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Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

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<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 183<br />

78. The gods then with exultation paid him w<strong>or</strong>ship and ad<strong>or</strong>ation<br />

with divine flowers; and all the w<strong>or</strong>ld, when the great saint had<br />

become all-wise, was full <strong>of</strong> brightness.<br />

79. Then the holy one descended and stood on his throne under the<br />

tree; there he passed seven days filled with the thought, ‘I have here<br />

attained perfect wisdom.’<br />

80. When the Bodhisattva had thus attained perfect knowledge, all<br />

beings became full <strong>of</strong> great happiness; and all the different universes<br />

were illumined <strong>by</strong> a great light.<br />

81. The happy earth shook in six different ways like an overjoyed<br />

woman, and the Bodhisattvas, each dwelling in his own special abode,<br />

assembled and praised him.<br />

82. ‘There has arisen the greatest <strong>of</strong> all beings, the Omniscient Allwise<br />

Arhat – a lotus, unsoiled <strong>by</strong> the dust <strong>of</strong> passion, sprung up from<br />

the lake <strong>of</strong> knowledge;<br />

83. ‘A cloud bearing the water <strong>of</strong> patience, pouring f<strong>or</strong>th the ambrosia<br />

<strong>of</strong> the good Law, fostering all the seeds <strong>of</strong> merit, and causing all the<br />

shoots <strong>of</strong> healing to grow;<br />

84. ‘A thunderbolt with a hundred edges, the vanquisher <strong>of</strong> Māra,<br />

armed only with the weapon <strong>of</strong> patience; a gem fulfilling all desires, a<br />

tree <strong>of</strong> paradise, a jar <strong>of</strong> true good f<strong>or</strong>tune, a cow that yields all that<br />

heart can wish;

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