釋迦方志 2.17

2.17

After the Buddha attained awakening, he remained in silent absorption for seven days. He then walked north of the tree for seven days, pacing back and forth over a distance of more than ten paces from north to south; rare flowers appeared in his footprints, leaving eighteen impressions. Later generations piled bricks to make a foundation more than three cubits high, which people call the 'Platform of the Sacred Footprints'. To divine the length of a person's lifespan, one first makes a sincere vow and then measures it with a cord; whether it expands or contracts corresponds verifiably to the length of one's life. North of this, to the left of the road upon a boulder, is a great vihāra showing the Buddha looking up and contemplating the tree, known as the 'Statue of Gratitude'; at that time, he did not turn his eyes away for even an instant during the seven days. West of the tree is a great vihāra with a brass image facing east, adorned with rare gems. In front of it is a blue stone of rare markings and wondrous colors. On the day he first attained the Path, Brahmā built a hall of seven jewels and Śakra built a throne of seven jewels; the Buddha sat upon it for seven days contemplating and emitting light to illuminate the tree; today, the jewels have turned to stone. South of the tree is a stūpa more than a hundred feet high, marking the place where the Buddha, having bathed in the river, was about to sit down and thought of grass, whereupon Śakra transformed into a human and offered him kuśa grass (meaning 'auspicious'); King Aśoka built a stūpa to mark it. Next, to the northeast, is a stūpa where, at the time he realized the fruit, a blue magpie circled around and a herd of deer presented auspicious omens.