佛祖統紀 2.31

2.31

The twenty-sixth year (jiayin) (Liu Daoyuan's Tongjian waiji has the first year of King Zhao as yichou and the twenty-sixth year as jiayin. Nowadays, various books mostly state the twenty-fourth year, which is a transmitted error). As the queen's pregnancy was nearly completing ten months, her father Suprabuddha sent a messenger to tell the king: 'My daughter conceals the sacred womb, whose majesty and virtue are exceedingly great. I fear that after bearing the child, my daughter's life will not last long; I wish to welcome and have her stay in the Lumbinī grove to fulfill our father-daughter affection.' The king immediately ordered the officials to prepare the ceremonial protocol and sent her to her father's home (Sūtra of the Buddha's Former Deeds). At that time, the queen thereupon mounted a jeweled carriage with attendants before and behind, proceeding into the Lumbinī grove. When the ten months were complete, on the eighth day of the fourth month as the sun was first rising (Earlier it said descending into the womb on the eighth day of the fourth month, and now it says emerging from the womb on the eighth day of the fourth month; both are from the Sūtra of Cause and Effect. Nanshan states that both descending into the womb and emerging from the womb are said to be the eighth day of the fourth month, which is the text of twelve months in the womb. Now, when this text says ten months being complete, it speaks roughly in terms of the human ten-month pregnancy. In the Buddhacarita-sūtra, it is said that he was born on the eighth day of the third month. These are all because the translators used different calendars, as the two lands were not the same. However, Buddhist and non-Buddhist records mostly speak of the eighth day of the fourth month), the queen saw that the flowers and leaves of an aśoka tree were lush, and so raised her right hand wishing to pull down and pluck them. The Bodhisattva gradually emerged from her right flank. At that time, beneath the tree, seven-jeweled lotus flowers grew as large as carriage wheels; his body dropped onto the flowers, and he walked seven steps of his own accord, raised his right hand, and made a lion's roar, saying: 'Among gods and humans, I am the most honored and most supreme!' (According to the Ruiying jing, he raised his right hand and said: 'Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the most honored.' The Shanquan jing says: To correspond to the seven factors of awakening, he walked seven steps; he raised his hand and manifested the sign to eliminate the self-exaltation of external paths). At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings immediately received him with heavenly silk and placed him on a jeweled stand. Śakra held a jeweled parasol, and Brahmā held a white flywhisk, attending on the left and right. The two dragon kings, the brothers Nandā [and Upanandā], spouted pure water in the void—one warm and one cool—to bathe the Crown Prince (According to the Puyao jing, Śakra and Brahmā rained down fragrance, and nine dragons descended fragrant water to bathe his body). His body was golden in color, endowed with the thirty-two marks, emitting a great beam of light that illuminated the three-thousandfold world. The eight classes of heavenly beings and dragons made music in the void, singing praises of the Buddha's virtue and scattering flowers in profusion. All gods and humans praised sarvākārajñatā, wishing that he swiftly accomplish the Buddha Way and deliver sentient beings. Only the Demon King was uneasy on his seat. At that time, the palace women wrapped and held the Crown Prince with fine heavenly cotton and brought him to where the queen was. The maidservants returned to the palace and spoke of the wondrous and auspicious signs. The king then arrayed the fourfold army (elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers) and his retinue, entered the grove, and saw that the marks were extraordinary, with joy and apprehension mingling in his bosom. Stepping forward, he embraced the Crown Prince, placed him on an elephant carriage, and with his retinue entered the city, heading toward the heavenly temple. The images of Brahmā and Śakra all arose, bowed to his feet, and said: 'This Crown Prince is now the most honored among gods and humans; how could he come here wishing to bow to us?' The gathered ministers were amazed and delighted, and thereupon presented the Crown Prince into the king's own palace. At that time, all the Śākyas gave birth to five hundred boys on the same day; the maidservants of the royal house also gave birth to five hundred male slaves; the king's stables gave birth to white elephant calves and white foals; and the cattle and sheep also gave birth to five-colored kids and calves, each numbering five hundred. Five hundred hidden treasures in the palace naturally emerged. There were merchants who had gone to sea to gather jewels and returned, each presenting rare treasures. The king summoned the brāhmaṇas: 'What kind of name should be given to the Crown Prince?' They answered, saying: 'When the Crown Prince was born, all treasure troves were uncovered, and all the auspicious signs were nothing but felicitous; he should be named Sarvārthasiddha' (here translated as 'all purposes accomplished', also called 'immediate good fortune'). At that time, eight kings also had crown princes born on the same day; each harbored joy and together conferred auspicious names (Sūtra of Cause and Effect). A maidservant of the royal house also gave birth to a male slave named Channa, and the stables gave birth to a white foal named Kaṇṭhaka; the king later always had Channa attend him and gave the white horse for him to ride (Ruiying jing). The king sought out five hundred clever physiognomists and ordered them to divine the Crown Prince. The physiognomists said: 'If he leaves home, he will accomplish sarvākārajñatā; if he remains at home, he will become a wheel-turning king.' The physiognomists also said: 'There is a brāhmaṇa seer named Asita (here translated as 'Incomparable'; named Ayi in the Ruiying jing) who possesses the five supernatural powers and resides in Mount Gandhamādana, able to resolve doubts.' The king reflected that the road was perilous and impossible for humans to reach. Knowing the king's thought from afar, Asita soared through the air and came. Having read the Crown Prince's marks, he wept sorrowfully and said: 'I lament that before long my life will end, and I will be born in the Heaven of Non-conception; I will not see the Buddha arise nor hear the sūtra teachings. If someone possesses the thirty-two marks, but they are not in the proper places or are not distinct, that person would still become a wheel-turning holy king. Now observing the Crown Prince, all the marks are well situated and exceedingly distinct; it is certain according to the Dharma that he will definitely accomplish all virtue and wisdom.' Hearing what the seer said, the king feared he would leave home, and so erected palaces for the three seasons, adorned with the seven jewels. The opening and closing of the city gates could be heard for forty li. Five hundred palace maidens guarded the palace halls at night. Flowers, fruits, various birds, flowing springs, and bathing pools were dazzling and beautiful to delight the Crown Prince's mind and eyes. When seven days were completed after his birth, his mother's life ended; because of the great merit of conceiving the Crown Prince, she ascended to be born in Trāyastriṃśa (The Fadaquan jing states: Earlier, while in Tuṣita, he observed that the queen's remaining life was ten months and seven days, and therefore descended his spirit to come). At that time, his maternal aunt Mahāprajāpatī nursed and raised the Crown Prince no differently than his mother (Sūtra of Cause and Effect). — Phase of descending into birth as seen by those of small faculty.