286 



NOTICES ON THE LIFE OF SHAKYA, 



IV. — He displayed all sorts of arts. 



V. — He was married, or enjoyed the pleasures of the conjugal state. 

 VI. — He left his house and took the religious character. 

 VII. — He performed penances. 



VIII. — He overcame the devil, or god of pleasures, ( Kama Dcva.) 

 IX. — He arrived at supreme perfection, or became Buddha, 



X. — He turned the wheel of the law or published his doctrine. 



XI. — He was delivered from pain, or died. 

 XII. — His relics were deposited. 



The notices will be made according to these twelve heads, thus : 

 I. — He descended from among the gods. 



Before his last incarnation, Sharya resided for a long time in Galdan 

 (S. Tushita, one of the heavens of the gods) whither he had ascended 

 through his former moral merits, especially through his having been accom- 

 plished in the six transcendental virtues ; viz. charity, morality, patience, 

 &c., when Kashyapa, his predecessor, was about to leave Galdan, and to 

 descend to be incarnated for the purpose of becoming a Buddha, Shakya 

 was at that time a Bodhisativa of the tenth degree of perfection. He was 

 chosen by Kashyapa for his Vicegerent in Tushita, to be the instructor 

 of the gods, and was also inaugurated by him with his own diadem. As 

 a Bodhisativa under the name of " Dam-pa-tog-dkar'' (';^sr'q"^s]'«^;^x) he 

 remained afterwards in Tushita for a long period, or till the time, when 

 men lived only one hundred years. At a certain occasion, when the gods 

 in Tushita were exhibiting all sorts of musical entertainments, out of 

 respect for him, he was exhorted by the Buddhas of all the corners of the 

 world, to descend from Tushita, and to endeavour to become a Buddha. 



He acquainted the gods with his intention respecting his descent into 

 Jamhi divipa. They, knowing that there were at that time many atheis- 

 tical teachers,* endeavoured to divert him from his purpose: but in 



* See No. 1, of the Extracts in the Appendix, Dulva 3rd Vol, leaf 419 — 478; and 4th 

 Vol. leaf 1— lOG. 



