[329. Pupphacchchattiya1]
Bringing water-born lotuses,2
hundred-leafed, delighting the mind,
and making [it], I offered a
floral umbrella to Buddha,
the Blessed One, Siddhattha,
the World’s Best One, the Neutral One,
when he was declaring the truth,
giving living beings succor. (1-2) [2898-2899]
And Siddhattha, World-Knower,
Sacrificial Recipient,
standing in the monks’ Assembly,3
the Teacher spoke this verse [for me]: (3) [2900]
“[This one] who pleased [his] heart in me
[and] made a floral umbrella,
due to that mental pleasure he
will not go to a bad rebirth.” (4) [2901]
Having said this, the Sambuddha,
Siddhattha, Leader of the World,
taking leave of his retinue
rose up into the sky, the sky!4 (5) [2902]
When the Man-God5 had risen up
the white umbrella also rose.
That unexcelled umbrella [then]
went in front of the Best Buddha. (6) [2903]
In the ninety-four aeons since
I offered [him] that umbrella,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
fruit of a floral umbrella. (7) [2904]
In the seventy-fourth aeon
there were eight [named] Jalasikha,6
wheel-turning monarchs with great power,
possessors of the seven gems. (8) [2905]
The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (9) [2906]
Thus indeed Venerable Pupphacchchattiya Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Pupphacchchattiya Thera is finished.
“Flower-Umbrella-er”↩
here as in so many places, the singular is used in what is almost certainly a plural sense, and I translate accordingly. xxx to the intro…↩
bhikkhusaṅghe ṭhito↩
here as in #306 above I take the redundancy (vehāsam nabham) as emphatic↩
naradeva, “God (or king) among Men”↩
“Crest of the Water”↩