369. {372.} Pāṭalipupphiya (THA-AP374)

The Blessed One named Vipassi,
the Self-Become One, Chief Person,
the Sun, the Victor, entered then,
surrounded by all his students.

Three fresh pāṭali flowers were
placed there in my lap at that time.
Wishing to bathe my head I went
to the riverside bathing place.

Going out from Bandhumatī,
I saw the Leader of the World,
bright like a blue water lily,
blazing up like a fire-altar,
excellent as a tiger bull,
like a lion of good breeding,
traveling in front of the monks,
honored by the monks’ Assembly.

Pleased in him, the Well-Gone Buddha,
Cleansing the Stain of Defilement,
taking those three flowers I
did pūjā to the Best Buddha.

In the ninety-one aeons since
I did pūjā with that flower,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of Buddha-pūjā.

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

Thus indeed Venerable Pāṭalipupphiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Pāṭalipupphiya 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.