Near the top of a mountain slope,
the ascetic named Anoma,
making a well-built hermitage,
dwelt in a hall made of leaves then.His practices were successful;
the goal attained by his own strength.
Heroic in his own monkhood,
he was zealous, clever, a sage.Confident in his religion,
he was skilled in others’ doctrines,
expert and skillful in reading
omens on earth and in the sky.Meditating, trance-loving sage,
he did not covet, was grief-free,
happy if receiving or not,
ate little food, did not kill beasts.Piyadassi, the Sambuddha,
Chief, Compassionate One, the Sage,
wishing to help beings across,
spread the Teaching with compassion.Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,
seeing folks who could understand,
having gone is exhorting them,
in a thousand universes.With a desire to lift me up,
he then approached my hermitage.
I had not formerly seen him,
nor heard of him from anyone.Omens, dreams and auspicious marks
were very clear to me back then,
an expert, skilled in horoscopes,
both on the earth and in the sky.After hearing of the Buddha,
I gladdened my heart over him.
Whether eating or sitting down,
I remember him all the time.When I was thus remembering,
the Blessed One thought of me too.
Joy arose in me all the time,
when I thought about the Buddha.Returning at a later time,
the Sage So Great came up to me.
When he arrived I did not know
that he’s the Buddha, the Great Sage.Full of Pity, Compassionate,
Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,
then introduced himself to me:
“I am the Buddha in the world.”Coming to know the Sambuddha,
Piyadassi, the Sage So Great,
filling my own heart with pleasure,
I spoke these words to him back then:“You are sitting down on other
chairs and palanquins and deck-chairs,
but you, the Seer of All Things,
should sit upon a gem-set throne.At that time someone created
a chair made out of all the gems,
a magically-created seat
for Piyadassi, the Great Sage.Then I gave a rose-apple fruit,
as big as a jug of water,
to Buddha seated on that chair
magically-fashioned out of gems.At that time the Great Sage ate it,
generating great mirth for me.
Then bringing pleasure to my heart,
I saluted him, the Teacher.But Piyadassi, Blessed One,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
sitting upon that gem-set throne,
spoke these verses about me then:“He who gave me this gem-set chair
and also this ambrosial fruit,
I shall relate details of him;
all of you listen to my words:“For seventy-seven aeons
he’ll delight in the world of gods,
and fifty-seven times he’ll be
a king who turns the wheel of law.Thirty-two times the lord of gods,
he will exercise divine rule,
and there will be much local rule,
innumerable by counting.He will receive seats made of gems
and also made out of rubies,
and many palanquins well-made
out of gold and out of silver.Even when walking back and forth,
palanquins of different sorts,
all the time will wait upon
this man possessing good karma.Huts with gables and palaces,
and beds which are very costly,
all of the time will come to be,
discerning what he is thinking.And sixty thousand elephants,
decked out in all the ornaments,
mātaṅgas with gold headdresses,
clothed in harnessing made of gold,
mounted by elephant-trainers
with lances and goads in hand,
are going to wait on this man:
that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair.Sixty thousand horses as well,
decked out in all the ornaments,
thoroughbreds of good pedigree,
horses from Sindh, fast vehicles,
mounted by trainers of horses
wearing armor with bows in hand,
are going to wait on this man:
that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair.Sixty thousand chariots too,
decked out in all the ornaments,
covered in the skins of leopards
and likewise tigers, flags hoisted,
mounted by animal-trainers
wearing armor with bows in hand,
will constantly wait on this man:
that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair.Sixty thousand milch-cows as well,
red in color, best of the best,
will give birth to many good calves:
that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair.Sixty thousand women as well,
decked out in all the ornaments,
with varied clothes and jewelry
and wearing earrings made of gems,
with long eyelashes, lovely smiles
and slim waists, pleasant to look at,
constantly will wait on this man:
that’s the fruit of a gem-set chair.Eighteen hundred aeons from now,
the Eyeful One named Gotama,
doing away with the darkness,
will be the Buddha in the world.Coming to look at him, this man
will go forth having nothing.
Satisfying the Teacher, he’ll
delight in the dispensation.Having listened to his Teaching,
he will destroy the defilements.
Knowing well all the defilements,
he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled.Vigorous effort’s the yoked ox
carrying perfect peace for me.
Wishing for ultimate meaning,
I dwell in the dispensation.This is the final time for me;
my last rebirth is proceeding.
All defilements are exhausted;
now there will be no more rebirth.My defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint.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!The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!
Thus indeed Venerable Hemaka Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Hemaka Thera is finished.