~Sâkyamuni's Attaining to the Buddhaship~
From this place, after travelling to the west for four yojanas, the
pilgrims came to the city of Gayâ; but inside the city all was emptiness
and desolation. Going on again to the south for twenty li, they arrived
at the place where the Bodhisattva for six years practised with himself
painful austerities. All around was forest.
Three li west from here they came to the place where, when Buddha had
gone into the water to bathe, a deva bent down the branch of a tree, by
means of which he succeeded in getting out of the pool.
Two li north from this was the place where the Grâmika girls presented
to Buddha the rice-gruel made with milk; and two li north from this was
the place where, seated on a rock under a great tree, and facing the
east, he ate the gruel. The tree and the rock are there at the present
day. The rock may be six cubits in breadth and length, and rather more
than two cubits in height. In Central India the cold and heat are so
equally tempered that trees live for several thousand and even for ten
thousand years.
Half a yojana from this place to the northeast there was a cavern in the
rocks, into which the Bodhisattva entered, and sat cross-legged with his
face to the west. As he did so, he said to himself, "If I am to attain
to perfect wisdom and become Buddha, let there be a supernatural
attestation of it." On the wall of the rock there appeared immediately
the shadow of a Buddha, rather more than three feet in length, which is
still bright at the present day. At this moment heaven and earth were
greatly moved, and devas in the air spoke plainly, "This is not the
place where any Buddha of the past, or he that is to come, has attained,
or will attain, to perfect Wisdom. Less than half a yojana from this to
the southwest will bring you to the patra tree, where all past Buddhas
have attained, and all to come must attain, to perfect Wisdom." When
they had spoken these words, they immediately led the way forward to the
place, singing as they did so. As they thus went away, the Bodhisattva
arose and walked after them. At a distance of thirty paces from the
tree, a deva gave him the grass of lucky omen, which he received and
went on. After he had proceeded fifteen paces, five hundred green birds
came flying towards him, went round him thrice, and disappeared. The
Bodhisattva went forward to the patra tree, placed the kusa grass at the
foot of it, and sat down with his face to the east. Then king Mâra sent
three beautiful young ladies, who came from the north, to tempt him,
while he himself came from the south to do the same. The Bodhisattva put
his toes down on the ground, and the demon soldiers retired and
dispersed, and the three young ladies were changed into old
grandmothers.
At the place mentioned above of the six years' painful austerities, and
at all these other places, men subsequently reared topes and set up
images, which all exist at the present day.
Where Buddha, after attaining to perfect Wisdom, for seven days
contemplated the tree, and experienced the joy of vimukti; where, under
the patra tree, he walked to and fro from west to east for seven days;
where the devas made a hall appear, composed of the seven precious
substances, and presented offerings to him for seven days; where the
blind dragon Muchilinda [1] encircled him for seven days; where he sat
under the nyagrodha tree, on a square rock, with his face to the east,
and Brahma-deva came and made his request to him; where the four deva
kings brought to him their alms-bowls; where the five hundred merchants
presented to him the roasted flour and honey; and where he converted the
brothers Kasyapa and their thousand disciples;--at all these places
topes were reared.
At the place where Buddha attained to perfect Wisdom, there are three
monasteries, in all of which there are monks residing. The families of
their people around supply the societies of these monks with an abundant
sufficiency of what they require, so that there is no lack or stint. The
disciplinary rules are strictly observed by them. The laws regulating
their demeanor in sitting, rising, and entering when the others are
assembled, are those which have been practised by all the saints since
Buddha was in the world down to the present day. The places of the four
great topes have been fixed, and handed down without break, since Buddha
attained to nirvâna. Those four great topes are those at the places
where Buddha was born; where he attained to Wisdom; where he began to
move the wheel of his Law; and where he attained to pari-nirvâna.
[Footnote 1: Called also Maha, or the Great Muchilinda. Eitel says: "A
naga king, the tutelary deity of a lake near which Sakyamuni once sat
for seven days absorbed in meditation, whilst the king guarded him." The
account in "The Life of the Buddha" is:--"Buddha went to where
lived the naga king Muchilinda, and he, wishing to preserve him from the
sun and rain, wrapped his body seven times round him, and spread out his
hood over his head; and there he remained seven days in thought."]