458. {461.} Sālakusumiya

Tha-ap 463

Three birch trunks in an open misty woodland.

Walt 4864 When the Blessed One passed away—
the one whose name was “Best Lotus”—
when the funeral pyre was raised,
I offered a sal-flower there. Verse 1

Walt 4865 In the hundred thousand aeons
since I presented that flower,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of worshipping pyres. Verse 2

Walt 4866 My defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Knowing well all the defilements,
I am living without constraint. Verse 3

Walt 4867 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! Verse 4

Walt 4868 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 5

Thus indeed Venerable Sālakusumiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sālakusumiya 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

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.