普曜經

Chapter 4: THE DESCENT OF THE SPIRIT INTO THE WOMB

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, the Deva-prince Yama, the Deva-prince Tusita, the Deva-prince Free from Pride, the Deva-prince Skillful Transformation, Mara’s son the spiritual guide, the devas Brahma Forbearance Accumulation, Brahma Fullness, Excellent Brahma, Pure Light, Radiant Sound, Great Divine Wonder, the Pure Abode devas, the Again-Going devas, the Akanistha devas, and countless hundreds of thousands of other devas all assembled and said to one another:

“Worthy ones, if the bodhisattva goes alone to descend into his mother’s womb and we devas do not accompany and attend him, we shall forever fall among those who fail to acknowledge the kindness of instruction and nurture. Who, then, can undertake the responsibility of accompanying and protecting the bodhisattva as he descends and enters the womb, remaining constantly beside him like a shadow following its form, until he attains Buddhahood, subdues the armies of Mara, turns the Dharma wheel, brings deliverance to the four kinds of beings, and ultimately enters the great nirvana? Who, out of compassion and joyful devotion, can bring their minds into harmony so as to serve him, never leaving him, and never violating their vows?”

They then recited these verses:

Who will now undertake,

With joyful heart, to attend him?

Whoever wishes to gain renown

Should resolve to attend him.

Whoever desires the Trayastrimsa Heaven,

Renouncing the pleasures of this heavenly realm

And dwelling among jeweled maidens,

Should attend the Stainless One.

Whoever delights in wondrous trees

And longs for heavenly palaces

That transform and become golden in hue

Should attend the Stainless One.

Whose mind reflects upon countless things,

Yet takes no pleasure in disputes,

Whose desires are few, like lovely flowers,

And who is beloved by men and women;

The Tusita Heaven is tranquil,

Where devas seek great majesty,

Are honored wherever they are born,

And delight in far-reaching renown.

Whoever desires boundless manifestations

Within the palace of the Self-Mastery Heaven

Must practice with a wholesome mind

And should delight in this meritorious work.

Though the king of Mara harbors a venomous mind,

He aspires to what is exalted

And delights in revering this Dharma,

Mastering and transcending all desires.

Whoever transcends the Desire Realm

And reaches the abode of Brahma,

Cultivating the four Immeasurable Minds

In the middling and highest celestial realms,

Aspires toward the devas’ joys.

Like a holy wheel-turning king,

Whose household is always secure,

Attend the One Free from Desire.

Whoever wishes to gain the peace of a king,

Abundant treasures and immense wealth,

A retinue free from enmity,

And respectful escorts wherever one goes;

Whoever desires riches, beauty, wealth, and rank,

With fame resounding everywhere,

And to be praised as a worthy person,

Should come attend the One of Brahma’s voice.

Whoever desires the joys of devas and humans

And happiness throughout the three realms,

A secure abode and peace in the Dharma,

Should attend the Great Sage of peace.

Whoever would remove lust, anger, and delusion

And wishes to cast off every darkness,

With a tranquil, serene, and simple heart,

Should serve the One Whose Mind Is Tamed and Concentrated.

Learners, those beyond learning, and pratyekabuddhas

Will attain omniscience,

The ten powers, and the lion’s roar;

Therefore, attend the Ocean of Wisdom.

A wholesome mind closes the paths of evil,

Attains secure abiding in the deathless,

And perfects the Noble Eightfold Path;

Attend the One Who Transcends the Five Destinies.

Whoever wishes to behold the Buddha

And hear the Dharma of great loving-kindness,

And yearns for every blessing and good fortune,

Should attend the Self-Mastered Holy One.

Whoever would end the sufferings of birth, aging, and death

And wishes to undo the subtle bonds,

Becoming pure like empty space,

Should attend the radiant True Person.

Whoever wishes to be revered by all,

Possessing excellent marks and wondrous virtue,

And wishes to aid both oneself and others,

Should attend the Venerable One.

His morality, concentration, and wisdom

Are truly immeasurable;

He gives rise to ultimate peace and well-being;

Therefore, attend that Great Holy One.

Whoever wishes to comprehend the profound,

The mysterious and wondrous meaning difficult to attain,

And wishes to gain wisdom and self-awakening,

Should attend the Great King of Physicians.

At that time, after the devas heard these verses of praise, the Four Heavenly Kings, together with forty thousand followers; hundreds of thousands of devas from the Trayastrimsa, Yama, Tusita, Free from Arrogance and Pleasure, and Self-Mastery through Transformation heavens, each accompanied by hundreds of thousands of deva-princes; sixty thousand Mara devas who in former lives had accumulated virtue and cultivated purity; sixty-eight thousand Brahma-kayika devas, extending as far as the Akanistha devas, together with countless hundreds of thousands of their retinues; and countless hundreds of thousands of devas who had come from the four directions—all assembled. Each of these deva-princes extolled and praised him in verse:

Hear us speak of the Immeasurable One,

Whose understanding clearly reaches the Three Vehicles,

Who abandons sensual pleasure and abides in peace,

Delighting in this supremely pure place.

The Great Holy One descends in spirit;

We serve and honor him,

Guarding and protecting the Sage’s virtue,

Wondrously, without any harmful intent.

Holding drums and playing harmonious music,

We praise the merit of the Ocean of Virtue,

Taking refuge in the Most Honored One

And hearing of the bodhisattva’s supreme wisdom.

We scatter flowers in offering to the Holy One

And present the Buddha with every flower and fragrance,

Delighting the World-Honored One,

Who, free from desire, rests secure and unharmed.

Wondrous flowers and minds of purity,

Wholesome vows radiating light;

The Brahma-kayika devas scatter flowers,

Offering them everywhere to pure merit.

Within the womb he remains unstained,

Thoroughly understanding aging, illness, and death;

Joyfully we attend the Ultimate One,

Wholeheartedly serving him with reverence.

Devas and humans gain wholesome benefit,

Beholding him take seven steps;

Sakra and Brahma both bow their heads,

And fragrant water cleanses every thought.

His intent accords with worldly convention;

From celestial palaces to the earthly realm,

He relinquishes the precious throne of the Sakya clan;

All delight in attending him.

Taking grass, he sits at the place of awakening,

Attains Buddhahood, and subdues the Maras;

Brahma entreats him to turn the Dharma wheel,

And all increasingly obey and abide in peace.

Throughout the three realms he performs the work of a Buddha;

Countless hundreds of millions taste the deathless,

Refreshed through his teaching and transformation,

Casting away all thoughts of seeking fame.

At that time, the devas wished to proceed to the magnificent chamber and behold the bodhisattva’s wondrous countenance. They thought to themselves, “This True Person now possesses an exceptionally pure and distinguished appearance. What manner of woman, then, must his mother be? His riches must surely be abundant.” Each carried incense and flowers with the utmost loving reverence, sincerely seeking blessed recompense and vowing to perfect the bases of spiritual power. The instant this thought arose, the devas’ palaces suddenly vanished.

The royal garden in the city of Kapilavastu was quiet and solemn. The residence of King Suddhodana was exceedingly beautiful, yet it could scarcely compare with the great hall in the inner palace. There was a park where animals were kept, and there the magnificent palaces shone splendidly. Fragrance pervaded the entire place, which was pure, immaculate, and radiant, replete with blessings, prosperity, and majestic spiritual power.

The devas, adorned with jeweled necklaces, arrived there together at the same moment. Suddenly emerging from beneath the earth, they paid homage to the queen, lifted her body upon a single finger, and manifested in midair. Together they then recited these verses:

Celestial jeweled maidens wandered at play

And beheld the bodhisattva’s beautiful form;

Within their hearts they wondered,

“What manner of woman is the bodhisattva’s mother?”

Their hands all held various flowers;

On hearing of her, affection arose in them.

Bearing incense and flowers,

They joined their palms and paid homage.

With every kind of wondrous fragrance,

They prostrated themselves in reverence:

“We have encountered one of great renown,

Whose countenance is truly gentle and gracious.”

Though wishing to gaze upon the celestial maidens

With their wondrous and lovely beauty,

When they beheld the queen’s countenance,

They looked upon themselves with celestial eyes.

Her countenance was more beautiful still;

Her perfect virtue gave birth to the Noble One.

Her hands and feet were like nectar,

Adorned with fine and radiant jewels.

Surpassing the entire host of devas,

She bore the Deva among Devas.

They never tired of beholding her form,

And their hearts grew ever more joyful.

Her majestic virtue illuminated empty space;

Her radiance penetrated the heavenly hosts.

Free from every impure and mingled odor,

Her body shone with such brilliance;

Her complexion was like pure gold,

And her spiritual majesty reached the devas.

Like a queen bee producing honey,

She traced a pure and fragrant path.

Her eyes shone like pure gold,

Radiant and clear throughout empty space.

Her purity had reached perfection,

Transcending both existence and nonexistence.

Her thighs and heels were shapely like an elephant’s;

Her knees were slender, even, and straight;

Her hands and feet were full and immaculate.

Having contemplated her many qualities,

The jeweled maidens’ doubts were wholly dispelled, and they offered praise.

They scattered flowers and circumambulated her clockwise,

Praising her as worthy of the name Mother of the Buddha,

Then returned once more to their heavenly palaces.

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings, Śakra, the Yāma gods, and the Nirmāṇarati gods, together with heavenly dragons, nightmare demons, man-harming demons, asuras, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, all came to take refuge in the Supreme One among humankind. They went before him to lead the way and protect the Most Honored One, allowing no evil thing or harmful intention to approach him, nor any worldly person to cause difficulties.

The road leading to the palace where the Queen dwelt was entirely pure, peaceful, and auspicious; her retinue surrounded her and roamed through the sky. Everything was peaceful and free from disorder, and all kept watch together. When the heavenly princes learned of this, they all wished to come and attend upon her.

Joyfully and reverently, they honored the Queen, holding incense and flowers and joining their palms in homage. Seeing that the pure Honored One was about to descend in spirit, that the compassionate Lion was about to be born, they all encouraged and supported his protection for the sake of the Dharma.

When the bodhisattva was about to transfer his spirit, far away in the east, innumerable bodhisattvas in Tuṣita Heaven all journeyed together to that land to make offerings to him. From the south, west, and north; the four intermediate directions; above and below; and the immeasurable Buddha-worlds throughout the ten directions, innumerable bodhisattvas in their final existence, dwelling in the palace of Tuṣita, all came there to make offerings to the bodhisattva.

Each of the Four Heavenly Kings brought eighty-four thousand companies of celestial maidens. The gods of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, Yāma Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, Nirmāṇarati Heaven, and Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven each brought eighty-four thousand celestial maidens, playing instruments and singing as they came to make offerings to the bodhisattva.

At that time, the bodhisattva immediately entered the samādhi called Concentrated Resolve, Treasury of Universal Virtue, Equal Gathering. He manifested all manner of great towers, while bodhisattvas numbering in the hundreds of thousands of koṭis and multitudes of gods surrounded him, causing Tuṣita Heaven to quake. After causing it to quake, he emitted light from his body that universally illuminated this entire trichiliocosm of Buddha lands.

It penetrated even the darkest places, enabling all beings to behold that great radiance. The light of the sun and moon could not compare with it. That radiance shone into the realms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, and among human beings afflicted by the eight difficulties; all gained peace and security through that light.

Wherever beings received the aid of that radiance, all their lust, anger, and delusion were completely extinguished. They were no longer arrogant, distressed, greedy, or jealous, but possessed loving hearts and regarded one another as father, mother, child, elder brother, or younger brother.

The music of gods and humans sounded by itself without being played. Hundreds of thousands of koṭis of tones blended in harmony, causing innumerable gods to recollect what was wholesome and think wholesome thoughts, so that the great celestial palace could not be destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of celestial maidens followed in attendance, playing lutes and zithers. With exquisite music they praised the virtues that the bodhisattva had accumulated in former lives, speaking these verses:

In former lives he amassed virtue,

Always aspiring to roots of goodness.

His giving was true and righteous;

Therefore he is now revered.

Throughout innumerable kalpas,

He gave with compassion for sentient beings.

As the fruit of that generosity,

The gods scatter fragrant flowers.

He cut flesh from his body in fulfillment of his vow,

Out of compassion for the birds.

As the fruit of that generosity,

Hungry ghosts obtain food and drink.

Throughout innumerable kalpas,

He observed the precepts without breach or transgression.

As the recompense of keeping the precepts,

The calamities of the evil destinies are all extinguished.

Throughout innumerable koṭis of kalpas,

He sincerely practiced patience.

Through this fruit of the practice of patience,

His loving heart embraces gods and humans.

Throughout innumerable koṭis of kalpas,

He advanced directly, without fear.

Through this fruit of diligence,

His excellent body is like Mount Sumeru.

Throughout innumerable koṭis of kalpas,

Through meditation and contemplation he dispelled all defilements.

Thus he attained the fruit of one-pointed mind

And delights no longer in sensual objects.

Throughout innumerable koṭis of kalpas,

He cultivated wisdom and severed craving.

Thus he attained the fruit of wisdom,

Radiant and utterly pure.

Clad in the armor of goodness, he vanquishes evil,

Universally cherishing sentient beings.

His benevolent virtue has reached the other shore;

Homage to the Pure One who abides in peace.

His radiance shines everywhere,

Completely removing all defiling dust.

He serves as the eye guiding the trichiliocosm;

Homage to the Supreme One who will attain the Way.

Manifesting spiritual powers, he flies through the air,

Revealing ultimate awakening.

He transforms and liberates all sentient beings;

We bow before the skillful shipmaster.

All study his words of purity,

Which reveal how birth and death may be ended.

He has never abandoned conventional teachings,

Yet amid worldly things he remains unattached.

His mind understands and seeks extensive learning,

Possessing immeasurable, great benefit;

How much more those who hear and receive the Dharma,

And gain faith, joy, and loving delight.

Tuṣita Heaven suddenly grows dark,

While the sun rises over Jambudvīpa.

Inconceivable myriads of koṭis

Delight in the Way and dispel the dust of defilement.

Peace and prosperity shall swiftly flourish;

Innumerable gods arrive.

Celestial maidens perform music,

Sweetly heard within the royal palace.

His virtue is complete, making all things flourish;

His mother’s countenance becomes exceedingly beautiful.

With a son so resplendent as this,

The three realms are exceedingly peaceful.

He will never forget his original vow;

Free from greed, anger, and contention,

He reverently spreads loving-kindness.

Through his awe-inspiring spiritual power among humankind,

The kingdom will increasingly prosper.

He shall establish the lineage of a Wheel-Turning King;

Kapilavastu will become prosperous and beautiful,

Its treasuries exceedingly abundant.

Yakṣas and nightmare demons,

Gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits

Stand guard over the Honored One among humankind;

Before long they shall attain liberation.

Protect the Buddha, who has amassed virtue;

Honor, cherish, and serve him,

So as to encourage cultivation of the Way,

Hoping he will swiftly become the Teacher of the Way.

The Buddha told the bhikṣus:

“At that time, after the bodhisattva had passed through the bitterly cold winter and early spring arrived, the mansion of the constellations was put in order. At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, the trees whose branches had stood bare began to sprout leaves and blossom, and the weather became mild, cool, and warm. The Honored One of the Three Realms then surveyed the ten directions.

The time was now precisely right, and the Puṣya constellation appeared in accord. The bodhisattva then descended in majestic spirit from Tuṣita Heaven, transforming into a white elephant with six tusks. Its faculties were tranquil; its head and neck shone brilliantly, and its eyes blazed like sunlight.

He descended in spirit and entered the womb through the right side. The bodhisattva entered through the right side because his actions were never contrary to righteousness.

“Queen Khiết Diệu, who had been sleeping deeply, suddenly awoke and saw the white elephant king, its color shining brilliantly as previously described, come and enter her womb. Her body became light, peaceful, joyful, and comfortable, with a sensation she had never before experienced. Her body and mind were serene, as though she had attained meditative concentration. Queen Diệu was then deeply moved. She shook out her garments and perfumed them with incense; joyful in body and mind, she rose from her seat. Surrounded before and behind by her palace women, she departed the inner palace, went to the aśoka tree, and sat peacefully beneath it. She then ordered a maidservant to convey this message to King Bạch Tịnh:

“‘May it please Your Majesty to deign to come here and witness this joyful omen.’

“When the King heard this, he was exceedingly delighted. He immediately ordered the royal carriage prepared and, attended by his ministers, proceeded to the aśoka tree, but he was unable to enter the gate. The King thought this was because he was riding upon a lofty elephant carriage. After reflecting for a moment, he spoke this verse:

“I recall that when I formerly rode an elephant carriage,

My body was not heavy like a cloud.

A radiance has entered my palace—

Who can explain this manifestation?

“At that time, a god appeared in midair, showing half his body, and spoke these verses to King Bạch Tịnh:

“The virtuous Honored One of the Three Realms,

Through compassion, brings blessings and prosperity.

The bodhisattva has departed Tuṣita

And descended into the womb of Queen Diệu.

Therefore join your palms and bow in homage;

His spirit has come and entered that palace.

Queen Diệu, contemplating within her mind,

Beholds many wondrous things.

It is because of this event

That these responsive transformations have occurred,

Manifesting within the palace;

Never have they been false.

Pure as the king of snowy mountains,

His radiance surpasses the sun and moon.

His form is perfectly distinct:

A great elephant of boundless strength,

As firm and certain as vajra,

Unique in thought, mindfulness, and conduct.

Thus he descended in spirit and entered the womb;

Therefore accept my words.

He sees the three realms shrouded in darkness.

The gods praise him millions of times,

Without weariness and without anger,

Their minds tranquil and wholly concentrated.”

“At that time, the Queen came forth and spoke these verses, suggesting to the King:

“May the Heavenly King summon brahmins

Who clearly understand and can interpret dreams,

So they may explain this meaning for me:

Does it portend good or evil for the realm?

“May the Great King grant my request.”

The Brahmins, learned in the scriptures,

Should be summoned before me

To hear the meaning of this auspicious dream:

A radiance surpassing the sun and moon,

A great and beautiful body with six tusks,

Entered straight into my womb.

I beg to hear its meaning.

The king then summoned the Brahmins and asked them the meaning of this. The Brahmins spoke this verse:

Listen now to these words:

This is a joyful omen, not an evil one.

You will bear a son endowed with excellent marks;

If he remains at home, he will become a holy king.

If, out of compassion for the world, he renounces the household life,

He will become a Buddha and save the three realms.

His amrita will universally benefit the world

And unravel the net of doubt.

Hearing these auspicious words from the Brahmins,

Her heart was no longer afraid.

Through wholesome food and drink,

Her body remained ever peaceful and secure.

King Bạch Tịnh then thought to himself: “To what dwelling should Diệu Hậu be taken so that she may remain entirely peaceful and secure?”

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings came before Bạch Tịnh and said:

“Great King, be at ease. We ourselves shall now create a magnificent palace for the bodhisattva.”

Then the heavenly sovereign Thích, Diệm Heaven, Đâu-suất Heaven, Vô kiêu lạc Heaven, and Hóa tự tại Heaven came before the king, each offering a celestial palace as a residence for the queen. The Heavenly King of Đâu-suất said:

“I shall return and bring my palace to offer to the bodhisattva as his dwelling.”

The deity of Hóa tự tại Heaven said:

“I possess the supreme palace of the Desire Realm. Its radiance illuminates the devas and dispels darkness. The queen should be invited to dwell there, and Diệu Hậu should be honored with incense, flowers, music, and all kinds of rare and exquisite food and drink.”

Thus, O bhiksus, all the heavenly kings of the Desire Realm went to Ca-duy-la-vệ and offered their palaces, single-mindedly intent upon making offerings to the bodhisattva.

King Bạch Tịnh also erected a palace there, adorning it beautifully like a celestial abode. At that time, through the Great Samadhi, the bodhisattva caused the queen to manifest throughout all those palaces and, within each of them, to nurture the bodhisattva in her womb.

The heavenly kings, each in his own palace, could not see one another. Each thought to himself: “The bodhisattva’s mother is now dwelling in my palace and nowhere else.”

The Buddha then spoke this verse:

Abiding in the samadhi of Great Concentration,

He performed inconceivable transformations,

Delighting all the devas

By first manifesting auspicious signs.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“At that time, the bodhisattva sat within the right side of Diệu Hậu’s womb, in a pavilion beautifully adorned with many precious objects. It was perfumed with exceptionally rare kinds of sandalwood incense, firm as vajra and soft as celestial robes. Their exquisite fragrance spread throughout the trichiliocosm and all the worlds of the ten directions. The many-tiered palace originally belonging to the bodhisattva was a beautiful palace of the devas of the Desire Realm. The bodhisattva manifested within that palace when he descended in spirit and entered the womb.

“That very night, in the Water Realm below, six million six hundred thousand yojanas away, a great lotus arose, straight and tall, reaching as far as Brahma Heaven. No one at all could see it except a Brahma named Âm Văn, who could behold a million Buddha realms, with majestic spiritual radiance shining throughout the great trichiliocosm as clearly as if it were directly before his eyes. That Brahma also carried a vajra vessel containing a hundred kinds of food and drink, which he respectfully offered to the bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva partook of those foods and saw that throughout the ten directions there was no one else who could receive even a single drop of those offerings, consume it, and digest it. Only a bodhisattva in his final existence could digest them. Furthermore, by virtue of the merit, virtue, wisdom, and spiritual cultivation accumulated in previous lives, the venerable heavenly sovereign Thích and Brahma kings all came, bowed their heads in reverence, and listened to the scripture.

“At that time, the bodhisattva raised one finger, and seats, couches, beds, and chairs of every kind naturally appeared through transformation. Brahma, Thích, and the Four Heavenly Kings each sat upon them according to his proper place. Seeing that they were seated, the bodhisattva taught them the true Dharma, enlightening their minds and causing each of them to become joyful and delighted.

When the bodhisattva saw that they wished to return, he lowered his right hand, causing all the seats to disappear. Thích, Brahma, and the Four Heavenly Kings immediately understood the bodhisattva’s signal. Together they circumambulated him to the right and then returned to their palaces.

For this reason, at the bodhisattva’s dwelling within the right side of Diệu Hậu’s womb, innumerable hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas from the east, west, south, and north, the four intermediate directions, above and below—throughout the ten directions—came to meet him. They bowed their heads in homage and wished to hear the scripture. Seeing them arrive, the bodhisattva’s entire body shone brilliantly, and he conjured pure seats.

They all came and sat there, and together inquired about the unsurpassed Mahayana. The bodhisattva extensively distinguished and explained it clearly for them. None of them could see one another.

The bodhisattva therefore emitted pure radiance that illuminated all the devas. The bodhisattva’s mother knew nothing of these events, nor did she experience any impediment. She merely felt that her body was light, gentle, peaceful, and secure.

She experienced no discord, no lust, anger, or delusion, and no thoughts of the three poisons. Neither heat nor cold, hunger nor thirst afflicted her. Her holy body and fingers were undefiled.

She encountered nothing disagreeable among forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tangible objects, or dharmas. She had no evil dreams and was never touched by impurity. Devas, nagas, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, and all men and women, old and young, in the kingdom of Ca-duy-la-vệ and in distant great kingdoms were joyful and elated, harboring no other thoughts.

Anyone afflicted by illnesses of wind and cold, feverish disorders, ailments of the ears, eyes, nose, throat, body, or mind, diseases of the lips, teeth, or gullet, fatigue, madness, insanity, scabies, sores, or ulcers came before the bodhisattva’s mother. When she extended her hand and stroked their heads, all their illnesses vanished, and they returned home.

“The queen then took blades of grass as tallies—beautiful and naturally formed—placed them upon the ground, and afterward gave them to the sick. Those patients who received this medicine all became peaceful and secure, and their illnesses were no more. At that time, the bodhisattva’s mother had the sick stand beside her right side, whereupon they all became peaceful and secure, free from every illness, and each returned to his former dwelling.

“All who were able to come and gaze upon the queen’s right side saw the bodhisattva descending in spirit into his mother’s womb, beautiful, pure, and immaculate, like a bright mirror clearly reflecting the features of a face. All rejoiced and were elated, hoping that he would deliver them. While the bodhisattva dwelt in his mother’s womb, celestial music naturally arose in harmony, and heavenly incense and flowers naturally rained down in accordance with the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Banners, pennants, and canopies of five-colored silk came and went in succession. The kingdom was peaceful, wealthy, and prosperous, without such impurities as ditches, pits, dust, or thorns. Banners and canopies covered the entire city of Ca-duy-la-vệ.

The kinsmen of the Thích clan and the populace ate, drank, and made merry, beating drums, dancing, singing, and playing. They delighted in giving, accumulated merit, and all rejoiced together for four months.

“King Bạch Tịnh purely cultivated the holy life, set aside the affairs of state, imposed no additional punishments, took the practice of the Dharma as his foundation, and did not covet worldly glory.

“At that time, the bodhisattva remained in the womb for ten months, enlightening and instructing the devas and people of thirty-six celestial levels, causing them all to abide in the stages of the Sravaka Vehicle and the Mahayana. He then recited this verse:

The bodhisattva dwelt within his mother’s womb;

Walls, chambers, dwellings, and the earth

Naturally shone with golden light,

As the devas rejoiced that he would become the Dharma King.

The great palace was magnificently adorned;

They saw him seated in the lotus posture.

The fragrance of the Guiding Teacher

Pervaded the three-thousandfold world.

In the great chiliocosm below,

A great, fragrant, pure lotus arose,

Reaching as far as Brahma Heaven,

Bearing nourishment as an offering to the bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva alone could digest it;

No one else was able to do so.

Nourishment accumulated over countless kalpas—

Eating and drinking it purified body and mind.

Thích, Brahma, and the Four Heavenly Kings

Bowing their heads, they made offerings to the Buddha,

Reverently listened to the true Dharma,

Circumambulated Him to the right, then returned.

Cherishing the Dharma, they came to the bodhisattva.

Beautiful, radiant, pure, and unhindered,

They joyfully listened with single-minded attention to the true Dharma.

Hearing the teaching, all rejoiced.

Men and women came from the four directions.

Those whose minds were disturbed by demons,

Upon seeing the Queen, found their hearts relieved

And returned home in peace and joy.

Those afflicted by various poisons, wind, or cold,

By diseases of the ears, eyes, nose, and throat,

And by countless other illnesses,

Were all restored to well-being when the Queen anointed them.

Sometimes she took a single blade of grass

And handed it to them, and their illness immediately vanished.

Freed from sickness and at peace, they returned home.

While still in the womb, He became a king of physicians.

The bodhisattvas of the ten directions

Beheld the Queen with their own eyes,

Like the sun and moon in the sky.

They saw the bodhisattva and His retinue,

Free from the maladies of lust, anger, and delusion,

Without false conceptions, greed, jealousy, or resentment.

Her mind was always joyful.

She suffered neither hunger nor thirst, heat nor cold.

Heavenly instruments sounded without being struck.

The heavens rained down fragrant and beautiful flowers.

Devas, humans, and nonhuman beings who saw her

Never conceived a harmful thought.

Devas and humans joyfully ate and drank,

While countless kinds of music played in harmony.

When the rain fell, rich and poor alike rejoiced;

Medicinal herbs, flowers, and fruits flourished.

For seven days it rained upon the royal palace,

And food was given to the poor.

The impoverished joyfully bowed their heads;

Offerings were piled as high as mountains.

King Suddhodana was constantly joyful,

Practicing the Dharma rather than governing the realm.

Entering the chamber, he asked the Queen,

“Are you and the Holy One in your womb at ease?”

Chapter 5: AS THE BIRTH APPROACHED, THIRTY-TWO AUSPICIOUS SIGNS APPEARED

The Buddha related this to the bhiksus.

When the bodhisattva had completed the tenth month and the time came for the bud to open into bloom, thirty-two auspicious signs appeared:

1. The trees in the rear garden naturally bore fruit.

2. On level ground, lotus flowers as large as carriage wheels sprang forth.

3. On level ground, withered trees all put forth flowers and leaves.

4. Heavenly spirits arrived carrying carriages adorned with the seven precious substances.

5. Twenty thousand treasure repositories within the earth naturally revealed themselves.

6. Fragrant scents spread everywhere, near and far.

7. From the snowy mountains, five hundred lions emerged and stood in ranks at the city gates, yet harmed no one.

8. Five hundred white elephants stood in ranks before the palace hall.

9. Throughout the four quarters, fragrant rain fell from the sky.

10. The springs within the royal palace naturally changed into foods and drinks of a hundred flavors, providing for the hungry and thirsty.

11. Dragon maidens appeared with half their bodies visible, standing in the open sky.

12. Ten thousand heavenly maidens holding peacock-feather fans appeared upon the palace walls.

13. Heavenly maidens holding ten thousand golden vessels filled with amrita stood in the open sky.

14. Ten thousand heavenly maidens, holding ten thousand vessels filled with fragrant water, walked and stood in the open sky.

15. Ten thousand heavenly maidens holding banners and canopies stood in attendance.

16. Heavenly maidens filled every part of the open sky and played hundreds of thousands of kinds of music, which naturally blended in harmony.

17. The clear blue waters of the four great rivers became still.

18. The sun and moon halted above the roof of the palace and did not move.

19. The Fei star descended, while the other stars surrounded it in attendance.

20. Interwoven jeweled curtains covered the entire royal palace.

21. Luminous moon-jewels hung throughout the palace and shone brilliantly.

22. The torches within the palace no longer gave any light.

23. Chests containing garments and ornaments stood ready upon their racks.

24. Pearls, jeweled necklaces, and all manner of treasures naturally appeared.

25. Venomous creatures hid themselves, while auspicious birds circled in flight and sang.

26. All activity in the hells ceased, and no painful punishments were carried out.

27. The earth shook mightily, and every mound and hillock became level.

28. Alleys and crossroads were repaired and leveled, then strewn with various kinds of flowers.

29. All pits and hollows were filled and leveled.

30. Fishermen, hunters, enemies, and malicious people all gave rise to loving-kindness.

31. All pregnant women in the region gave birth to sons. The hundred kinds of illness and disability—mutism, speech impediments, blindness, deafness, deformity, hunchback, and so forth—were all completely cured.

32. All tree spirits appeared with half their bodies visible, bowing their heads in homage and attendance.

These were the thirty-two auspicious signs.

At that very moment, there was no one on either side who did not praise this unprecedented event.

When the time for the Queen to give birth to the bodhisattva was drawing near, relying upon the majestic spiritual power of the Path, she dressed and adorned herself at the beginning of the night, brought her maidservants to the King, and said:

“Great King, I beg you to consider my request. Much time has passed since I last went to the flower garden. Today, if the Great King sees no difficulty or obstacle, and feels neither anger nor displeasure, only then would I dare ask permission to go there. It is secluded and peaceful, a place where I may contemplate the teachings of the sutras.”

King Suddhodana replied:

“Now that the Queen carries the Holy One in her womb, it is fitting that you should also go for an excursion. The ornamental trees, flowers, and fruits are all exceedingly luxuriant and flourishing. The Queen may do as she deems appropriate. Fine palaces and chambers have already been prepared there, together with countless varieties of trees and fragrant, beautiful, and deliciously sweet flowers and fruits. After touring and viewing them, you will have no regrets.”

Hearing this, the Queen rejoiced greatly. The King ordered the royal carriage to be adorned. Attendants and palace maidens surrounded the jeweled carriage of the Holy Mother as she departed to tour the Lumbini Grove.

All the carriages, horses, and people were adorned in the same colors, resplendent and exceedingly pleasing to behold. Two hundred white elephants, both before and behind, accompanied them and led the way, adorned with strands of bright pearls and jeweled necklaces hanging all around them. The white elephants each had six tusks and were all lords among elephants.

Their backs were covered with ornaments of pure gold, and when the gentle wind blew, the strands of pearls and jeweled necklaces struck one another and produced melodious sounds. Many kinds of imposing banners and streamers were displayed. At that time, the realm was peaceful and secure, and no one harbored thoughts of war.

Her retinue surrounded and protected the Queen as she traveled to the Lumbini Grove. Sakra, Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings, and others all accompanied and guarded her. The devas scattered flowers.

Those sent ahead swiftly inspected the palaces and chambers, but upon returning they reported that these were unsatisfactory. Hearing this, the attendants immediately received orders to inspect them again and sweep them clean. The Queen was about to arrive; the King was about to arrive.

They returned and reported that everything had been repaired, adorned, and cleansed. Hearing this, the Queen rejoiced greatly. She entered the palace chambers and said:

“This is indeed a place that pleases me. Everything is level, without any hollows or uneven ground, and it is suitable for sitting in meditation and contemplation.”

At that time, majestic radiance shone brilliantly, while pure, rich fragrances permeated the air and gentle sounds were heard. Her person was beautifully adorned with countless rare and precious jeweled necklaces, and all who saw her rejoiced. Innumerable musical instruments—horns, flutes, drums, and others—were played together.

Hearing those gentle sounds, the heavenly maidens responded in harmony. They also saw beside the Queen a beautiful carriage, and the men and women, adults and children, were alike in appearance; the charioteers were likewise. They wished to keep the Queen from hearing the clamorous sounds of the countless divisions of troops—elephant cavalry, horse cavalry, chariots, and infantry.

Every division was beautifully arrayed and stood outside the gate. As soon as the Queen reached the gate, a great sound was heard, answered by hundreds of thousands of voices, all acclaiming, “Long live the Queen!” until the sound reverberated everywhere. The Queen’s carriage was beautifully adorned and moved steadily and securely.

Its heavenly lion throne was fashioned from four jeweled trees whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits were all lush and flourishing. Cranes, peacocks, and other birds sang in melodious voices. The carriage of the seven precious substances was adorned with banners, streamers, jeweled canopies, flags, and parasols.

At that time, devas in the open sky came and sat upon the carriage, also raising their voices in harmonious and wondrous song.

At that time, the Queen sat upon the lion throne. The realm trembled three times in six ways, and the devas scattered flowers. On that day, the Holy Queen was to give birth to the Deva among Devas beneath the Lân Bính tree.

The Four Heavenly Kings together pushed the Queen’s carriage, while Śakra, Lord of the Devas, prepared and swept the roads clean. Brahmā, the Heavenly King, also stood in orderly ranks at the front to lead the way. Hundreds of thousands of devas bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

Seeing this, the royal father rejoiced inwardly and thought, “This must surely be the truly honored one among devas and humans, for he has caused Śakra, Brahmā, and the Four Heavenly Kings all to come and make offerings. He will certainly become a Buddha. Never before in the three realms has anyone been shown such reverence.

Even if the devas, nāgas, honored spirits, Śakra, Brahmā, and the Four Heavenly Kings were suddenly to have their heads split apart and lose their lives, they would still make offerings to the Buddha and would certainly never depart.”

At that time, the Queen’s elephant carriages and precious horses, together with the company traveling on foot behind her, numbered forty-eight thousand. Adorned with various precious objects and equipped with weapons, they advanced with heroic bearing in many ranks on her left and right, surrounding her in front and behind. Sixty thousand palace women went before and behind to lead the way.

Forty thousand elders of the Śākya clan, relatives of King Śuddhodana, all came to attend her. Sixty-four thousand royal maidservants escorted the bodhisattva’s mother. Celestial maidens, wives of nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, asuras, and all their consorts—each company numbering eighty-four thousand—were adorned with every kind of precious necklace.

They played innumerable kinds of music with differing sounds, praising and extolling the virtues of the bodhisattva’s mother, and together followed and attended her to the Lân Bính Grove. The roads were prepared, fragrant water was sprinkled upon the ground, and celestial flowers were scattered. All the trees blossomed and bore fruit.

The fragrances of honey trees and sandalwood pervaded the ten directions. All the trees in that realm had been magically manifested by the devas.

At that time, as soon as the Queen took her seat in the precious carriage, celestial maidens followed her. The trees emitted light and diffused fine fragrances as offerings to the Queen. They were formed from precious pearls, jewels, and many kinds of treasures. Their trunks, boughs, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits were all fragrant. Countless banners and streamers adorned the entire place. The ground there was level, spacious, and free from impurity. Many kinds of soft grasses grew naturally, covering the earth like celestial robes, in accordance with the Dharma gateway of the Buddhas of old.

The devas simultaneously played hundreds of thousands of musical instruments while attending the Queen. As soon as she reached the foot of the tree, through the bodhisattva’s spiritual might, a branch bent down and turned toward her of its own accord. The devas in the sky bowed their heads in homage.

The light of the sun and moon shone clearly. The celestial maidens praised her merit and virtue. When the Queen arrived beneath the tree, the tree spirit rejoiced.

The Queen thought, “Why have such auspicious signs appeared? The offerings and reverence we now receive are because the Holy One, ascending from the Avīci Hell to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three in the upper realm, has never been indolent or negligent. He will end birth, aging, and death; his majestic radiance is unsurpassed, and he will dispel every darkness.

Now the Holy One is being born, like a beautiful flowering tree filled with fragrant blossoms and fruit. Myriads of kotis of devas bow their heads even from afar; the great earth trembles in six ways and emits pure, brilliant light. Hundreds of thousands of musical instruments also sound together.”

The devas free from desire rejoiced exceedingly, for on that day the Holy One extended compassion universally to all. Brahmā, Śakra, and the Four Heavenly Kings joyfully paid homage. This was the Honored One among devas and humans, whose virtue surpassed even the sun and moon.

While still in his mother’s womb, he emitted golden light. That light outshone the sun and moon and even obscured the radiance of Śakra, Brahmā, and all the devas. Throughout hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddha lands, all evil destinies vanished; every sentient being attained peace and happiness and was no longer afflicted by illnesses and suffering.

Hundreds of thousands of devas together scattered flowers and praised the bodhisattva’s vigor, steadfast as vajra. From the realms below, seven precious lotus flowers naturally emerged.

At that time, the bodhisattva was born from his mother’s right side. Suddenly his body appeared standing upon a precious lotus. He took seven steps and, in a Brahmā voice, proclaimed the teaching on impermanence: “I shall liberate beings in the heavens and throughout the human world.

I shall become the Honored One among devas and humans, the Unsurpassed One of the three realms, and shall end the suffering of birth and death. I shall cause all sentient beings to attain the peace and bliss of the unconditioned.” Śakra, Brahmā, and the Lord of the Devas immediately descended, bringing every kind of fragrant water with which to bathe the bodhisattva. Nine nāgas sprayed fragrant water down from above to bathe the Holy Honored One.

When the bathing was finished, his body and mind were pure. His dwelling place and the paths upon which he would walk were perfectly prepared. Born into a great clan like a precious treasure, endowed with extraordinary and excellent marks, he was worthy either to turn the Dharma wheel or to become a wheel-turning king within the three realms.

Through a single path he would shelter all throughout the ten directions. King Śuddhodana’s heart suddenly overflowed with immeasurable joy.

At that time, five thousand maidservants all gave birth to sons, each of whom was a mighty warrior, and all, young and old, were placed at the service of King Śuddhodana. Eight hundred wet nurses also gave birth to sons. Hundreds of thousands of elephants bore calves.

White mares bore foals as white as snow, with fine, sleek coats. Golden-colored goats bore as many as twenty thousand kids. When he traveled in a carriage adorned with precious objects, they all bowed their heads.

How should one now conduct oneself wherever he went forth and performed his deeds? His virtue surpassed that of the devas, and his transformations were yet greater and immeasurable. The karma surrounding his birth was vast.

For this reason, light shone everywhere. Five thousand celestial maidens perfumed themselves and adorned themselves with flowers; each brought fragrant oil to the bodhisattva’s mother, who possessed the resolve and karma of the Mahāyāna. The devas came tirelessly to offer congratulations.

Five thousand celestial maidens all came to attend and protect her, each bringing incense and flowers to congratulate the bodhisattva’s mother. Their clothing and dwellings resembled those in the heavens. Young attendants brought five hundred mats to the bodhisattva’s mother without weariness.

They also adorned their bodies with jeweled necklaces. The bodhisattva was entirely fearless and would certainly attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha told the bhikṣus:

“When she gave birth to the bodhisattva, his mother was peaceful and secure, without illness, injury, or pain, and immediately recovered as usual. At that time, five thousand celestial maidens, surrounding her before and behind, diffused celestial fragrances and presented fragrant oils to the bodhisattva’s mother, kneeling and tirelessly asking after her well-being.

“Five thousand celestial maidens offered celestial robes and medicines; five thousand celestial maidens presented precious necklaces; five thousand celestial maidens presented celestial garments; and five thousand celestial maidens offered celestial music to the bodhisattva’s mother. Each of them tirelessly asked after her well-being. At that time, seers throughout the world who had attained the five superknowledges flew through the sky and suddenly appeared before King Śuddhodana.”

The Buddha told the bhikṣus:

“When the bodhisattva was born, for seven days and nights they made offerings of music and presented a hundred kinds of food and drink to the bodhisattva’s mother beneath the tree in the Lân Bính Grove. They undertook meritorious deeds by practicing generosity, moral discipline, patience, vigor, and so forth.”

At that time, thirty-two thousand brahmins regularly brought food and drink so that there was never any shortage. Each day they fully supplied whatever was needed. Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and Brahmā, the Heavenly King, transformed themselves into handsome children and sat upright among the assembly of brahmins, reciting these auspicious verses:

The One who ends all evil paths,

Brings peace and well-being to sentient beings.

Because sentient beings attain peace and well-being,

All calamities are completely extinguished.

As daylight dispels the darkness,

And heavenly light illumines all impurities,

His virtue surpasses every radiance,

Causing them no longer to appear.

At that time, all other karmic activities

Were no longer seen or heard.

The Buddha’s radiance appeared,

For he was the Great Sage who saves the world.

No longer encumbered by worldly defilements,

His compassionate heart cherished sentient beings.

Hundreds of thousands of millions of Brahma gods

Came to make immeasurable offerings.

Like a tree luxuriant with fresh blossoms,

Standing still upon level ground,

People came together from all directions,

And all of them gathered its flowers.

Just as in this world

Lotus flowers arise from muddy earth,

So does the Protector of the World shine,

Nourishing and enriching all beings.

It is like a soft, delicate robe

Suffused with celestial fragrances.

If anyone should fall ill,

He would become the King of Physicians and heal them.

Suppose there were those free from desire,

Whose harmonious voices resounded throughout the realm of form;

They would join their palms and bow,

And call him the World-Honored One.

Whether gods or human beings,

Seeing this gentle divine being,

They would all honor him together

As their Teacher of the Way.

Just as pure water

Makes every place verdant and flourishing,

So, through such right view,

One’s dwelling is always peaceful and secure.

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

“At that time, seven days after the bodhisattva was born, his mother passed away. What do you think about this?”

“Because his mother died after seven days, the bodhisattva was at fault.”

“Do not judge it in this way. Why? Because the destined lifespan of the bodhisattva’s mother was precisely so. The bodhisattva contemplated and clearly knew that his mother was about to pass away, and only then did he descend to be born. While she was carrying the bodhisattva, the gods came to make offerings, witnessed her giving birth, and provided her with celestial food and drink; she did not partake of the food and drink of the human world. Such was the foundation of her merit. The Buddhas of the three times—past, present, and future—are all likewise.”

“Why did his mother die after seven days?”

“Because, after giving birth to the bodhisattva, none of the faculties of his mother’s body were impaired. She was worthy of enjoying the blessings, provisions, and garments of the Trayastrimsha Heaven, and therefore she was reborn there. Before she gave birth to the bodhisattva, the gods had already offered her palaces, chambers, and dwellings, and the place where she could reside was the lecture hall.

As soon as the Queen was reborn in that heaven, there were five thousand vessels of various kinds filled with fragrant water; five thousand celestial maidens moved couches and seats; five thousand celestial maidens held towels and caps in their hands and carried fragrant water to sprinkle upon the ground; and fifty thousand Brahma gods each held a precious vessel and cried, ‘Long life!’ Twenty thousand dragons wore precious necklaces upon their bodies; twenty thousand white elephants were adorned with jewels and necklaces; and twenty thousand chariots, decorated with banners, streamers, jeweled canopies, and splendid ornaments, followed behind.

Forty thousand strong infantrymen, possessing an extraordinarily majestic and awe-inspiring bearing, followed behind the bodhisattva. Moreover, in the sky, countless hundreds of millions of ranks of gods suddenly constructed walls of pure gold as an offering to the bodhisattva’s mother. On the very night when the bodhisattva descended in spirit into the exceedingly magnificent palace in the desire realm, twenty thousand wives of Mara, holding precious silks in their hands, came to attend upon the bodhisattva’s mother.

Another twenty thousand attendants adorned the bodhisattva’s mother with necklaces. That very night, there were two kinds of celestial maidens: celestial court maidens and nonhuman celestial maidens. Whoever beheld their countenances felt ever greater delight.

At that time, all this was attained through the awe-inspiring spiritual power and virtue of the bodhisattva. Within the great city of Kapilavastu, five hundred elders of the Sakya clan each constructed five hundred chambers and dwellings. The bodhisattva entered the city of Kapilavastu.

They then opened the city gate for the bodhisattva, approached him, and said:

“Everything is solely for one noble purpose. We humbly beseech you to enter and dwell in the abode of the gods. This is a pure place. Look all around: here is a great palace named Guardian of the Pure Flower, which is truly a fitting dwelling for the bodhisattva.”

At that time, King Suddhodana, seeing that the time was appropriate, went in his royal carriage to the homes of the wealthy and eminent brahmins of the Sakya clan. Through the bodhisattva’s power, he entered those five hundred homes and enabled their inhabitants to dwell in peace and practice rightly.

Five hundred Channas all said:

“We offer our own persons to attend upon and serve the newborn Crown Prince.”

Someone said:

“The Crown Prince is a wise and discerning sage, skilled in formulating wholly excellent teachings, and even in his youth few will be able to equal him. From now on, the Crown Prince will gradually grow up. Who, then, will be able to nurture him?”

They discussed the matter together:

“Only Mahaprajapati, with all her loving-kindness, can raise the Crown Prince, lying in the wet place while giving him the dry, tending to his food and drink, nursing him, and caring for him until he reaches adulthood. Mahaprajapati is the Crown Prince’s maternal aunt. She is pure and without fault, and she can undertake this duty without negligence.”

At that time, Suddhodana and the relatives of the Sakya clan went together to Mahaprajapati and expressed this intention:

“The Crown Prince’s mother has died. You, his aunt, must therefore take his mother’s place, nurture and care for the Crown Prince, nurse him, and watch over him until he reaches adulthood.”

Mahaprajapati then readily consented.

The King assembled the relatives of the Sakya clan, wishing to ascertain their opinion as to whether the Crown Prince would become a king or renounce the household life. The King wished to resolve this uncertainty.

The members of the clan said:

“We have heard that on the Snow Mountains there is a brahmin seer named Asita, an elder of vast learning who thoroughly understands the science of physiognomy.”

Hearing this, the King was greatly delighted. He thereupon prepared his royal white-elephant carriage, intending to go to the sage. Gods, dragons, and spirits immediately manifested in countless forms, guiding the way and providing protection. At that time, the seer Asita saw these miraculous manifestations and knew that King Suddhodana had fathered a sage-child whose awe-inspiring spiritual radiance surpassed that of gods and humans. His heart overflowed with joy and delight, and he wished to go in person to behold him.

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses for the assembly:

The brahmin seer Asita

Saw the gods flying through the sky,

Their forms and features the color of pure gold;

Seeing them, he was filled with delight.

Gods, asuras, and garudas

Spoke verses in praise of the Buddha.

All who heard them rejoiced,

While with his divine eye he beheld the ten directions

And heard praises without number.

His lofty virtue rose like a mountain,

Like a tree laden with flowers and fruit.

He was the Honored One of the three realms.

The earth was level as the palm of a hand,

Like a heaven joyful in tranquil stillness,

Like the great ocean containing treasures.

Such signs of the Dharma of the Way appeared:

Evil was extinguished and suffering was no more.

The gods traveled through the sky,

And sweet celestial voices were heard.

Auspicious signs appeared throughout the three realms.

Asita surveyed the world,

Examined King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu,

And saw that a son bearing marks of merit had been born.

Seeing this, he joyfully came

And stood at the gate of the royal palace.

He saw countless hundreds of millions in the assembly,

Looked toward an attendant clad in blue, and said:

‘Excellent! Where is the King?

I wish to have an audience with His Majesty.’

The royal attendant saw the aged seer

And joyfully entered to report it.

The King sent someone out before him

To prepare a seat quickly and welcome the seer.

Hearing this, Asita rejoiced,

His heart filled with intense longing.

He asked, ‘Where is the Honored Sage?

I am old and shall not live much longer.’

The King invited the seer to take his seat

And asked, ‘Why have you come in person?’

‘I saw miraculous signs and therefore came.

I heard that a preeminent son had been born,

His body bearing the thirty-two marks.

Wishing to behold all his excellent marks,

I therefore came here myself.’

‘Excellent! I am filled with joy.

He is now sleeping peacefully.

Wait a little while until he awakens,

And you shall behold one as beautiful as the full moon.’

At that time, Asita was astonished at heart and replied to the King in verse:

Throughout immeasurable numbers of kalpas,

He diligently accumulated virtuous conduct.

He awakened long ago;

How could he now be asleep?

Life after life, he practiced generosity,

Compassionately caring for the poor and destitute.

He withheld nothing that he possessed;

How could he now be asleep?

He purely observed the precepts and prohibitions,

Upholding the Dharma without ever transgressing.

He wished to rescue and aid all beings;

How could he now be asleep?

He constantly practiced patience and benevolent harmony;

His mind harbored no resentment or hatred.

He kept his mind as even as the level earth;

How could he now be asleep?

He was diligent like the waxing moon,

And never presently gave way to indolence.

He reverently beheld the Buddhas of the ten directions;

How could he now be asleep?

Single-minded, he constantly practiced meditative contemplation

And never entertained distracted thoughts.

His resolve was firm as a great mountain;

How could he now be asleep?

His wisdom comprehends all things completely

His holy wisdom surpasses the sunlight;

There is nothing he does not understand.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He constantly practices the Four Immeasurable Minds:

Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

Like Brahma, he is never heedless.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He diligently cultivates the Four Means of Embracing:

Giving and loving speech,

Beneficial action and cooperation.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He practices the thirty-seven factors of awakening:

Foundations of mindfulness, right efforts, faculties, and powers,

Bases of spiritual power, factors of awakening, and the Eightfold Path.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He constantly employs skillful means,

Teaching and transforming according to the occasion,

Going everywhere to deliver all beings.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

His mind is ever tranquil;

His concentrated thought is never dissipated.

He enters deeply into this samadhi.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He contemplates root and branch, self and others,

And beholds the Buddhas of the ten directions,

Understanding that all are empty.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He practices the three gates of liberation:

Emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness,

Clinging neither to existence nor nonexistence.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

His great loving-kindness knows no bounds;

The Dharma vessel journeys through the three realms,

Delivering beings from the rounds of birth and death.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

His virtue is like empty space.

For the sake of beings, he has come of his own accord,

And thereby teaches the Three Vehicles.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

Empty space might be measured;

The drops in the ocean might be known;

Every blade of grass and every tree might be counted.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

May the king listen to my words:

Your son’s virtue is beyond comparison;

His wisdom exceeds all motes of dust.

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

He descended in spirit and entered his mother’s womb

To save and deliver beings beyond measure.

How could lesser wisdom comprehend this?

How, then, could he sleep or rest?

At that time, just as the bodhisattva awoke, Mahaprajapati placed him in a piece of white silk and carried him before the king. The king bestowed upon the ascetic a bag of gold and a bag of silver, but the ascetic declined them. He lifted the silk and examined the marks of the Crown Prince.

He saw the thirty-two excellent marks: his body was the color of pure gold; on the crown of his head was an ushnisha; his hair was deep blue; between his eyebrows was a white tuft; from behind his neck shone a light like the sun; his irises were deep blue, and his eyes moved freely both upward and downward; he had forty teeth, white, even, and regular; his jaw was square and broad; his tongue was broad and long; his lion-like chest was full; his body was well-proportioned and upright; his arms and fingers were long; his heels were full and level; both his hands had delicate membranes joining the fingers; on his palms and soles were thousand-spoked wheel marks; his male organ was concealed within a sheath; his abdomen was slender like that of a deer;

all his joints were closely fitted together; his body hair curled to the right, with one hair growing from each pore; his hair and skin were fine, smooth, and unstained by water or dust; and at the center of his chest was a svastika mark.

When Asita saw such marks, he praised the child all the more, but then shed tears and choked with emotion, unable to speak. The king and Mahaprajapati were greatly alarmed. Joining their palms and bowing, they asked:

“Is there something inauspicious? Please tell us.”

The seer waved his hand and replied:

“It is exceedingly auspicious. There is nothing inauspicious. Congratulations, Great King, on having fathered a holy person.

The great shaking of heaven and earth yesterday evening occurred precisely because of this event. According to my knowledge of physiognomy, the king’s son possesses the thirty-two excellent marks of a Great Man. If he remains upon the royal throne and governs the kingdom, he will become a Wheel-Turning Sage King.

He will naturally possess the seven treasures and a thousand sons, rule the four continents, and govern according to the true Dharma. But if he relinquishes the throne and goes forth, he will certainly become a Buddha and deliver sentient beings. Alas, I am old and approaching the twilight of my life and will soon die.

I shall not receive the Buddha’s instruction, nor hear the sutras he will teach. That is why I grieve for myself.”

The king remembered the words of the physiognomist and therefore had palaces and chambers built for the three seasons. Each palace stood in a different place: in temperate weather the prince stayed in the autumn palace; in hot weather, in the cool palace; and in cold weather, in the warm palace. The king selected five hundred beautiful maidens, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, neither pale nor dark.

They were talented and skillful, accomplished in every refined art, and adorned with precious pearls and jeweled necklaces. They served in shifts of one hundred, taking turns attending and guarding him. Before the palaces were planted many kinds of trees bearing sweet fruit.

In their midst was a bathing pond containing every variety of rare and exquisite flower, with as many as a thousand kinds of birds. Everything was splendidly adorned solely to delight the Crown Prince, for the king did not wish him to leave home and study the Way. The palace walls were exceedingly strong, and the sound of opening and closing the gates could be heard forty leagues away.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“When the bodhisattva was born, the great deity Wonderful Heaven proclaimed to the bodhisattva-mahasattvas of the Pure Abodes: ‘For countless hundreds of millions of years, he has accumulated merit and amassed virtue, purified the seat of awakening, practiced giving, studied widely and listened extensively, observed the precepts in purity, and diligently cultivated right conduct. He delighted in great loving-kindness and great compassion, benefiting all sentient beings and enabling them to establish great peace and happiness.

“‘With firm and unwavering power of diligence, with vast vows encompassing all, the bodhisattva planted roots of virtue before the Buddhas of the past. His holy body is adorned with the marks born of a hundred merits, and his harmonious and joyful deeds far surpass those of all others. His mind is pure and lucid, and his observance of the precepts is immaculate.

Through these pure practices, he established great wisdom and raised the great banner of Dharma, causing worldly powers naturally to submit. Gods and humans throughout the trichiliocosm honor and serve him, establishing great shrines. His guidance and direction are unobstructed.

Esteeming virtue alone, he severs the source of birth and death and illuminates and inaugurates the Mahayana. Now that he has been born into a royal house, by reason of this event sentient beings will receive the beneficence of his teaching and transformation, and those not yet awakened will be awakened. Therefore, you should go, bow your heads, praise his merit, and honor him with offerings.

Because gods and humans do not clearly understand the Dharma, take pride in their achievements, exalt themselves, and do not know how to turn toward what is right, teach them the vast resolve and deeds of the Great Way. Countless bodhisattvas of surpassing holy majesty have all come to make offerings.’ Upon hearing this, the king’s realm gained even greater benefit. When the radiant holy wisdom manifested at the bodhisattva’s birth was proclaimed, all who contemplated and beheld that ultimate truth aroused the aspiration to attain awakening.”

He then spoke these verses:

At his birth, his virtue was like the ocean;

The great deity Wonderful Heaven declared:

“Through many kalpas, it is difficult even to hear of

Serving the Honored One among Humans.”

Hundreds of thousands from the Pure Abodes,

Their bodies adorned with radiant pearls,

Came in the fullness of majestic deportment

To take refuge in the Most Honored One.

The honored gods constantly guarded

The palace of King Suddhodana,

Adorned with precious jeweled necklaces,

Beautiful as the full moon.

No radiance could equal that of the Holy One;

Hearing of him could not compare with going to see him.

None dared trespass beyond the king’s domain;

Nothing in the three realms could compare with him.

His body shone with pure radiance;

His speech was gentle and free from contention.

He clearly knew the cultivation of wholesome karma;

Neither gods nor humans could equal him.

More fragrant than every renowned incense,

They revered and attended him.

Though they had not yet beheld the Crown Prince,

They served the God among Gods.

Asita informed the King:

“The physiognomist seeks an audience

To behold his divine and holy majesty.”

Hearing this, the king was greatly delighted.

The gatekeeper reported this to the king;

When the Honored One among Men heard it,

He joyfully took flowers in his hands,

And the seer entered the holy palace.

When the virtuous king saw him enter,

He hurriedly rose and joined his palms.

Upon a precious seat the color of pure gold,

He invited the Teacher of the Way to sit.

The seat afforded a view in all directions.

The king asked, “For what reason have you come?”

“You have fathered a son endowed with bodily virtues;

Because of his true conduct, I have come to see him.

His holy wisdom is complete with excellent marks,

But I do not know what he will become.

Therefore, I have troubled you to grant me a seat;

I shall clearly explain all his excellent marks.”

Everyone gathered around him;

The Crown Prince rested in perfect ease.

With reverence, the gods revealed him,

And he exclaimed in praise of what had never been before.

Seeing the supremely wondrous Teacher of the Way,

Whose holy majesty shone with radiant color,

He rose to behold his countenance

And prostrated himself before the Stainless Light.

Throughout their lives, they behold joy.

Awe-inspiring virtue, with an invisible crown,

A white tuft between the eyebrows;

Attaining Buddhahood, he subdues all maras.

They praise the Most True One,

Who dispels all defilements.

The precious lion appears,

Shattering the impurities of birth and death,

Burning away the stains of the three times

And the impure poisons arising from thought.

The rain of Dharma heals the trichiliocosm;

Its ambrosia extinguishes defilements.

The lamp of loving-kindness and compassion shines everywhere;

His Brahma voice is gentle and wondrous,

Instructing the trichiliocosm.

From his golden mouth resounds the Dharma,

Destroying the false teachings of non-Buddhist paths.

Beings are bound by manifold offenses

Because they have not heard the Dharma of emptiness.

Their power to transform and liberate is slight;

He extinguishes the great smoke and flames of delusion.

The sacred teaching purifies the assembly

And manifests wisdom in the world,

Dispelling the darkness of ignorance.

Devas and humans obtain wholesome benefit

And behold the pure, true Dharma.

A precious canopy appears in the heavens;

The noble ones engage in no contention.

At Kapilavastu, the devas rain down flowers;

They reverently bow and circumambulate him to the right,

Praising the Buddha and praising the land,

Then ascend into the sky and return to heaven.