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A blameless thing is found, When there is birth, there is also the unborn, Thus he pondered, discerning the true meaning. 56. Just as one who has fallen into excrement sees a pond, There is no fault in that, nor should he hesitate to enter, When there is the deathless, washing away defilements, So he should not indulge, there is no fault in that. 57. Obstructed by evil, when there is a safe path, There is no fault in that, nor should he avoid happiness, Obstructed by evil, when there is a safe path, So he should not go, there is no fault in that. (Yamakabandhanaṃ) 58. Just as when there is a physician, a terrible patient Has no fault in that, he should obtain treatment, When there is the Buddha-physician for the disease of lust, etc., If he does not want the medicine of the Dhamma, whose fault is it? 59. One who abandons a stinking corpse bound at the neck, Goes freely wherever he pleases, So too, this vile, putrid body, Why should I not go, having abandoned it? 60. People, without regard, in a place of excrement, Having made piles of rubbish, go away, So too, this body, full of corpses, Why should I not go, having abandoned it? 61. Just as a leader would abandon a leaky ship, Going on a river, without regard, So too, this body, a corpse with nine doors, Why should I not go, having abandoned it? 62. Fearing robbery, Sumedha would cross To a safe city, avoiding the road, So too, this body, a nest of Leaving what is worthless, I should go forth. 63. With renunciation as his aim, The great hero reflected thus, "In this endless, insubstantial existence, I am weary and disheartened." 64. He opened the storehouses, Filled with gold, pearls, gems, silver, And grains, And Rāsivaḍḍha showed him the amassed wealth. 65. "This is the wealth of your forefathers, Of your fathers and grandfathers, Abundant movable and immovable property, O wise Sumedha," he pointed out. 66. He showed him the accumulated wealth Of seven generations, And the measure of income and expenditure, The seer of immeasurable things. 67. "Managing this household, Enjoying pleasures like a god, Indulge your senses as you wish," Rāsivaḍḍha urged him. 68. "Without taking even a single coin From this great heap of wealth and grain, My parents passed away, According to their deeds, from here to the next world." 69. A hero in grasping the essence, Serene in renunciation, the essence of truth, He announced this matter to the king, And had a proclamation made in his city. 70. He satisfied the assembled people, With the fragrance of offerings, And various jewels and delights, A week long, the protector of the unprotected. 71. Like a rain of wealth from a sacrificial hall, A downpour of riches, The thirst for possessions Broke the banks of the mind's lake of the people. 72. Having enjoyed pleasures, Sumedha then renounced his home, And went to the Himalayas, To the mountain of Dhamma, the peak of righteousness. 73. Knowing his thoughts, the king of the gods, Commissioned Vissakamma to build, A beautiful hermitage there, With a pleasant walking area. 74. Approaching the hermitage, empty of ascetics, He opened the door, Saw the letters inscribed within, And examined the complete set of requisites. 75. Discarding his fine new clothes, And putting on the ascetic's robe, He went forth. Jiyavajjadassi, Wearing robes dyed with Dhāretita bark, With a beautiful flower-strewn path and bark garments; 76. Lovely with Punnaga flower strewn paths, Placing a piece of deer skin on his shoulder, Making his matted hair into a crown on his head, Taking the three-fold staff and alms bowl; 77. His arm like an elephant's trunk, the wise one, Taking the tip of his walking stick, Thus fully embracing the ascetic's garb, His mind detached, even in existence, without craving; 78. He walked to and fro, descending, And sat on a stone slab during the day, In the evening, he entered his leaf hut and dwelt there, Lying down on a couch made of rough planks; 79. Awakening at dawn, Reflecting on his coming forth, "My dwelling here, desiring seclusion, Might well be like living at home;" 80. For the leaf covering was like the Reddish-brown feet of pigeons, the color of ripe Bael fruit, The ground and walls were as white as silver, And the couch was like a painting; 81. "My leaf hut is beautiful and pleasing, But it is fraught with danger and difficult to maintain, The search for fine alms food is the root Of suffering," thus he made it his guiding principle; 82. Rejecting the notion of a house, And the eight faults of a family leaf hut, He resorted to the foot of a tree, a place common to all, Eating fruits and roots for sustenance; 83. That wise Sumedha, for seven days, Practiced great striving, the wise one, Reached the far shore in supernormal powers and mastery, And found the bliss of total absorption; 84. At that moment, by the forest deities, A joyful shout of "Sadhu!" was proclaimed, Rising up with his fame, Born of pure knowledge and conduct; 85. Vidyadharas, with instruments revealing his qualities, With sounds of drums, lutes, and harps, Sang songs as if dancing, And the Himalayas trembled greatly; 86. With hundreds of mountain peak arms, Like whisks of yak-tail fans from waterfalls, Waving away sin, As if making an offering, even the great lake; 87. Untimely thunderous clouds like drum sounds, Scattered flocks of intoxicated peacocks; Residing in the midst of the forest grove, They honored him with unbroken dancing. With gentle breezes, gently swaying arms, And sapphire branches, jeweled fans, The Sāla trees, embraced by vine-women, Conquered even the steadfast with delight. Kapittha, Asoka, Tamāla, Nīpa, Kapittha, Asoka, Tamāla, Nīpa, Kapittha, Asoka, Tamāla, Nīpa, Kapittha, Asoka, Tamāla, Nīpa. Do the vine-bowers, adorned with blossoms, And rows of bees, not stir the Sāla trees? Do the vine-bowers, adorned with blossoms, And rows of bees, not stir the Sāla trees? A row of flowers, with budding Pāṭali blossoms, A peacock's tail, the forest's blue line, A swarm of flowers, with budding Pāṭali beauty, A line of dark clouds, like a splendid kingdom. Bending heads, like mango blossoms, Bending heads, like hands in reverence, lovely, Bound in the forest, delighted, it shines, Subduing the mind, a steady blow. Scattering pollen, the vines bent down, Like women scattering parched grain, bowing, The twice-born forest, inhabited, a father's home, An elephant crossing, a canopy of vines. Mighty elephants did not dare, To tread, bowing down, on the path of light, Wisdom's banner, stout penance, with fruits, On the Himalayan peak, in the purest space. Compassion, like an umbrella, the serpent king, Held over his head, the ascetic wandered, In no way lacking strength or power, With wisdom, Nanda, steadfast, spoke of safety. Not from fears is his contentment, nor from joy, The giver dwells, not fearing, wishing well. Yo kā’sā vāsa kāyo kāma’kāma’makāma’kā, Sakāyanā’nāya’kāsa vāma nā ga ganā’mavā. By compassion dwelling, giving, worthy of sacrifice, Delighting, the swan dwells long in the forest. With honeyed intoxication, the sound of bees, Sandalwood, fragrant with the wind. In forest and jungle, In Himavat, the lotus blooms, the lotus blooms. Experiencing great happiness, with disciples, with followers. Thus, in the Jinavaṃsadīpa, a mine bestowing joy to the hearts of all poets, composed by the ascetic named Medhānanda, in the section on distant origins, the chapter illuminating the story of the brahmin Sumedha is complete. The first chapter. 1. (Mandā’kkantā) The glory of Amarapura, the essence of all prosperity, Like the pericarp in the lotus of Jambudīpa, Beautiful, the excellent city named Ramma, the Buddha who has reached the far shore of perfections, The ten-powered Dīpaṅkara, the sole light of the entire world; 2. At that time, with vast compassion, his mind stirred by women, Surrounded by various arahants, wandering on a journey, Turning the wheel of Dhamma skillfully, gradually Arriving, he resided in the monastery called Sodassana; 3. Hearing the fame of the Blessed Dīpaṅkara, "He is the Awakened One, the Worthy One," and so on, the citizens, Having obtained various cloths, medicines, and drinks, With joyful minds, bearing perfumes and garlands in their hands, approached him; 4. Reaching the ford of Dīpaṅkara, with perfumes, garlands, and the like, Worshipping with cupped hands, they sat to one side, Hearing the Dhamma, delightful to the ear, they requested the Buddha and the Saṅgha, With joyful hearts, they departed to their own abodes; 5. Preparing the alms hall on the second day, those good people, Raising flags and plantain trees, placing full pots, Also making offerings of white mustard seeds and parched rice, Thus, they lived, decorating the path for his arrival; 6. Rising up from Himavat, that ascetic Sumedha, Going above them in the sky, shaking his bark garment, Seeing them joyfully preparing a straight path, Like an evening cloud, he shone, standing to one side; 7. Clearing away the mud, uneven places, and heaps of rubbish, "Why are you decorating this path?" he asked, "Venerable sir, the ford of Dīpaṅkara, now relying on Ramma, Having become a Buddha, dwells, blowing the great conch of Dhamma;" So enlightened, surrounded by a great Saṅgha of monks, where from us Enters the village field, then "Let us decorate!" they said, The arising of a Buddha, how much more exceedingly rare the word of a Buddha, Thus remembering, he is desirous to decorate the path; With jhāna and abhiññā, a body shining like a golden armor, With faith, he is like an unmoving mountain, a powerful ascetic, Considering the muddy, uneven, difficult path, To prepare it, those virtuous ones quickly gave their joy; Having gathered various flowers, aquatic and terrestrial, from the forest,