THE CHRONICLE OF BUDDHA GOTAMA AUTHOR: MINGUN SAYADAW

Volume Two, Part One, 1994; Translated by U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin

Chapter Eight The Budhisatta's Stay at the Seven Places

Prayer-verses eulogizing the six rays (Chabbana, ramsi Buddha Vandana).

In this connection, the prayer-verses eulogizing the six rays of the Buddha and their translations done by Mahavisuddharama Sayadaw will be reproduced here for the benefit of those seeking knowledge (sutakami).

(1) Sattasattahamajjhambi,

natho yo satta sammasi,

patva samantapatthanam okasam labhate tada

The noble Buddha, Lord of the three types of beings, reflected on the seven books of Abhidhamma, namely, Dhammasangani, Vibhanga, Dhatukatha, Puggala Pannatti, Kathavatthu, Yamaka, and Patthana while staying in the Ratanaghara in the middle of the seven weeks or during the middle seven of the forty-nine days of Pallanka-sattaha, Animisa-sattaha, Cankama-sattaha, Ratanaghara-sattaha, Ajapalasattaha, Mucalinda-sattaha and Rajayatana-sattaha; he reflected by means of his Omniscience that is incomparably deep, subtle and powerful owing to the variety of glorious Perfections fulfilled aeons after aeons. Then by applying his wisdom he reached the all-embracing Patthana which, with its various new methods, is even larger and deeper than the ocean, eighty-four thousand yojanas in size, surrounded by the range of rocky mountains; having reached the Patthana thus, his Omniscience that is incomparably deep, subtle and powerful owing to the variety of glorious Perfections fulfilled aeons after aeons got an opportunity to display its brilliance.

(2) Yojananam satayamo
panca timirapingalo
kil'okasam samudd'eva
gambhire labhate yatha.

To give an illustration for the purpose of comparison; the gigantic fish named Timirapingala, five hundred yojanas long, gets the chance to swim and play, flapping his tail, only in the ocean, eighty thousand yojanas in depth, fringed by mountains. Similarly, the Buddha's Omniscience uniquely profound, subtle and powerful owing to the variety of glorious Perfections fulfilled through successive aeons, had occasion to display its brilliance.

(3) Sammasantassa tam
tada satthu sarirato
Tam tam dhavanti chabbanna
lohitadi-pasidana.

When he had thus the occassion to display, the rays of six colours--blue, gold, white, red, pink and a massive brightness (of all these assorted colours) ran out overwhelmingly to all places, left and right, front and rear, above and below, from the Buddha's body of eighteen cubits' height, because of the clear and shining state of the blood, etc., of the Buddha who was reflecting on the Doctrine of Patthana (subtle) like atomic particles, the Teacher who poured out his words of advice from his cheerful, golden heart to those of the three worlds of Brahmas, Devas and humans.

(4) Nilayo nilatthanehi
pitodata ca lohita
tamha tamha tu manjettha
nikkhamimsu pabhassara.

From the blue parts (of the Buddha's physical frame) such as the hair and the pupil of the eye emanated blue rays about the size of a house or a mountain running away brightly, the rays that were somewhat grayish, somewhat bluish and somewhat greenish like butterfly-peas, blue lotus and blue collyrium making the whole sky and the earth blue, or like blue fans of rubies and cloths that were swinging gently and smoothly, have been running since the day the Buddha reflected on the Patthana up till now this evening.

From the yellow and golden parts of the Buddha's person such as the skin emanated the yellow and golden rays about the size of a house or a mountain running away brightly, the rays that covered the ten directions, making them all yellow like cloths of a gold sprinkled with the liquid of gold and spread out and placed in the the vicinity or like powders of saffron and realgar and (golden) kanikara flowers filling up the sky, have been running since the day the Buddha reflected on the Patthana up till now this evening.

From the white parts of his body such as the bones, the teeth and the white portions of the eyes emanated the white rays about the size of a house or a mountain, running away brightly, the rays that are like the stream of milk poured around from a silver jar, or like a silver canopy completely covering the sky, or like silver fans swinging gently and smoothly from the high clouds in the sky, or like silvery jasmine, maghya, white lotus, Sumana and muggara mixed together, have been running since the day the Buddha reflected on the Patthana up till now this evening.

From the red parts of his frame such as the eyes, the flesh and the blood emanated the red rays about the size of a house or a mountain, running away brightly, the red rays that are like the powder of red-lead, molten lac, shoe-flower (China rose), the flower of Pentapetes phoenicea (bandhujivaka puppha), the flower of the Indian coral tree (parijata) making the surface of land and water and the whole sky red, have been running since the day the Buddha reflected on the Patthana up till now this evening. Besides, from the various unascertainable spots of the Buddha's body emanated the rays of light and dark colours (manjettha) resulting from a mixture of black, red and blue and the rays of sparkling, flaming and glittering hues (pabhassara) about the size of a house or a mountain, running away brightly, the rays like the lighting in the sky during the month of Vesakha or like the skin of playful insects, or sparks of a blazing fire, have been running since the day the Buddha reflected on the Patthana up till now this evening.

(5) Evam chabbannaramsiyo
eta yavajjavasara
sabha disa vidhavanti
pabha nassanti tatthika.

Thus the six rays of blue, gold, white, red, darkish and glittering colours rushed in the directions of all ten quarters up till today, a time when the Buddha's teaching still shines forth. The rays of the body and the glory of those Brahmas and Devas that happened to be at kapparukkhas or wish-fulfilling trees, gardens and mansions along the course of the Buddha's six rays and that could illuminate the entire ten thousand world systems only by means of their ten fingers disappear being not capable of outdoing them.

(6) Iti chabbannaramsitta
angiraso ti namaso
loke patthatagunam tam
vande Buddham namassiyam.

To the Buddha, Lord of the world, who has earned the name Angirasa because he has possessed the rays of six colours in the aforesaid manner, who is endowed with the good reputation spreading up and down in the three worlds, who is worthy of honour done to him by the whole world, who knows the four Noble Truths thoroughly as though they were put on the palm of his hands like a lively ruby, the so-called I, whose body is found, on contemplation, to be composed of thirty-two portions of dirty, disgusting nature, pay homage repeatedly in full faith with my head bowing, recalling the time when the Lord was still alive.

The Patthana teaching is full of an unlimited number of methods like the sky; it is extensive like the mass of the earth; it is deep like the mass of water in the ocean. And yet its survey by the Buddha was completed within seven days because Omniscience is vast but quick in its application. The place where the Buddha contemplated the Dhamma-Jewel for seven days came to be known as Ratanaghara-cetiya.