Part 8: Supārśva’s samavasaraṇa

The Indras of the gods and asuras came there at once like servants and made a samavasaraṇa for the Master’s preaching. Then the Teacher of the World, a door to mokṣa, entered it by the east door; and gods, men, etc. by the doors suitable for each. The Lord, the earth’s kalpa-tree, circumambulated three times the caitya-tree which was one kos and four hundred bows tall. Saying, “Homage to the congregation,” the Lord of the World, resplendent with the supernatural qualities, seated himself on the best lion-throne. Then Śakra created over the Blessed One’s head a serpent like the one that Queen Pṛthvī saw in her dream, as if it were another umbrella. From that time on, in other samavasaraṇas also there was a serpent, one-hooded, five-hooded, or nine-hooded. In the other directions also the gods made images of the Master like him by means of his very great power. There the blessed congregation remained in its proper place. There is no over-stepping of place at all in the assembly of even an ordinary man.

Then the Indra of Saudharmakalpa bowed to the Supreme Lord, placed his folded hands to his head and began a hymn of praise as follows:

Stuti:

“Reverence to you, Blessed One, the holy seventh Arhat, sun to the lotus-calyx in the form of the globe of the entire earth. Everyone’s sorrow has gone and joy has appeared, O Lord. Now everything has been restored, as it were, by the restoration of the congregation. The door of the Mt. Vaitāḍhya of nirvāṇa will be opened today by the brilliant staff-jewel of your speech,^[1] O Dharmacakrin. The sight of you, O Blessed One, produces joy in the entire animate world by the destruction of pain, like the sight of a lofty cloud by the destruction of heat. O Blessed One possessing infinite knowledge, the speech of your teaching will be obtained by us after a long time, like wealth by the poor. By the sight of you and especially by your speech showing the door to emancipation, we shall have our desires accomplished today. Reverence to you whose soul possesses infinite perception, knowledge, power and bliss, the vessel of all the supernatural qualities, whose soul is self-concentration. Of what importance is the attainment of the station of Indra, etc., O Lord of the World, since people may become like you even by service to you?”