The Glorious Deeds of Lord Sīvali

Sīvali Thera Apadānaṃ

The legend of Thera Sīvali

(The Glorious Deeds of Lord Sīvali)

The Victor, Padumuttara,

the One with Eyes for everything,

the Leader of the World, arose

a hundred thousand aeons hence.

His morals could not be measured,

meditative states like lightening,

vast knowledge could not be measured,

and freedom unlike anything.

The Leader preached the Dhamma to

the men, the gods, the snake-gods and

the Brahmās all come together,

mixed with Buddhist monks and brahmins.

Confident among Multitudes,

the Buddha placed a merit-filled,

much-receiving and gift-worthy

follower in that foremost place.

I was a kṣatriyan back then,

in the city named “Haṁsa;”

hearing the Victor’s words about

the follower’s virtuousness,

inviting Buddha, for a week

I fed him with his followers.

Giving a massive alms-giving,

I aspired to attain that place.

Then he, the Bull Among People,

seeing me bowing at his feet,

the Great Hero, in his good voice,

uttered these words concerning me:

Then the multitude, desiring

to hear the words of the Victor,

the gods, titans, musical nymphs,

the greatly powerful Brahmās,

and the Buddhist monks, and brahmins,

praised him with hands pressed together:

“Praise to you, O Well-Bred Person!

Praise to you, Ultimate Person!

For a week this kṣatriyan gave

a massive alms-giving to you.

We wish to hear the fruit for him;

prophesy that, O Sage So Great.”

After that, the Blessed One said,

“All of you listen to my words:

Who can tell the fruit of the gift

well-established for the Buddha

or Assembly, beyond measure?

It will bear fruit beyond measure.

This rich man is truly wishing

to attain that ultimate place.

He’ll be a getter of huge wealth,

just like the monk Sudassana,

and also just like me as well;

he’ll receive that in the future.

In one hundred thousand aeons,

arising in Okkāka’s clan,

the one whose name is Gotama

will be the Teacher in the world.

Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma,

Dhamma’s legitimate offspring,

the one whose name is Sīvali

will be the Teacher’s follower.”

Due to that karma done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then.

Then ninety-one aeons ago,

the World-Leader named Vipassi

arose, the One with Lovely Eyes,

with Insight into Everything.

Then I lived in Bandhumatī,

a member of a certain clan;

I was pitied and sought after,

one intent on ending karma.

Then a certain corporation

constructed a monastic school

for the Great Sage named Vipassi,

which was large and widely renowned.

Searching for new curds and honey

to give along with solid food

at the end of the great alms-gift,

they did not find any to give.

Then having taken some of that,

new curds and also honey too,

I went to the overseer’s house,

and seeking that they saw me.

Even offering a thousand,

they did not obtain those two things.

I thought about it then like this:

“That price would not be too little.

As far as all these people are

honoring him, the Thus-Gone-One,

I too will do a pious deed,

for the World-Lord with Assembly.”

Then having thought it out like that,

mixing together the curds and

the honey, I gave them to the

Lord of the World with Assembly.

Due to that karma done very well,

with intention and firm resolve,

discarding my human body,

I went to Tāvatiṁsa then.

Again, in Benares, being

a king who was very famous,

enraged at an enemy then,

I caused the gateway to be blocked.

Then, obstructing ascetics too,

it was guarded thus for a week.

Therefore, as the result of that

karma, I fell hard into hell.

And now in my final rebirth,

due to the kṣatriyan’s good deeds,

I’m born in Koliya city;

my mother was Suppavāsā,

father Mahāli Licchavi.

Because of obstructing the gate,

I gestated for seven years,

suffering in my mother’s womb.

One week breached in the birth canal,

I’m endowed with great suffering.

Because she gave approval then,

my mother suffered greatly now.

Departing from Śrāvasti, I

was pitied by him, the Buddha;

on the very day I set out,

I went forth into homelessness.

My preceptor: Sāriputta;

powerful Moggallāna, the

wise, instructed me as teacher

while he was removing my hair.

While my hair was being cut off,

I attained my arahantship.

Gods, snake-gods and human beings

are bringing me the requisites.

Because, delighted, I worshipped

Buddha named Padumuttara

and the Guide, Vipassi Buddha,

I’m distinguished with requisites.

Due to the distinction of those

deeds, I’m receiving everywhere

enormous and ultimate wealth,

in woods, village, water and land.

When the Guide is traveling for

the sake of seeing Revata,

the World’s Chief Leader together

with thirty times a thousand monks,

the Great Wise One, the Great Hero,

the World’s Chief Leader with the monks,

the Buddha’s then served by me with

requisites the gods bring for me;

having gone he saw Revata,

then going to Jetavana,

he placed me in that foremost place.

The Teacher, Friend of Every World,

praised me amidst the multitude:

“O monks, Sīvali’s the foremost

receiver among my students.”

My defilements are now burnt up;

all new existence is destroyed.

Like elephants with broken chains,

I am living without constraint.

Being in Best Buddha’s presence

was a very good thing for me.

The three knowledges are attained;

I have done what the Buddha taught!

The four analytical modes,

and these eight deliverances,

six special knowledges mastered,

I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Venerable Sīvali Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sīvali Thera is finished.

Source:

तिपिटक - सुत्तपिटक - खुद्दकनिकाय - अपदानपाळि-२ - ५५. भद्दियवग्गो - ३. सीवलित्थेरअपदानं

Tipiṭaka - Suttapiṭaka - Khuddakanikāya - Apadānapāḷi-2 - 55. Bhaddiyavaggo - 3. Sīvalittheraapadānaṃ

三藏 - 经藏《素怛缆藏》- 小部《小尼迦耶》- 本行第二部《譬喻-第二部》 - 55. 跋提黎迦章《跋提-章》- 3. 光辉的事迹的西瓦利尊者

English translation by Jonathan S. Walters

Talk about Lord Sīvali in Bahasa Indonesian