過去現在因果經
Chinese title:過去現在因果經
[620c] Thus indeed have I heard: At one time, the Buddha was dwelling together with the bhikkhus[1] at the Bamboo Grove Monastery in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park,[2] in the kingdom of Shravasti. Each morning, the bhikkhus donned their robes, took up their alms bowls, and entered the city to seek alms. They then returned to the monastery to partake of their meal. After the meal, they cleaned their teeth, rinsed their mouths, put away their robes and bowls, and assembled in the lecture hall. They all wished to hear about the causes and conditions of past lives.
At that time, the Blessed One, with his purified faculty of hearing that transcended the world, heard the bhikkhus conversing among themselves. He rose from his seat, went to the lecture hall, sat down amid the assembly, and asked:
“Bhikkhus, for what Dharma discourse have you assembled here?”
The bhikkhus addressed him:
“Blessed One, after partaking of our meal, cleaning our teeth, and rinsing our mouths, we assembled here together, all wishing to hear about the causes and conditions of past lives.”
“If you wish to hear about the causes and conditions of past lives, you should compose your minds, listen attentively, and reflect carefully. I shall explain this matter to you.”
“May the Blessed One instruct us. We wish to hear!”
The Buddha said:
“In the distant past, immeasurable, boundless asamkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a seer named Sumedha, who diligently cultivated the pure conduct[3] and sought omniscient wisdom. Desiring to accomplish this vast wisdom, he vowed to enter the ocean of birth and death, taking birth in the five destinies,[4] receiving one body after another, immeasurably many times. [0621a] Even if all the grasses and trees beneath heaven were gathered and split into counting slips to reckon the number of bodies in which Sumedha had taken birth, they could not be counted to the end. The period from the formation to the destruction of a world is called one kalpa; yet the number of formations and destructions of worlds through which Sumedha’s bodies had passed likewise could not be calculated.
“The seer, pitying sentient beings who remained infatuated with sensual desire and submerged in the ocean of suffering, aroused compassion and wished to rescue them from that place. He further thought: ‘The reason sentient beings today are submerged in birth and death and cannot free themselves is entirely because of greed, anger, and delusion, and because they are intoxicated by the objects of form, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and dharmas.
I shall now certainly eliminate all these afflictions for them. Although I take birth among the various destinies, I shall never forget this resolve. I regard all sentient beings equally, whether enemies or loved ones.
Through generosity, I shall deliver the poor and destitute; through observance of the precepts, I shall deliver those who violate the precepts; through patience, I shall deliver the angry; through diligence, I shall deliver the indolent; through meditative concentration, I shall deliver the distracted; and through wisdom, I shall deliver the foolish. In this way, I shall bring sentient beings lasting benefit and become a steadfast refuge for them.
Toward the Tathagatas in particular, I shall always show reverence, make offerings, and delight in hearing the Dharma. I shall also expound the true Dharma to all people; constantly support the Sangha with the four requisites;[5] and always honor, preserve, and uphold the Buddha-Dharma. Deeds such as these I have performed beyond all reckoning.’
“At that time, in that country there was a king named Dipankara, who resided in the city of Divavati. The people of that land had lifespans of eighty thousand years. Their lives were peaceful, joyful, prosperous, and exceedingly flourishing.
All their wishes were fulfilled, and they possessed abundance as though dwelling in a heavenly realm. The king always governed his people according to the true Dharma, neither oppressing them nor inflicting painful punishments such as execution or beating. He loved his subjects as his only child.
When the crown prince, the son of King Dipankara, was born, his appearance was dignified and his majestic virtue complete. He possessed the thirty-two excellent marks and the eighty incomparable characteristics of beauty. On the day of the crown prince’s birth, brilliant light shone everywhere, rendering the light of the sun and moon ineffectual.
When the king saw that the crown prince possessed such auspicious signs, he immediately summoned his ministers to an audience at the palace.
“The king said:
“‘The crown prince manifested these extraordinary signs as soon as he was born. What name do you think should be given to him?’
“The ministers replied:
“‘Your Majesty, the crown prince should be named Universal Light.’
“The king then invited a physiognomist to examine him. After the examination, the physiognomist reported:
“‘If the crown prince remains in worldly life and succeeds to the throne, he will become a wheel-turning monarch who rules all four continents[6] beneath heaven. If he renounces the household life, he will attain perfect, unsurpassed enlightenment.’
“When the king, the queen, and the palace attendants of the inner court heard this, they loved the crown prince even more. He was also reverently honored with offerings, veneration, and praise by devas, nagas, yakshas,[7] gandharvas,[8] asuras,[9] garudas,[10] kimnaras,[11] mahoragas,[12] humans, and nonhumans.[13]
“[0621b] At that time, the crown prince remained in the palace and taught the Dharma to the queen and the palace attendants. Upon reaching the age of twenty-nine thousand, he relinquished the position of wheel-turning monarch and asked his parents for permission to renounce the household life, but they did not consent. Although the crown prince asked three times, permission was still not granted.
Yet, because of his compassion and his wish to rescue sentient beings, the crown prince was willing to incur a minor fault in order to fulfill his great aspiration. He therefore entered a deep forest and, beneath a tree, shaved off his hair and beard, donned the discolored robes, and diligently practiced austerities for a full six thousand years, attaining unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Thereafter, for the sake of devas, humans, and the eight classes of beings, he turned the Dharma wheel that no deva, human, Mara, or Brahma[14] in the world could turn.
He taught and transformed sentient beings through the Dharma of the Three Vehicles,[15] bringing them immeasurable benefit.
“When the royal father, the queen, and the palace attendants heard that Crown Prince Universal Light had attained Buddhahood, they all rejoiced greatly. When the ministers, citizens, brahmins, and others in the country heard that the crown prince had attained enlightenment, each thought: ‘Crown Prince Universal Light renounced the position of wheel-turning monarch, shaved off his hair and beard, donned the discolored robes, left the household life to cultivate the path, and attained perfect enlightenment. Today, we too should renounce the household life.’ Having thought thus, they went together to the place where the Buddha Universal Light was dwelling.
“At that time, the Buddha Universal Light discerned the mind of each person and expounded the various Dharmas in accordance with their faculties and conditions. He enabled four thousand ministers, brahmins, and others among them to attain the fruit of arhatship. Of the people of that country and those who came from the four directions to hear the Dharma, more than eighty thousand attained the patience of the non-arising of dharmas.[16]
“At that time, the Tathagata Universal Light, together with eighty-four thousand arhats, returned to his native land while journeying about to teach and transform beings. When the royal father heard this news, he rejoiced greatly and immediately issued an order that all the people of the country repair the roads, sprinkle fragrant water upon the ground, hang banners, streamers, and canopies made of precious silk, and scatter various kinds of flowers.
Such adornments extended throughout an area of twelve yojanas.[17] The king also ordered drums to be sounded throughout the country to proclaim: ‘Whoever possesses flowers must not sell them but must offer them to the king.’ At the same time, he commanded that none among all the people should make offerings to the Buddha before he did. The king then instructed his ministers to perform various kinds of music, burn incense, scatter flowers, and go forth to invite the Tathagata Universal Light.
“At that time, the seer Sumedha was dwelling in the mountains. In a dream, he beheld five extraordinary things:
1. He saw himself lying upon the great ocean.
2. He saw his head resting upon Mount Sumeru.
3. He saw all the various kinds of sentient beings in the ocean enter his body.
4. He saw his hand grasp the sun.
5. He saw his hand grasp the moon.
[0621c] Startled awake, he thought: “These dreams are no trivial matter, but whom should I ask about them? I should enter the city and inquire of the wise.” Having thought thus, he put on a deerskin garment, took a water vessel in his hand, raised a parasol, and entered the city. Along the way, Sumedha stopped at the dwelling place of non-Buddhist ascetics. There were five hundred of them, all highly accomplished.
Sumedha thought: “I should ask these men about those dreams.” At the same time, perceiving the nature of their spiritual practice, he expounded the principles of the path to them and dispelled their erroneous views and attachments. The five hundred non-Buddhist ascetics submitted and asked to become disciples of the sage. With the utmost reverence, each offered Sumedha one coin.
Afterward, another five hundred non-Buddhist ascetics saw that Sumedha was intelligent and highly accomplished, and they too rejoiced in him. The ascetics discussed among themselves: “The Tathagata Universal Light has now appeared in the world.” When Sumedha heard this, his entire body trembled, and he was filled with immeasurable joy. He immediately took leave of the ascetics and departed.
The ascetics asked:
– Master, where are you going now?
Sumedha replied:
– I am going to make offerings to the Buddha Universal Light.
– If you are going there, please allow us to accompany you!
– I have urgent business and must go on ahead.
Sumedha set out, carrying the five hundred coins with him. The non-Buddhist ascetics were deeply saddened and reluctantly bade him farewell before returning. Along the road, Sumedha saw the royal attendants repairing the roads, sprinkling the ground with fragrant water, and hanging numerous banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies, creating a splendid adornment.
Sumedha asked:
– Why are you making all these preparations?
They replied:
– A Buddha has appeared in the world, named Universal Light. King Lamp Illumination has invited him to enter the palace. Therefore, the roads must be repaired and adorned without delay!
Sumedha asked again:
– Do you know where flowers are sold?
The men replied:
– Venerable sir! King Lamp Illumination has ordered drums to be beaten and a proclamation issued throughout the kingdom that no flowers of any kind may be sold, but must all be presented to the king.
Hearing this, Sumedha was greatly distressed, yet he did not lose heart. He traveled far and wide in search of a place where flowers were sold.
After some time, Sumedha saw a female royal attendant secretly carrying seven stalks of blue lotuses past him. Fearing the king’s prohibition, she had concealed the flowers inside a vase. Yet, in response to Sumedha’s utmost sincerity, the lotuses emerged from the mouth of the vase. Seeing them from afar, Sumedha hurried after her and called out loudly:
– Young lady, please stop! Are these flowers for sale?
Hearing his question, the attendant was greatly astonished and thought to herself:
– I concealed the flowers very carefully. Who is this man, that he can see them and ask to buy them?
[0622a] The attendant turned and looked into the vase and indeed saw the flowers protruding from it. She thought, “How extraordinary!” and replied:
– Sir! These blue lotuses must be taken into the palace and offered to the Buddha, so they cannot be sold!
Sumedha pleaded:
– I ask only to exchange these five hundred coins for five stalks of flowers!
The attendant became suspicious and thought to herself: “These flowers are worth no more than a few coins, yet this man is offering as many as five hundred coins to buy five stalks.”
She then asked:
– What do you intend to do with these flowers?
Sumedha replied:
– A Tathagata has now appeared in the world, and King Lamp Illumination has invited him into the palace. I therefore wish to buy these flowers as an offering to the Buddha. You should know that Tathagatas are exceedingly difficult to encounter, just as the udumbara flower[18] blossoms only when its proper time arrives.
– What do you seek by making offerings to the Tathagata?
– I wish to attain omniscient wisdom[19] and liberate immeasurable suffering beings.
Hearing this, the attendant thought to herself: “This man has handsome and dignified features. He wears only a deerskin garment sufficient to cover his body, yet his heart is utterly sincere, and he does not begrudge his wealth.” She then said:
– I shall now give these flowers to you, with the wish that in life after life we shall always be husband and wife.
Sumedha said:
– I cultivate the pure conduct and seek the unsurpassed path. I cannot agree to form with you a bond within birth and death.
The young woman said:
– If you will not consent to my wish, I cannot give you these flowers!
Sumedha then said:
– If you are determined not to give them otherwise, I shall accept this wish of yours. Yet I delight in giving and will not disappoint anyone’s wishes. If someone should come and ask me for my head, eyes, marrow, brain, or even my wife and children, you must not hinder me or impair my resolve to give.
The young woman replied:
– Excellent! Excellent! I shall comply with your wish. At present, I bear the lowly body of a woman and cannot approach the Blessed One. Therefore, I entrust these two stalks of flowers to you; please offer them to the Buddha on my behalf. May I never forget this wish throughout all my future lives. Whether beautiful or ugly, may we never be separated. May this aspiration remain forever in my heart, and may the Buddha bear witness to it!
At that time, King Lamp Illumination, together with the princes, ministers, brahmins, and others, brought incense, flowers, and articles of offering to respectfully welcome the Tathagata Universal Light. All the people throughout the kingdom also followed them.
Then Sumedha’s five hundred disciples said to one another:
– Today the king and all his ministers and subjects are going to the place of the Buddha Universal Light. Our master will also be going there. We should go and bow in homage before the Buddha.
Having said this, they all set out together. [0622a] Before they had gone far, they met Sumedha. Master and disciples were overjoyed to see one another, and together they proceeded to the place of the Buddha Universal Light. Upon arriving, they saw that King Lamp Illumination had already come before the Buddha. The king was the first to make offerings and bow in homage to the Buddha. Thereafter, the ministers in turn reverently bowed and scattered flowers as offerings to the Buddha, but all the flowers fell to the ground.
When everyone had finished making offerings, Sumedha and his five hundred disciples gazed upon the Tathagata’s majestic bearing and excellent marks. They vowed to eradicate all suffering and affliction for sentient beings and attain omniscient wisdom. Sumedha then scattered five stalks of flowers, which immediately remained suspended in midair and formed a flower canopy. He afterward scattered the remaining two stalks, which also hovered in midair, one on either side of the Buddha.
When the king and his retinue, together with the ministers and people, devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans saw this marvel, they all praised it as an exceedingly rare occurrence.
Then the Tathagata Universal Light, with unobstructed wisdom, praised Sumedha:
– Excellent! Excellent! Good man! Because of this deed, after the passage of immeasurable asamkhyeyas[20] of kalpas, you shall become a Buddha named Shakyamuni Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.
When the Buddha bestowed this prediction upon Sumedha, immeasurable devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans scattered precious flowers throughout the sky and made this vow: “In a future age, when Sumedha becomes a Buddha, we all vow to become members of his retinue.”
At that time, the Tathagata Universal Light bestowed this prediction: “In a future age, you shall all be born in that land!”
After the Tathagata had bestowed the prediction, Sudhana still retained the appearance of a seer, with his hair tied in a topknot and wearing a deerskin garment. Wishing to cause him to relinquish this appearance, the Tathagata manifested a pool of filthy mud and indicated that he wished to cross it. Sudhana thought, “How could the Buddha’s feet, marked with thousand-spoked wheels,[21] be allowed to tread upon this?” He immediately removed his deerskin garment and spread it upon the ground, but it was not enough to cover the entire place, so he also loosened his topknot and spread his hair over the remaining portion.
The Tathagata then stepped upon it and crossed. Thereupon, the Buddha bestowed this prediction: “In the future, you will attain Buddhahood during the evil age of the five defilements,[22] universally liberating devas and human beings without ever growing weary, just as I do.”
Hearing the Buddha’s prediction, Sudhana rejoiced greatly. He immediately comprehended that all dharmas are empty, attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, and rose into the air to a height of seven tala trees above the ground. [0622c] He spoke this verse in praise of the Buddha:
Now I have encountered the Guide,
Who has opened my wisdom-eye.
The Buddha teaches the pure Dharma,
Free from every attachment.
Having met the Honored One of Devas and Humans,
I have attained acceptance of non-arising.
May I attain fruition in a future life,
Like the Honored One, Supreme among Bipeds.[24]
After speaking this verse in praise of the Buddha, Sudhana descended from the air, approached the Buddha, prostrated himself with all five limbs touching the ground, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and requested:
“May the Blessed One compassionately permit me to leave the household life!”
Tathagata Universal Light replied:
“Excellent! Welcome, bhiksu!”
At once, Sudhana’s hair and beard fell away by themselves, his body became clothed in the kasaya robe, and he became a sramana.
At that time, two destitute elderly men arrived, each accompanied by one hundred relatives. Seeing the Buddha’s excellent marks and his majestic virtue and adornment, they lamented their own poverty and their lack of anything to offer. The Tathagata, taking compassion upon their sincere hearts, manifested a great quantity of grass and refuse on the ground before them. When the two poor men saw the filth, they joyfully resolved to sweep and clean the place. Tathagata Universal Light then bestowed this prediction upon them: “After immeasurable asamkhya kalpas have passed, when Buddha Sakyamuni appears in the world, you will be his first sravaka disciples.”
After bestowing this prediction, Tathagata Universal Light, together with eighty-four thousand bhiksus, King Lamp Illumination, the brahmins, ministers, citizens, and others, entered the city of Dipavati in orderly procession. At that time, King Lamp Illumination and his retinue made offerings of the four requisites to the Tathagata and the eighty-four thousand bhiksus.
After forty thousand years, the king abdicated and passed the throne to his son. Then, together with his own eighty-four thousand attendants and the queen’s eighty-four thousand attendants, he left the household life to cultivate the path, attaining the Dharma samadhis and dharanis. Bhiksu Sudhana also followed Tathagata Universal Light and received the king’s offerings for the full forty thousand years. He attained dharanis and the various gateways of samadhi, and taught and transformed beings beyond all reckoning.
At that time, Bhiksu Sudhana addressed Tathagata Universal Light:
“Blessed One! Formerly, while dwelling deep in the forest, I had five exceedingly wondrous dreams:
1. I saw myself lying upon the great ocean.
2. I saw my head resting upon Mount Sumeru.
3. I saw all the living beings in the ocean enter my body.
4. I saw my hand grasping the sun.
5. I saw my hand grasping the moon.
“I respectfully beseech the Blessed One to explain the signs of these dreams clearly to me.”
[0622c] Tathagata Universal Light replied:
“Excellent! If you wish to know the meaning of these dreams, I shall explain them clearly.
“1. The dream of lying upon the great ocean means that you are now within the great ocean of birth and death.
“2. The dream of resting your head upon Mount Sumeru means that you will transcend birth and death and attain nirvana.
“3. The dream in which all the living beings in the ocean entered your body means that you will enter the great ocean of birth and death and become a refuge for living beings.
“4. The dream of grasping the sun in your hand means that the radiance of your wisdom will illuminate the Dharma realm universally.
“5. The dream of grasping the moon in your hand means that, through skillful wisdom, you will enter the ocean of birth and death and teach and transform living beings with the cooling Dharma, causing them to transcend the afflictions.
“These dreams are signs that in a future life you will attain Buddhahood.”
Hearing this, Sudhana rejoiced greatly, bowed to the Buddha, and withdrew.
After a short time, Tathagata Universal Light entered nirvana. Bhiksu Sudhana preserved and upheld the true Dharma for twenty thousand years, teaching and transforming living beings through the Dharma of the Three Vehicles and bringing benefits beyond all reckoning. When Bhiksu Sudhana passed away, he was reborn in the heavenly realm as one of the Four Heavenly Kings,[25] where he taught and transformed the heavenly hosts through the Dharma of the Three Vehicles. When his heavenly lifespan ended, he was reborn in the human realm as a wheel-turning sage king,[26] ruling the four continents under heaven and possessing the seven treasures:
1. The golden wheel.
2. The white elephant.
3. The blue-purple-maned horse.
4. The divine jewel.
5. The jewel-woman.
6. The great minister who guarded the treasury.
7. The general who commanded the armed forces.
That king had one thousand sons, all exceedingly valiant and capable of subduing enemies. He governed the realm according to the true Dharma, so there were no causes for sorrow or distress, and he constantly instructed the people in the ten wholesome deeds.[27] At the end of his life, he was reborn in the Trayastrimsa Heaven as its lord. When that lifespan ended, he was again reborn in the human realm as a wheel-turning sage king; and when that life ended, he was reborn in the Brahma Heaven.
Above, he became a king of the heavenly realms; below, he became a sage ruler. In each kind of body he underwent birth thirty-six times. During that period, he sometimes became a seer, sometimes one of the six non-Buddhist teachers,[28] a brahmin, a lesser king, and so forth.
His manifestations in this manner were beyond all reckoning.
At that time, his meritorious practices having reached perfection, Bodhisattva Sudhana entered the stage of the Ten Grounds[29] and became one bound to only one more birth,[30] drawing near to the wisdom of all modes. The bodhisattva was then reborn in the Tusita Heaven,[31] where he was named Holy Subhavasa. There he expounded the practice of one bound to only one more birth for the heavenly kings. He also manifested various forms throughout the lands of the ten directions, simultaneously teaching the Dharma in accordance with the capacities of living beings. When the appointed time approached for him to descend into the human realm and attain Buddhahood, the bodhisattva examined five matters:
1. He examined whether the capacities of living beings had matured.
2. He examined whether the proper time had arrived.
[0623b] 3. He examined where and in which land he should be born.
4. He examined which lineage was the most exalted.
5. He examined the causes and conditions of past lives to determine who would be genuine and suitable to become his parents.
Having examined these five matters, he thought: “All these living beings, from the time I first aroused the aspiration for enlightenment until now, have already matured and are able to receive the pure and wondrous true Dharma. Within this three-thousand-great-thousand world system,[32] the kingdom of Kapilavastu[33] in Jambudvipa is foremost among lands. Among the descendants of the royal lineage of King Iksvaku, the Sakya clan is foremost.
Examining the causes and conditions of past lives, King Suddhodana and his wife are upright and can become my parents.” He further examined the lifespan of Lady Maya. The bodhisattva saw that after she had carried the prince in her womb for the full ten months, the queen would die seven days after the prince’s birth. Having completed this examination, the bodhisattva thought: “If I descend and take birth at this very time, I will be unable to benefit devas and human beings universally.” He therefore manifested five signs in the heavenly palace, causing the devas to know that the time had arrived for the bodhisattva to descend and attain Buddhahood.
The five signs were:
1. The bodhisattva’s eyes continually twitched.
2. The flowers upon his head withered.
3. His garments become soiled.
4. His armpits begin to perspire.
5. He no longer delights in sitting upon his own seat.
When the devas saw the bodhisattva manifest such extraordinary signs, they became greatly alarmed. Blood poured like rain from the pores of their bodies, and they said to one another, “Before long, the bodhisattva will depart from us.”
At that time, the bodhisattva further manifested five auspicious signs:
1. He emitted a great light that illuminated the entire trichiliocosm.
2. The earth displayed eighteen kinds of trembling[34], causing the oceans, Mount Sumeru, and all the heavenly palaces to tremble.
3. All the palaces of Mara disappeared.
4. The light of the sun, moon, and stars ceased to have any effect.
5. The bodies of the eight classes of devas, nagas, and others all shook uncontrollably.
At that time, the devas of the Tusita Heaven saw that the bodhisattva’s body had manifested these five signs, and they also witnessed these five exceedingly rare external phenomena. They immediately assembled, went before the bodhisattva, bowed their heads, paid homage at his feet, and addressed him:
“Venerable One! Today, upon seeing such signs, our entire bodies tremble beyond our control. We humbly beseech the Venerable One to explain these matters clearly for us!”
The bodhisattva said:
“Good men! You should know that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Before long, I shall leave this heavenly palace and descend to be born in Jambudvipa.”
When the devas heard these words, their hearts filled with grief. Lamenting and weeping, their entire bodies oozed blood as red as palasa flowers[35]. [0623b] Some no longer delighted in their seats; some cast aside their exquisite ornaments; some fainted and fell to the ground; while others lamented the suffering of impermanence. At that time, a deva spoke this verse:
The bodhisattva dwells here,
Opening our Dharma eyes;
Now that you are about to depart,
We shall be like the blind,
With no one to guide us.
Like those wishing to cross a river,
Who suddenly lose both bridge and boat;
Or like a helpless infant
Who early loses its loving mother.
We too shall be the same,
With nowhere left to take refuge,
Drifting with the stream of birth and death,
With no way whatsoever to escape.
Throughout the long night,
We are struck by the arrows of ignorance;
Now we shall also lose the skilled physician—
Who then will rescue us?
Long confined to the bed of ignorance,
Submerged in the ocean of craving and desire,
When the Venerable One’s words are heard no more,
When shall we ever escape suffering?
Seeing the devas grieving, weeping, and sorrowing, and hearing these verses of yearning and devotion, the bodhisattva comforted them with loving words:
“Good men! Whenever one is born, there must be death; whenever loved ones meet, there must come a time of separation. From the Akanistha Heaven[36] above to the Avici Hell[37] below, there is no sentient being therein who is not scorched by the flames of impermanence. Therefore, you should not cling to me with longing. At present, neither you nor I have yet escaped the burning torment of birth and death, nor can we avoid the distinctions of poverty and wealth, nobility and lowliness.”
The bodhisattva then spoke this verse:
All conditioned phenomena are impermanent,
Being subject to arising and cessation;
When arising and cessation have ceased,
Peaceful extinction is bliss.
The bodhisattva said to the devas:
“This verse was spoken by all the Buddhas of the past. The nature and characteristics of all conditioned phenomena are just so; you should not grieve. For immeasurable kalpas, I have remained within birth and death, but now only one final existence remains.
Before long, I shall leave all conditioned phenomena behind. You should know that the time has now come to guide sentient beings. I shall descend and be born in Jambudvipa, in the household of King Suddhodana, as a descendant of the Sakya clan, of the Sugarcane lineage, in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. [0624a] Thereafter, I shall leave my parents, forsake my wife and child, and renounce the throne of a wheel-turning sage-king.
I shall leave the household life to study the Way, diligently practice austerities, subdue the armies of Mara, attain the wisdom that knows all aspects, and turn the Dharma wheel that no deva, human, Mara, or Brahma[38] in all the worlds can turn. Following the manner in which all the Buddhas of the past taught and transformed beings, I shall benefit all devas and humans, raise the great banner of the Dharma, overthrow the banner of Mara, dry up the ocean of afflictions, reveal the Noble Eightfold Path[39], impress the seals of the Dharma upon the minds of sentient beings, and establish a great Dharma assembly to which devas and humans shall be invited.
At that time, you shall all attend that Dharma assembly and receive the nourishment of the Dharma. Therefore, you should not grieve.”
The bodhisattva then said:
I shall not remain here long,
But shall descend and be born in Jambudvipa,
In the kingdom of Kapilavastu,
Within the palace of King Suddhodana.
Leaving parents and kindred,
Renouncing the throne of a wheel-turning king,
I shall leave the household life and practice the Buddha Way,
Attaining the wisdom that knows all aspects.
I shall raise the banner of the true Dharma,
And dry up the ocean of afflictions;
I shall close the gates to the evil destinies,
And open the Noble Eightfold Path.
I shall universally benefit devas and humans,
In numbers beyond all reckoning;
For reasons such as these,
You should give rise to no sorrow.
At that time, every pore of the bodhisattva’s body emitted light. Hearing the bodhisattva’s words and seeing his entire body radiate brilliant light, the devas rejoiced greatly and were no longer distressed or sorrowful. They thought to themselves, “Before long, the bodhisattva will attain perfect enlightenment.”
The bodhisattva contemplated and saw that the time had come to enter the womb. He then mounted a white elephant with six tusks and descended from the Tusita heavenly palace into the human realm. At that time, immeasurable devas played many kinds of music, burned fragrant incense, and scattered heavenly flowers. Following the bodhisattva, they filled the whole of space and emitted a great light that illuminated the ten directions. On the eighth day of the fourth month, just as dawn broke, the consciousness of the bodhisattva entered his mother’s womb.
At that time, Lady Maya was asleep. Suddenly, she saw the bodhisattva mounted upon a white elephant with six tusks, descending from the sky and entering her right side. His radiant body remained visible from outside, as though enclosed within vaidurya. The lady felt peaceful and joyful in body, as though she had just drunk amrita. Looking again, she saw her own body shining like the sun and moon, and her heart filled with great joy. Having witnessed these signs, she immediately awoke and considered them exceedingly rare. She then went to King Suddhodana and reported:
“While asleep, your servant dreamed of extraordinarily wondrous and auspicious signs.”
The king said:
“Just now, I too saw a brilliant light. Moreover, I see that your countenance is most extraordinary at this moment. [0624b] Quickly recount that dream to me.”
The lady related everything in full and spoke this verse:
I saw a person mounted on a white elephant,
Radiant and pure as the sun and moon;
Sakra, Brahma, and all the devas
Each bore precious banners,
Burned incense, scattered heavenly flowers,
And played many kinds of music.
Filling the whole of space,
They descended in orderly procession,
And entered my right side,
As though entering vaidurya.
I now ask Your Majesty:
What auspicious sign is this?
When King Suddhodana heard Lady Maya recount these auspicious signs, he rejoiced greatly and immediately sent for brahmins skilled in interpreting signs. The king presented incense, flowers, food, and drink as offerings to them. After making these offerings, he pointed to the lady’s right side, recounted the dream, and asked:
“Please interpret what sign this may be.”
After examining the signs, the brahmins reported:
“Your Majesty! The lady is carrying a crown prince. His auspicious signs are too numerous to recount fully; we shall now relate only the principal ones to Your Majesty. Your Majesty should know that the child in the lady’s womb will bring glory to the Sakya clan. When he descended and entered his mother’s womb, there was a great light, and devas, Sakra, and Brahma surrounded and attended him. This is a sign that the crown prince will attain perfect enlightenment. If he does not leave the household life, he will become a wheel-turning sage-king, ruling over the four continents, possessing the seven treasures, and having one thousand sons.”
Hearing the brahmins’ words, the king was filled with joy and happiness. He immediately bestowed upon them precious objects, gold and silver, elephants, horses, carriages, and villages. Queen Maya also presented them with palace maidens and various treasures.
From the time she conceived the bodhisattva, Queen Maya practiced the six paramitas each day. The devas offered her food and drink, and she no longer delighted in worldly flavors. The entire three-thousand-great-thousand world-system shone brilliantly. Even dark places that the light of the sun and moon could not reach became radiant. The beings dwelling there could all see one another and said together: “Why have beings suddenly appeared in this place?”
[0624c] When the bodhisattva entered the womb, the three-thousand-great-thousand world-system manifested eighteen kinds of trembling. Fragrant, refreshing breezes spread everywhere; all who were ill were healed; and the greed, anger, and delusion in people’s minds were entirely extinguished.
At that time, in the Tusita Heaven, a deva thought: “The bodhisattva has been born into the palace of King Suddhodana. I too shall be born into the human realm. When the bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, I shall become one of his first attendants, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma.” Having thought thus, that deva was immediately born into the palace of King Candragupta, of the Bright Moon lineage, in Rajagrha.
Likewise, nine billion nine hundred million devas were born together into the human realm. Some devas were born into the royal palace of the kingdom of Sravasti; some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Surakrksa; some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Vatsa; some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Bhadra; some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Rora; some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Taksasila; and some into the royal palace of the kingdom of Kaurava.
Some devas were born into brahmin households, while others were born into the households of elders, householders, vaisyas, and sudras. Another five hundred were born into the Sakya clan.
Moreover, from the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Creations[40] down to the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, innumerable devas were born into the human realm. The kings of the Form Realm, together with their retinues, were also born below as seers.
Although the bodhisattva dwelt within the womb, whether walking, standing, lying down, or sitting, he encountered no obstruction, nor did he cause his mother any hardship. While in the womb, the bodhisattva taught the Dharma in the morning to the devas of the Form Realm, at midday to the devas of the Desire Realm, and in the evening to ghosts and spirits. He did likewise during the three periods of the night, constantly benefiting immeasurable beings. While the bodhisattva dwelt in the womb, queens and palace maidens came to pay homage and make offerings. If he heard someone express the wish that the prince would later become a wheel-turning sage king, the bodhisattva was not pleased. If he heard someone pray that the prince would attain omniscience, the bodhisattva rejoiced greatly.
As the bodhisattva approached the completion of ten months in the womb, his limbs and excellent marks became fully developed. His mother’s faculties grew serene; she delighted in quiet places and disliked noise and commotion.
[0625a] At that time, King Suddhodana thought: “The queen has been with child for nearly the full term, yet why are there no signs that she is about to give birth?” While the king was thinking thus, the queen happened to send a messenger to report: “The queen wishes to go out and stroll in the garden.” Hearing this, the king was filled with joy. He immediately ordered the people outside the city to sweep and clean the Lumbini Garden.
He further ordered them to plant precious varieties of flowers and fruit trees. The streams and bathing pools were all purified, while the railings and steps were adorned with the seven treasures. Many kinds of birds—including kingfishers, mandarin ducks, luan birds, phoenixes, and other birds—gathered there and sang.
Banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies were hung; incense was burned, flowers were scattered, and music was played, making the garden resemble Sakra’s Garden of Delight. The king also ordered that every place through which the queen would pass be cleaned and adorned in every way. At the same time, he had one hundred thousand carriages made from the seven treasures prepared, each exquisitely carved.
He further ordered the deployment of the four divisions of the army: elephant troops, cavalry, chariots, and infantry. He then selected eighty-four thousand palace maidens of upright and beautiful appearance, neither old nor young, gentle in temperament, intelligent, and discerning, to attend Queen Maya. He also selected eighty-four thousand maidens of upright and beautiful appearance, adorned with necklaces of the seven treasures and bearing incense and flowers, to proceed ahead to the Lumbini Garden.
The king commanded all ministers and officials to accompany and protect the queen’s procession. When the queen mounted her carriage, the great ministers and palace maidens proceeded in due order to the Lumbini Garden. At that time, the eight classes of devas, nagas, and other beings also followed, filling the whole sky.
After the queen entered the garden, all her faculties became serene. When she had carried the child for a full ten months, on the eighth day of the second month, just as the sun was rising, she saw in the garden a great tree called the asoka. Its flowers were brilliant, its fragrance exquisite, and its branches and leaves spread widely in great beauty.
She extended her right hand, wishing to pluck one of its flowers. At that very moment, the bodhisattva emerged from her right side. At the foot of the tree there also appeared seven lotus flowers made of the seven treasures, each as large as a chariot wheel.
The bodhisattva stood upon a lotus flower without anyone’s support, walked seven steps by himself, raised his right arm, and proclaimed in a lion’s roar: “Among all devas and humans, I am the most honored. My immeasurable rounds of birth and death have today come to an end. In this life, I shall benefit all sentient beings.” As soon as he had spoken, the Four Heavenly Kings received the prince in celestial silk and placed him upon a jeweled seat. [0625b] Sakra, Lord of the Devas, stood in attendance on one side holding a jeweled canopy, while Great Brahma, holding a fly whisk, stood on the other.
The naga kings Nanda and Upananda, from the sky above, poured forth one stream of warm water and one stream of cool, pure water to bathe the prince. The prince’s body was the color of pure gold and bore the thirty-two marks. It emitted brilliant light that illuminated the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world-system.
In the sky, the eight classes of devas, nagas, and other beings played music, sang hymns of praise, burned fragrant incense, scattered many precious flowers, and showered down celestial garments and radiant necklaces like rain, beyond all reckoning.
After giving birth to the prince, Queen Maya rested beneath the tree’s canopy. Her body was peaceful and joyful, free from every affliction, and her heart overflowed with delight. Suddenly, four wells of pure, fragrant water, endowed with the eight qualities,[41] appeared around her.
Queen Maya and her retinue then bathed freely according to their needs. Yaksa kings also surrounded and protected the prince and the queen. At that very moment, beings from Jambudvipa up to the Akanistha Heaven—even those who had transcended the joy of delight—rejoiced at this event and praised it, saying: “The One of Omniscience has now appeared in the world, and immeasurable beings shall receive benefit.
May he swiftly attain perfect awakening, turn the wheel of Dharma, and universally liberate sentient beings.” Only Mara, the king of demons, was distressed at heart and could not remain at ease upon his throne. At that very moment, thirty-four auspicious signs appeared:
1. All the worlds throughout the ten directions shone brilliantly.
2. The three-thousand-great-thousand world-system manifested eighteen kinds of trembling, and all hills and mounds became level.
3. All withered trees came back to life, and rare and precious trees sprang up throughout the land.
4. Unusually sweet fruits appeared in the gardens.
5. Precious lotus flowers as large as chariot wheels sprang from the earth.
6. All treasuries concealed beneath the ground revealed themselves.
7. All repositories of jewels emitted brilliant light.
8. Fine celestial garments spontaneously appeared.
9. All the rivers became pure and flowed gently.
10. The winds subsided, the clouds dispersed, and the sky became clear and blue.
11. Fragrant winds blew from every direction, while a fine rain moistened the earth, leaving no dust anywhere.
12. Throughout the realm, all who were ill recovered.
13. Throughout the realm, all palaces and houses shone brightly, without any need for lamps or torches.
14. The sun, moon, and stars all ceased moving.
15. The star Visakha[42] appeared in the human world to await the prince’s birth.
[0625c] 16. The Brahma kings held jeweled parasols that shaded the entire royal palace.
17. Sages and holy beings from the eight directions brought precious objects as offerings.
18. A hundred celestial delicacies naturally appeared before them.
19. Innumerable precious vessels appeared, filled with amrita.
20. Chariots from the celestial realms arrived bearing jewels.
21. Innumerable white elephants, each bearing a lotus flower upon its head, stood everywhere before the palace hall.
22. Celestial horses with bluish-purple coats appeared of their own accord.
23. Five hundred white lion kings came forth from the Snow Mountains. Their ferocious nature had ceased, their hearts were filled with joy, and they stood everywhere before the city gates.
24. Celestial musicians in the sky performed wondrous music.
25. Celestial maidens holding fly-whisks made of peacock feathers appeared upon the walls of the royal palace.
26. Celestial maidens holding precious vessels filled with fragrant water stood throughout the sky.
27. The devas extolled the prince’s virtues.
28. All painful torments in the hells ceased.
29. Venomous creatures hid themselves, and fierce birds became gentle.
30. Those who followed evil disciplines[43] suddenly gave rise to compassion.
31. All pregnant women in the realm gave birth to sons, and even those afflicted by a hundred illnesses naturally became well.
32. All the tree spirits transformed themselves into human form and came to bow at his feet and attend upon him.
33. The kings of other realms all brought precious objects as tribute.
34. All devas and humans spoke at the proper time.
At that time, when the palace women witnessed such auspicious signs, their hearts were filled with joy, and they said to one another: “Today, at the prince’s birth, such wondrous events have occurred. May the prince live long and remain free from illness and suffering, so that we need not grieve or worry.” Having spoken thus, they wrapped the prince’s body in celestial cloth and carried him to the queen. Immediately, the Four Heavenly Kings reverently followed through the sky, while Sakra Devendra held a jeweled parasol over him, and twenty-eight great kings of the ghost spirits stood guard at the four corners of the garden, protecting and preserving him.
At that time, an intelligent and discerning palace maid returned from Lumbini Garden to the palace. Appearing before King Suddhodana, she reported: “The majestic virtue of the great king increases day by day. Queen Maya has given birth to a prince whose features are upright and beautiful.
He possesses the thirty-two noble marks and the eighty excellent characteristics. Standing upon a lotus flower, he walked seven steps, raised his right arm, and proclaimed in a lion’s roar: ‘Among all devas and humans, I am the most honored. My immeasurable course through birth and death ends today.
In this life, I shall benefit all devas and humans.’ [0626a] Such extraordinary events are too numerous to recount fully.” When King Suddhodana heard the palace maid speak these words, his heart was filled with joy. He immediately removed the necklace of seven treasures from his body and bestowed it upon her.
King Suddhodana then arrayed the four divisions of his army and, surrounded by his retinue, proceeded in due order to Lumbini Garden together with one hundred million members of the Sakya clan. Upon entering, the king saw the eight classes of beings—devas, nagas, and the others—all assembled there. When he reached the queen and beheld the prince’s extraordinary excellent marks, his heart surged with boundless joy, like immense waves rising upon rivers and seas.
Yet he then became anxious that the prince’s lifespan might be short. Mount Sumeru is difficult to shake; only when the entire great earth trembles does that mountain move. King Suddhodana was calm by nature and ordinarily displayed neither joy nor anxiety, yet on that day he was both joyful and apprehensive.
Queen Maya was gentle by nature, and after giving birth to the prince and beholding the extraordinary auspicious signs, she became gentler still.
King Suddhodana then joined his palms and bowed at the feet of the celestial spirits. He lifted the prince and placed him upon an elephant-drawn carriage adorned with the seven treasures. Together with his ministers and the palace women, and accompanied by devas in the sky playing many kinds of music, he entered the city.
At that time, King Suddhodana and the members of the Sakya clan did not yet know the Three Jewels, so they brought the prince to a temple of the gods. When the prince entered, all the images of Brahma rose to their feet, bowed at the prince’s feet, and said to the king: “Great King, you should know that this prince is the most honored among devas and humans. All the celestial spirits throughout the sky bow reverently to him.
Does the Great King not see this? Why, then, have you brought him here to bow to us?”
When King Suddhodana, the members of the Sakya clan, and all the ministers within and outside the palace heard and saw this, they praised it as something never before known. They then carried the prince out of the temple and returned to the inner palace. On that same day, five hundred boys were born among the Sakya clan.
In the king’s stables and enclosures, elephants gave birth to white elephants, horses gave birth to white horses, and cattle and goats likewise gave birth to cattle and goats of five colors, five hundred of each kind. The king’s palace women also gave birth to five hundred boys. At that time, five hundred treasure vaults hidden beneath the palace grounds naturally revealed themselves, each surrounded by the seven treasures.
Moreover, merchants from great kingdoms who had gone out to sea in search of jewels returned to the kingdom of Kapilavastu and presented rare and precious objects to the king.
King Suddhodana then asked:
[0626b] “Did your voyage upon the sea in search of jewels proceed favorably and without hindrance? Were any of your companions lost?”
The merchants replied:
“Great King! Every part of the journey we traveled was entirely peaceful and secure.”
When the king heard this, his heart was filled with joy, and he immediately sent messengers to invite the brahmins. When all the brahmins had assembled, the king made offerings to them of elephants, horses, the seven treasures, fields, houses, and servants. After making these offerings, the king had the prince carried out and asked the brahmins:
“What name should be given to the prince?”
The brahmins deliberated together and then said to the king:
“When the prince was born, all the treasure vaults appeared. Because such auspicious signs occurred, the prince should be named Sarvasiddhartha.”
As soon as they had finished speaking, celestial spirits in the sky beat heavenly drums, burned incense, scattered flowers, and proclaimed:
“Excellent!”
The devas and the people throughout the realm likewise cried out together:
“Sarvasiddhartha!”
On that same day, princes were also born to eight kings of other realms, just as a prince had been born to King Suddhodana. Those kings were all filled with joy and thought: “Today a prince has been born to us, accompanied by extraordinary signs.” They did not know, however, that these were actually auspicious signs attending Prince Sarvasiddhartha. The kings then assembled brahmins, who gave each prince an auspicious name.
– The prince of Rajagriha was named Bimbisara.
– The prince of Sravasti was named Prasenajit.
– The prince of Suralakottha was named Kulapa.
– The prince of Vatsa was named Udayana.
– The prince of Bhadra was named Uttarayana.
– The prince of Rura was named J光.
– The prince of Taksasila was named Puskarasarin.
– The prince of Kaurava was named Kaurava.
At that time, King Suddhodana issued a decree commanding his ministers to seek out intelligent and wise persons who were learned, skilled in physiognomy, and recognized as men of knowledge in the world. The ministers obeyed his command and searched everywhere. The king then had a palace built in the upper garden, with its windows and balustrades adorned with the seven precious substances.
At this time, the ministers found five hundred intelligent brahmins skilled in physiognomy. These brahmins had observed extraordinary auspicious signs and wished to visit the king. As the king had sent people to seek them, they quickly came. A chief minister reported to the king:
– The brahmin physiognomists have arrived!
Hearing this, the king was greatly delighted and immediately ordered that they be invited into the hall, seated, and presented with offerings.
Those brahmins asked the king:
– We have heard that the great king has recently fathered a crown prince who possesses excellent marks, and that extraordinarily auspicious signs have appeared. We ask to be permitted to behold the crown prince.
The king immediately had the crown prince carried out. [0626c] As soon as the brahmins saw the crown prince's excellent and majestic marks, they all praised them as unprecedented.
The king asked the brahmins:
– Having examined the crown prince's marks, what do you perceive?
The brahmins replied:
– All sentient beings wish their children to be excellent. Now the great king has fathered a crown prince of supreme preciousness. You should not be afraid.
They continued:
– Great King! Although the crown prince is your son, in truth he is the eye of the devas and human beings of the world.
The king asked again:
– How do you know this?
The brahmins replied:
– We see that the crown prince's entire body shines brilliantly like pure gold, and that he possesses noble marks and exceedingly radiant features. If he renounces the household life, he will attain the wisdom of omniscience; if he remains a householder, he will become a wheel-turning sage king and rule the four continents beneath heaven. Just as among all rivers and streams the ocean is greatest; among all mountains, Mount Sumeru is supreme; among all lights, the sun shines brightest; and among all sources of coolness, only the moonlight is foremost, so among all devas and human beings, the crown prince is the most honored and exalted!
Hearing these words, the king was greatly delighted and no longer felt anxious.
The brahmins then said to the king:
– There is a seer named Asita who possesses the five superknowledges and presently dwells on Mount Gandhamadana. He can dispel all the great king's doubts!
Having spoken thus, the brahmins took their leave and departed.
King Suddhodana then thought: “The seer Asita dwells upon Mount Gandhamadana. The path is narrow and perilous, and ordinary people cannot reach it. By what means can I invite the seer to come here?” While the king was thinking in this way, the seer Asita knew his thoughts from afar. Moreover, having previously seen the extraordinary auspicious signs, the seer knew with certainty that the bodhisattva had manifested birth in order to destroy the course of birth and death. Exercising his spiritual powers, the seer flew through the air and arrived before the palace gate. The gatekeeper then reported to the king:
– Great King! The seer Asita has flown here through the air and is now outside the gate.
Hearing this, the king was greatly delighted and immediately ordered that he be invited inside. Then the king personally went to the city gate to welcome him.
Upon seeing the seer, the king respectfully bowed at his feet and asked:
– Venerable one, now that you have arrived, why are you standing outside the gate? Did the guards refuse to let you enter?
The seer replied:
– No. Since I have come to meet you, I first had to announce my arrival!
The king and the seer entered the inner palace, where the king respectfully invited him to be seated. The king asked:
– Venerable one! Are your four great elements always peaceful and harmonious?
The seer replied:
– Through the grace and virtue of the great king, I am at peace.
King Suddhodana asked the seer:
[0627a] - Venerable one, since you have come here today, our lineage will henceforth grow ever more peaceful and prosperous. Were you perhaps passing nearby and stopped to visit?
The seer replied:
– While dwelling on Mount Gandhamadana, I saw brilliant light and extraordinary auspicious signs. I also knew the great king's thoughts, and therefore I came here. Furthermore, while exercising my spiritual powers and flying through the air, I heard the devas say: “The crown prince will attain the wisdom of omniscience and liberate all devas and human beings.” The crown prince was also born from his mother's right side, stood upon a lotus of the seven precious substances, walked seven steps, raised his right arm, and proclaimed in a lion's roar: “Among all devas and human beings, I am the most honored and exalted. My immeasurable rounds of birth and death have ended today. In this life, I shall bring benefit to devas and human beings.” Moreover, devas respectfully surrounded him.
When I heard of such extraordinary events, I said:
– Excellent! Great King, you should rejoice. May I now behold the crown prince?
The king immediately led the seer to the crown prince. The king and his consort carried the crown prince out and wished to bow before the seer. The seer immediately stopped the king, saying:
– The crown prince is the most honored among devas and human beings throughout the three realms. Why should he bow to me?
The seer then rose, joined his palms, and bowed at the crown prince's feet.
The king and his consort said:
– Venerable one, please examine the crown prince's marks and make a prediction.
The seer replied:
– Very well!
After examining the crown prince's marks, he suddenly became sorrowful and wept uncontrollably. Seeing the seer in this state, the king and his consort trembled all over and became deeply distressed, like a small boat struck by great waves. They immediately asked:
– When the crown prince was newly born, such signs suddenly appeared. Is there something inauspicious that causes the venerable one to weep?
The seer replied through his sobs:
– Great King! The crown prince is fully endowed with excellent marks. There is nothing inauspicious whatsoever!
The king asked again:
– Venerable one, please determine from the crown prince's marks whether he will enjoy a long life. Will he become a wheel-turning king and rule the four continents beneath heaven? I am now advanced in years. Later, I wish to entrust the kingdom to the crown prince, retire into the mountains and forests, renounce the household life, and cultivate the Path. This alone is my cherished aspiration. Does the venerable one see that it will come to pass?
The seer replied:
– Great King! The crown prince possesses all thirty-two marks of a great man:
1. The soles of his feet are level, like the bottom of a box.
2. The mark of a precious wheel with a thousand spokes appears upon the sole of each foot.
3. His fingers and toes are longer and more slender than those of other people.
4. His hands and feet are softer than all the other parts of his body.
5. His heels are full and well rounded.
6. His fingers and toes are joined by fine webbing.
[0627b] 7. The insteps of his feet are high and full, in proportion to his heels.
8. His shins are rounded and slender like those of the king of deer.
9. When standing upright, his hands extend below his knees.
10. His male organ is concealed within a sheath, like that of a king of horses or a king of elephants.
11. His body is tall, full, and well proportioned like a nyagrodha tree.
12. From every pore grows a single lapis-blue hair, soft and curling to the right.
13. All the hair upon his body is soft and curls to the right.
14. His entire body is the color of pure gold, more exquisite than the gold of Jambunada.
15. Light from his entire body radiates to a distance of one fathom.
16. His skin is fine and smooth; dust does not cling to it, and mosquitoes do not bite it.
17. His palms, soles, shoulders, and neck are all full and well rounded.
18. His armpits are full like mani jewels.
19. His bodily bearing is majestic like that of a lion king.
20. His body is tall, great, and upright.
21. His shoulders are full and evenly proportioned.
22. He has forty teeth.
23. His teeth are white, even, and without gaps.
24. His four canine teeth are white and large.
25. His two cheeks are like the cheeks of a lion.
26. His mouth produces saliva of a fragrance and flavor surpassing all others.
27. His tongue is large, broad, soft, and thin; when extended, it reaches and covers his hairline.
28. His voice is elegant and carries far, like the song of the kalavinka bird.
29. His eyes were deep blue like blue lotus flowers.
30. His eyelashes were like those of the king of bulls.
31. Between his eyebrows was a soft white hair like tūla cotton.
32. On the crown of his head was a raised fleshy protuberance shaped like a topknot.
The prince possessed all these noble marks. If he remained at home, at the age of twenty-nine he would become a wheel-turning sage-king; if he renounced the household life, he would attain omniscience and universally deliver devas and humans. Yet the prince would certainly renounce the household life to study the Way, attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and soon thereafter turn the pure Dharma wheel, benefiting all devas and humans and opening the wisdom-eye of the world. This year I am already one hundred and twenty years old. Before long, my life will end and I will be reborn in the Heaven of No Perception. I will not encounter the Buddha’s appearance in the world or hear the sutras and Dharma; therefore, I weep in sorrow.
The king asked again:
– Just now, when the Venerable One examined him, you said that there were two possibilities:
1. He would become a wheel-turning sage-king.
2. He would attain perfect enlightenment.
Why, then, does the Venerable One now say that he will certainly attain omniscience?
The seer replied:
– According to my method of examining marks, if any sentient being possesses the thirty-two marks, but they are not in their proper places and do not appear clearly, that person will certainly become a wheel-turning sage-king. If one possesses all thirty-two marks in their proper places and they also appear distinctly, that person will assuredly attain omniscience. [0627c] I see that Your Majesty’s prince fully possesses all these marks and that they are exceedingly distinct. Therefore, I know with certainty that the prince will attain perfect enlightenment.
Having spoken thus to the king, the seer took his leave and departed.
At that time, when King Śuddhodana heard the seer speak with such certainty, he became distressed and feared that the prince would renounce the household life. He therefore selected five hundred virtuous and intelligent palace women to serve as nurses and care for the prince. Some suckled him, some carried him, some bathed him, and some washed his clothes; in all such matters, they attended fully to the prince’s needs.
The king also had three seasonal palaces built, one each for temperate, hot, and cold weather, all differing from one another. The palaces were adorned throughout with the seven treasures, while clothing and ornaments were likewise provided according to the season. Fearing that the prince might leave the royal palace and renounce the household life to study the Way, the king ordered the city gates to be designed so that whenever they were closed or opened, the sound could be heard forty li away.
He also selected five hundred female entertainers of dignified appearance, neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, neither pale nor dark, and all talented, each being proficient in several arts. They adorned themselves with the seven treasures and jeweled necklaces. In shifts of one hundred, they took turns guarding the prince by night.
Before each palace, many trees bearing fragrant and sweet fruit were planted, their branches and leaves luxuriant and their flowers and fruit abundant. The bathing ponds were pure, clear, and cool. Fragrant grasses grew along both banks, and brightly colored lotus flowers of many hues were everywhere, beyond counting.
There were also hundreds of thousands of rare birds in dazzling colors before his eyes to delight the prince’s heart.
Seven days after giving birth to the prince, Lady Māyā’s life ended. Because she had borne the prince and thereby gained immense merit, she was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, where she naturally enjoyed celestial pleasures. The prince himself knew that his merit and virtue were so immense that no woman could bear the reverence due to him. Therefore, he took birth only by entering the womb of one whose life was nearing its end.
At that time, the prince was raised by his maternal aunt Mahāprajāpatī as though she were his own mother. King Śuddhodana ordered a celestial crown of the seven treasures and jeweled necklaces to be made for the prince. As the prince gradually grew, the king bestowed upon him various conveyances drawn by elephants, horses, oxen, and goats.
Whatever objects children delighted in, the king gave them all to the prince. At that time, all the people throughout the kingdom practiced benevolence and virtue. The grain harvests were plentiful, the rains and winds came in due season, there were no calamities of theft or warfare, and all lived in peace and happiness.
This was entirely due to the prince’s merit. The king also appointed five hundred sons of palace women, including Channa and others, to attend upon the prince.
When the prince reached the age of seven, King Śuddhodana thought, “The prince has grown and should be taught letters.” [0628a] He therefore sought intelligent brahmins well versed in books and the arts and invited them to instruct the prince. At that time, a brahmin named Bhadrāṇi, together with a retinue of five hundred brahmins, was invited into the palace. The king said:
– I wish to invite the Venerable One to be the prince’s teacher.
The brahmin replied:
– Whatever I know, I shall transmit and teach to the prince.
King Śuddhodana had a school built and adorned with the seven treasures. The desks, chairs, and implements of study provided for the prince were exceedingly exquisite and splendid. Having selected an auspicious day, the king entrusted the prince to the brahmin’s instruction.
The brahmin took up a book containing forty-nine letters and taught the prince to read them. In but a moment, the prince had learned them all by heart. He then asked his teacher:
– What script is this? How many kinds of script are there altogether in Jambudvīpa?
The teacher remained silent, unable to answer.
The prince asked again:
– What is the meaning of this letter “A”?
The teacher again remained silent and could not answer. Ashamed at heart, he rose from his seat, bowed at the prince’s feet, and praised him:
– When the prince had just been born, he walked seven steps by himself and said, “Among all devas and humans, I am the most honored.” These words were indeed not false. May the prince tell me how many kinds of script there are in Jambudvīpa.
The prince replied:
– In Jambudvīpa there are altogether sixty-four kinds, including the Brahmā script, Kharoṣṭhī script, Lotus script, and others. This letter “A” is a Brahmā sound. It signifies the indestructible and also the unsurpassed true Way. Meanings such as these are immeasurable and boundless.
The brahmin was deeply ashamed and immediately went before the king and said:
– Great King! The prince is the foremost teacher among devas and humans. How could I possibly instruct him?
When King Śuddhodana heard this, his heart was filled with joy. He praised it as an unprecedented event and made exceptionally generous offerings to the brahmin according to his wishes. The prince naturally mastered all the arts, ancient texts, treatises, astronomy, geography, mathematics, archery, horsemanship, and so forth.
Notes:
[1] Bhikṣu 比丘 (S: bhikṣu): a man who has been admitted into the monastic life and received full ordination; one of the seven assemblies of the Buddhist community. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Śāstra, fascicle III, states that bhikṣu has five meanings: 1. Mendicant (one who personally begs for alms in order to sustain himself in purity); 2. Destroyer of evil afflictions (one who destroys evil); 3. One who has renounced the household life; 4. One who purely upholds the precepts; 5. One who causes Māra to fear (terrifier of Māra).
[2] Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park 祇樹給孤獨園 (S: Jetavana-anāthapiṇḍasyārāma): a monastery in the park south of the city of Śrāvastī in the kingdom of Kosala, Central India (now in the southern region of Nepal). This was the most renowned of all the places where the Buddha taught the Dharma. “Jeta Grove” refers to the forest belonging to Prince Jeta (S: Jeta). “Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park” refers to the park offered by the elder Anāthapiṇḍada (S: Anāthapiṇḍada) for the construction of the monastery.
[3] Brahmacarya 梵行 (also: Pure Conduct; S: Brahma-caryā): the pure conduct cultivated by monastics and laypeople.
[4] The five paths (Five Destinies: 五趣): the five realms into which sentient beings may be reborn after death: hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and devas.
[5] The four requisites 四事: four necessities—food, clothing, lodging, and medicine. Alternatively, the term refers to the four necessities of the Sangha’s daily life corresponding to the foregoing four: food and drink, robes, medicines, and articles for sitting and lying down.
[6] The four continents (Four Continents 四洲): Pūrvavideha in the east, Jambudvīpa in the south, Aparagodānīya in the west, and Uttarakuru in the north.
[7] Yaksha 夜叉 (S: yakṣa): a type of spirit dwelling upon the earth or in the air, which may use its power to harm people or to safeguard the true Dharma.
[8] Gandharva 乾闥婆 (S: candhabha; Ch.: “scent-eater”): a deity specializing in the performance of music. This deity and the kinnara deities often attend upon Śakra. According to tradition, this deity does not eat meat or drink alcohol, but subsists solely upon fragrances.
[9] Asura 阿修羅 (S: asura): a type of warlike spirit-deity of India, regarded as a malevolent deity that frequently battles with Śakra.
[10] Garuda 迦樓羅 (S: suparni; also called: golden-winged bird): a hawk-like bird in Indian mythology. It is a mythologized bird, enormous and fierce, and serves as the mount of the god Viṣṇu. Tradition relates that when it was newly born, its body emitted a dazzling radiance. The devas mistakenly believed it to be a Transformation Deva and gathered to pay homage to it.
[11] Kinnara 緊那羅 (S: kimnara; also called: celestial musician): originally referring to deities in Indian mythology, later incorporated into Buddhism and classified as the seventh of the eight classes of beings.
[12] Mahoraga 摩睺羅伽 (S: mahoraga; also called: earth-dragon): a deity with a human head and a serpent’s body, one of the eight classes of devas, dragons, and other beings.
[13] Nonhuman 非人 (S: amanuṣya): a general term for devas, dragons, yakshas, malevolent spirits, asuras, beings in hell, and so forth, which do not belong to humankind and cannot be seen by human eyes.
[14] Māra and Brahmā 魔梵: a collective designation for the celestial Māra of the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations in the Desire Realm and the Brahmā King of the Form Realm.
[15] Three Vehicles 三乘 (S: Trīṇi yānāni): three vehicles, a metaphor for the three Dharma gates that carry sentient beings beyond birth and death to the shore of nirvana. They are the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Bodhisattva Vehicle.
[16] Patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas 無生法忍 (S: Anutpattika-dharma-kṣānt): one of the three kinds of patience and the fourth of the five kinds of patience taught in the Humane Kings Sutra. It means contemplating the principle that all dharmas neither arise nor cease, thoroughly realizing that principle, and abiding with an unmoving mind.
[17] Yojana 由旬 (S: yojana): a unit of length in ancient India. There are various explanations. According to fascicle 3 of Yijing’s Mūlasarvāstivāda Ekaśatakarman, Indians reckoned one yojana as sixteen kilometers, while Buddhists reckoned it as six kilometers.
[18] Udumbara flower 優曇跋羅 (S: uḍumbara; also called: udumbara blossom): a cryptogamous plant belonging to the mulberry family, growing in the foothills of the Himalayas, on the Deccan Plateau, and in Sri Lanka. Its trunk grows more than three meters high. It has two kinds of leaves, smooth and flat or coarse and rough, both measuring from ten to eighteen centimeters in length and having slightly elongated pointed tips. The large fruit is the size of a fist, while the small fruit is the size of a thumb. They grow in clusters of ten upon the trunk and are edible, though not pleasant in taste.
[19] Knowledge of all aspects 一切種智 (S: Sarvathā-jñāna): the wisdom that knows the causal kinds of all dharmas and sentient beings, and also fully comprehends the quiescent characteristics and the distinct modes of practice of all dharmas; only a Buddha can attain it. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Taishō 25, 259a) states: “The Buddha fully comprehends both the general and particular characteristics of all dharmas of meditative concentration and wisdom; therefore, this is called knowledge of all aspects.”
[20] Asaṃkhyeya 阿僧祇: an Indian numerical unit denoting an exceedingly vast number beyond calculation.
[21] Mark of the thousand-spoked wheel 千輻輪相: an auspicious mark in the form of a wheel with one thousand spokes, formed by lines upon the soles of the Buddha’s feet. This mark also symbolizes the Buddha’s turning of the Dharma wheel. Its appearance upon the soles signifies that he journeys everywhere to turn the Dharma wheel.
[22] Five Turbidities (五濁): five forms of impurity that arise during a declining kalpa: the turbidity of the kalpa; the turbidity of views; the turbidity of afflictions; the turbidity of sentient beings; and the turbidity of lifespan.
[23] Tāla tree 多羅樹: a tropical tree of the palm family, approximately twenty meters tall, with long, broad, flat, firm, and smooth leaves. In ancient times, its leaves were used for copying sutras and were called pattra leaves (palm leaves). Its ripe fruit is red like a pomegranate and is edible. It grows abundantly in the sandy coastal regions of India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and other countries. If this tree is cut through its trunk, it cannot grow again. Therefore, the sutras often use it as a metaphor for bhikṣus who commit a grave pārājika offense.
[24] Honored One among Bipeds 兩足尊: an epithet of the Buddha. Because the Buddha possesses the thirty-two excellent marks and the eighty beautiful characteristics, has accomplished the undefiled dharmas beyond training, such as the knowledge of exhaustion and the knowledge of non-arising, and possesses the unique qualities of a Buddha, such as the ten powers and the four fearlessnesses, this epithet has two meanings: 1/ The Buddha is the most honored among two-legged sentient beings, represented by devas and humans. 2/ The Buddha fully possesses the provisional and the real, moral discipline and concentration, merit and wisdom, understanding and practice; therefore, he is called the Honored One Endowed with Both.
[25] Four Heavenly Kings 四天王 (S: Caturmahārājika-deva; also called: Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings): the first of the six heavens of the Desire Realm and the lowest of the celestial abodes. The Four Heavenly Kings are: Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūḍhaka in the south, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Vaiśravaṇa in the north.
[26] Wheel-Turning Sage King 轉輪聖王 (S: Cakra-varti-rājan): a king who causes the true Dharma to prevail in the world and rules the four continents surrounding Mount Sumeru. The realm governed by this king is prosperous and beautiful, and its people live in peace and happiness. The king travels in a precious chariot and possesses the seven treasures: the wheel, elephant, horse, luminous jewel, precious woman, householder, and army. He also possesses the four virtues: longevity, freedom from illness, a handsome appearance, and abundant treasuries.
[27] Ten Wholesome Actions 十善 (S: daśa kuśala-karmāni): 1- Not killing living beings; 2- Not stealing; 3- Not engaging in sexual misconduct; 4- Not speaking falsely; 5- Not speaking divisively; 6- Not speaking harshly; 7- Not engaging in frivolous speech; 8- Not being covetous; 9- Not harboring ill will; 10- Not holding wrong views.
[28] Six Non-Buddhist Teachers 六師外道: 1- Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta: followers of the school of skepticism; 2- Ajita Kesakambala: followers of the school of materialism; 3- Makkhali Gosāla: followers of the naturalistic school associated with fatalism; 4- Pūraṇa Kassapa: proponents of amoralism; 5- Pakudha Kaccāyana: followers of the school of sensationalism associated with the doctrine of causelessness; 6- Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta: the founder of Jainism.
[29] Ten Grounds 十地: the ten stages of a bodhisattva taught in the Avataṃsaka Sutra. 1- Ground of Joy; 2- Ground of Freedom from Defilement; 3- Ground of Radiance; 4- Ground of Blazing Wisdom; 5- Ground Difficult to Conquer; 6- Ground of Manifest Presence; 7- Far-Traveling Ground; 8- Immovable Ground; 9- Ground of Excellent Wisdom; 10- Ground of the Dharma Cloud.
[30] One Life Away from Buddhahood 一生補處 (S: eka-jāti-pratiboddha): one who will undergo birth and death only one final time, meaning that after this present life, one will attain Buddhahood in the human realm. “Successor to the Buddha’s position” refers to the highest bodhisattva stage, that of a bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment, as in the case of Bodhisattva Maitreya.
[31] Tuṣita Heaven 兜率天 (S: Tuṣita; also called: Tuṣita-deva): the sixth of the six heavens of the Desire Realm, measuring eighty thousand yojanas in breadth. It is situated between the Yāma Heaven and the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, sixteen myriad yojanas from the Yāma Heaven. According to fascicle 6 of the Abhidharma Treatise on the Establishment of the World, the devas in this heaven constantly abide in joy and happiness, possess abundant material goods, and diligently cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.
[32] Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World System 三千大千世界 (S: tri-sāhasra-mahā-sāhasrāḥloka-dhātavaḥ): In the cosmology of ancient India, Mount Sumeru is regarded as the center. Surrounding it are four great continents, nine concentric mountain ranges, and eight concentric seas; together these are called one small world. It extends from the First Dhyana Heaven of the Form Realm down to the wind-wheel beneath the earth.
It includes the sun, the moon, Mount Sumeru, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Transformation Heaven, the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations, the Brahmā World, and so forth. One thousand such small worlds form a small-thousand world system; one thousand small-thousand world systems form a medium-thousand world system; and one thousand medium-thousand world systems form a great-thousand world system.
It is therefore called the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World System.
[33] Ca-tì-la-bái-đâu (迦毗羅斾兜; also called: Ca-tì-la-vệ): the capital city where the Buddha was born and also the kingdom of the Śākya clan, now Tilaurakot in the Terai region of Nepal. According to tradition, the sage Kapila, the founding patriarch of the Sāṃkhya school, also lived in this land, and the country was therefore named after him. The city of Kapilavastu fell into ruin after being destroyed by King Virūḍhaka of Kosala. In 1895, archaeologists discovered the ruins of Kapilavastu near the village of Ruminide.
[34] Eighteen Characteristics of Trembling (十八種震動相): eighteen characteristics of trembling produced by the six kinds of earth tremors. (The six kinds of trembling, 六種震動, are: moving, rising, surging, shaking, roaring, and striking. 1. Moving: swaying without remaining still; 2. Rising: gradually ascending from low to high; 3. Surging: suddenly thrusting upward. These three refer to the forms of seismic movement. 4. Shaking: producing a continuous rumbling sound; 5. Roaring: the mighty roar of beasts; 6. Striking: producing resounding, thunderous echoes. These three refer to the sounds of seismic movement. “Form” and “sound” each constitute one category, and together they are called trembling.)
Each of these six has three characteristics: minor (individual), intermediate (pervasive), and great (universally pervasive, equally pervasive). Thus there are eighteen characteristics in all: moving, pervasive moving, equally pervasive moving; rising, pervasive rising, equally pervasive rising; surging, pervasive surging, equally pervasive surging; shaking, pervasive shaking, equally pervasive shaking; roaring, pervasive roaring, equally pervasive roaring; striking, pervasive striking, equally pervasive striking. “Pervasive” means that all four directions tremble, while “universally pervasive” means that all eight directions tremble.
[35] Ba-la-xa flower 波羅奢: a kind of tree bearing red flowers, regarded as sacred in Indian Brahmanism. Its wood can be fashioned into various implements used in sacrificial rites. Its deep-red sap can be made into medicine or used as a dye. Its leaves are large and green.
[36] A-ca-nị-trá 阿迦尼吒 (S: Akaniṣṭha): the highest heaven among the heavens of the Fourth Dhyana and the highest of the eighteen heavens of the Form Realm. It is the ultimate heaven among the realms possessing physical form, one of the eighteen heavens of the Form Realm, and one of the five Pure Abodes. Above this heaven are the heavens of the Formless Realm.
[37] A-tì Hell 阿鼻地獄 (S: Avīci; also called: Uninterrupted Hell): one of the eight hot hells. The Contemplation of the Buddha’s Mind chapter states: “This hell lies beneath the lowest level of all the hells. It has seven iron walls and seven layers of iron netting.
Within the seven walls is a forest of swords, and beneath it are eighteen prison chambers, surrounded on seven sides entirely by forests of blades. There are ten wardens. Upon the thresholds at the four gates of A-tì Hell stand eighty cauldrons in which molten copper boils furiously, surges upward, and overflows.
Sentient beings who kill their fathers, harm their mothers, or revile their six kinds of relatives fall into this hell after death.” Why is it called A-tì Hell? “A” means without, and “tì” means interval; “A” means without, and “tì” means rescue; “A” means extremely hot, and “tì” means profoundly sorrowful; “A” means without respite, and “tì” means without cessation.
[38] Māra and Brahmā 魔梵: the celestial Māra dwelling in the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations in the Desire Realm, and the Brahmā Heavenly King dwelling in the Form Realm.
[39] Noble Eightfold Path 八正道 (S: aryaṣṭāṅgika-mārga): the eight right paths for seeking the way to nirvana. This is the foremost representative practical teaching among Buddhism’s thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening—that is, eight correct methods or eight direct paths leading straight to liberation in nirvana. When turning the Dharma wheel, the Blessed One taught that one should abandon the two extremes of sensual indulgence and ascetic mortification and follow the Middle Way, which refers precisely to this Noble Eightfold Path: 1.
Right View: clearly seeing suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, as well as the karmic retribution of good and evil; 2. Right Thought: thinking rightly, without thoughts of sensual desire, anger, or harm; 3. Right Speech: abstaining from false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech; 4.
Right Action: abstaining from killing and stealing; 5. Right Livelihood: abandoning wrong means of livelihood, such as spells, divination, and so forth; 6. Right Effort: forming aspirations and striving to bring the objects of those aspirations to perfect fulfillment; 7.
Right Mindfulness: contemplating the four foundations of mindfulness according to either their distinct characteristics or their general characteristics; 8. Right Concentration: abandoning unwholesome phenomena of the Desire Realm and attaining the First Dhyana through the Fourth Dhyana.
[40] Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations 他化自在 (S: Para-nirmita-vaśa-vartin): the sixth of the six heavens of the Desire Realm. Beings in this heaven perfect their own pleasure by enjoying pleasures created by others; it is therefore called the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, fascicle 9 (Taishō 25, 122a), records: “The beings of this heaven delight themselves through the transformations of others, and it is therefore called Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations”; that is, they exercise mastery over the transformations created by others.
This heaven stands at the summit of the Desire Realm. Together with the Maheśvara Heaven, which stands at the summit of the Form Realm, it belongs to the class of Māra kings who disturb and harm the True Dharma. It is the celestial Māra among the four māras and is called the Māra King of the Sixth Heaven.
[41] Original text: Water of Eight Meritorious Qualities, 八功徳水, also called: water of the eight concentrations): water possessing eight supreme qualities. In a Buddha’s Pure Land are ponds whose water possesses eight qualities: clarity, coolness, sweetness, softness and lightness, moistening, peacefulness, quenching thirst, and nourishing the faculties.
[42] Tì-xá-khư 毘舍佉 (S: Viśākhā): the name of a star in Chinese astronomy, translated as “separate branch” or “nurturing growth.”
[43] Evil discipline 惡律儀: an unwholesome non-manifest form that arises when, out of greed for profit or as a means of livelihood, one engages in such karma as killing living beings…
The Sutra of the Buddha’s Great Skillful Means in Repaying Kindness, fascicle 6, lists twelve kinds of evil discipline: 1. Butchers; 2. Leaders of killers; 3. Pig breeders; 4. Chicken breeders; 5. Fishermen; 6. Hunters; 7. Those who spread nets to catch birds; 8. Snake catchers; 9. Those who cast spells upon nāgas; 10. Jailers; 11. Robbers; 12. Royal agents charged with apprehending bandits.
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