the Great Sthūpa of Arahant Theri Yaśodarā

The Blessed One, destroying lust, hatred, delusion and all defilements, attained the great state of Arahantship. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, without the guidance of a teacher, by the amazing knowledge that was developed within Himself, realised the Four Noble Truths completely and became a Sammāsambuddha. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, with knowledges like: the knowledge of recollecting past lives, the knowledge of seeing the passing away and rebirth of beings, the knowledge of the destruction of the Taints, the ten powerful knowledges of an Awakened One, the unique four wisdoms of self-confidence, the knowledge of the great twin miracle, the knowledge of Great Compassion and with perfect conduct, became Vijjācaranasampanna. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One,  perfectly developed the Thirty Seven Factors of Enlightenment:  the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts, Four Bases for Spiritual Power, Five Faculties, Five Powers, Seven Factors of Enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path and reached the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana and thus became Sugata. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, clearly and in every detail, understood all Brahma worlds, heavenly worlds, the human world, the four bad destinations, skhanda worlds, worlds of elements, worlds of faculties and became free from them and became Lokavidu. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, using the miracle of psychic powers, the miracle of reading others’s minds and the miracle of teaching, tamed gods and humans that were arrogant but who had accumulated merit to realise the Four Noble Truths. He made them live in accordance with the Dhamma and directed them to Nibbana and thus became Annuttaro Purisadhammasārati. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, is the one and only teacher of wise gods and humans, therefore, He became Sattā Devamanussānam. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One, perfectly realised the Four Noble Truths and proclaimed it to others in the same way, thus, He became Buddha. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The Blessed One holds the extraordinary qualities of a Sammāsambuddha, His wisdom defeats the light of the sun and moon. He was blessed with a physical appearance that shone with the thirty-two great signs. Because He bears all these blessed qualities, He became Bhagava. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The most sweet and excellent Dhamma the Blessed one taught for 45 years, which extinguishes the blaze of sufferings in worldly beings, is noble and immeasurable in qualities. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

Born from the heart of the Blessed One; led by the amazing Arahant Sariputtha, Arahant Moggallana, the Great Arahant Kassapa, Arahant Ananda, Arahant Angulimala, our Arahant Mahinda, known as ‘second to Buddha’ and many more Arahants comprise the noble community of Sangha. Blessings received from the countless impeccable noble qualities of the gem of Sangha is beyond measure. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The daughters born from the heart of the Blessed One; led by the noble mother of Buddha – Great Arahant Theri Prajapathi, Arahant Theri Khema, Arahant Theri Uppalavanna, meritorious mother of Rahula – Arahant Theri Yashodara, Arahant Theri Dhammadinna, Arahant Theri Patachara, our Arahant Theri Sanghamitta who brought the sacred Bo Sapling to Anuradhapura and established the Order of Bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka are marvellously admirable and powerful. The power of these gentle Bhikkhunis’ noble qualities is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara,  completely dedicated herself to the mission of the Bodhisatta in fulfilling perfections for Buddhahood. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, spent countless lives, without thinking of herself and only thinking for the good of her husband. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, contemplated on the truth of her virtuousness as a wife, which brought God Sakka himself to help in countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, used the power of truth of her virtues and saved the life of her husband on countless occasions. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara,  at times when her husband was caught by demons, sacrificed her own life by falling prey to the demons herself for countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodara saved her husband, in countless lives, when he was falsely accused and in trouble, by removing and offering her jewellery. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.   

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, for countless lives has provided food and nourished her husband who practised asceticism. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara,  when her husband gave her away in aspiration for Buddhahood, rejoiced in his giving and blessed her husband’s mission to Buddhahood for countless lives. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, for countless lives when she was given away to demons by her husband, wished for her husband’s aspiration to be fulfilled even while she was being munched by the demons. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, after being given away as a slave, while washing pots and pans for her entire life, wished for her husband’s aspiration to be fulfilled for countless lives. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, gave away the children she gave birth to for countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, practised celibacy until marriage for countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, without re-marrying practised celibacy after her husband’s death for countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara,  practiced chastity for countless lives. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, never engaged in sexual misconduct throughout samsara since the day of receiving the prophecy of certainty. This is the absolute truth.  This is the truth. This is the truth.  

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, rejoiced wholeheartedly when the Great Bodhisatta offered many offerings including her children and herself. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth. 

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, when the Great Bodhisatta was offering dana wishing for Buddhahood, cooked dana and wished for her husband wholeheartedly. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

Because of the great mother of Rahula, Yashodara, our Great Teacher, the Supreme Buddha completed all perfections very quickly. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, in her last life, after the Bodhisatta’s great renunciation, blessed her husband and took on the suffering He was undergoing herself. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, after seven years, when she saw the Blessed One, showed the Buddha to her son and recited the beautiful Narasiha stanzas. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, endured her sorrow when Prince Rahula, whom she cherished in her arms for seven years, became ordained. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth. 

 

The great mother of Rahula, Yashodhara, walked for miles with delicate feet and received ordination. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Theri Yashodhara, destroyed all defilements, acquiring great deep knowledge (ābhiññā) and became foremost among Bhikkhunis in the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara, had a great deep knowledge of recollecting countless lives. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

Devas and Brahmas worshipped her sacred feet. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The people who resided at that time took the dust that was stepped by her great feet and applied it on their forehead. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The greatest female gem in all three worlds is the great mother of Rahula, Yashodara. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara, is of pure conduct. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara, is of upright conduct. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara, is of wise conduct. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is of generous conduct. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara attained the fruits and paths in order. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth. 

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is indeed worthy of offerings. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is indeed worthy of hospitality. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is indeed worthy of gifts. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is indeed worthy of reverential salutations. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

The great mother of Rahula, Arahant Theri Yashodara is indeed the incomparable field of merit for the world. This is the absolute truth. This is the truth. This is the truth.

 

By the power of the infinite virtues of the Great Arahant Theri Yashodara may …………………. (recollect your troubles or wholesome wishes now).

 

May the troubles and obstacles that have come to me be gone! May I be well and happy and be blessed with good health!  May I gain happiness and comfort!

By the power of truth of the Blessed One, the greatest in the world, by the power of truth of the Noble Dhamma, well taught by the Blessed One, by the power of truth of the Maha Sangha, the incomparable field of merit for the world and by the power of the Swarnamali Maha Seya, by the power of the Great Tooth Relic of the Supreme Buddha, by the power of all the Stupas enshrining sacred relics, by the power of the Great Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree, by the power of the sacred Ashta Pala and Dethis Pala Bodhi Trees and by the power of the Sri Pada ………………………….. (recollect your troubles or wholesome wishes now).

 

May all of my troubles go away!

 

By the power of this truth, just like the darkness that disappears when the sun rises, may all troubles that I have, human or non-human, visible or invisible all be gone.

 

Sadu! Sadu! Sadu!!!