釋迦氏譜 1.97

1.97

The Lalitavistara Sūtra states: The Bodhisattva asked the gods, “In what bodily form should I descend my spirit into my mother's womb?” The Brahmā king, Great Power, addressed him, saying, “The form of an elephant is foremost in what is revered in the Vedic texts. Why is that? When three beasts cross a river, the hare and the horse do not know the depth; this is used as an analogy for the two vehicles, which do not penetrate the root of phenomena. The elephant steps entirely to the riverbed; this is used as an analogy for the Great Vehicle, which comprehends and penetrates the three realms.” Then, in late spring and early summer (in the Central Kingdom, the sixteenth day of the twelfth month is the beginning of spring, and the sixteenth day of the fourth month is summer; the three seasons each last four months), when the trees first bloomed luxuriantly, under the constellation Tiṣya he was to descend, transforming into a white elephant. His faculties were serene and settled, appearing from the light of the sun. His movement did not falter, and he descended into his mother's right side. The two sūtras Ruiying jing and Xiuxing jing both state: Transforming, he rode a six-tusked white elephant, crowned with the essence of the sun, and departed from Tuṣita Palace. The gods accompanied him, filling the empty sky, playing music, scattering flowers, with a great light shining everywhere. On the eighth day of the fourth month, when the morning star appeared, he descended his spirit into his mother's womb. In her sleep, the queen dreamed that she saw a person riding an elephant enter inside her right side, his form visible from the outside as if in lapis lazuli. Her body was at ease and her mind joyful. Upon waking, she related it in full. Seeing this auspicious portent, the king summoned skilled diviners, who all said, “This holy child in the womb will become a wheel-turning king; if he leaves household life, he will surely attain correct awakening.” (It is suspected that the month of entry into the womb was too early.) At that time, the gods all saw that the Bodhisattva had already been born into the royal palace and would attain the path of buddhahood: “We should become his retinue and receive his Dharma transformation.” At that time, altogether ninety-nine hundred million gods descended to be born among humans. There were also immeasurable numbers who descended to be born among humans from the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven on down. There were also gods of the form realm who, in order to receive the Way, descended to be born among humans to become rṣis.