Verses on Dhamma 5.9.p2

5.9.p2

So kira devasikaṃ bimbisārarājānaṃ pātova aṭṭhahi sumanapupphanāḷīhi upaṭṭhahanto aṭṭha kahāpaṇe labhati. Athekadivasaṃ tasmiṃ pupphāni gahetvā nagaraṃ paviṭṭhamatte bhagavā mahābhikkhusaṅghaparivuto chabbaṇṇaraṃsiyo vissajjetvā mahatā buddhānubhāvena mahatiyā buddhalīḷāya nagaraṃ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Bhagavā hi ekadā chabbaṇṇaraṃsiyo cīvarena paṭicchādetvā aññataro piṇḍapātiko viya carati tiṃsayojanamaggaṃ aṅgulimālassa paccuggamanaṃ gacchanto viya, ekadā chabbaṇṇaraṃsiyo vissajjetvā kapilavatthuppavesanādīsu viya. Tasmimpi divase sarīrato chabbaṇṇaraṃsiyo vissajjento mahantena buddhānubhāvena mahatiyā buddhalīḷāya rājagahaṃ pāvisi. Mālākāro bhagavato ratanagghiyasadisaṃ attabhāvaṃ disvā dvattiṃsamahāpurisalakkhaṇaasītānubyañjanasarīrasobhaggaṃ oloketvā pasannacitto ‘‘kiṃ nu kho satthu adhikāraṃ karomī’’ti cintetvā aññaṃ apassanto ‘‘imehi pupphehi bhagavantaṃ pūjessāmī’’ti cintetvā puna cintesi – ‘‘imāni rañño nibaddhaṃ upaṭṭhānapupphāni, rājā imāni alabhanto maṃ bandhāpeyya vā ghātāpeyya vā raṭṭhato vā pabbājeyya, kiṃ nu kho karomī’’ti? Athassa etadahosi ‘‘rājā maṃ ghātetu vā bandhāpetu vā raṭṭhato pabbājetu vā, so hi mayhaṃ dadamānopi imasmiṃ attabhāve jīvitamattaṃ dhanaṃ dadeyya, satthupūjā pana me anekāsu kappakoṭīsu alaṃ hitāya ceva sukhāya cā’’ti attano jīvitaṃ tathāgatassa pariccaji.

We are told that every day, early in the morning, the gardener Sumana used to serve King Bimbisāra with eight measures of jasmine flowers, for each of which he received eight pieces of money. Now one day, just as he was entering the city with the flowers, the Exalted One, surrounded by a mighty retinue of monks, diffusing rays of six colors, with all the mighty power of a Buddha, entered the city for alms. (Sometimes the Exalted One proceeds like any other monk on an alms pilgrimage, concealing the six-colored rays with his robe, as when he went a journey of three leagues to meet Aṅgulimāla. At other times, as when he enters Kapilavatthu and other cities, he diffuses rays of six colors from his person. On this particular day, diffusing rays of six colors from his person, with all the mighty power of a Buddha, with all the grace of a Buddha, he entered Rājagaha.)

When the gardener saw the person of the Exalted One, as it had been an oblation of precious stones, an oblation of gold, and beheld the glory and splendor of the thirty-two major characteristics and the eighty minor characteristics of a great man, he thought to himself, "What good office can I perform for the Teacher?" Seeing nothing better to do, he thought, "I will honor the Teacher with these flowers." Then he thought again, "These are the flowers with which I always

serve the king. If he fails to receive them, he may put me in prison or kill me or banish me. What am I to do?” Then this thought occurred to him, “Let the king kill me or banish me from his kingdom. No matter what he gives me, he can give me wealth which will last only so long as my life endures in this present existence. But if I honor the Teacher, it will avail to my welfare and salvation in untold millions of cycles of time.” Therefore he surrendered his life to the Tathāgata.