Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Religion
Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Jataka stories, English
After Nārada the Buddha, a hundred thousand world-cycles ago there
appeared in one kalpa only one Buddha called _Padumuttara_. He also had
three assemblies of saints; at the first a million million monks were
present, at the second, on the Vebhāra Mountain, nine hundred thousand
million, at the third eight hundred thousand million. At that time the
Bodisat, born as the _Mahratta of the name of Jaṭila_, gave an offering
of robes to the Order, with the Buddha at their head. And to him also
he announced, “Hereafter thou shalt be a Buddha.” And at the time of
Padumuttara the Blessed One there were no infidels, but all, men and
angels, took refuge in the Buddha. His city was called Haŋsavatī, his
father was Ānanda the warrior, his mother Sujātā, Devala and Sujāta his
chief disciples, Sumana his servitor, Amitā and Asamā his chief female
disciples, the Sāla-tree his Bo-tree; his body was eighty-eight cubits
high, the light from his body extended twelve leagues, and his age was
a hundred thousand years.
232. After Nārada came the perfect Buddha, the best of men,
Padumuttara by name, the Conqueror unshaken, like the sea.
After him, when thirty thousand world-cycles had elapsed, two Buddhas,
Sumedha and Sujāta, were born in one kalpa. _Sumedha_ also had three
assemblies of his saints; at the first assembly, in the city Sudassana,
a thousand million sinless ones were present, at the second nine
hundred, at the third eight hundred. At that time the Bodisat, born as
_the brahman youth named Uttara_, lavished eight hundred millions of
money he had saved in giving a great donation to the Order, with the
Buddha at their head. And he then listened to the Law, and accepted the
Refuges, and abandoned his home, and took the vows. And to him also
the Buddha prophesied, saying, “Hereafter thou shalt be a Buddha.”
The city of Sumedha the Blessed One was called Sudassana, Sudatta the
king was his father, Sudattā his mother, Sarana and Sabbakāma his two
chief disciples, Sāgara his servitor, Rāmā and Surāmā his two chief
female disciples, the great Champaka-tree his Bo-tree; his body was
eighty-eight cubits high, and his age was ninety thousand years.
233. After Padumuttara came the Leader named Sumedha,
The Sage hard to equal, brilliant in glory, supreme in all the
world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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