ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 15.6

15.6

a totally and completely awakened buddha endowed with perfect knowledge and perfect conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, a tamer of persons, a charioteer, an unsurpassed one, a teacher of humans and gods, a blessed buddha.’ Then he spoke this verse:

“ ‘By this vast gift, may I become
A self-arisen buddha in the triple world.
And when I do, may I liberate those not freed
By the mighty victors who came before me.’¹⁰⁷

“With that, he handed the morsel to Śakra, King of the Gods, who was in the guise of a brahmin. At this Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, ‘This bodhisattva has performed a magnificent austerity.’ His brahmin guise disappeared and he assumed his natural form and asked, ‘What will you accomplish by these efforts?’

“ ‘I shall attain unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment,’ was his reply.

“Śakra said, ‘With a mind and mental states like these, you are certain to fully awaken to unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment. When you do, please remember me.’ With that, Śakra, King of the Gods, let fall a mighty downpour of rain. All the grains began to sprout into a great harvest, and Kāśi was restored.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was King Candraprabha then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. At that time I also commended giving and the portion given. Why then, having manifested the fruits of giving, would the Tathāgata now not commend giving and the portion given?”

Part Four

1. The Story of Maitrībala
2. The Dark Storm
3. Ants: Two Stories