Life of the Buddha

Description

THE BIRTH IN LUMBINI PARK

About ten months after the dream, the Queen was expecting her child and so she went to the King and said "My dear, I have to go back to my parents. My baby is about due now." Since it was the custom in India, for a wife to have her baby in her father's house, the King agreed saying "Very well, I will be making the necessary arrangements for you to go."

The king then send soldiers ahead to clear the road and some were retained to guard the Queen as she was carried in a decorated palanquin. The Queen left Kapilavatthu in a long procession of soldiers and retainers, for the capital of her father's kingdom.

On the way to the Koliya country, they passed a garden called Lumbini Park. This garden was near the kingdom called Nepal, at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains. At that time, the park was full of sweet scented flowers growing on the Sala trees and thousands of birds, bees and other insects had flocked to the trees.

The beautiful park with its trees and scented flowers and busy birds and bees attracted the Queen. Since the park was a good resting place, the Queen ordered the bearers to stop there for a while. However, as she rested underneath one of the Sala trees, her baby boy was born It was an auspicious day. The birth took place on the VESAK full moon day, in the year B.C. According to the legends about the Birth, the baby began to walk seven steps forward and at each step, a lotus flower appeared on the ground where his foot should have been Another legend tells us that the baby said:

Aggohamasmi Lokassa
Jettho hamasmi Lokassa
Settho hamasmi Lokassa
Ayamantimā Jāti
Natthi dāna punabbhavo.