English
The Dhamma is for me, your gain is flesh, You yourself know how it should be. When this was said, Sakka, the king of the devas, said, "Good, great king, I myself know what is fitting." Saying this, not far from there, he created a great mountain of three leagues in height, the color of collyrium. "Great king, climb this mountain and stand on the summit. Fall into my mouth, and I will teach you the Dhamma as you fall. Thus, you will receive the Dhamma, and I that he would get meat. Hearing that, the Great Being thought, "For me, wandering in this beginningless Saṃsāra, there is no counting the number of births in which I have been food for lions, tigers, leopards, fish, turtles, birds, and so on. Today, it is fitting that I give up my life for the sake of the Buddha's Dhamma," and he spoke thus: 27. Beings revolving in the round of Saṃsāra, Experience many kinds of suffering; This indeed, for one's own or another's, Benefit it was not, it was empty. 28. "You are an adulterer, a thief of what is not given, A killer of living beings, you have spoken falsely; You are a drunkard," thus they commit evil, Inflicting suffering, they give it often. 29. This indeed, for one's own or another's, Benefit it was not, it was empty; Some falling from trees and cliffs, By evil bonds, by deadly poison. 30. By diseases, by various sharp pains, Beings die, by seasonal pains; This indeed, for one's own or another's, Benefit it was not, it was empty. 31. Of me, dead in the belly of tigers, Leopards, and fish, there is no counting; This indeed, for one's own or another's, Benefit it was not, it was empty. 32. This gift of my body today, Is not for divine sovereignty, and so on; But having attained omniscience, To deliver beings from Saṃsāra. 33. You, good sir, have helped me often, Therefore, I will do this for you; Without hesitation, teach me the Dhamma, Now may my wish be fulfilled." Having spoken thus, the Great Being, standing on top of the mountain, said, "Today, I will give my life, my body, and my flesh, along with my blood, for the sake of the true Dhamma," and becoming joyful, he said, "Good sir, teach the Dhamma." Then, he jumped towards the great-toothed one, who was standing with his great mouth open. Then Sakka, the king of the gods, becoming joyful and amazed, abandoned his own form and created an adorned divine form, shining like the young sun in the sky, and firmly caught the Great Being falling from the sky with both hands. Having taken him to the world of gods, seating him on the Paṇḍukambala stone, honoring him with divine perfumes and garlands, and himself listening to the Dhamma, pleased, having shown his pleasure, by the Aniccādi-paridīpika taught by Kassapa Dasabala. 34. Impermanent, indeed, are conditioned things, Subject to arising and passing away; Having arisen, they cease, Their stilling is happiness. By the Dhamma teaching of the verse, having brought his wish to its peak, having shown him great glory and splendor in the world of gods, having brought him back and established him in his own kingdom, having advised him, "Be diligent, great king," he went to the world of gods. 35. Thus, even if one is a master of limitless glory or life, Not remembering, they practice the praised Dhamma; For those with very little wealth, short-lived, alas, What is negligence in merit for those like you? The Story of Dhammasoṇḍaka, the first. 2. In the story of the hunter, the sequential narrative is this: It is said that thirty-one aeons ago, the Sammāsambuddha named Sikhī, having fulfilled thirty perfections, having attained supreme enlightenment, leading the world with its gods out of the wilderness of Saṃsāra, raining down the jewel of Dhamma, beating the drum of Dhamma, raising the flag of Dhamma, at one time, embracing solitude, entered a forest dwelling, having entered, in a delightful place adorned with groves of various trees such as fully blossomed nāga and punnāga, teeming with various creepers such as fully blossomed jasmine and mālati, frequented by various kinds of two-legged and four-legged creatures, on a cool stone slab, having spread his four-layered robe, he sat filling the directions with six-colored rays. Then, gods, brahmās, nāgas, supaṇṇas, and others gathered there, honoring the Blessed One with divine perfumes and garlands, praising, venerating, and standing. In that assembly, the Blessed One, emitting a sweet sound, with a voice like Brahmā, teaches the Dhamma connected with the four truths, as if raining down the rain of immortality. Then, a hunter, having entered the forest, killing deer and pigs, eating the meat, reached that place and saw the Blessed One. explaining the Dhamma. Having seen him, stood to one side, heard the Dhamma, gladdened my heart, and having passed away from there, was reborn in the deva world, experiencing repeated lordship in the six sensual heavens and among humans. In this Buddha-era, having been born in a family home in Savatthi, having reached maturity, having gone forth in the dispensation of the Blessed One, one day, having heard the Blessed One teaching the Dhamma, the Dhamma talk connected with the Four Noble Truths, having attained arahantship with the fourfold analytical knowledge, one day, in the midst of the Sangha of monks, I uttered a speech of joy by declaring the deed I had done. 1. Thirty-one aeons ago, A leader arose in the world; Adorned with thirty-two marks, The Fully Enlightened One named Sikhi. 2. Blazing like a torch tree, like the sun rising in the sky; Like Mount Meru, the Buddha, the lord of beings, was powerful. 3. Filling the Dhamma-boat, that lord led all beings; Establishing them from the wilderness of samsara, to the land of peace. 4. Raising the Dhamma-banner, striking the Dhamma-drum; Freeing beings from suffering, the Victor was master there. 5. At one time, the Lord, The Enlightener of the world, the Victor; Desiring solitude, the Fully Enlightened One, Went to a delightful forest. 6. Crowded with punnaga, naga, and other various trees; With branches entwined by vines, adorned with fragrant flowers. 7. Flowers intoxicated with fragrance, frequented by swarms of bees; Swarming with various herds of animals, where flocks of peacocks danced. 8. With cool, clear, delicious water, a pond with a good bathing place; Crowded with hundreds of waterfalls, like torrents of autumn rain. 9. Having gone to that great forest, To a cool sandy plain; You sat on a stone slab, Releasing rays of light. 10. Devas, having gathered there, honored the best of bipeds; With divine perfumes, garlands, dances, and musical instruments. 11. Then the God of gods, sitting in the midst of the deva assembly; Taught the Four Noble Truths, uttering a sweet voice. 12. Then I was a hunter, a killer of deer and pigs; I lived on deer meat, with that I nourished my children. Thus somewhere about the boy given to the hunter. 13. Then I went hunting, With arrows and bow; I saw the stainless Buddha, Preceded by a host of gods. 14. Like the moon amidst the stars, like Meru in the forest; Shining, seated, Declaring the Four Noble Truths. 15. Standing on one side there, I heard the supreme Dhamma; There, having pleased my mind, I expressed joy. 16. Thirty-one aeons ago, The merit I then performed; By that meritorious deed, I was born in the realm of gods. 17. Having experienced prosperity, again and again in the six sensual realms; Surrounded by hosts of gods, in a palace made of jewels. 18. Whatever is foremost among humans, I partake of that; There is no lack in my possessions, such is the fruit of hearing the Good Dhamma. 19. In this auspicious aeon, In the excellent city of Sāvatthi; In a wealthy, affluent Sāla family, I was born in a noble lineage. 20. With a great retinue, I attained growth and understanding; Wandering on a journey, I arrived at the excellent Jetavana. 21. I saw the Well-gone One then, seated with his disciples; I heard the sweet Dhamma, declaring the Four Noble Truths. 22. Having heard the sweet Dhamma, having gone forth into the Dispensation; The unborn, unaging, deathless, cooled, I attained the supreme Nibbāna. 23. A moment was heard by me, the Dhamma well-taught then; Therefore, in the four woeful states, I am not born, nor is there any fear. 24. Raising my hand, I will speak, do my bidding; Having made me your example, listen well to the Dhamma. And thus, having spoken, he engaged beings in hearing the Dhamma. 25. Thus, having heard the Good Dhamma for a very short time, Having heard the power of those who have attained glory; Those desiring the happiness of existence and glory, being lazy, Abandon it, listen to the Dhamma, difficult to obtain, difficult to obtain! The story of the hunter is the second. 3. In the story of three people, this is the sequential account: It is said that in Jambudīpa, there was formerly a great heatwave; then, by the heatwave sun, with its radiant rays... When the water was completely dried up in ponds, rivers, mountain caves, and waterfalls, fish, turtles, and others mostly perished as the water diminished. Then in the great forest, trees, grass, and creepers became extremely withered. Animals and birds, scorched by the heat, thinking the mirage was water, ran here and there, experiencing great suffering. At that time, a young crow, thirsty, searching for water here and there in the great forest, smelled the scent of water in an old rotten tree, in a sixty-cubit deep hell-hole, and descended to drink with greed. Overcome by excessive drinking, he fell there and could not climb out. Then another snake and a man, these two also fell there. Snakes, indeed, abandon themselves only after gaining discernment. Therefore, this one, not having gained discernment, could not climb out. Nor could the man, lacking support. Unable to climb out, frightened by the fear of death, not harming each other,