At one time the Leader of Men
was staying in a mountain cave
in the city, Rajagaha,
which was lovely and prosperous.This is what was reasoned out then
by the nun named Yasodharā,
who was dwelling in that city,
inside a lovely convent there:"Nanda, Rahula and Bhadda;
likewise the two chief followers;
Suddhodana Maharaja,
and Gotamī Pajāpatī;the great theras of great renown;
and the therīs with great powers:
they've gone to peaceful nirvana,
traceless like the flame of a lamp.While the World's Lord still is living,
I’ll travel that peaceful path too.”
And having reasoned all that out,
she foresaw the end of her life.Foreseeing that life’s aggregates
would be destroyed that very day,
she set out from her own ashram,
carrying her robe and her bowl.Honored by one hundred thousand
nuns, the nun named Yasodharā,
greatly powerful, greatly wise,
then went up to the Sambuddha.Having worshipped the Sambuddha,
at the wheel-marked soles of his feet,
sitting off to one side of him,
she spoke these words to the Teacher:“I'm seventy-eight years old now,
the last of old age has arrived;
I'm reporting to the Great Sage:
I've attained sainthood in a cave.Old age has ripened for me now;
verily my life's a trifle.
Giving all you up I will go:
my refuge is made in myself.In the final days of old age,
death breaks the body into bits;
today at nighttime, Great Hero,
I shall achieve my nirvana.Where there's no birth, no growing old,
nor sickness and death, O Great Sage,
I'm going to the great city
which, unconditioned, has no death.Throughout this vast multitude here,
all these revering the Teacher,
know that every imperfection
is forgiven face-to-face, Sage.Transmigrating in existence,
if I have ever disturbed you,
I’m announcing it, Great Hero;
please forgive my imperfection.After hearing that speech of hers,
the Lord of Sages then said this:
“What better can I say to you,
when you’re going to nirvana?Now display your superpowers,
doer of my dispensation;
let doubt in the dispensation
be cut off for all assemblies.”Having heard the words of the Sage,
the Buddhist nun, Yasodharā,
worshipping the King of Sages,
then spoke this speech to the Buddha:"I am Yasodharā, Hero;
in the home I was your chief queen,
born in the clan of the Śākyas,
established among the women.In your household, O Hero, I
was the leader, the lord of all
of the women there, who numbered
one hundred thousand ninety six.All of those women, endowed with
the virtues of beauty and grace,
youthful and well-spoken, revere
me, like people revere the gods.Leader of a thousand maidens
in the home of the Śākyan Son,
they’re the same in pleasure and pain,
like gods in the garden named “Joy.”Beyond the essence of desire,
fixed as the essence of beauty,
they’re unmatched in terms of beauty,
other than by the World’s Leader.”Speaking words beginning with these,
having risen into the sky,
Yasodharā displayed diverse
powers, with Buddha’s permission.Worshipping the Sambuddha, she
showed the Teacher superpowers.
She displayed great superpowers,
diverse, having various forms.Body big as the universe,
she made the continent up north
her head; eastern, western her wings;
and made India her torso;tail feathers: the southern ocean;
other feathers: varied rivers;
her eyes were the moon and the sun,
her crest was cosmic Mount Meru.In her beak, mountain at world’s end,
she carried a tree with its roots.
Coming up to him, fanning him,
she’s worshipping the World’s Leader.She made herself an elephant,
likewise a horse, mountain, ocean,
the moon and the sun, Mount Meru,
and Śakra, the king of the gods.She covered the thousand-fold world
with blooming lotus, and then said,
“I am Yasodharā, Hero;
I worship your feet, Eyeful One."And making Brahma’s form appear,
she preached the doctrine of merit;
"I am Yasodharā, Hero;
I worship your feet, Eyeful One.”I’ve mastered the superpowers
like the “divine ear” element.
I’m also a master, Great Sage,
of the knowledge in others’ hearts.I remember my former lives;
my “divine eye” is purified.
All the defilements are destroyed;
I will not be reborn again.In meaning and in the Teaching,
etymology and preaching,
this knowledge of mine was produced
in your presence, O Great Hero.My meeting with all the Buddhas,
the World-Lords, was well-seen by you;
my extensive service to them
was for the sake of you, Great Sage.O Sage, recall the good karma,
which formerly was done by me;
that merit was heaped up by me
for the sake of you, Great Hero.I kept from misconduct, hindered
the nine impossible places;
I have sacrificed life itself
for the sake of you, Great Hero.I gave myself to be a wife,
several tens of billions of times.
I was not distressed about that,
for the sake of you, O Great Sage.I gave myself to do service,
several tens of billions of times.
I was not distressed about that,
for the sake of you, O Great Sage.I gave myself to provide food,
several tens of billions of times.
I was not distressed about that,
for the sake of you, O Great Sage.I have given you all my lives,
several tens of billions of times.
I’ll liberate myself from fear,
giving up my life once more.Great Sage, for your sake I do not
conceal the things of a woman,
numerous clothes of varied types,
ornaments affixed to my limbs.Wealth and grain have been given up,
villages and also small towns,
fields and sons and daughters as well
have been given up, O Great Sage.Elephants, horses, also cows,
slaves as well as servant-women
are given up beyond all count
for the sake of you, O Great Sage.Whatever I am told to give
as alms to beggars, I give that;
I don’t witness any distress
from giving the ultimate gift.I have experienced dis-ease
of diverse types, beyond all count,
in this much-varied existence
for the sake of you, Great Hero.Attaining comforts, I don’t thrill;
I don’t get distressed by troubles.
Everywhere I remain balanced
for the sake of you, O Great Sage.After experiencing both
pleasure and pain along the way,
the Great Sage reached Awakening,
the Teaching for which Buddha strived.By you and by me there was much
meeting with the other World-Lords,
whether you’re the god Brahmā or
Gotama Buddha, World’s Leader.I performed a lot of service,
for the sake of you, O Great Sage;
while you sought the Buddha's Teaching,
I was always your attendant.One hundred thousand aeons and
four incalculable aeons
hence, Dīpaṅkara, Great Hero,
the Leader of the World was born.Someplace in a nearby country,
inviting him, the Thus-Gone-One,
happy-minded folks are cleaning
the road on which he is coming.At that time there was a brahmin
known by the name of Sumedha.
He was making the road ready
for the All-Seer who was coming.At that time I was a maiden,
born in a brahmin family,
known by the name of Sumittā.
I went up to that gathering.With eight handfuls of blue lotus
for offering to the Teacher,
in the midst of all the people
I saw that fierce ascetic sage.Seeing him, seated atop bark,
surpassing and captivating,
then I thought like this to myself:
“this life of mine is bearing fruit.”At that time I saw that sage’s
effort which was then bearing fruit;
due to previous karma, my
heart was pleased in the Sambuddha.Making my heart even more pleased,
I said, “O lofty-minded sage,
seeing no other gift to give,
I’m giving flowers to you, sage.There are five handfuls for you, sage;
the remaining three are for me.
Let there be success through this gift
for your Awakening, O sage.”The Fourth Recitation Portion
Then that sage, taking the flowers,
for the sake of Awakening,
worshipped amidst the people the
Famed One, Great Sage who was coming.The Great Sage named Dīpaṅkara,
seeing him amidst the people,
prophesied future Buddhahood
for that sage with a lofty mind.The Great Sage named Dīpāṅkara
then prophesied that my karma
would for numberless aeons hence
be exalted, that Sage So Great:“She will be a like-minded wife,
with karma and conduct like yours;
through this karma she’ll be loving
for the sake of you, O great sage.Nice looking and much beloved,
desirable, speaking sweet words,
she will be a loving woman,
and an heir among your doctrines.Just as masters are protecting
the goods that they accumulate,
so this one likewise will protect
all of the things that are wholesome.Compassionate for future you,
she will fulfill the perfections.
Like a lion freed from a cage,
she will achieve Awakening.”Rejoicing about Buddha’s speech,
I lived behaving in that way
the Buddha prophesied for me
numberless aeons ago.I brought pleasure to my mind when
that karma was well done by me;
I experienced countless wombs,
divine as well as human ones.Undergoing pleasure and pain,
among gods and human beings,
when my last rebirth was attained,
I was born in the Śākyan clan.Beautiful and very wealthy,
famous and likewise virtuous;
endowed with every attainment,
I’m much-honored among the clans.Riches, fame, hospitality,
and indulgence in worldly things –
they do not agitate my mind;
I have no fear from anything.I was appointed to attend
on what the Blessed One had said
within the harem of the king
in the kṣatriyan city then.I’m a woman who’s a servant,
and one who feels pleasure and pain,
a woman who declares the facts,
a woman who’s compassionate.Buddhas numbering five billion,
and another nine billion more —
I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods.Listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service
to eleven billion others,
and fifty billion Buddhas more.I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.Twenty billion other Buddhas
and another thirty billion –
I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods.Listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service
to forty billion Buddhas more,
and another fifty billion.I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.Sixty billion other Buddhas,
another seventy billion –
I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods.Listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service
to eighty billion Buddhas more,
and another ninety billion.I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.There have been a million million
who were Chief Leaders of the World;
I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods.Listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service
to another ninety trillion
who were Leaders of the World too.I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing serviceto Great Sages whose number was
eight hundred and fifty trillion,
and seven hundred eighty-five
billion additional Buddhas.I provided vast alms to them,
those Buddhas, Gods Over the Gods;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.Lonely Buddhas, passion removed,
six hundred and forty million;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.Countless followers of Buddhas,
free of defilements, and stainless;
listen to my words, O great king:
I’m constantly doing service.I always practice the Teaching
of those practiced in the teachings,
at ease practicing the Teaching,
in this world and in the other.Well-practiced, the Teaching-practice;
that practice is not ill-practiced.
I’m at ease practicing Teaching,
in this world and in the other.Disgusted with transmigration,
I went forth into homelessness,
surrounded by thousands of nuns,
after renouncing with nothing.After abandoning my home,
I went forth into homelessness.
When eight months had not yet elapsed
I attained the Four Noble Truths.Like the waves upon the ocean,
folks are bringing many varied
monastic robes and alms to eat,
requisites as well as lodgings.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 many sorts of suffering
and many types of happiness;
the pure life now has been achieved,
I have obtained all achievements.The woman who’s giving herself
for the merit of the Great Sage
attains companionship with him,
and unconditioned nirvana.The past is thoroughly destroyed,
and the present and the future;
all of my karma is destroyed:
I worship your feet, Eyeful One.”
Thus indeed Bhikkhunī Yasodharā spoke these verses.
The legend of Yasodharā Therī is finished