In The Prophecy of Dīpaṅkara, the Buddha narrates the famous story of how, in a former life as a brahmin ascetic many eons ago, he first received the prophecy of his future awakening. This story of the young brahmin ascetic Megha’s encounter with the former Buddha Dīpaṅkara is here told to illustrate for Ānanda the importance of not being complacent about one’s roots of virtue.