A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s5.51

v2.c19.s5.51

The first section is directly connected with the Buddhavamsa and the Cariyāpiṭaka, and is, in the main, a mere commentary on an extract from these two texts. Only the narrative of Sumedha, out of Chapter II of the Buddhavaṃsa, is completely included. We have seen how, countless æons before, the future Buddha, as Sumedha, pays homage to the Buddha of that time, namely Dīpaṅkara, and resolves to attain to the ten "perfections," in order to become worthy of Buddhahood.¹ After he had formed this resolve, he strove again and again in countless re-births for the fulfilment of these highest "perfections"—they are described in the Cariyāpiṭaka, which the author of the Nidāna-Kathā here quotes,² until finally, in his existence as Vessantara, by his boundless self-denying generosity, he has attained to the summit of perfection and is then re-born in the heaven of the Tusita gods.