釋迦譜 1.78

1.78

She immediately sent a handmaid to inform King Śuddhodana. Hearing this, the king leapt with joy. Reaching the aśoka tree, the king thought in his heart: 'What dwelling can accommodate this wondrous queen?' At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and the gods of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven each ascended to their heavenly palaces and offered flowers, incense, musical entertainment, and rare delicacies to the wondrous queen. Her body was light and soft, free from thoughts of the three poisons. If there were anyone suffering from illnesses of body or mind, who petitioned the Bodhisattva’s mother to rub their head with her hand, their illnesses were all eradicated. While the Bodhisattva was in the womb for ten months, he instructed and edified thirty-six nayutas of devas and humans, establishing them in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and the various Great Vehicles. When the Bodhisattva was about to be born, thirty-two auspicious omens first manifested: first, the trees in the rear garden naturally bore fruit; second, blue lotus flowers as large as chariot wheels grew on dry land; third, withered trees produced flowers and leaves; fourth, heavenly deities arrived driving carriages overlaid with the seven jewels; fifth, buried treasures in the earth spontaneously emerged; sixth, famous and fine incenses spread fragrance near and far; seventh, five hundred lions from the Snowy Mountains lined the city gates; eighth, white elephant calves lined the front of the palace; ninth, the heavens made fine rains and moist fragrance fall on all four sides; tenth, meals of a hundred flavors naturally appeared in the palace to relieve all hunger and thirst. In all, there were thirty-two auspicious signs (the text is extensive and is not recorded in full; the Ruiying and Xiuxing are both identical to this). Everyone far and near within the borders marveled, saying they had never seen such a thing before. When the Queen was about to give birth, she thought to enter the garden to sightsee. She prepared a carriage adorned with mica and jewels, and surrounded by palace maidens, went out to stroll beneath the plākṣa tree. The Queen sat upon a lion throne; the trichiliocosm shook in six ways; the Four Heavenly Kings drew the Queen's carriage; and Brahmā led the way in front. Just as she arrived beneath the tree, the tree bent its branches and lowered itself before the Queen. Hundreds of thousands of devas all scattered flowers together. At that time, the Bodhisattva was born from her right flank.