The bodhisatta, or Buddha-to-be, was born into the Sakya
family of the noble-warrior caste. The Sakyan capital city,
Kapilavatthu, was located in the northwest of the Ariyan
world—the middle Ganges valley.1 The following passage states
that the bodhisatta’s father was a king
(rājan), but it has to be
borne in mind that this title was used not only by rulers who
would count as “king” in the modern sense, but also by the
oligarchs in oligarchic republics. Other passages in the
Canon indicate that the Sakyan lands were actually organized
as such a republic, with one of the oligarchs exercising a
limited rulership over the others. This would mean that the
bodhisatta’s father was at least a member of the Sakyan
ruling class, and may have acted as its chief.
“Monks, as for me in the present: My father was named King
Suddhodana. My mother, the giver of birth, was named Queen
Māyā. Our capital city was named Kapilavatthu.”
Although the Canon’s descriptions of the bodhisatta’s
early life are considerably more restrained than many of the
accounts found in later texts, even they include some
miraculous and legendary accounts of his birth.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was
dwelling near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Forest, Anāthapiṇḍika’s
monastery. Now at that time, a large number of monks, after the
meal, on returning from their almsround, had gathered at the
meeting hall, when this conversation arose among them: “It’s
amazing, friends. It’s astounding, the great might, the great
power of the Tathāgata, in that the Tathāgata knows of the
Awakened Ones of the past—those totally unbound, who have cut
through objectification [papañca], cut through the
rut, put an end to the round, and transcended all suffering &
stress: ‘Such was the birth of those Blessed Ones, such was
their name, such their clan, such their virtue, such their
Dhamma, such their discernment, such their (mental) dwelling,
such their release.’’
When this was said, Ven. Ānanda said to those monks,
“Friends, Tathāgatas are both amazing & endowed with amazing
qualities, both astounding & endowed with astounding
qualities.” But the conversation among them was interrupted as
the Blessed One, emerging from his seclusion in the late
afternoon, went to the meeting hall and, on arrival, sat down
on a seat laid out. Seated, he addressed the monks: “For what
topic of conversation, monks, are you gathered together here?
In the midst of what topic of conversation have you been
interrupted?”
“Just now, lord, after the meal, on returning from our
almsround, we gathered at the meeting hall, when this
conversation arose among us: ‘It’s amazing, friends. It’s
astounding, the great might, the great power of the Tathāgata,
in that the Tathāgata knows of the Awakened Ones of the
past—those totally unbound, who have cut through
objectification, cut through the rut, put an end to the round,
and transcended all suffering & stress: “Such was the birth of
those Blessed Ones, such was their name, such their clan, such
their virtue, such their Dhamma, such their discernment, such
their (mental) dwelling, such their release.”’
“When this was said, Ven. Ānanda said to us, ‘Friends,
Tathāgatas are both amazing & endowed with amazing qualities,
both astounding & endowed with astounding qualities.’ But the
conversation among us was interrupted when the Blessed One
approached.”
Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ānanda, “That being the
case, Ānanda, elaborate to a greater extent on the Tathāgata’s
amazing & astounding qualities.”
“In the Blessed One’s presence, lord, I have heard this, in
the Blessed One’s presence I have learned this: ‘Mindful &
alert, the bodhisatta appeared among [the devas of] the Tusita
host.’ And the fact that, mindful & alert, the bodhisatta,
appeared among the Tusita host: I hold this to be an amazing &
astounding quality of the Blessed One.
“In the Blessed One’s presence, lord, I have heard this, in
the Blessed One’s presence I have learned this: ‘Mindful &
alert, the bodhisatta stayed for a full lifespan in the Tusita
host.’…
“…‘Mindful & alert, the bodhisatta, descending from the
Tusita host, alighted in his mother’s womb.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta, mindful & alert, descended from the
Tusita host and alighted in his mother’s womb, a great,
measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas
appeared in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in
this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty
& common people. Even in the intercosmic [intergalactic?] void
of the unrestrained darkness, pitch-black darkness, where even
the light of the sun & moon—so mighty, so powerful—doesn’t
reach, even there the great, measureless radiance surpassing
the effulgence of the devas appeared. And the beings reborn
there perceived one another by that radiance: “So other beings
have been reborn here, too!” And so this ten-thousandfold
cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while the great,
measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the
effulgence of the devas.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta, mindful & alert, had alighted in his
mother’s womb, four male devas came to guard him from four
directions, (thinking,) “May no human or non-human beings or
anyone at all harm the bodhisatta or his mother.”’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta had alighted in his mother’s womb,
the bodhisatta’s mother was naturally virtuous, abstaining from
taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given,
abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from telling
lies, abstaining from distilled & fermented drinks that cause
heedlessness.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta had alighted in his mother’s womb,
there appeared in the bodhisatta’s mother no intention imbued
with sensuality toward men, and the bodhisatta’s mother was
inaccessible to any man with an impassioned mind.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta had alighted in his mother’s womb,
the bodhisatta’s mother was one who received the five strings
of sensuality. She lived endowed and provided with the five
strings of sensuality.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta had alighted in his mother’s womb,
there appeared in the bodhisatta’s mother no illness. She was
happy and unafflicted in body. And she saw the bodhisatta
within her womb with all his limbs and no inferior faculties.
Suppose that there were a beryl gem, beautiful, radiant,
eight-faceted, well cut & polished, and through it were strung
a blue, yellow, red, white, or beige thread. And then a man of
good eyesight, taking it in his hand, would contemplate it:
“This is a beryl gem, beautiful, radiant, eight-faceted, well
cut & polished, and through it is strung a blue, yellow, red,
white, or beige thread.” In the same way, when the bodhisatta
had alighted in his mother’s womb, the bodhisatta’s mother
experienced no illness. She was happy and unafflicted in body.
And she saw the bodhisatta within her womb with all his limbs
and no inferior faculties.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta had been born seven days, the
bodhisatta’s mother passed away and reappeared in the Tusita
host.’…
“…‘Whereas other women give birth after nurturing the fetus
in the womb between nine and ten lunar months, that’s not how
the bodhisatta’s mother gave birth to the bodhisatta. After
nurturing the bodhisatta in her womb exactly ten lunar months,
the bodhisatta’s mother gave birth.’…
“…‘Whereas other women give birth while sitting or lying
down, that’s not how the bodhisatta’s mother gave birth to the
bodhisatta. The bodhisatta’s mother gave birth to the
bodhisatta while standing.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta left his mother’s womb, devas
received him first, and then human beings.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta left his mother’s womb but before he
reached the ground, four male devas received him and set him in
front of his mother, (saying,) “Be gratified, O queen. A son of
great influence has been born to you.”’ …
“…‘When the bodhisatta left his mother’s womb, he left it
immaculate, unsullied by fluid, unsullied by mucus, unsullied
by blood, unsullied by lymph: pure, very pure. Just as when a
gemstone is placed on Kāsi cloth, neither would the gemstone
sully the cloth, nor the cloth the gemstone. Why is that?
Because of the purity of both. In the same way, when the
bodhisatta left his mother’s womb, he left it immaculate,
unsullied by fluid, unsullied by mucus, unsullied by blood,
unsullied by lymph: pure, very pure.’…
“…‘When the bodhisatta left his mother’s womb, two streams
of water appeared from the sky—one cool, the other warm—to wash
the bodhisatta and his mother.’…
“…‘As soon as the bodhisatta was born, he stood steadily
with his feet on the ground and, facing north, took seven steps
while a white parasol was held over him. Surveying all the
directions, he made a bellowing statement: “I am the foremost
of the world. I am chief of the world. I am the best of the
world.”’ …
“In the Blessed One’s presence, lord, I have heard this, in
the Blessed One’s presence I have learned this: ‘When the
bodhisatta left his mother’s womb, a great, measureless
radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas appeared in the
cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation
with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common
people. Even in the intercosmic void of the unrestrained
darkness, pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun
& moon—so mighty, so powerful—doesn’t reach, even there the
great, measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the
devas appeared. And the beings reborn there perceived one
another by that radiance: “So other beings have been reborn
here, too!” And so this ten-thousandfold cosmos shivered &
quivered & quaked, while the great, measureless radiance
appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the
devas.’ And the fact that when the bodhisatta left his mother’s
womb… this ten-thousandfold cosmos shivered & quivered &
quaked, while the great, measureless radiance appeared in the
cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas: I hold this,
too, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Blessed
One.”
“That being the case, Ānanda, you can hold this, too, to be
an amazing & astounding quality of the Tathāgata: There is the
case where feelings are known to the Tathāgata when they arise,
known when they remain, known when they subside. Perceptions
are known to the Tathāgata when they arise, known when they
remain, known when they subside. Thoughts are known to the
Tathāgata when they arise, known when they remain, known when
they subside. You can hold this, too, Ānanda, to be an amazing
& astounding quality of the Tathāgata.”
“The fact, lord, that feelings are known to the Blessed One
when they arise, known when they remain, known when they
subside; perceptions are known to the Blessed One when they
arise, known when they remain, known when they subside;
thoughts are known to the Blessed One when they arise, known
when they remain, known when they subside: I hold this, too,
lord, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Blessed
One.”
That is what Ven. Ānanda said. The Teacher was in approval.
Gratified, the monks delighted in Ven. Ānanda’s words.
Asita the seer, in his mid-day meditation,
saw the Group of Thirty—
Sakka the king,
and devas dressed in pure white
exultant, ecstatic—
holding up banners, cheering wildly,
& on seeing the devas so joyful & happy,
having paid his respects, he said:
“Why is the deva community
so wildly elated?
Why are they holding up banners
& waving them around?
Even after the war with the Asuras
—when victory was the devas’,
the Asuras defeated—
even then there was nothing hair-raising like this.
Seeing what marvel
are the devas so joyful?
They whistle,
they sing,
play music,
clap their hands,
dance.
So I ask you, who live on Mount Meru’s summit.
Please dispel my doubt quickly, dear sirs.”
“The bodhisatta, the foremost jewel,
unequaled,
has been born for welfare & happiness
in the human world
in a town in the Sakyan countryside,
Lumbini.
That’s why we’re contented, so wildly elated.
He—the highest of all beings, the ultimate person,
Prologue
Birth
The bodhisatta, or Buddha-to-be, was born into the Sakya family of the noble-warrior caste. The Sakyan capital city, Kapilavatthu, was located in the northwest of the Ariyan world—the middle Ganges valley.1 The following passage states that the bodhisatta’s father was a king (rājan), but it has to be borne in mind that this title was used not only by rulers who would count as “king” in the modern sense, but also by the oligarchs in oligarchic republics. Other passages in the Canon indicate that the Sakyan lands were actually organized as such a republic, with one of the oligarchs exercising a limited rulership over the others. This would mean that the bodhisatta’s father was at least a member of the Sakyan ruling class, and may have acted as its chief.
Although the Canon’s descriptions of the bodhisatta’s early life are considerably more restrained than many of the accounts found in later texts, even they include some miraculous and legendary accounts of his birth.