282. Phaladāyaka (THA-AP284)

Rising up from meditation,
the Buddha approached me for alms.
Same as the cosmic mountain, he
was like the bearer of the earth.

Myrobalan and gooseberry,
mango, rose-apple, bahera,
jujube, markingnut, bel,
and the fruits of phārusaka—
all of that was given by me,
with a mind that was very clear,
to Siddhattha Buddha, Great Sage,
the Pitier of Every World.

In the ninety-four aeons since
I gave that fruit to him back then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that is the fruit of giving fruit.

In the fifty-seventh aeon
hence lived a ruler, Ekajjha,
a wheel-turning king with great strength,
possessor of the seven gems.

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Venerable Phaladāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Phaladāyaka Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters.

Whitman College, 2017

Legends of the Buddhist Saints (Apadāna) is released under the Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike license.

This is the first-ever complete translation of Apadāna into a Western language.

For more information, visit apadanatranslation.org

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.