Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 145Through the White-Horse birth-story 1 one should recollect the visit of theBodhisatta to help all beings. One should recollect that the Bodhisatta forsookhis own life and saved another's life in the Deer birth-story. 2 One shouldrecollect that the Bodhisatta, in the (Great) Monkey birth-story, 3 saved a beingfrom great suffering; and further one should remember that seeing a man whohad fallen into a pit, he rescued him with heart of compassion and offered himroots, and fruits of trees and when that man, wishing to eat flesh, hurt theBodhisatta's head, he taught that man the truth and pointed out the right roadto him, in the Great Monkey birth-story. 4 Thus, one should concentrateon the merits of the birth-stories of the Blessed One in many ways.How should one recollect on the merits of the sacrifices of the Blessed One?The Blessed One fulfilled all things in his previous births. When he wasyoung he removed the longing for all abodes. He removed the longing forchild, wife, parents and friends. He forsook that which was hard to forsake.He lived alone in empty places. He aspired after Nibbdna. He crossed theNeranjara in Magadha. He sat under the Bodhi tree, conquered the king ofdeath and the demon armies. In the first watch of the night, he rememberedhis past lives; in the middle watch of the night, he gained the divine eye; andin the last watch of the night, he understood sorrow and its cause and saw theexcellent. 5 Through the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, he was ableto destroy the cankers and attain to Enlighenment. He removed his bodyfrom the world and entered the highest and purest place of the extinction ofthe cankers. Thus one should recollect the sacrifices of the Blessed One inmany ways.How should one recollect the virtues with which the Blessed One wasendowed? The Blessed One acquired emancipation and the state of mindthat is together with it, thus: through being endowed with the ten powers ofhim who comes and goes in the same way, the fourteen kinds of Buddhaknowledge6 and the eighteen Buddha-virtues; 7 through fulfilment of manymeditations, jhanas, and through reaching the further shore of freedom. Thusshould the yogin recollect.1. J. No. 196. 2. J. No. 12.3. J. No. 407. 4. J. No. 516.5. M. I, 248-9: Iti sdkdrarh sauddesarh anekavihitam pubbenivdsarh anussardmi. Ayamkho me Aggivessana rattiyd pathame ydme pafhamd vijjd adhigatd, avijja vihatd vijjduppannd, tamo vihato dloko uppannoIti dibbena cakkhund visuddhena atikkantamdnusakena satte passdmi cavamdne upapajjamanehine panite suvanne dubbanne sugate duggate yathdkammupage satte pajdndmi. Ayamkho me Aggivessana rattiyd majjhime ydme dutiyd vijjd adhigatd, avijja vihatd vijjd uppannd,tamo vihato dloko upannoSo idam dukkhanti yathdbhutam abbhanndsim, ayam dukkhasamudayoti yathdbhutamabbhanndsim, ayam dukkhanirodhoti yathabhutam abbhanndsim, ayam dukkhanirodhagdminipatipaddti yathdbhutam abbhanndsim ; khind jdti ndparam itthattdydtiabbhanndsim. Ayam kho me Aggivessana rattiyd pacchime ydme tatiyd vijjd adhigatd,avijja vihatd vijjd uppannd, tamo vihato dloko uppanno, yathd tarn appamattassa dtdpinopahitattassa viharato.6. Lit. Buddhapannd. 7. Lit. Buddhadhammd.