佛本行集經

Chapter 3: THE ROYAL LINEAGE DURING THE AUSPICIOUS KALPA

(Part 2)

O bhikshus, King Great Radiant Splendor had a son who was likewise named Joyful Mind, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Joyful Mind had a son named Excellent Joy, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Excellent Joy had a son named Fulfilled, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Fulfilled had a son named Great Fulfilled, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Great Fulfilled had a son who was likewise named Nurturer, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Nurturer had a son who was likewise named Chariot of Merit, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Chariot of Merit had a son named Leader of Men, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Leader of Men had a son named Fiery Essence, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Fiery Essence had a son named Blazing Radiance, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Blazing Radiance had a son named Excellent Bestower of Crowns, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Excellent Bestower of Crowns had a son named Empty Crown, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Empty Crown had a son named Excellent Vision, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Excellent Vision had a son named Great Excellent Vision, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Great Excellent Vision had a son named Sumeru, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

O bhikshus, King Sumeru had a son named Great Sumeru, who next ascended the throne,... as stated above.

As a holy wheel-turning monarch, he ruled the great lands and seas throughout the four continents under heaven, possessed the seven precious treasures,... and governed the people in accordance with the Dharma.

O bhikshus, all these kings were holy wheel-turning monarchs. In past ages they fully cultivated immeasurable merit and virtue and planted many roots of goodness. Through these karmic fruits, they each attained sovereignty over all the great lands throughout the four continents under heaven, enjoyed blessed happiness, and possessed immeasurable lifespans beyond calculation.

O bhikshus, you should know that I shall recount the lineage of the descendants of the holy wheel-turning monarchs, generation after generation, as well as the succession, dwelling places, names, order, and numbers of the lesser kings. I shall now give you a general account of these royal lineages. Listen attentively.

O bhikshus, from beginning to end, the descendants of King Great Sumeru succeeded one another generation after generation and included one hundred and one lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Bao-da-na, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness. The last of these one hundred and one kings was named Lion Vehicle.

The descendants of King Lion Vehicle succeeded one another generation after generation and included sixty-one lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Varanasi, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these sixty-one kings was named Woman Vehicle. The descendants of King Woman Vehicle succeeded one another generation after generation and included fifty-six lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of A-du-xa, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these fifty-six lesser wheel-turning kings was named Born of Majestic Blazing. The descendants of King Born of Majestic Blazing succeeded one another generation after generation and included altogether one thousand lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Ca-ty-le-da, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these one thousand kings was named Brahma Virtue.

The descendants of King Brahma Virtue succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of A-tu-de-na-phu-la, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Elephant Mark. The descendants of King Elephant Mark succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Takshashila, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Protector. The descendants of King Protector succeeded one another generation after generation and included one thousand two hundred lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Xa-da-na, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these one thousand two hundred kings was named Able to Subdue. The descendants of King Able to Subdue succeeded one another generation after generation and included ninety lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Ca-na-cuu-xa, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these ninety kings was named Victorious General. The descendants of King Victorious General succeeded one another generation after generation and included two thousand five hundred lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Champa, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these two thousand five hundred kings was named Dragon Deva. The descendants of King Dragon Deva succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Rajagriha, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Tác Xà. The descendants of King Tác Xà succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Kushinagara, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Great Isvara Deva. The descendants of King Great Isvara Deva succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Am-ba-la-kiep, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was likewise named Great Isvara Deva. The descendants of King Great Isvara Deva succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. They all established their capitals in the city of Dan-da-phu-sa, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Excellent Mind. The descendants of King Excellent Mind succeeded one another generation after generation and included twenty-five lesser wheel-turning kings. They all established their capitals in the city of Da-ma-ba-pha-le-da, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these twenty-five kings was named Sorrowless Garland. The descendants of King Sorrowless Garland succeeded one another generation after generation and included eighty-four thousand lesser wheel-turning kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Mi-di-la, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these eighty-four thousand kings was named Vishnu Deva. The descendants of King Vishnu Deva succeeded one another generation after generation and included one hundred and one kings. Each in succession established his capital in the city of Ti-bao-da-na, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

The last of these one hundred and one kings likewise bore the name Great Isvara. The descendants of King Great Isvara succeeded one another through eighty-four thousand kings, all of whom in turn established their capital in the city of Midhila, ruling the people and enjoying blessings and happiness.

The last of those kings was named Fish King. Bhiksus, you should know that all those minor wheel-turning kings were endowed with merit and virtue, had planted roots of goodness, and fully enjoyed worldly blessings unequaled by anyone. The continents and seas, and all the mountains, lay within the realm governed by the king.

Bhiksus, each of those wheel-turning kings had lesser kings in his lineage, whom I shall now recount. Fish King had a son named True-Born. The forebears of King True-Born had cultivated roots of goodness from ancient times onward and had succeeded one another as kings.

When their meritorious recompense was exhausted, however, they lost the throne. The people of that time saw that the king governed without the Way and possessed neither merit nor virtue. They discussed the matter among themselves, saying, “This king is the meanest and most base among men, the least virtuous among men, the most pitiable among men, and one who deserves to be overthrown.” Thus the people of that time gave him the epithet King Worthy of Being Cast Down.

King Worthy of Being Cast Down had a son named Impartial Conduct. The son of King Impartial Conduct was named Dark Fire. The son of King Dark Fire was named Blazing Banner.

The son of King Blazing Banner was named Good Giver. The son of King Good Giver was named Empty Space. The son of King Empty Space was named Moral Conduct.

The son of King Moral Conduct was named Sorrowless. The son of King Sorrowless was named Free from Sorrow. The son of King Free from Sorrow was named Dispeller of Sorrow.

The son of King Dispeller of Sorrow was named Victorious General. The son of King Victorious General was named Great General. The son of King Great General was named Womb-Born.

The son of King Womb-Born was named Bright Star. The son of King Bright Star was named Lord of the Directions. The son of King Lord of the Directions was named Dust.

The son of King Dust was named Good Intention. The son of King Good Intention was named Well-Abiding. The son of King Well-Abiding was named Joy.

The son of King Joy was named Great Strength. The son of King Great Strength was named Great Light. The son of King Great Light was named Great Renown.

The son of King Great Renown was named Ten Chariots. The son of King Ten Chariots was named Twenty Chariots. The son of King Twenty Chariots was named Wondrous Chariot.

The son of King Wondrous Chariot was named Infantry Chariot. The son of King Infantry Chariot was named Ten Bows. The son of King Ten Bows was named One Hundred Bows.

The son of King One Hundred Bows was named Twenty Bows. The son of King Twenty Bows was named Bow of Wondrous Form. The son of King Bow of Wondrous Form was named Sinful Bow.

The son of King Sinful Bow was named Ocean General. The son of King Ocean General was named Difficult to Conquer. The son of King Difficult to Conquer was named Hair-Grass.

The son of King Hair-Grass was named Great Hair-Grass. Through successive generations, the lineage continuing down to Great Hair-Grass comprised one hundred and eight kings, all of whom in turn established their capital in the city of Potana, ruling and guiding the people while enjoying blessings and happiness.

Of these one hundred and eight kings, the last was Great Hair-Grass. The king had no son and thought to himself: “From ancient times until now, whenever the lesser kings of my lineage saw their hair and beards turning white, each had his son consecrated as king, set aside the richest of the continents for the practice of generosity, and thereafter shaved off his hair and beard, entrusted the throne to his son, renounced the household life, and practiced the Way.

But today I have no son. Who will succeed to the royal throne hereafter? Who will be capable of perpetuating my lineage?

Perhaps today I shall bring the lineage of kings to an end.” Then he further thought: “If today I do not renounce the household life and practice the Way, the seed of all the noble sages will be severed.” Having reflected thus, Great Hair-Grass entrusted the throne to his chief ministers. The people accompanied the king out of the city. The king shaved off his hair and beard, donned Dharma robes, and lived the life of a renunciant.

He observed the precepts in purity and applied himself with single-minded vigor. He attained the four dhyana fruits and became fully endowed with the five supernormal powers, thus becoming a royal seer. He lived for a very long time, until in old age he became feeble, his skin wrinkled and his back bent.

Although he relied upon a staff, he still could not walk far. Whenever the royal seer’s disciples were about to travel afar to seek alms, they lined a basket with fine, soft grass, placed the royal seer inside it, and suspended it from the branch of a tree. Why did they do this?

Because the disciples feared that venomous creatures and wild beasts might come and harm their teacher.

One day, after all the disciples had gone to seek alms, a hunter roamed through the mountains. Seeing the royal seer from afar, he mistook him for a white crane, drew his bow, and shot. When the arrow struck the royal seer, two drops of blood fell to the ground, and he immediately died.

When the disciples returned from seeking alms, they saw that their teacher had been killed by an arrow, and they also saw the two drops of blood upon the ground. They immediately lowered the basket, placed their teacher on the ground, piled up firewood, and performed the cremation rite. They gathered his remains and built a stupa.

They also offered many kinds of precious incense and flowers, honoring, praising, revering, and making offerings to him. After the offering ceremony had concluded, two sugarcane plants sprang from the two drops of blood upon the ground, and their shoots gradually grew tall. When the sugarcane had matured, sunlight shone upon it, and the two stalks split open.

From one stalk appeared a boy, and from the other appeared a girl. Both were upright, handsome, and lovely in form; nowhere in the world could children such as these be found! The royal seer’s disciples then thought: “While our teacher was alive, he had no children.

These two children now belong to the lineage of the royal seer. We should nurture and care for them, and then inform the ministers.”

When the chief ministers heard of this, they were exceedingly delighted. Together they entered the forest and escorted the two children back to the inner palace. They invited a great Brahmin physiognomist to examine their marks and bestow names upon the boy and the girl.

The physiognomist reported to the ministers:

-This boy was born when a mature sugarcane stalk split open under the sunlight, and so his first name shall be Well-Born. Because he was born from sugarcane, his second name shall be Sugarcane-Born. Moreover, because he was born when sunlight shone upon the sugarcane, he shall also be called Solar Lineage. The girl was born through the same causes and conditions, and so she shall be named Good and Virtuous; she shall also be called Water Wave. The ministers took Sugarcane as the clan name of the boy’s lineage.

Although the boy was still of tender age, the ministers performed the consecration ceremony and enthroned him as king. As for the girl Good and Virtuous, when she reached maturity and was capable of attending upon the king, the ministers installed her as the king’s chief consort.

At that time, King Ikshvaku had a second consort whose features were upright and beautiful and whose beauty was unsurpassed. She gave birth to four princes: the first was named Great-Faced, the second Golden-Hued, the third Elephant Host, and the fourth Separate City. The chief consort, Good and Wise, bore only one prince named Long Life.

He was handsome and lovable, with few in the world who could equal him, yet he lacked the essential marks and was not qualified to become king. The chief consort Good and Wise thought: “King Ikshvaku has four sons—Great-Faced and the others. Those brothers are strong and robust, while I have only one son.

Although he is exceedingly handsome, without a second like him in the world, he does not possess the marks of one destined to be king.” She therefore devised a plan: “King Ikshvaku is now close to me and favors me exceedingly. His mind is unrestrained and deeply infatuated. Today I must adorn myself to the utmost as a wife: I shall anoint my body with various pure fragrances, bathe in warm scented water until a sweet perfume wafts all around, dress my hair with fragrant orchid oil, apply rouge and powder to my face, and adorn myself with garlands, jeweled necklaces, and every kind of ornament.

Then, when King Ikshvaku is beside me, his heart will become overwhelmed with passionate attachment. If matters proceed as I intend, I shall make my request when we are alone.”

In accordance with this plan, she adorned herself with unsurpassed beauty and then went to the king’s residence. As soon as the king saw the chief consort approaching, his mind became unrestrained, and he was filled with intense affection. When the chief consort came to him and the two lay down together, she softly addressed the Great King:

“May the Great King understand that today I have come to ask one thing of you. I beseech the Great King to grant my wish.”

The king said:

“Great Consort, ask whatever you wish. I shall not refuse you. Whatever your desire may be, I shall grant it.”

The chief consort asked the king again:

“If the king has no reservations and will comply with my wish, I beg the Great King not to change his mind afterward. If the Great King might change his mind, there is no need for me to remain here and make my request.”

The king replied:

“I shall comply entirely with the wish of my beloved consort. If I should later change my mind, may my head split into seven pieces.”

The chief consort said:

“Great King, I beseech you to banish your four sons—Great-Faced and the others—from the kingdom, so that my own son Long Life may succeed to the royal throne.”

King Ikshvaku said to the chief consort:

“These four sons of mine have committed no offense. They have not oppressed others or seized their possessions, nor are they guilty of any crime. How could I banish innocent men far from the kingdom? What fault do they have that they should not be permitted to remain within the borders of the realm I govern?”

The royal consort again said:

“The Great King previously swore that if he later changed his mind, his head would split into seven pieces.”

The Great King said to the chief consort:

“Very well. I shall keep the oath I previously made to you. If you deem this proper, you may have matters carried out as you wish.”

The following day, just as dawn broke, King Ikshvaku summoned his four sons and issued this decree:

“You four princes, from this day onward you may no longer remain within the territory under my rule. You must journey far away and dwell beyond the kingdom.”

The four princes knelt, joined their palms, and addressed their royal father:

“May the Great King understand that the four of us have committed no crime or wrongdoing. We have not unlawfully taken the wealth of others, nor have we created any evil karma. We do not know why the Great King is banishing us from the kingdom.”

The king told his sons:

“I know well that you are indeed without guilt and that you have neither oppressed others nor seized their possessions, just as you have said. This is not my will. Your banishment is the wish of the chief consort Good and Wise, who made this request of me. Because I do not wish to go against her will, I am banishing you from the kingdom.”

When the mother of the four princes heard that King Ikshvaku was about to banish her sons from the kingdom, she hurried before the royal throne and addressed the Great King:

“I have just heard that the Great King is about to banish my four sons from the kingdom. Is this truly so?”

The Great King replied:

“It is so.”

The other palace consorts also came and said to the king:

“Great King, please permit all of us to accompany the princes.”

The Great King replied:

“You consorts may go as you wish.”

Then the junior consorts also said to the king:

“Our elder sister and our nephews are now departing from the kingdom. We also ask permission to accompany them.”

The Great King replied:

“You may do as you wish.”

The great ministers, high officials, and assistant ministers also addressed the king:

“Today the Great King is banishing the four princes from the kingdom. We, your ministers, also ask permission to accompany them.”

The Great King replied:

“You may do as you wish.”

The officers in charge of the king’s elephants and horses also asked permission to accompany them.

The Great King replied:

“You may do as you wish.”

The commanders of the archers and crossbowmen, the wardens of the prisons, the officials responsible for livestock such as cattle and goats, together with their children; the keepers of the treasuries, military commanders, patrol soldiers, warriors, expert marksmen, male and female servants, and their children all heard that King Ikshvaku was about to banish the four princes from the kingdom. Together they went before the king and said:

“We beseech the Great King to permit us to accompany and serve the four princes wherever they may go.”

The king replied:

“You may do as you wish.”

The bamboo workers, leatherworkers, tile makers, potters, carpenters and house builders, makers of wine and food and drink, barbers, launderers and dyers of clothing, butchers, physicians who examined pulses and dispensed medicine, fishermen, and all the other craftsmen of the kingdom heard that the king was about to banish the four princes from the kingdom. Together they went to the king and asked whether this was truly so.

The king replied:

“It is so.”

All the craftsmen said:

“Please permit us to go with them.”

The king replied:

“You may do as you wish.”

King Ikshvaku instructed the princes:

“Princes, from this time onward, whenever you wish to marry, you must not marry women of other clans in distant lands. You should return to your own family and take wives there, so that the Ikshvaku lineage does not become extinct.”

The princes addressed their royal father:

“We shall faithfully observe the instruction of our royal father.”

Having received their royal father’s command, the princes each went to their own mother, together with their mother’s elder and younger sisters and their female attendants. Loading their possessions onto camels, they traveled northward until they reached the foot of the Snow Mountains, where they rested for a short time. At the foot of the mountains was a great river named Bà-kỳ-la-di.

The company crossed the river and ascended all the way to the summit of the Snow Mountains, where they wandered for a considerable time. The four princes hunted birds and beasts on the mountaintop for food. Proceeding gradually onward, they reached the southern face of the Snow Mountains and saw a broad river whose surface was smooth and gently flowing.

There were no pits, hollows, mounds, hills, mountains, caves, ravines, waterfalls, channels, thorny growths, dust, gravel, or the like. That land produced only fresh, soft, pure green grasses, pleasing to everyone. The forest trees were laden with flowers and fruit, forming a dense canopy like masses of dark clouds and reflecting a bright verdant hue.

Trees grew everywhere, each only a short distance from the next. Among them were Ta-la, Đa-la, Na-đa-ma-la, A-tuyết-tha, Ni-câu-đà, Ưu-đàm-bà-la, Thiên niên táo, Ca-lê-la, and others, all spreading their branches and leaves to screen the sunlight. There were also many beautiful flowers: Đề-mục-đa flowers, Chiêm-ba flowers, A-thâu-ca flowers, Ba-đa-la flowers, Bà-lợi-sư-ca flowers, Câu-lan-na flowers, Câu-tỳ-đà-la flowers, Đàn-nô-sa-ca-lợi-ca flowers, Mục-chân-lân-đà flowers, Tô-ma-na flowers, and others.

Of all these flowers, some were in full bloom, some were still in bud, some were just beginning to open, and some had already faded. There were also immeasurable kinds of fruit, such as Am-bà-la, Diêm-phù fruit, Lăng-câu-xà fruit, Ba-na-bà fruit, Trấn-đầu-ca fruit, A-lê-lặc fruit, Tỳ-hê-lặc fruit, A-ma-lặc fruit, and others. Of all these fruits, some had just begun to form, some were just tinged with ripeness, and some were fully ripe; all were edible.

There were also immeasurable kinds of forest animals, such as Y-nê-da, deer, antelope, water buffalo, Na-la-ca, wild buffalo, white elephants, lions, and others. There were also immeasurable kinds of birds, such as Anh-võ, Câu-sí-la, mynas, peacocks, Ca-lăng-tần-già, Mạng-mạng, Giao thanh, junglefowl, white cranes, Giá-ma-ca, Lan-ma, and other birds. There were also immeasurable ponds, each containing flowers such as blue lotuses, red lotuses, white lotuses, and great white lotuses, which spread over the entire surface.

Along all four banks, many kinds of flowers hung down over the water. The pond water was pure and free of turbidity. The ponds were filled with water, neither dry nor deep, and were easy to ford and traverse.

All around their banks grew every kind of tree. The ponds also contained aquatic creatures such as fish, loaches, turtles, soft-shelled turtles, snails, and mussels. Small birds lived upon the water, including teals, wild geese, geese, ducks, white herons, cormorants, mandarin ducks, and others.

In ancient times, however, a sage named Ca-tỳ-la had dwelt in this place. After surveying the scenery, the four princes discussed the matter among themselves:

“We can build a city here and govern from it.”

After the princes had finished constructing their dwellings, they remembered their royal father’s instruction: “You should seek members of your own clan in marriage.” Yet they could find no women of their clan there to take as wives. Therefore, each prince took as his wife one of the royal consorts who was an elder or younger sister of his mother, joining with her in marriage according to the proper rites. First, this upheld their royal father’s instruction; second, it kept the Śākya lineage from being mingled with other bloodlines.

One day, King Nhật Chủng Cam Giá summoned a great Brahmin who served as the royal preceptor and asked him:

“Great Brahmin, where are my four princes now?”

The royal preceptor replied:

“Your Majesty, you should know that the princes took with them the elder and younger sisters of their mothers, loaded the people and possessions onto camels, left the kingdom, and journeyed far northward. By now they have begotten beloved sons and daughters of handsome and graceful appearance.”

At that time, because King Cam Giá loved the princes and longed to see them, joy arose in his heart, and he praised them, saying:

“The princes know how to establish a kingdom and possess the ability to govern the people.” Thus the princes established Śākya as the name of their clan. Because the Śākyas dwelt beneath great trees with luxuriant branches and leaves, they were therefore called Xa-di-kỳ-da. Because this place had formerly been the dwelling of the sage Ca-tỳ-la, they accordingly named the city Ca-tỳ-la-bà-tô-đô.

Later, three of King Cam Giá’s four princes died. Only one prince remained, named Ni-câu-la—translated during the Sui dynasty as “Separate City.” He became king, established his capital in the city of Ca-tỳ-la, governed the people, and enjoyed blessed happiness.

King Ni-câu-la had a son named Câu-lô, who likewise established his capital in his royal father’s city of Ca-tỳ-la and governed the people. King Câu-lô then had a son named Cù-câu-lô, who succeeded him as king and likewise established his capital in his royal father’s city and governed the people. King Cù-câu-lô then had a son named Sư Tử Giáp, who also dwelt in his royal father’s city and governed the people.

King Sư Tử Giáp had four sons. The first was King Duyệt-đầu-đàn—translated during the Sui dynasty as King Tịnh Phạn. The second was Thâu-câu-lô-đàn-na—translated during the Sui dynasty as Bạch Phạn.

The third was Đồ-lô-đàn-na—translated during the Sui dynasty as Hộc Phạn. The fourth was A-di-đô-đàn-na—translated during the Sui dynasty as Cam Lộ Phạn. He also had a daughter named Cam Lộ Vị.

The first prince of King Sư Tử Giáp succeeded to the royal throne and likewise established his capital in his royal father’s city, where he governed the people and enjoyed blessed happiness.

There was also a city not far from Ca-tỳ-la named Thiên Tý. In the city of Thiên Tý lived a wealthy elder of the Śākya clan named Thiện Giác. This elder possessed abundant riches, gems, pearls, treasures, and overflowing property.

Endowed with majestic virtue, he naturally obtained whatever he wished and lacked nothing whatsoever. His residence was no different from the palace of Vaiśravaṇa. This elder had eight daughters.

The eldest was named Ý; the second, Vô Tỷ Ý; the third, Đại Ý; the fourth, Vô Biên Ý; the fifth, Kế Ý; the sixth, Hắc Ngưu; the seventh, Sấu Ngưu; and the eighth, Ma-ha Ba-xà-ba-đề—translated during the Sui dynasty as Đại Tuệ, or Phạm Thiên. This maiden Phạm Thiên was the youngest. On the day she was born, renowned Brahmin physiognomists examined her marks and said: “If this girl later marries, she will give birth to a noble son who will certainly become a holy wheel-turning king, foremost throughout the four continents under heaven.

The seven treasures will arise naturally for him, and he will be fully endowed with one thousand sons,” continuing through the passage: “He will govern the people without employing punishment.”

The daughters of the elder Suprabuddha grew up over the years and reached marriageable age. King Suddhodana heard that in his realm there was a family of the Sakya clan, exceedingly wealthy and noble, who had eight daughters whose comely and upright beauty was rarely equaled. The king further heard a physiognomist say that the youngest daughter would give birth to a noble son.

Upon hearing this, King Suddhodana said, “I shall now seek that maiden as my wife, so that my Sugarcane lineage may produce a Wheel-Turning Sage King and its descendants may continue without dying out.” (The masters of the Vinaya relate the matter in this way, saying that Mahaprajapati was the mother of the bodhisattva Siddhartha. According to the text of the Avadana Sutra, however, it is said: “King Suddhodana is my father, and Lady Maya is my mother.” When the words of the Avadana Sutra are compared and examined against the texts of the other sutras, the meaning given in the Avadana Sutra is correct.)

King Suddhodana immediately sent an envoy to the house of the elder Suprabuddha to ask for Mahaprajapati’s hand in marriage and make her his consort. (Prajapati was translated during the Sui dynasty as “the basis of living beings’ existence.”)

Suprabuddha said to the envoy:

“Excellent, envoy! Please convey my question to the Great King: I have eight daughters. The first is named Yi, and so forth down to the eighth, named Mahaprajapati. Why does the Great King seek the youngest in marriage? If the Great King can wait until I have married off the seven elder daughters, I shall afterward send Mahaprajapati to become his consort.”

King Suddhodana sent the envoy to tell the elder:

“I cannot now wait until each of the seven elder sisters has found a husband before taking Mahaprajapati as my wife. I shall take all eight of the elder’s daughters in marriage.”

The Sakya Suprabuddha informed the Great King:

“If that is so, I shall comply with the Great King’s request. You may take them away as you please.”

King Suddhodana immediately sent his envoy to escort all eight beautiful maidens to the royal palace at the same time. After they reached the palace, the king selected two of them as his consorts. The first was named Yi, and the eighth was named Mahaprajapati. The other six were apportioned among the king’s three younger brothers, two to each as wives and consorts.

King Suddhodana received the two sisters, Yi and Mahaprajapati, into the inner palace, where he freely enjoyed himself and partook of sensual pleasures. The king lived in accordance with the laws of the realm and governed the four quarters.

Chapter 4: DESCENT FROM TUSITA HEAVEN

(Part 1)

At that time, the bodhisattva Prabhapala, while in the presence of Kasyapa Buddha, upheld the prohibitive precepts and maintained pure conduct. After his life ended, he remained in right mindfulness and was reborn in Tusita Heaven.

Why was this so?

Some beings, as they approach death, are cut into pieces by the knife-like winds and undergo suffering.

Some beings, as they approach death and the warmth sustaining their lifespan is about to cease, breathe with a troubled rattle and find no peace.

From these conditions, we know that they suffer greatly, utterly lose their original clarity of mind, and do not remember the karmic deeds of the past. They cannot concentrate their minds in tranquil samadhi.

Bodhisattvas are not like this. As the day of death approaches, they contemplate with right mindfulness and attend to their meritorious karma, so that at the moment of rebirth they know the realm into which they will be born. Bodhisattvas possess such rare and extraordinary qualities.

Bodhisattvas also possess another quality: after their lives end, they are certain to be born in a heavenly realm, whether higher or lower, though the particular heaven is not fixed. But a bodhisattva who has only one more life before succeeding to Buddhahood is certain to be born in Tusita Heaven, where his mind is joyful and his wisdom complete. Why is this?

The lower heavens are still filled with heedlessness, whereas the higher heavens possess powerful meditative concentration. Dwelling in the secluded tranquility of samadhi, their inhabitants take that state as bliss and do not seek rebirth. Moreover, they do not arouse great compassion for all beings.

A bodhisattva is not like this. Solely for the sake of teaching and transforming beings, he is born in Tusita Heaven. When devas of the lower heavenly palaces wish to hear the Dharma, they ascend to Tusita Heaven to hear it.

Those devas of the higher heavenly palaces who wish to hear the Dharma can likewise descend to Tusita Heaven to hear the Buddha-Dharma.

This bodhisattva was also born in Tusita Heaven, and the devas in the heavenly palace of Tusita called him Prabhapala. The devas passed this name among themselves and called him Prabhapala. The name Prabhapala resounded as far as the Pure Abodes, even to Akanistha, the summit of the form realm.

At that time, all the devas proclaimed, “The bodhisattva Prabhapala has been born in the inner court of Tusita Heaven.” This news resounded downward to Trayastrimsa Heaven, then to the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, and even reached the palaces of the asuras. They said among themselves, “The bodhisattva Prabhapala has been born in Tusita Heaven.” From the asura palaces at the lowest level to Akanistha, the highest heaven of the form realm, all journeyed to Tusita Heaven and assembled at the palace of the bodhisattva Prabhapala to hear the Dharma.

After the bodhisattva Prabhapala was born in Tusita Heaven, the heavenly palaces of the devas in Tusita were illuminated with brilliant radiance. The surroundings were naturally adorned with splendor, and immeasurable and boundless wonders appeared, all through the majestic spiritual power and merit of the bodhisattva Prabhapala.

The Great Brahma King and the asura kings, fully endowed with majestic virtue, all gathered in the inner court of Tusita Heaven and surrounded the bodhisattva Prabhapala before and behind. There were also immeasurable and boundless beings born in Tusita Heaven who, as soon as they beheld its five marvelous sensual pleasures, became attached and defiled in mind, entirely lost right mindfulness, and no longer remembered their former practices or the karmic causes from their past lives.

But although the bodhisattva Prabhapala, born in Tusita Heaven, beheld its supreme and marvelous five sensual pleasures, his mind was not deluded. He never lost right mindfulness of his original vow to teach and transform beings. He dwelt in Tusita Heaven for the full heavenly lifespan of four thousand years, teaching and transforming the devas of that realm by expounding the Dharma and instructing them in the characteristics of dharmas, thereby causing the devas to give rise to joyful minds.

Other beings were also born in that realm, but because some had created impure karmic causes in previous lives, although born there, they died prematurely and did not complete the heavenly lifespan. In past lives, the bodhisattva Prabhapala cultivated pure karmic causes and taught and transformed beings; therefore, he enjoyed the complete lifespan of Tusita Heaven. For this reason, the devas praised him, saying, “Rare indeed!

Rare indeed! Inconceivable!” Moreover, he possessed further inconceivable qualities. That is to say, when the bodhisattva reached the end of his lifespan in that heaven, the five signs of decline naturally appeared.

What were these five signs of decline?

“First, the flowers upon his head withered.

“Second, perspiration issued from beneath his arms.

“Third, dust and grime clung to his garments.

“Fourth, the radiance of his body disappeared.

“Fifth, he no longer delighted in sitting upon his own seat.”

When the devas of Tusita Heaven saw the five signs of decline appear in the bodhisattva Prabhapala, they cried aloud:

“Alas! Alas!”

They said to one another:

“Suffering indeed! Suffering indeed! Before long, the bodhisattva Prabhapala will depart from this Tusita palace, and we shall lose his majestic spiritual power. How will we be able to dwell in peace?”

At that time, throughout Tusita Heaven only the sound of the devas’ weeping could be heard. Their cries followed one another and resounded as far as the devas of Akanistha in the Suddhavasa heavens at the summit of the form realm. Everyone lamented:

“Alas! How sorrowful! Today the five signs of decline have appeared in the bodhisattva Prabhapala. Before long, he must descend from this state.”

From the Tusita heaven down to the palaces of the asuras, cries of lamentation were heard everywhere: “Alas! Before long, he will fall from this realm.” This sound resounded throughout every place.

The devas of Akanistha Heaven in the Form Realm and the devas of Paranirmita-vasavartin Heaven in the Desire Realm heard these cries of lamentation and all descended to Tusita Heaven. The devas of the Heaven of the Divisions of Time and the Four Heavenly Kings heard these cries of lamentation and all assembled in Tusita Heaven. Likewise, the dragon kings, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, kumbhandas, rakshasas, all earth-dwelling devas, and the devas of the Desire and Form Realms flew up together to Tusita Heaven, assembled in one place, and said to one another:

“Today we see the deva-prince Prabhapala about to depart from Tusita Heaven and descend to be born in the human realm. The period during which the five signs of decline appear for a deva-prince in Tusita Heaven corresponds to twelve years in the human realm.”

At that time, the devas of the Suddhavasa heavens all thought to themselves: “In the past, we witnessed a bodhisattva in his final existence descend from Tusita Heaven to be born in the human realm, under circumstances no different from these.” Seeing today that the five signs of decline had appeared for the Bodhisattva Prabhapala, these devas knew with certainty that the Bodhisattva would descend and be born in Jambudvipa. Together they cried aloud:

“People of the earthly realm, solemnly adorn Jambudvipa! Before long, the Bodhisattva will depart from this Tusita Heaven and take birth in Jambudvipa. You must sweep, cleanse, and put everything in order, for the Buddha is about to descend and be born.”

At that time, five hundred pratyekabuddhas were cultivating the path in a forest in Jambudvipa. As soon as these five hundred pratyekabuddhas heard the devas proclaiming this aloud, they rose upon the clouds and traveled together toward the city of Varanasi. Having reached the sky above Varanasi, each manifested the five supernormal powers, soared into the air, and emitted smoke and fire from his body. They then spoke verses and finally relinquished their lives and entered nirvana.

The Bodhisattva Prabhapala then beheld the great assembly of devas, including the world-protecting kings Brahma and Sakra, together with dragons, pisacas, and others. Having observed them all, his mind remained serene, without the slightest disturbance, fear, or anxiety. In gentle words, he addressed the great assembly of devas:

“Worthy ones, you should know that, since the five signs of decline have now appeared upon my body, before long I shall bid farewell to Tusita Heaven and descend to be born in the human realm.”

King Brahma, Sakra, and all the devas said:

“Venerable Prabhapala, as you have seen the five signs of decline appear upon your body, you will surely depart from Tusita Heaven before long and descend to be born in the human realm. Are you able to remember and know the vows and practices you made in former times?”

When the immeasurable hundreds of thousands in the great assembly of devas had spoken these words, their entire bodies trembled, the hairs upon them stood on end, and their hearts were filled with fear. With palms joined, they bowed in homage to the Bodhisattva Prabhapala.

The Bodhisattva Prabhapala told the great assembly of devas:

“My resolve is now certain and without hesitation; the time has come. You should therefore contemplate impermanence and reflect upon the terrors of the future. You should contemplate this defiled body, to which your minds are fondly attached. Because of this, the various desires bind you within the cycle of birth and death, from which you cannot escape. This foul-smelling form is truly worthy of revulsion and abandonment. All of you, with palms joined, should contemplate that neither my body nor the bodies of sentient beings have yet escaped this law of impermanence. Therefore, do not grieve for me or suffer on my account.”

The devas said:

“Venerable Prabhapala, we beseech you to shelter all sentient beings with your compassion. Please do not entertain any other thought, but remember only the causes and conditions of the original vows you made in past lives. Throughout hundreds of millions of kalpas, your incarnate bodies have undergone the karmic experiences of devas and humans through the causes and conditions of the wholesome karma created in former lives. Recall the practices of Dharma and roots of goodness that you have cultivated, and bring forth compassion for sentient beings.”

The Bodhisattva Prabhapala said to the devas:

“You should know that all sentient beings in the world, in accordance with their circumstantial recompense, are born in whatever realm they aspire to, without this ever failing to accord with their wishes—how much more so in my case. Furthermore, all sentient beings remain within the cycle of birth and death, meeting with those they love and parting from them; how can they escape?”

The devas immediately praised him:

“Rare indeed! Rare indeed! Venerable Prabhapala is inconceivable. Though abiding in the realm of impermanence and about to relinquish his life, his mind retains eloquence, remains completely lucid and penetrating, and does not waver in its aspiration.

“Moreover, Venerable Prabhapala, when all other devas see the five signs of decline appear, their minds become distressed and they lose right mindfulness altogether.”

The Bodhisattva Prabhapala once again said to the devas:

“When bodhisattvas have only one more existence before attaining their destined place, their roots of goodness increase. They know how to produce merit in the various realms, and their minds abide in tranquil concentration. When sufferings press upon them, they do not give rise to sorrow or despair, nor do they abandon beings in suffering and depart. Instead, they are able to bring forth great compassion for sentient beings.”

The devas said:

“Indeed! Indeed! Venerable Prabhapala, all sentient beings in the world who cultivate merit are born in this heavenly palace. When their merit in this realm is exhausted, they descend once more to be reborn below.”

The Bodhisattva Prabhapala told the devas:

“For that very reason, I see that sentient beings in the realms of devas and humans are burdened with many faults. I shall now depart from Tusita Heaven and be born in the human realm in order to eradicate all suffering for every sentient being in this world.”

At that time, among the assembly was a goddess who, cherishing and longing for the Bodhisattva Prabhapala, privately said to another goddess:

“We can go to Jambudvipa and see into which family our Venerable One will manifest his birth.”

The other goddess replied:

“I too now wish to dwell in Jambudvipa.”

“Why?”

“Our Venerable One is about to take birth in that realm. Therefore, I too now vow to be born there.”

The two goddesses then discussed the matter together: “Yet it is not solely for the sake of this Venerable One that we shall be born in the human realm. Why is this? When our Venerable One goes to Jambudvipa, immeasurable and boundless numbers of sentient beings will plant roots of goodness, faithfully accept and practice his teachings within his Dharma. Moreover, immeasurable and boundless numbers of sentient beings will come to that realm and cultivate meritorious deeds.”