February 19, 2023
 

As a woman with a pure and peaceful life, a noble temperament, and a generous heart, Queen Mahāmāyā frequently engaged in charitable activities such as donating fruits and vegetables, clothing, blankets, medicine, food, corn, cassava, or money. Her acts of compassion extended to a donation of 400,000 coins. These acts of compassion were like dewdrops, though not able to soak the desert of life, they still freshened the lowly and small reeds and plants! Queen Mahāmāyā is truly the mother of all walks of life.
 
After giving away her last coin, the queen experienced a feeling of peace, strange pleasure, and joy throughout the day, as if she had participated in a sacred communion. That night, she slept peacefully and entered a glorious dream where the Four Great Heavenly Kings (Catumahārāja) appeared, shining brightly. They lifted her royal bed and carried her to the high snowy mountains. With solemn respect, they placed her on a rock that stretched for sixty yojanas, beneath a seven-yojana-tall sāla tree, near Anotatta Lake. The four kings asked her to bathe, and beautiful goddesses welcomed her into a lake surrounded by fragrant white lotuses. Then, they adorned her with heavenly pearls, jewels, and flowers before leading her to a golden mansion inside a silver mountain, where she was invited to stay.
 
In the north stands a magnificent golden mountain. A big, tall white elephant with six tusks resembling six arms embraces a fresh white lotus, its petals still glistening with morning dew. The elephant turned towards the east, descended south, roared a loud call, and circumambulated the queen’s bed three times before entering her right hip.
 
Thus, the great Bodhisatta, Deva Setaketu from Tusita heaven, was reborn in the womb of Queen Mahāmāyā.
 
The next day as the morning air filled with sweet fragrance, the queen felt an unusual sense of tranquility and purity of mind. Upon hearing her recount the dream, King Suddhodana promptly summoned sixty-four prominent brahmin scholars skilled in dream interpretation to the royal court for a discussion.
 
Upon hearing about the dream, all the assembled brahmins prostrated in joy, and one of them exclaimed:
 
“What a truly great and auspicious dream, Your Majesty! It means that the queen has conceived an extraordinary and supreme being, the spiritual energy, the essence consolidated from mountains, rivers, the sun, and the moon. It happens only once in a million years. It is a divine grace that Brahma has bestowed upon you, Great King.”
 
King Suddhodana was delighted and rewarded the brahmins generously. He also ordered the palace doctor to remain on standby and prepare to care for the queen’s health.
 
Sakka, King of the Devas, ordered the Four Great Heavenly Kings (Catumahārājā) to take turns wielding the sword to guard and protect her for the next ten months.
 
From the moment the great Bodhisatta entered the Queen’s womb as an embryo, he grew gradually without causing her any discomfort. On the contrary, she felt healthier, happier, and more tranquil. Unlike ordinary beings, the embryonic Bodhisatta sat peacefully in the womb like a golden statue in a treasure cave, with his legs crossed and folded facing forward.
 
As days and months passed, the birds chirped, the flowers bloomed, the moon was clear, cool wind pushed along fluffy clouds, and the green buds sprouted… The lavish palace was filled with cheerful and graceful music, gentle laughter, and soft-spoken words. The Queen was surrounded by a joyful atmosphere, creating more blessings for the arrival of the Supreme Being.
 
On the day of the full moon of the month of Vesākha, under the customary practice of the time, the queen sought permission to return to her hometown of Devadaha, the capital of the Koliya kingdom, where she would await the birth of her child. The news of her departure was quickly conveyed to King Suppabuddha by a team of galloping horses bearing the message from King Suddhodana. The people of both kingdoms eagerly anticipated the joyous occasion and worked to repair roads, bridges, and canals in preparation. Houses were adorned with lights, flowers, and colorful flags, creating a brilliant, bustling, and jubilant atmosphere.
 
That day, the sky was clear and the wind was light. The queen stepped onto a golden palanquin with attendants on both sides. The second consort, Pajāpati Gotamī, and her loyal maid also boarded their respective luxurious palanquins. The entire group set off in excitement, escorted by two honorary royal armies, one leading the way and the other bringing up the rear. These armies were adorned with belts, saddles, military uniforms, weapons, and gleaming armor. They rode mighty steeds solemnly, protecting the assembly. As they departed from the grand capital’s gates and headed towards the suburbs, people lining the road cheered, tossed flowers, and showered the procession with water as a gesture of welcome.
 
When she came to a sāla tree grove which belonged to the Lumbinī forest located on the border of the two countries, Queen Mahāmāyā saw the strangely beautiful scenery and gave the order to stop. At that time, the whole forest of sāla flowers bloomed out of season, brilliantly coloring the grove with blue patches. Queen Mahāmāyā felt a sense of ease and serenity while walking. Why was it strange? The air was fragrant like incense; the birds’ songs were like music; heaven and earth, trees, leaves, grass, and flowers… all were green, smooth as velvet, colored like jade… Flowers bloomed from root to tip at the foot of an excellent sāla tree, woven like a brocade carpet; the queen looked up. There was a long flower stalk, and the flowers were big and bold – The Queen reached out her hand to grasp the flower. Suddenly, the flower head bent and rested lightly on her palm. Queen Mahāmāyā went into labor then, and the female royal maids hurriedly spread the curtain. The great bodhisatta was born in this sacred moment. He came out of his mother’s lap as gently as a preacher stretching his legs out to get up from a seat.
 
Exerpted from Một Cuộc Đời Một Vầng Nhật Nguyệt 1
 
(To be continued)

#chuahuongdao #chuahuongdaotemple #sbsstupas
#buddha #buddhism #Dhutanga #dhammajourney
 
Source: Dhammacetiya