348. {351.} Saddasaññaka

Tha-ap 353

The broad shade of an old rose-apple tree on sunlit earth.

Walt 3140 I was a deer-hunter back then,
within a grove in the forest.
There I saw the Sambuddha once,
honored by the gods’ assembly. Verse 1

Walt 3141 While preaching the Four Noble Truths
he ferried many folks across.
I also heard his honeyed speech
like the song of a cuckoo bird. Verse 2

Walt 3142 Having pleased my heart in the sound
of Sikhi Buddha, World’s Kinsman,
the Sage, Divine Sound Intoner,
I attained my arahantship.Verse 3

Walt 3143 In the thirty-one aeons since
I did that good karma back then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of feeling pleasure. Verse 4

Walt 3144 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 5

Thus indeed Venerable Saddasaññaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Saddasaññaka 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

Teachings named in the text

Four noble truths

About this edition

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

Noncommercial reuse with attribution and the same license. Original publication and digitization credits are preserved below.

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.

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.