Verses on Dhamma 25.12.p2

25.12.p2

Padumuttarabuddhakālasmiñhi eko kulaputto satthārā catuparisamajjhe ekaṃ bhikkhuṃ dibbacakkhukānaṃ aggaṭṭhāne ṭhapentaṃ disvā taṃ sampattiṃ patthayamāno satthāraṃ nimantetvā sattāhaṃ buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṅghassa mahādānaṃ datvā, ‘‘bhante, ahampi anāgate ekassa buddhassa sāsane dibbacakkhukānaṃ aggo bhaveyya’’nti patthanaṃ ṭhapesi. Satthā kappasatasahassaṃ olokento tassa patthanāya samijjhanabhāvaṃ viditvā ‘‘ito kappasatasahassamatthake gotamabuddhasāsane dibbacakkhukānaṃ aggo anuruddho nāma bhavissasī’’ti byākāsi. So taṃ byākaraṇaṃ sutvā sve pattabbaṃ viya taṃ sampattiṃ maññamāno parinibbute satthari bhikkhū dibbacakkhuparikammaṃ pucchitvā sattayojanikaṃ kañcanathūpaṃ parikkhipitvā anekāni dīparukkhasahassāni kāretvā dīpapūjaṃ katvā tato cuto devaloke nibbattitvā devamanussesu kappasatasahassāni saṃsaritvā imasmiṃ kappe bārāṇasiyaṃ daliddakule nibbatto sumanaseṭṭhiṃ nissāya tassa tiṇahārako hutvā jīvikaṃ kappesi. Annabhārotissa nāmaṃ ahosi. Sumanaseṭṭhīpi tasmiṃ nagare niccakālaṃ mahādānaṃ deti.

In the dispensation of the Buddha Padumuttara a certain youth saw the Teacher in the midst of the Fourfold Assembly assign to a certain monk the place of Foremost of those who possess Supernatural Vision. Desiring the same Attainment for himself, he invited the Teacher to be his guest, gave alms for seven days to the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha, and made the following Earnest Wish: “Reverend Sir, may I also in time to come, under the dispensation of some Buddha, become Foremost of those who possess Supernatural Vision.” The Teacher surveyed a hundred thousand cycles of time, and seeing that his Earnest Wish would be fulfilled, made the following prophecy: “A hundred thousand cycles of time from now, under the dispensation of the Buddha Gotama, this youth will be Foremost of those who possess Supernatural Vision, and his name will be Anuruddha.”

After the youth had heard this prophecy, it seemed to him every day as if he were about to reach this Attainment on the next. When the Teacher passed into Nibbāna, he asked the monks to tell him the procedure preliminary to the attainment of Supernatural Vision. Causing many thousand torches to be set up in a circle about the golden shrine of the Teacher, seven leagues in extent, he honored him with the Offering of Light. Passing from that state of existence, he was reborn in the World of the Gods, and after passing from one state of existence to another during a hundred thousand cycles of time, he was reborn in this age of the world at Benāres in the household of a poor man. He made his living as a grass-carrier for Treasurer Sumana, and his name was Food-bearer, Annabhāra. Treasurer Sumana constantly gave large gifts in this city.