Excerpt
Book The First
The Scripture of the Saviour of the World,Lord Buddha—Prince Siddartha styled on earthIn Earth and Heavens and Hells Incomparable,All-honoured, Wisest, Best, most Pitiful;The Teacher of Nirvana and the Law.
Then came he to be born again for men.
Below the highest sphere four Regents sitWho rule our world, and under them are zonesNearer, but high, where saintliest spirits deadWait thrice ten thousand years, then live again;And on Lord Buddha, waiting in that sky,Came for our sakes the five sure signs of birthSo that the Devas knew the signs, and said"Buddha will go again to help the World.""Yea!" spake He, "now I go to help the World.This last of many times; for birth and deathEnd hence for me and those who learn my Law.I will go down among the Sakyas,Under the southward snows of Himalay,Where pious people live and a just King."
That night the wife of King Suddhodana,Maya the Queen, asleep beside her Lord,Dreamed a strange dream; dreamed that a star from heaven—Splendid, six-rayed, in colour rosy-pearl,Whereof the token was an ElephantSix-tusked and whiter than Vahuka's milk—Shot through the void and, shining into her,Entered her womb upon the right. Awaked,Bliss beyond mortal mother's filled her breast,And over half the earth a lovely lightForewent the morn. The strong hills shook; the wavesSank lulled; all flowers that blow by day came forthAs 't were high noon; down to the farthest hellsPassed the Queen's joy, as when warm sunshine thrillsWood-glooms to gold, and into all the deepsA tender whisper pierced. "Oh ye," it said,"The dead that are to live, the live who die,Uprise, and hear, and hope! Buddha is come!"Whereat in Limbos numberless much peaceSpread, and the world's heart throbbed, and a wind blewWith unknown freshness over lands and seas.And when the morning dawned, and this was told,The grey dream-readers said "The dream is good!The Crab is in conjunction with the Sun;The Queen shall bear a boy, a holy childOf wondrous wisdom, profiting all flesh,Who shall deliver men from ignorance,Or rule the world, if he will deign to rule."
In this wise was the holy Buddha born.
Queen Maya stood at noon, her days fulfilled,Under a Palsa in the Palace-grounds,A stately trunk, straight as a temple-shaft,With crown of glossy leaves and fragrant blooms;And, knowing the time some—for all things knew—The conscious tree bent down its boughs to makeA bower above Queen Maya's majesty,And Earth put forth a thousand sudden flowersTo spread a couch, while, ready for the bath,The rock hard by gave out a limpid streamOf crystal flow. So brought she forth her childPangless—he having on his perfect formThe marks, thirty and two, of blessed birth;Of which the great news to the Palace came.But when they brought the painted palanquinTo fetch him home, the bearers of the polesWere the four Regents of the Earth, come downFrom Mount Sumeru—they who write men's deedsOn brazen plates—the Angel of the East,Whose hosts are clad in silver robes, and bearTargets of pearl: the Angel of the South,Whose horsemen, the Kumbhandas, ride blue steeds,With sapphire shields: the Angel of the West,By Nagas followed, riding steeds blood-red,With coral shields: the Angel of the North,Environed by his Yakshas, all in gold,On yellow horses, bearing shields of gold....