[537. {540.}1 Mogharāaja2]

The Victor, Padumuttara,
the Sage, Knower of Every World,
the One who had [Five] Eyes, arose
a hundred thousand aeons hence. (1) [5987]3
The Admonisher,4 Instructor,5
Crosser-Over6 of all that breathe,
Skilled at Preaching,7 [he], the Buddha,
caused many folks to cross [the flood]. (2) [5988]

Merciful,8 Compassionate One,9
Well-Wisher10 of all that breathe, he
established in the five precepts
all the rivals who had arrived. (3) [5989]

In this way he was Unconfused11
and Very Well-Known12 by rivals,
Ornamented13 by arahants
who were masters [and] neutral ones. (4) [5990]

The [body of the] Sage So Great
rose up fifty-eight cubits14 [tall];
he was Valuable Like Gold,15
Bearing the Thirty-Two Great Marks. (5) [5991]

[People’s] lifespan at that time was
[fully] one hundred thousand years.
Remaining [in the world] so long,
he ferried many folks across. (6) [5992]

I was then in Hamsavatīi;
I was [born] in a certain16 clan.
Bound to working for others,17 I
did not have any possessions. (7) [5993]

Living on the unfinished floor18
of a storeroom for special seats,19
I lit a fire there [on that floor];
the earth became hard [and] blackened. (8) [5994]

Then the Lord, explaining the Four
Noble Truths to the retinue,
lavished praise on a follower
who wore inferior cloth robes.20 (9) [5995]

[Then] thrilled at that virtue of his,
falling before the Thus-Gone-One,
I aspired to that supreme place,
foremost among those with rough robes. (10) [5996]

Then Buddha Padumuttara
said this to [all his] followers:
“All of you look at that person,
with bad clothes, a skinny body,
with joy [and] pleasure in [his] face,
possessing a great wealth of faith,
happy, body hair grown upward,
steadfast, eating food in a hall.21 (11-12) [5997-5998]

He’s wishing to [attain] the place
of [this] monk [named] Saccchchasena;22
his hope’s for the appearance of
this [monk] wearing robes of rough cloth.” (13) [5999]

After hearing that,23 being thrilled,
bowing [my] head to the Victor,
doing good karma my whole life24
in the Victor’s dispensation,
due to that karma done very well,
with intention and [firm] resolve,
discarding [my] human body,
I was gone to Tāavatimsa. (14-15) [6000-6001]

Through the deed of burning the floor
in the storeroom for special seats,
for all of a thousand [years,] I
burned in hell, remaining in pain. (16) [6002]

Due to that karma’s remainder,
I had five hundred [more] rebirths,
being born in a human clan,
[and] marked with the marks of [my] caste.25 (17) [6003]

For those same five hundred rebirths,
I’m afflicted with skin disease,
I underwent great suffering,
through the power of that karma. (18) [6004]

In this [present] lucky aeon,
having a mind [full] of pleasure,
I entertained with begged alms food
Uparittha, the Famous One.26 (19) [6005]

Through the rest of the deed27 I did,
with intention and [firm] resolve,
discarding [my] human body,
I went to Tāavatimsa [then]. (20) [6006]

When [my] last28 rebirth was attained,
I’m born in a warrior29 clan.
After the death of my father,
I possessed a large kingdom [then]. (21) [6007]

Afflicted with a skin disease,
I get no comfort in the night.
Due to useless royal comfort,30
I was then called “King of Useless.”31
Seeing the flaws of the body,
I went forth into homelessness.
I entered in the studentship
of Bāavarīi, the chief brahmin. (23) [6009]

With an enormous retinue,
approaching the Leader of Men,32
I asked a subtle question of
the Hero, Debater-Crusher.33 (24) [6010]

[In] this world [or in] the next world
[or] in Brahma’s world with [its] gods,
[might] he not know the sight of you,34
of Gotama, the Famous One? (25) [6011]

Thus one with excellent knowledge35
comes to the point through the question,
[while] looking upon what world, [then],
does the King of Death not see [him]?” (26) [6012]

The Physician for all Disease,36
the Buddha answered37 [this] to me:
“Look upon the world as empty,38
Mogharāaja;39 always mindful,
[and] uprooting his own [false] views,40
[in this way] he’d cross beyond death.
Thusly looking upon the world,
the King of Death does not see [him].” (27-28) [6013-6014]

And the conclusion of that verse,
cutting off [my] hair and [my] beard,
putting on saffron-colored robes,
I became an arahant monk. (29) [6015]

Oppressed by illness I don’t live
in Assembly monasteries.
“Don’t offend the monastery” —
by that word I’m extra-oppressed. (30) [6016]

Taking [cloth] atop rubbish heaps,
from charnel field, on carriage roads,
having made41 [my] robe out of that,
I am wearing a rough-cloth robe. (31) [6017]

Pleased about42 that virtue of mine,
the Great Physician,43 the Leader,
[then] placed me in the foremost place
of those who wear robes of rough cloth. (32) [6018]

Merit and evil are all destroyed;
every illness is driven out.
Like fire, [I] have no attachments;
I will realize nirvana. (33) [6019]

My defilements are [now] burnt up;
all [new] existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint. (34) [6020]

Being in Best Buddha’s presence
was a very good thing for me.
The three knowledges are attained;
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (35) [6021]

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (36) [6022]

Thus indeed Venerable Mogharāaja Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Mogharāaja Thera is finished.

The Summary:

Kaccchchāana, Vakkalīi Thera,
the one named Mahāakappina,
Dabba, and he named Kumāara,
Bāahiya, Master Kotthita,
Uruvelakassapa, Rāadha,
and Mogharāajāa the pundit.
There are three hundred verses here,
piled on another sixty-two.

The Kaccchchāana Chapter, the Fifty-Fourth44