The Victor, Padumuttara,
Who Had Crossed Over Everything,
the Sambuddha went fully out
like a fire finished burning.Many people came together
venerating the Thus-Gone-One.
They made a well-made pyre for him
then lifted his body on it.Doing the needful with the corpse
they gathered all the relics there.
Then all the people, with their kings,
constructed the Buddha’s stupa.The first casket was made of gold,
the second was made of gemstone.
The third was made out of silver,
the fourth was made of crystal.The fifth stupa which was built there
was made of rubies fixed in glass.
The sixth was made of all the gems
with a large cat’s-eye on the top.There was a railing made of gold;
its legs were made out of gemstones.
That stupa, all encased in gold,
rose up in height a full league tall.The gods then got together there
and counseled one another thus:
“we shall construct a stupa too
for the World-Chief, the Neutral One.But there are no single relics;
the body is in one lump now.
We’ll enlarge this very stupa
of the Buddha, using fine gold.”The gods, using the seven gems,
raised it another league taller.
That stupa, which was two leagues tall,
dispelled the darkness with its shine.The snake-gods then assembled there
and counseled one another thus:
“The people and also the gods
constructed the Buddha’s stupa.Do not let us be negligent;
heedful, and with the lesser gods,
we too shall enlarge this stupa
of the World-Chief, the Neutral One.”Gathering themselves together
they covered the Buddha’s stupa
with the two types of blue sapphire
and with the jotirasa gem.At that point Buddha’s cetiya
was made entirely of gems.
In height it welled up three leagues tall
lighting up the whole universe.Then garuḷas got together
and counseled one another thus:
“The men and gods and snake-gods too
constructed the Buddha’s stupa.Do not let us be negligent;
heedful, and with the lesser gods,
we too shall enlarge this stupa
of the World-Chief, the Neutral One.”That stupa made only of gems
they gilded on the top right then.
They too increased by one whole league
the height of the Buddha’s stupa.Then rising up four leagues in height
that Buddha-stupa shined so bright.
It illumined all directions
just like the risen raying sun.Then kumbhaṇḍas got together
and counseled one another thus:
“The people and also the gods
the snake-gods and the garuḷasthemselves built a superb stupa
for him, the Best of the Buddhas.
Do not let us be negligent;
heedful, and with the lesser gods,we too shall enlarge this stupa
of the World-Chief, the Neutral One.
We’ll cover the entire extent
of the Buddha’s stupa with gems.”They too increased by one whole league
the height of the Buddha’s stupa.
Now rising up five leagues in height
that Buddha-stupa shined forth bright.Then spirits got together there
and counseled one another thus:
“The people, gods, and snake-gods too,
the garūḷas and kumbhaṇḍasthemselves built a superb stupa
for the World-Chief, the Neutral One.
Do not let us be negligent;
heedful, and with the lesser gods,we too shall enlarge this stupa
of the World-Chief, the Neutral One.
We’ll cover the entire extent
of Buddha’s stupa with crystal.”They too increased by one whole league
the height of the Buddha’s stupa.
Now rising up six leagues in height
that Buddha-stupa shined forth bright.Then assembled the music-nymphs
who counseled one another thus:
“Those born of Manu, and the gods,
snake-gods, kumbhaṇḍas, guyhakasall constructed Buddha’s stupa;
we’ve done nothing in that regard.
We too shall enlarge this stupa
of the World-Chief, the Neutral One.”They constructed seven railings
and made the legs for it as well.
Then that stupa the music-nymphs
made fully encased in fine gold.Now rising seven leagues in height
that Buddha-stupa shined forth bright.
One could not tell the day from night;
there always was its strong bright light.Its brilliance actually out-shined
the moon and the sun and the stars.
By day that lamp was blazing forth
for a hundred leagues all around.At that time, whichever people
were worshipping that stupa there
did not have to climb that stupa;
they were just held up in the air.Their flags or wreaths of flowers there
were offered up into the air
by spirit Abhisammata
who had been placed there by the gods.They could not see the spirit there;
they see the wreaths just flying by.
Seeing them go by in this way,
all of them go on to good states.People with faith in Buddha’s words,
and pleased in the dispensation,
wishing to see the miracle
are worshipping that stupa there.At that time I was a speaker
and I lived in Haṁsavatī.
Seeing those delighted people
this good thought then occurred to me:“He is lofty, the Blessed One,
who has a relic-womb like this;
these people are very happy
doing their rites with devotion.I too shall do a ritual
for the World-Chief, the Neutral One,
and in the future, I shall be
one of the heirs to his doctrines.”I had my upper garment washed
by one whose job was washing clothes
and having stuck it on bamboo
I raised a flag up in the sky.Grabbing it, Abhisammata
raised up my flag into the sky.
Seeing it flutter in the wind,
among those folks I smiled a lot.Bringing pleasure to my mind there
I then approached a Buddhist monk.
Worshipping that monk I inquired
what that flag’s result would become.He told me of religious joy,
generating great bliss for me.
“You always will experience
the fruit of your gift of that flag.”He said, “The army, with four parts—
tusker, soldier, chariot, horse—
will wait on you permanently;
that is the fruit of a flag-gift.Sixty thousand instruments and
well-decorated kettle-drums
will attend you permanently;
that is the fruit of a flag-gift.And women too, all well-made-up
numbering eighty-six thousand,
with varied clothes and ornaments,
wearing earrings bearing gemstones,with long eyelashes, lovely smiles
and slim waists, pleasant to look at
will wait upon you constantly:
that is the fruit of a flag-gift.You’ll delight in the world of gods
for thirty thousand aeons hence.
Eighty times as the king of gods
you will exercise divine rule.A thousand times you’re going to be
a king who turns the wheel of law,
and you will have much local rule
innumerable by counting.In one hundred thousand aeons,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama
will be the Teacher in the world.Falling down from the world of gods,
incited by your wholesome roots,
and bound up with your good karma
you will be Brahma’s kinsman then.Discarding eight hundred million
and many slaves and workers too,
you will renounce in the teaching
of Gotama the Blessed One.Satisfying the Sambuddha,
Gotama, the Bull of Śākyas,
you’ll be known as Upavāna
a follower of the Teacher.”Karma done a hundred thousand
aeons hence showed me its fruit here:
well-liberated, arrow-quick,
I have destroyed my defilements.When I was a wheel-turning king,
lord over the four continents,
for three leagues in all directions
flags were always seen by me then.In the hundred thousand aeons
since I did that good karma then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth;
that is the fruit of a flag-gift.The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!
Thus indeed Venerable Upavāna Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Upavāna Thera is finished.