhamma he taught; For forty-five years, Indeed for the welfare of the three worlds. Performing the Buddha's duties, Bearing the supreme welfare of the world; Releasing those bound in attachment, He spent his time always. Where the eighty-year-old Lord, Attained Nibbāna on the excellent couch; In the delightful Sāla grove, Near the town of the Mallans, there. Went. In the world of aggregates, His disciple, having lit up, Extinguished the conditioned, Proclaiming impermanence. "Homage to you, Lord Blessed One, Homage to you, Victor of victors; Homage to you, glorious one, Homage to you, delight of the world." Homage to the Buddha 1. Having descended from the deva realm, Into Mahāmāyā's womb; He arose on a Thursday, Homage to that Sakyan Bull. 2. After ten months, he Was born from his mother's womb; On a Friday in Lumbinī, Homage to that world-honored one. 3. Having abandoned the glory of a Wheel-turner, The wise one, the Great Renunciation; He went forth on a Monday, I bow to that Sage-Elephant. 4. At the root of the Bodhi tree, On the unconquered seat; The Lord attained omniscience, I bow to him on a Wednesday. 5. To the chief of the group of five, And to the devas in Migadāya; On a Thursday, the Wheel of Dhamma, He set in motion, I bow to that Conqueror. 6. Of all conditioned things, He proclaimed impermanence; He attained Nibbāna on a Tuesday, I bow to the giver of the deathless. 7. On a Sunday, in a golden Casket, the Conqueror's body; Was ablaze with fire, I bow to his relic-body. Homage to the Lord with the Uṇṇāloma Of the Lord with the Uṇṇāloma, From the Uṇṇāloma between his brows; Like diamonds shining, Emanate pure white rays. From the Lord's body, Resplendent like a diamond, Diamond-like rays emanate; Like lightning in the sky. With his gentle smile, From his teeth, light emanates; Spreading in all directions, Becoming pure white diamonds.