English
While the Blessed One was living, our hero, the Well-Gone One; He taught the collections of texts, until his passing into Nibbāna. All those monks, from the beginning, held them in mind and by word; All were skilled in recitation, great in wisdom and excellent in mindfulness. When the Lord of the World had passed away, then for a hundred years; Both nobles and commoners, all surely held them by word. After that, for eighteen, two hundred years counted; All ordinary people, and all the noble ones. Always held them in mind and by word, always skilled in recitation; And during the time of King Duṭṭhagāmaṇi, they were surely held by word. Both nobles and commoners, always retained the collections. After that, the king, having passed away from there, in Tusita. He arose in the world of devas, surrounded by devas; Named Saddhā Tissa. No, his younger brother was dear. Then he obtained the kingdom, A protector of the Buddha's Dispensation. At that time the monks were, All always committed to memory; In the five Nikāyas, Even up to the king, they were memorized; From there that king passed away, And was reborn in Tusita; Being established in the deva world, Then from that time, memorized. His sons also were, Many attained excellence; In due course they passed away, Surely went to the deva world; Even then all the monks, Indeed always memorized; In the five kinds of Nikāyas, Having the power of retention. After that in books, The five Nikāyas were written down; Then commentaries, sub-commentaries, All texts went into books; All texts in books, Pāli, commentaries, sub-commentaries; They were established, they stood, All of them are not gone from us. Then those very books, The Nikāyas were written down completely; Then commentaries and so forth, They say they come to be. The preservation should be spoken by the wise; Of the king of Lanka, Indeed of King Tissa's faith. The son of Lanka's island, A righteous, excellent ruler; Then all the Arahants, They foresee the future. The Arahants they see, Ordinary people with poor wisdom; All those monks were, Mostly ordinary people; They will not be able, To commit the five Nikāyas to memory, thus; In books all five, The Arahants inscribe. For the long-standing of the True Dhamma, And for the sake of people's merit; From that time onwards all, The Nikāyas are in books; Commentaries, sub-commentaries all, They are established in books. From that time onwards all, Monks and other great assemblies; Indeed established in books, All always see. [The explanation of inscribing in books is concluded.] Whoever, a wise and intelligent person, Makes or causes to be made A text like a commentary, For him there is endless accumulation of merit, There is endless fruit of merit. It is like making eighty-four thousand stupas, It is like making eighty-four thousand Buddha images, It is like planting eighty-four thousand Bodhi trees. like building eighty-four thousand monasteries, and whoever makes or causes to be made a casket for the Buddha's words, and whoever adorns or causes to be adorned the Buddha's words, and whoever writes or causes to be written the Buddha's words, and whoever gives or causes to be given a book, or the cost of a book, and whoever gives or causes to be given oil or powder, or grain for repairing books, or anything for mending holes in books, or anything like thread or two wooden boards for binding books, or anything like cloth for tying books, or anything like a strap for bundling books, or anything like a satchel. And whoever adorns or causes to be adorned a book or wooden boards with orpiment or realgar, or gold or silver, for them, the accumulation of merit is endless, the fruit of merit is endless. It is like building eighty-four thousand stupas, it is like building eighty-four thousand monasteries. Being reborn, he will be endowed with virtuous qualities; He will always have great splendor, a confident lion's roar. Endowed with long life, beauty, and strength, he will always be devoted to the Dhamma; In the worlds of gods and humans, he will be mighty and free from illness. Being reborn, he will be wise and well-composed; Surrounded by authority and retinue, he will attain all happiness. He will be faithful, modest, generous, with a mind stirred to urgency; Endowed with perfect limbs, tall and well-built. All beings in the world, will honor him everywhere; He will move among gods and humans, protected by friends and companions. He will experience the prosperity of gods and humans, again and again; Having attained the fruit of arahantship, he will reach Nibbāna. The four analytical knowledges, the six higher powers, the eight supreme liberations, he will attain in the future. Therefore, a wise person, seeing his own welfare, should make books himself, and also cause others to make them. Books and texts that exist, Pāli and commentaries, etc., A casket of Dhamma And in texts, make writing or cause it to be made. A book, and the cost of a book, and even a small piece of husk for them; Thread, etc., from old rags, and on two wooden boards. And for binding the Dhamma, whatever valuable cloth; And a strap for binding the Dhamma, and whatever pouch. One should give in the field of Dhamma, with a purified mind; And another should also cause to be given, by friends, companions, and relatives. The exposition of the benefits of making and causing to be made books/writings is finished. [Thus, the fifth chapter, named "Miscellaneous Exposition," in the Cūḷaganthavaṃsa.] I, born in the Haṃsāraṭṭha country, known as Nandapañña, Endowed with faith, morality, and energy, seeking the taste of Dhamma. I, having gone from there to this place, which is full of new Jinas; Searching for all Dhamma, having come for twenty years. Explaining all Dhamma, not as a monk; Having broken the group of six years, crushing desires. And the peaceful state of Nibbāna, and repeatedly seeking; I, dwelling in a forest grove, the collection of the Three Piṭakas; This small Ganthavaṃsa, as a servant of the Noble Saṅgha. Thus, for the sake of joy, this Cūḷaganthavaṃsa, made by the forest-dwelling teacher Nandapañña, is finished. The elder known by the name Dhammavaṭaṃsaka, by whom this treatise was written, that is complete; by that merit, that Piṭaka has been fully mastered, completed. And for me and for the groups of disciples, it has been fully mastered, completed. And for your disciples and successive disciples, it has been fully mastered, completed. The Cūḷaganthavaṃsa is finished.