釋迦譜 1.385

1.385

At that time, King Śuddhodana thought to himself, 'The seer Asita dwells on Fragrant Mountain; the path is treacherous and impassable, beyond human reach. By what means can I invite him to come here?' While King Śuddhodana was having this thought, the seer Asita knew his intention from afar. Having also previously witnessed the miraculous signs, he deeply understood that the Bodhisattva had manifested birth in order to overcome birth-and-death. Using his supernatural power, he soared through the air and arrived at the gate of the royal palace. The gatekeeper entered and said to the king, 'The seer Asita has arrived riding through the empty sky and is now outside the gate.' Hearing this, the king rejoiced and ordered him brought forward, going to the gate himself to receive him. Seeing the seer, he paid homage with respect and asked, 'Having arrived, why did the Venerable One remain at the gate and not enter? Did the gatekeeper not allow you forward?' The seer answered, 'No one stopped me; having come to visit, it was proper to announce myself first.' The king then escorted him into the inner palace, respectfully invited him to sit, and inquired, 'Are the Venerable One's four elements constantly peaceful and harmonious?' The seer answered, 'Thanks to the Great King’s kindness, I am fortunate to be at ease.' King Śuddhodana then said to the seer, 'That the Venerable One could condescend to come today means our lineage will flourish greatly; from now on, it will become more auspicious by the day. Did you come here simply in passing?' The seer answered, 'While on Fragrant Mountain, I saw a great light and various extraordinary signs, and I also knew what was on the Great King’s mind. For these reasons, I have come here. Riding through the air with supernatural power, I arrived, having heard the devas above proclaim that the king’s prince will certainly attain sarvākārajñatā and deliver gods and humans. Furthermore, the king's prince was born from the right flank, descended onto a lotus of seven treasures, walked seven steps, raised his right hand, and made a lion's roar: "Among gods and humans, I am the most honored and supreme; my boundless births and deaths are now ended; this life will benefit all gods and humans." Moreover, the devas surrounded him with reverence. Hearing of such great and marvelous events, how joyful! The Great King should indeed celebrate. May the prince now be seen?' He then led the seer to the prince’s quarters. The king and queen carried the prince out, intending to have him pay respects to the seer. The seer immediately stopped the king, saying, 'This is the most honored one among gods and humans in the three realms; how could you make him pay respects to me?' The seer then arose, joined his palms, and bowed to the prince's feet. The king and queen said to the seer, 'We only wish that the Venerable One would read the prince's marks.' The seer agreed and immediately examined the marks. Having thoroughly observed the marks, he suddenly wept with sorrow, unable to control himself. Seeing the seer weeping and shedding tears, the king and queen trembled with fear throughout their bodies and gave rise to great distress, like a small boat shaken by great waves. They asked the seer, 'When our son was newly born, he was endowed with all auspicious signs. What ill omen is there that you weep in sorrow?' The seer sobbed and answered, 'The Great King’s prince is fully endowed with the marks of excellence; there is no ill omen.' The king asked again, 'Please examine him once more for me: does the prince have the marks of long life? Will he attain the position of a wheel-turning king and rule over the four continents? Since my years are advancing, I wish to entrust the entire realm to him, and then retire to the mountain forests to leave home and study the Way. My aspirations lie solely in this. Could the Venerable One observe whether this will definitely come to pass?' The seer answered the king again, saying, 'The Great King's prince is endowed with the thirty-two marks: First, his feet are level and flat, standing like the bottom of a box. Second, the soles of his feet are fully endowed with the wheel mark of a thousand spokes and rims. Third, the fingers and toes of his hands and feet are longer than those of other people. Fourth, his hands and feet are soft and tender, surpassing the rest of his limbs. Fifth, his heels are broad, full, and well-formed. Sixth, his toes have webbed membranes, surpassing other people. Seventh, the insteps of his feet are arched and level, well-proportioned with his heels. Eighth, his calves are slender and shapely, like those of the Aineya deer king. Ninth, standing upright, his hands reach past his knees to touch them. Tenth, his private organ is concealed, like that of an elephant king or horse king. Eleventh, his height and arm span are equal, like a nyagrodha tree. Twelfth, each pore grows a single hair of dark blue, soft and curling to the right. Thirteenth, his body hairs turn upwards, dark blue, soft, and curling to the right. Fourteenth, his body is golden in color, subtle and wondrous, surpassing Jāmbūnada gold. Fifteenth, the radiance of his body extends for one zhang. Sixteenth, his skin is thin, smooth, and delicate, unaffected by dust or dirt, and impervious to mosquitoes and gnats. Seventeenth, the seven places are full: the soles of both feet, both armpits, both shoulders, and the neck are all full and distinct with marks. Eighteenth, his two armpits are full, like maṇi pearls. Nineteenth, his upper body is like a lion. Twentieth, his body is broad, upright, and straight. Twenty-first, his shoulders are well-rounded. Twenty-second, his mouth has forty teeth. Twenty-third, his teeth are white, even, close-set, and deeply rooted. Twenty-fourth, his four canine teeth are exceptionally white and large. Twenty-fifth, his cheeks are broad and full like a lion's. Twenty-sixth, among tastes he obtains the supreme taste, with secretions flowing from two places in his throat. Twenty-seventh, his tongue is large, soft, and thin, able to cover his face up to his ears and hairline. Twenty-eighth, his Brahma-voice is deep and far-reaching, like the call of the kalaviṅka. Twenty-ninth, his eye color is like refined gold. Thirtieth, his eyelashes are like those of a bovine king. Thirty-first, between his eyebrows is a white curl mark, soft and white like cotton. Thirty-second, the crown of his head has a fleshy usnīsa. Endowed with a body of such marks of excellence: if he remains at home, at the age of nineteen he will become a wheel-turning sage king; if he leaves home, he will attain sarvākārajñatā and broadly deliver gods and humans. However, the king's prince will surely cultivate the Way, attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, and soon turn the pure Wheel of the Dharma, benefiting gods and humans and opening the eye of the world. My lifespan has already reached one hundred and twenty years; before long, my life will end, and I will be reborn in the Heaven of Non-conception. I will not see the arising of the Buddha, nor hear the sutra Dharma; for this reason alone do I mourn.' The king asked the seer again, 'Earlier, the Venerable One’s divination stated that there were two possibilities: one, that he would become a king; two, that he would achieve complete awakening. Why do you now say that he will definitely achieve sarvākārajñatā?' The seer said, 'According to my method of physiognomy, if a sentient being possesses the thirty-two marks, but they appear in improper locations or the patterns are indistinct, this person will certainly become a wheel-turning sage king. If all thirty-two marks are properly situated and the patterns are distinct, this person will certainly achieve sarvākārajñatā. I observe that all the marks of the Great King's prince are properly situated and exceedingly distinct. Therefore, I know with certainty that he will achieve complete awakening.' Having spoken these words to the king, the seer took his leave and departed.