“I made my bed in a charnel ground,
resting on a skeleton.
Village louts came up
and mocked me in all sorts of ways.
Others brought me
incense and flowers,
and many kinds of cooked food,
all thrilled, their minds elated.
Those who brought me pain,
and those who gave me happiness,
were all the same to me.
I felt no favor or anger.
I became balanced towards pleasure and pain,
fame and disgrace.
I was equal in every case:
this is my perfection of equanimity.”
Having thus experience many kinds of suffering
and many kinds of success,
in various past lives,
I realized supreme awakening.
I gave what could be given,
and fulfilled ethics without reserve.
having won the perfection of renunciation,
I realized supreme awakening.
I inquired of the astute,
and put forth highest effort,
having won the perfection of acceptance,
I realized supreme awakening.
Having made a firm resolve,
and guarded truthful speech,
having won the perfection of love,
I realized supreme awakening.
In gain and loss, fame and disgrace,
respect and contempt,
having become equal in every case,
I realized supreme awakening.
Seeing laziness as fearful,
and energy as a sanctuary,
rouse up energy:
this is the Buddhas instruction!
Seeing argument as fearful,
and harmony as a sanctuary,
be harmonious and courteous:
this is the Buddhas instruction!
Seeing negligence as fearful,
and diligence as a sanctuary,
develop the eightfold path:
this is the Buddhas instruction!
That is how the Buddha, illustrating his own conduct in past lives, spoke the exposition of the teaching name the “Legends of the Buddha”.