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As to the fifth perception, when he looked to see on what day the Budhas are bom, as he knew that the queen of Sudhddana would be his mother, and that the mother of a Budha dies on the seventh day after her confinement, he saw that he must be conceived in the womb of MahamiLya, 307 days previous to the time at which it was foreknown that her death would take place.§ When a d^wa is about to leave the celestial regions, there are * There are eight different kinds of beings who must look to the future before they attempt to carry into effect their intentions. The merchant, before he buys his goods ; the elephant, before he makes use of his trunk ; the IraTeller, before he commences a journey ; the sailor, before he embarks on a voyage ; the physician, before he administers medicine ; the man who has to cross a bridge, b^ore he ventures upon it ; the priest, before he eats, that he may see whether there is sufficient time for him to finish his repast before the sun passes the meridian ; and B^dhisat, before he receives his final birth. t The theology of the Bomans taught that twelve times ten solar years was the term fixed by nature for the life of man, and beyond that the gods themselves had no power to prolong it ; that fate had narrowed its span to thrice thirty ; that fortune abridges even this period by a variety of chances : it was against these that the protection of the gods was implored. — Niebuhr's Bome. X This country was supposed to be situated in the centre of Jambudwipa. It would be difficult to define its limits, but it is generally regarded as answering to Central Bahar. In the reign of Bimsara, Bajagaha was its capital. It is called Makata by the Burmans and Siamese, Mo-ki-to by the Chinese, and Makala Eokf by the Japanese. § The matter contained in this chapter is principally translated from the PujILwaliya ; except in the few instances in which the name of a different work is inserted at the end of the section. 144 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. evidences of the fact. 1. His garments lose their appearance of parity. 2. The garlands and ornaments on his person begin to fade. 3. The body emits a kind of perspiration, like a tree covered with dew. 4. The mansion in which he has resided loses its attractiveness and beauty. The d^was having perceived these signs relative to Santosita, gathered around him, and offered him their congratulations. On the arrival of the proper person, he vanished from Tusita, and was conceived in the womb of Mahamdya. This event took place in the month ^sala (July, August), on the day of the full moon, early in the morning, the nekata being Utrasala-. The womb that bears a Budha is like a casket in which a relic is placed ; no other being can be conceived in the same recep- tacle ; the usual secretions are not formed ; and &om the time of conception, Mahamiiya was free from passion, and lived in the strictest continence.* The inhabitants of Kapilawastu were ac- customed to hold a festival, from the 7th day of the moon, to the 14th, in the month ^sala, during which period they spent their time in dancing and all other kinds of pleasure, so that at the conception of Budha the whole city was adorned like the heaven of Sekra. On the last day of the festival, Mahamiya bathed in fragrant water,t arrayed herself with flowers and ornaments ; and after giving four lacs of treasure in alms, and taking upon herself the five obligations, she retired to her royal couch, and whilst reposing upon it had a dream.^ In her dream she saw the gpiardian dewas of the four quarters take up the couch upon which she lay, and convey it to the great forest of Himala, where , * Plato passed among a large portion of his bearers for the actual son of Apollo, and his reputed father Aristo was admonished in a dream to respect the person of his wife Feriktione, until after the birth of the child of wnich she was then pregnant by Apollo. t Suetonius mentions that OaUgula inyented a new luxury in the use of the bath, by perfuming the water with an infusion of precious odours ; but * in the east this custom appears to have prevailed at a much earlier period. X The last of the Jinas Yardham&na, was at first conceived by D^van- audi, a Brahm&n&. The conception was announced to her by dream. Sekra being apprised of his incarnation, prostrated himself and worshipped the future saint ; but reflecting that no great saint was ever bom in an indigent or mendicant family, as that of a Brahmin^ Sekra commanded his Snef attendant to remove the child from the womb of D^vanandi to that of Trisali, wife of Siddhartha, a prince of the race of Jesw&ca, and of the K^japa family. This was accordingly executed ; and the new conception was announced to TrisaU bj dreams, which were expounded by soothsayers as foreboding the birth of a future Jina. — Colebrooke's Miscellaneous Essays, ii.214. VII. LEGENDS OF g6TAMA BUDHA. 145 they placed it upon a rock, under the shade of a sal tree 100 miles high, and afterwards remained respectfallj at a distance. The qneens of the four d6was then brought water from the lake of Anotatta (after they had themselves bathed in it to take away from it all human contaminations), with which they washed her body ; and they afterwards arrayed her in most beautiful gar- ments, and anointed her with divine unguents. The four dewas then took her to a rock of silver, upon which was a palace of gold ; and having made a divine couch, they placed her upon it, with her head towards the east. Whilst there reposing, B6- dhisat appeared to her, like a cloud in the moonlight, coming from the north, and in his hand holding a lotus. After ascend- ing the rock, he thrice circumambulated the queen's couch. At this moment Santusita, who saw the progress of the dream, passed away from the d^waldka, and was conceived in the world of men ; and Mahamdya discovered, after the circumambulations were concluded, that B6dhisat was lying in her body, as the infant lies in the womb of its mother.* In the morning, when the queen awoke, she told her dream to the king, who called together 64 brahmans, learned in the four Yedas, and gave them food in golden dishes, which he presented to them as gifts at the close of the repast. From these brahmans, Sudhodana enquired the meaning of the queen's dream ; and they replied, that she had become pregnant of a son ; if the child she would in due time bring forth continued a laic, they declared that he would be invested with the dignity of a Ghakrawartti, bat if he renounced the world, they foretold that he would become a supreme Budha. They then recommended the king to appoint a festival in honour of the event, and retired. At the time of the conception, 32 great wonders were presented. * The resemblance between this legend and the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of the mother of our Lord, cannot but be remarked. The opinion that she had ever borne other children was called heresy by Epiphanius and Jerome, long before she had been exalted to the station of supremacy she now occupies among the saints, in the estimation of the Bomish and Greek churches. They suppose that it is to this circumstance reference is made in the prophetical account of the eastern gate of the temple : " The gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it ; because the Lord, the Grod of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut." — Ezek. xUt. 2. The tradition inserted by Mahomet in the chapter of the Koran entitled "Ma^," bears a considerable resemblance to this part of the history of Budha. Csoma K5rdsi says, that he does not find any mention in the Tibetan books " of Maha Deyi's virginity, upon which the Mongol accounts lay so much stress.'' 146 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. The 10,000 sakwalas trembled at once ; there was in each a preternatural light, so that they were all equally illuminated at the same moment ; the blind from their birth received the power to see ; tJie deaf heard the joyful noise ; the dumb burst forth into songs ; the lame danced ; the crooked became straight ; those in confinement were released from their bonds ; the fires of all the heUs were extinguished, so that they became as cool as water, and the bodies of all therein were as pillars of ice; the thirst of pr^tas and the hunger of all other beings were appeased ; the fears of the terrified fled away ; the diseases of the sick were cured ; aJl beings forgot their enmity to each other ; bulls and buffaloes