When his life in the comes to an end, the enters the womb of his mother, Queen Māyā, clearly aware. At his entry into the womb the earth quakes and a great light shines everywhere; four gods stand guard, and the mother keeps the precepts, feels no sensual desire and suffers no illness in her body. The Pali canon of the and the Chinese Madhyama Āgama both record this in the form of Ānanda recalling the “wonderful and marvellous qualities” of the Buddha. Taishō Canon
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Pali Canon
More sources (2)
Different Accounts
The day of entry into the womb: the Buddha biographies Xiuxing benqi jing and Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing give the eighth day of the fourth month; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition give the night of the full moon of . Taishō Canon
More differences between accounts (3)
The manner of entry into the womb: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and some Buddha biographies say a white elephant with six tusks entered the womb; the Xiuxing benqi jing says the Bodhisatta came in a transformed body riding a white elephant; Majjhima Nikāya 123 of the Southern tradition and the Chinese Madhyama Āgama have no white elephant. Taishō Canon
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The mother's dream: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Buddha biography Zhongxu mohedi jing say the mother had four dreams; the Pravrajyāvastu of the same Vinaya says only that it was one great auspicious dream. Taishō Canon
The survey before entering the womb: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says the Bodhisatta first surveyed five things in the Tusita heaven (the place of birth, the country, the time, the clan and the parents); the later commentaries of the Southern tradition also speak of five great surveys (the time, the continent, the region, the family and the mother). Taishō Canon
Dating
Before the birth; the Buddha not yet born. Majjhima Nikāya 123 of the Southern tradition states that it was ten months before the birth; the Buddha biographies give the eighth day of the fourth month; only the month is known (the later commentaries of the Southern tradition fix it to the full-moon day of Āsāḷha). Pali Canon
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by two schools, the Pali canon of the Southern tradition and the Chinese Madhyama Āgama. Recorded by two schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time); commentarial dating (the canonical texts give no date; later commentaries record it). Time precision: fixed to the day, month only.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 123:3.2–5.2
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 123:8.2–12.5
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 123:14.2
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.470a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.106b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.107b
- 大正藏大正藏 T23 no.1444 p.1020c
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.184 p.462c
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.184 p.463b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.185 p.473b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.186 p.490b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.187 p.549a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.189 p.623a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.189 p.624a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.682b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.191 p.938b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.191 p.939a
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.193 p.57a
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.194 p.122b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.195 p.146b
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ja-a，Avidūrenidāna
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 14:1.17.1–1.20.1
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.3c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Bv-a，§68 PTS 0.55
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Bv-a，序分，§68，PTS 0.55