ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 19.21

19.21

worshiped and venerated him and addressed him with respect. The Blessed One also commended him as foremost among the faithful and devoted.

“Lord,” the monks requested the Blessed One, “tell us why Venerable Fleshy leapt from a boulder when he saw the Blessed One, and why he pleased the Blessed One, did not displease him, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, upon seeing me he leapt from a boulder, went forth in my presence, and generated the four meditative states and five superknowledges. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, a certain sage was traveling a path with five hundred of his disciples. Upon reaching the face of a boulder, they took a seat at one side. There was an ascetic living on top of that boulder, practicing his austerities. He saw the sage sitting at the foot of the boulder, felt a surge of joy at the sight of him, and thought, ‘I will show my respect to that sage and offer my help.’ Then he thought, ‘But if I clamber down on foot, the sage will have left.’

“So he leapt from the boulder, and as he did so the sage dispatched a deity who took him in his hands and placed him on the ground. Then the ascetic approached the sage, bowed down at his feet, and sat before him to listen to the Dharma.

“The sage spoke in praise of renunciation, and the ascetic went forth in his presence. After going forth, he generated the four meditative states and five superknowledges.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that sage then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was that ascetic then is none other than Fleshy.