joice, therefore, and not be sad." Then all those Devas having heard these words said amon themselves, "Look Devas! look well at this Prabhâpâla Bôdhisat Mahâsatwa, for soon he will descend to earth and be bo amongst men," and then they raised their voices and said, "t Venerable Prabhâpâla, the exalted one, shall soon be born as man. Soon! soon shall all the beauty and the glory of this he ven disappear, and all the happiness of its inhabitants. Wh services shall we have to render? What religious homage to pa when the venerable one departs to be born in the shape of peris able man!" Then Prabhâpâla rejoined—“ Again I repeat in your ears th truth of the doctrine all things are perishable-Let this bound and fixed in your memories, forget it not for a momen and now I go down to earth to be born, to arrive at the goal Anuttara Samyak Sambôdhi, to preach the incomparable trut You on your parts should each pray to be born in the world like wise, and so obtain deliverance from all sorrow, and arrive at per fect Rest." Now there was a certain palace in the Tusita Heave called "Exalted Standard,” equal in length and breadth, i.e. sixty Yojanas each way. In this palace, from time to time, Bôdhisatw was in the habit of preaching the law for the advantage of the Tusita Devas. So on this occasion, having repaired to this abode and taken his seat, he began to speak to all the Devas of the Tusita Heaven, and said Ye Devas! assemble here and listen! not long hence this body of mine shall descend amongst men, and be born in the world; let me now therefore on your account recite in succession the names of the various modes of salvation (fă mun), as a means to your conversion, now for the last time I name these particulars to you, and impress them on your memory, that you, on your part hearing them may derive joy and peace from their recital. 1 The three objects of reliance, or refuge, for the Buddhists. 2 Utchadhvaja. "Lal. Vist." p. 37. repeat in your ears the erishable-Let this be t it not for a moment, to arrive at the goal of he incomparable truth. born in the world likerow, and arrive at pere in the Tusita Heaven and breadth, i.e. sixty me to time, Bôdhisatwa the advantage of the wing repaired to this ak to all the Devas of ! assemble here and shall descend amongst ow therefore on your the various modes of nversion, now for the and impress them on them may derive joy r the Buddhists. incalculable number of Devas, and honoure external homage, spake thus, "Devas, before hisatwa descends to earth to be incarnated account to recite the one hundred and eight listen therefore and weigh my words whilst I to you." At this time Prabhâpâla Bôdhisatwa, hav one hundred and eight gates of the law,1 imp tors that they should diligently keep them in not let them slip. [Kiouen VI contains 6177 words, and cost CHAPTER VII. The descent into the Royal AT this time Prabhâpâla Bôdhisatwa, the passed, and the opening month of Spring a flowers and the trees put out their sweets, t serene, neither too cold or hot, the young gra freshly come forth, brightly shining on every the junction of the constellation Kwei (w repeated the necessary portions of the law the hearing of all the Devas, causing their b joy and ravishment, having by his excellent discard all thought and things so transient subject to life and old age, and disease an after the brighter state of being, at this 1 These hundred and eight gates of the lav caux, "Lal. Vist." pp. 46-7. The Chinese list with his. very last and final birth." Then Bôdhisatwa, his mind immovab fixed, descended from Tusita, as other Devas had done, t years of their sojourn in Tusita being come to an end. At this time, when Bodhisatwa was about to descend, and in spiritual manner enter the womb of Queen Mâya;1 then th Mâya on that very night addressed Suddhôdana Râja, and sai “Mahârâja! I wish from the present night to undertake the eig special rules of self discipline, to wit, not to kill anything th lives; not to defraud any one; to have no sexual pleasures; n to lie; not to prevaricate; not to calumniate; to have no irrel gious conversation; and, moreover, to pray that I may not cove or be angry, or hold foolish doubts, so as to avoid all heretic teaching, and adopt all that is true and right. I now bind myse to observe these rules, and I desire to produce in myself a lovin heart towards all living creatures." Then Suddhôdana Râj replied to Mâya thus, "As your heart desires! act as you wis I will even give up my kingdom rather than that you should n so act, if you desire it, according to the Gâtha, "The Râja beholding the Mother of Bôdhisatwa Respectfully rose from his seat before her, Regarding her as his Mother or elder Sister, His heart wholly free from any thought of sensual desire." Then Prabhâpâla Bôdhisatwa, with a fixed heart and perfectl self-possessed, descended from Tusita to sojourn on earth, an entered on the right side of Queen Mâya, wife of Suddhôdan Râja, and there rested in perfect quiet. Then Devas and men, Mara3 and Brahma, Shamans and Brah 1 Mâya, the wife of Suddhôdana Râja. The "incarnation scene is frequently met with in Buddhist sculptures. Vide (amongs others) Pl xxxiii, "Tree and Serpent Worship." 2 He is generally represented as descending in the shape of a white elephant. The tikas, however, explain this as indicating "Power and Wisdom." 8 Mâra, the author of evil. Sometimes called the "King of was all, that this is my at to descend, and in a een Mâya; then that Lôdana Râja, and said, to undertake the eight to kill anything that • sexual pleasures; not te; to have no irrelithat I may not covet, to avoid all heretical ht. I now bind myself Luce in myself a loving en Suddhôdana Râja res! act as you wish. n that you should no ha, quaked six times, and all the mountains shook; the seas roared, and the rivers turn course, whilst all forests, trees, flowers, ar exuded their rich nourishment, and shed it even down to the bottommost Hell of Avitchi joy instead of misery.2 [The light shone in th hereafter Bodhisatwa would arrive at perfect e preaching of the four truths, illuminate the do men's minds. The mountains shook and the s cate that hereafter Buddha, having arrived a shake the powers of evil which afflict the wor true Nirvâna; the rivers flowed backwards t Buddha should cause the natural tide of even life and death to be reversed, and men to fi with the other indications.] Bôdhisatwa h into the womb of Mâya the Queen, she in had a dream to this effect, "she thought white elephant, his head coloured like a rɩ descend thro' space and enter her right si the queen addressed her husband Suddhôda it known to you that last night I had th appeared to me that a white elephant ente gave me such joy as I never had before! ] will no more partake of any sensual pleasu out some interpreter of dreams who will t derful vision of mine may portend." Then the women who were waiting outside, and Death," at other times the "God of the Wo loka). 1 Avitchi, the no-interval hell-the botto 2 These explanations are part of the or without any comment. They are probabl the thread of the narrative. When they oc in italic letters. mands." Then these messengers in obedience to the king's co mands went forth to the palace gates, and cried with a lo voice before the gates, "Who is there on guard ?" Then the was before the gate a certain guard, Rojana by name, who an wered the messenger belonging to the interior (i. e. the harem "I am here." Then the messenger said "Mahârâja has give orders to summon to his presence the eight Brahmans, interpr ters of dreams, by name [as before]. Then Rojana, went fort with to the presence of Mahanamaputra, the prime minister, wh having heard his words, immediately summoned the eight Brah mans aforesaid, and soon both Mahanamaputra and they togethe entered within the royal palace. Then Suddhôdana Râja að dressed the interpreters of dreams, and said, "Last night th Queen had this extraordinary dream [relating it], what is th interpretation of it ?" Then the Brahmans, having heard the king's words, perfectly understanding all portents, and able to interpret all dreams, re plied, "Mahârâja! listen and hear the meaning of this dream according to the explanation given by the old Rishis, and in the books of divine wisdom; thus it is written in the following Gâthas :"If a mother in her dream, behold The Sun Deva enter her right side; Who shall become a Chakravarti Râja. The Moon Deva enter her right side, Shall bear one chief of all the world (Buddha); |