Verses of the Senior Monks 10.4

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1. Verses of the Senior Monks 10.4
2. The Book of the Tens
3. Chapter One
4. Cūḷapanthaka
5. My progress was slow,
6. I was despised in the past.
7. Even my brother turned me away,
8. saying, “Go home now.”
9. Turned away at the gate
10. of the Saṅgha’s monastery,
11. I stood there sadly,
12. longing for the dispensation.
13. Then the Buddha came
14. and touched my head.
15. Taking me by the arm,
16. he brought me into the Saṅgha’s monastery.
17. The Teacher, out of sympathy,
18. gave me a foot-wiping cloth, saying:
19. “Focus your awareness
20. exclusively on this clean cloth.”
21. After hearing his words,
22. I happily did his bidding.
23. I practiced meditative immersion
24. for the attainment of the highest goal.
25. I know my past lives,
26. my clairvoyance is clarified;
27. I’ve attained the three knowledges,
28. and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
29. I, Panthaka, created a thousand
30. images of myself,
31. and sat in the delightful mango grove
32. until the time for the meal offering was announced.
33. Then the teacher sent to me
34. a messenger to announce the time.
35. When the time was announced,
36. I flew to him through the air.
37. I paid homage at the teacher’s feet,
38. and sat to one side.
39. When he knew I was seated,
40. the teacher received the offering.
41. Recipient of gifts from the whole world,
42. receiver of sacrifices,
43. field of merit for humanity,
44. he received the religious donation.