Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Religion
Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Jataka stories, English
65. But why should I in disguise arrive at the knowledge of the Truth?
I will attain omniscience and become a Buddha, and (save) men and
angels.
66. Why should I cross the ocean resolute but alone?
I will attain omniscience, and enable men and angels to cross.
67. By this resolution of mine, I a man of resolution
Will attain omniscience, and save men and angels,
68. Cutting off the stream of transmigration, annihilating the three
forms of existence,
Embarking in the ship of the Truth, I will carry across with me
men and angels.[131]
And the blessed Dīpankara having reached the spot stood close by the
hermit Sumedha’s head. And opening his eyes possessed of the five kinds
of grace as one opens a jewelled window, and beholding the hermit
Sumedha lying in the mire, thought to himself, “This hermit who lies
here has formed the resolution to be a Buddha; will his prayer be
fulfilled or not?” And casting forward his prescient gaze into the
future, and considering, he perceived that four asankheyyas and a
hundred thousand cycles from that time he would become a Buddha named
Gotama. And standing there in the midst of the assembly he delivered
this prophecy, “Behold ye this austere hermit lying in the mire?” “Yes,
Lord,” they answered. “This man lies here having made the resolution
to become a Buddha, his prayer will be answered; at the end of four
asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles hence he will become a Buddha
named Gotama, and in that birth the city Kapilavatthu will be his
residence, Queen Māyā will be his mother, King Suddhodana his father,
his chief disciple will be the thera Upatissa, his second disciple the
thera Kolita, the Buddha’s servitor will be Ānanda, his chief female
disciple the nun Khemā, the second the nun Uppalava_nn_ā. When he
attains to years of ripe knowledge, having retired from the world and
made the great exertion, having received at the foot of a banyan-tree
a meal of rice milk, and partaken of it by the banks of the Neranjarā,
having ascended the throne of Knowledge, he will, at the foot of an
Indian fig-tree, attain Supreme Buddhahood. Therefore it is said,
70. Dīpankara, knower of all worlds, receiver of offerings,
Standing by that which pillowed my head, spoke these words:
71. See ye this austere hermit with his matted hair,
Countless ages hence he will be a Buddha in this world.
72. Lo, the great Being departing from pleasant Kapila,
Having fought the great fight, performed all manner of austerities.
73. Having sat at the foot of the Ajapāla tree, and there received
rice pottage,
Shall approach the Neranjarā river.
74. Having received the rice pottage on the banks of the Neranjarā,
the Conqueror
Shall come by a fair road prepared for him to the foot of the
Bodhi-tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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