Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/177

Rh The Great Being therefore saw that the time of his advent had arrived.

Then reflecting upon, and considering the four great continents with their surrounding islands, he thought, "In three of the continents the Buddhas do not — but in Jambudvīpa they do — appear," and thus he decided on the continent.

Then reflecting upon, and thinking, "Jambudvīpa indeed is large, ten thousand leagues in extent; now in which district of it do the Buddhas appear?" he fixed upon the Middle Country. And calling to mind that the town named Kapilavastu was in that country, he concluded that he ought to be born in it.

Then reflecting on, he thought, "The Buddhas are not born in the Vaisya caste, nor the Sūdra caste; but either in the Brāhmana or in the Kshatriya caste, whichever is then held in the highest repute. The Kshatriya caste is now predominant, I must be born in it, and Suddhodana the chief shall be my father." Thus he decided on the tribe.

Then reflecting on, he thought, "The mother of a Buddha is not eager for love, or cunning after drink, but has fulfilled the Perfections for a hundred thousand ages, and from her birth upwards has kept the five Precepts unbroken. Now this lady Mahā Māyā is