ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 16.18

16.18

pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. Arrogant about his good looks and youthfulness, he was contemptuous toward many ascetics and brahmins. One day he went to the roof of his house and sat there surrounded by young brahmins.

“In times when a blessed one has not arisen in the world, out of compassion for the destitute and suffering the solitary buddhas appear, taking up residence in remote places. Solitary as the rhinoceros, in all the world they alone are worthy of offerings.

“So it was that a solitary buddha was going for alms in that mountain town, where he received very good food and drink. He was carrying it when the brahmin spotted him striding away from the front door of the brahmin’s house and proceeding to the main road. There was a pot full of excrement on the rooftop in front of the brahmin. Intending the solitary buddha harm, he kicked the pot down on top of him and it soiled the sage’s clothes, body, and alms bowl. The solitary buddha looked up as the brahmin’s face turned from gleeful to hideous, degraded by the actions of his own body.

“Then the solitary buddha thought, ‘This emotionally afflicted person has become so abased! I have to help him.’ With this thought he rose up into the sky, making a miraculous display of fire and light, rain and lightning.

“Ordinary people are quickly brought to faith through miracles, so when the brahmin saw all this, he bowed down at the sage’s feet like a tree felled by a saw, saying, ‘O great fortunate one, please, please come down! I’m mired in misdeeds! Please reach down and lift me up!’ Out of compassion for him, the solitary buddha descended. The brahmin invited him inside, carried away his garments, anointed his body with fragrance, bathed him in scented water,