325. Nimittasaññaka

Tha-ap 327

Beech roots interwoven with moss beside a stream.

Walt 2852 On Candabhāgā River’s bank,
I dwelt in a hermitage then.
I saw a golden-colored deer,
which was wandering through the woods. Verse 1

Walt 2853 Having pleased my heart in that deer,
I recalled the World’s Best Buddha.
With that same pleasure in my heart,
I recalled the other Buddhas: Verse 2

Walt 2854 “Those Buddhas who have passed away,
Thus-Gone-Ones, while they were living,
in this very same way shined forth,
like golden deer-kings for the heart.” Verse 3

Walt 2855 In the ninety-four aeons since
I obtained that perception then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
the fruit of perceiving Buddhas. Verse 4

Walt 2856 In the twenty-seventh aeon
hence there was one lord of the earth,
who was named Araññasatta,
a wheel-turning king with great strength. Verse 5

Walt 2857 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 6

Thus indeed Venerable Nimittasaññaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Nimittasaññaka Thera is finished.

Connections

Collection & context

TherāpadānaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

About this edition

Translation by Jonathan S. Walters · SuttaCentral · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

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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.

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Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.