O Great Sage, in your city are
eighty-four thousand young women,
with very tender hands and feet,
who have been born in brahmin clans.

O Great Sage, in your city are
many maidens from every land,
born in Vaiśya and Śudra clans,
and gods, snake-gods and kinnaras.

Some of them already went forth;
many have insight into truth;
the gods, kinnaras and snake-gods
will enjoy this in the future.

Experiencing every fame,
achieving every achievement,
those who’ve obtained pleasure in you
will enjoy it in the future.

And we’re the daughters of brahmins,
who have been born in brahmin clans.
Out of our desire, Great Sage,
we worship your feet, Eyeful One.

All existences have been reached,
cravings are torn out by the roots;
latent tendencies are cut off,
merit-based aggregates broken.

All pasture in meditation,
likewise have mastered altered states;
we will always live delighting
in the Teaching through altered states.

The ties to being, ignorance,
the aggregates, too, are cast off.
We’re born, O Leader, having gone
on the path very hard to see.

“For a long time you have been my
servants, doing what’s to be done.
Cutting off the doubts of many,
may you all go to nirvana.”

Having worshipped the Sage’s feet,
they performed their superpowers.
Some are showing very bright light,
and after that making it dark.

They are showing the moon and sun,
and the great ocean with its fish;
they’re showing Mount Meru and the
Coral Tree in heaven, girdled.

Through superpower they’re showing
Tāvatiṃsa and Yāma spheres,
Tusitā and Nimmitā gods,
and the Vasavatti great lords.

Some are showing the Brahmā gods
and a very costly walkway;
making themselves look like Brahmā,
they preach the Dhamma that’s empty.

Doing varied transformations,
showing Buddha superpowers,
they all demonstrated their strength,
then they worshipped the Teacher’s feet.

We’ve mastered the superpowers
like the “divine ear” element.
We’re also the masters, Great Sage,
of the knowledge in others’ hearts.

We remember our former lives;
our “divine eyes” are purified.
All the defilements are destroyed;
we will not be reborn again.

In meaning and in the Teaching,
etymology and preaching,
this knowledge of ours was produced
in your presence, O Great Hero.

Our meeting with all the Buddhas,
the World-Lords, was displayed to you;
our extensive service to them
was for the sake of you, Great Sage.

O Sage, recall the good karma,
which formerly was done by us;
that merit was heaped up by us
for the sake of you, Great Hero.

One hundred thousand aeons hence
Padumuttara was the Sage.
The city named Haṃsavatī
was the home of that Buddha’s clan.

The Ganges River always flows
past the gate of Haṃsavatī.
Buddhist monks are troubled by the
river, unable to proceed.

A day, then two, and then it’s three,
after that a week, next a month,
then fully four months \[might pass for
those monks\], unable to proceed.

Then the future Buddha was a
local leader, named Jaṭila.
Seeing those stranded Buddhist monks
he made a bridge on the river.

Then, with a hundred thousand spent,
the bridge on the river made, he
made a monastery for the
Assembly on the nearer bank.

The women as well as the men,
from clans of high and low status,
provided funds for equal shares
in his bridge and monastery.

We and the other women too,
in the city and countrysides,
who had minds that were very clear,
were rightful heirs of that karma.

Women and men and boys as well,
and also numerous young girls,
joined together to spread clean sand,
for his bridge and monastery.

Sweeping the roadway, making flags,
plantain-banners, pots of plenty,
and having honored the Teacher
with incense, cunnam and garlands,

having made the monastery
and the bridge, inviting the Guide,
after giving extensive alms,
he aspired to Awakening.

Padumuttara, Great Hero,
Crosser-Over of all that breathe,
the Great Sage made his thanksgiving
to bodhisattva Jaṭila:

“Undergoing life after life,
when one hundred thousand aeons
have passed, in the “lucky” aeon,
he will attain Awakening.

These men and women who’ve arranged
by hand what work was to be done,
will all in futures yet to come
be born together face-to-face.

As the result of that karma,
done with intention and resolve,
reborn in heavens of the gods,
they will all be your attendants.”

Transmigrating life after life,
a long time we experienced
countless years of divine pleasure
and countless such human rebirths.

For one hundred thousand aeons,
well-done karma’s attainment, we’re
tender girls among men; likewise
in the superb city of gods.

Beautiful, wealthy and famous,
and also praised and respected,
we are constantly receiving
that well-done karma’s attainment.

When our last rebirth was attained,
we are born in a brahmin clan,
with very tender hands and feet,
in the home of the Śākyan prince.

We are never seeing the earth
when it is undecorated,
and we do not see muddy roads
when they have not been cleaned, Great Sage.

When we were living in the house,
we were respected all the time;
they’re always bringing everything,
through the strength of our past karma.

After abandoning our homes,
going forth into homelessness,
we have crossed the road of rebirth;
we have become free of passion.

All the time they are bringing us
monastic robes and alms to eat,
requisites as well as lodgings,
by the thousands and more and more.

Our defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
we are living without constraint.

Being in Best Buddha's presence
was a very good thing for us.
The three knowledges are attained;
we have done what the Buddha taught!

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
we have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Eighty-Four Thousand Brahmin Maiden Buddhist Nuns spoke these verses.

The legend of Eighty-Four Thousand Brahmin Maiden Buddhist Nuns is finished