Dhammapada 5.9.p3

5.9.p3

So ‘‘yāva me pasannaṃ cittaṃ na patikuṭati, taṃ tāvadeva pūjaṃ karissāmī’’ti haṭṭhatuṭṭho udaggudaggo satthāraṃ pūjesi. Kathaṃ? Paṭhamaṃ tāva dveva pupphamuṭṭhiyo tathāgatassa upari khipi, tā uparimatthake vitānaṃ hutvā aṭṭhaṃsu. Aparā dve muṭṭhiyo khipi, tā dakkhiṇahatthapassena mālāpaṭacchannena otaritvā aṭṭhaṃsu. Aparā dve muṭṭhiyo khipi, tā piṭṭhipassena otaritvā tatheva aṭṭhaṃsu. Aparā dve muṭṭhiyo khipi, tā vāmahatthapassena otaritvā tatheva aṭṭhaṃsu. Evaṃ aṭṭha nāḷiyo aṭṭha muṭṭhiyo hutvā catūsu ṭhānesu tathāgataṃ parikkhipiṃsu. Purato gamanadvāramattameva ahosi. Pupphānaṃ vaṇṭāni anto ahesuṃ, pattāni bahimukhāni. Bhagavā rajatapattaparikkhitto viya hutvā pāyāsi. Pupphāni acittakānipi sacittakaṃ nissāya sacittakāni viya abhijjitvā apatitvā satthārā saddhiṃyeva gacchanti, ṭhitaṭhitaṭṭhāne tiṭṭhanti. Satthu sarīrato satasahassavijjulatā viya raṃsiyo nikkhamiṃsu. Purato ca pacchato ca dakkhiṇato ca vāmato ca sīsamatthakato ca nirantaraṃ nikkhantaraṃsīsu ekāpi sammukhasammukhaṭṭhāneneva apalāyitvā sabbāpi satthāraṃ tikkhattuṃ padakkhiṇaṃ katvā taruṇatālakkhandhappamāṇā hutvā purato eva dhāvanti. Sakalanagaraṃ saṅkhubhi. Antonagare nava koṭiyo, bahinagare nava koṭiyoti aṭṭhārasasu koṭīsu ekopi puriso vā itthī vā bhikkhaṃ gahetvā anikkhanto nāma natthi. Mahājano sīhanādaṃ nadanto celukkhepasahassāni karonto satthu puratova gacchati. Satthāpi mālākārassa guṇaṃ pākaṭaṃ kātuṃ tigāvutappamāṇe nagare bhericaraṇamaggeneva acari. Mālākārassa sakalasarīraṃ pañcavaṇṇāya pītiyā paripūri.

Thought he, “So long as my believing heart turns not back, I will do him honor.” And pleased and delighted, elated and happy, he honored the Teacher. How did he do it? First he threw two handfuls of flowers over the Teacher. These remained suspended over his head like a canopy. Then he threw two handfuls more, which descended on his right side and remained suspended like the curtain of a pavilion. The next two handfuls he threw descended behind him and remained suspended. The last two handfuls he threw descended on his left side and remained suspended. Thus the eight measures of flowers, eight handfuls in all, surrounded the Tathāgata on four sides.

In front it was as if there were a gate for him to enter; the stems of the flowers were turned inward, and the petals were turned outward. The Exalted One proceeded as if he were encased in plates of silver. The flowers, senseless things though they were, behaved as though possessed of intelligence, neither breaking apart nor falling, accompanying the Teacher whenever he moved, and remaining stationary whenever he stood still. From the person of the Teacher proceeded rays like the hundred forks of lightning; in front and behind, on his right hand and on his left, and from the crown of his head did rays of light flash forth.

Not one who met him face to face, as he proceeded, ran away, but all without exception walked thrice about him sunwise, and in numbers like clusters of young palm-trees ran before him. The whole city was agitated. There were ninety million people living in the city at this time and ninety million people living outside of the city; and of these one hundred and eighty million people there was not one man or woman who did not come forth bringing alms. Roaring the roar of lions and waving thousands of cloths, the great multitude marched before the Teacher.

In order to make known the meritorious deed of the gardener, the Teacher proceeded through the city for a distance of three leagues to the beating of kettle-drums. The whole body of the gardener was suffused with the five sorts of joy. After accompanying the Tathāgata a little way, he penetrated the rays of the Buddha as one might plunge into a sea of vermilion, praised the Teacher, paid obeisance to him, and then taking his empty basket, went home.