In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [28]
“Monks, the manifestation of one person is the manifestation of great vision, of great light, of great radiance; it is the manifestation of the six things unsurpassed; the realization of the four analytical knowledges; the penetration of the various elements, of the diversity of elements; it is the realization of the fruit of knowledge and liberation; the realization of the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, nonreturning, and arahantship.3 Who is that one person? It is the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. This is that one person.”
(AN 1: xiii, 1, 5, 6; I 22–23)
2. THE BUDDHA’S CONCEPTION AND BIRTH
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
2. Now a number of monks were sitting in the assembly hall, where they had met together on returning from their almsround, after their meal, when this discussion arose among them: “It is wonderful, friends, it is marvelous, how mighty and powerful is the Tathāgata! For he is able to know about the Buddhas of the past—who attained final Nibbāna, cut [the tangle of] proliferation, broke the cycle, ended the round, and surmounted all suffering—that for those Blessed Ones their birth was thus, their names were thus, their clans were thus, their moral discipline was thus, their qualities [of concentration] were thus, their wisdom was thus, their meditative dwellings were thus, their liberation was thus.”
When this was said, the Venerable Ānanda told the monks: “Friends, Tathāgatas are wonderful and have wonderful qualities. Tathāgatas are marvelous and have marvelous qualities.”4
However, their discussion was interrupted; for the Blessed One rose from meditation when it was evening, went to the assembly hall, and sat down on a seat made ready. Then he addressed the monks thus: “Monks, for what discussion are you sitting together here now? And what was your discussion that was interrupted?”
“Here, venerable sir, we were sitting in the assembly hall, where we had met together on returning from our almsround, after our meal, when this discussion arose among us: ‘It is wonderful, friends, it is marvelous … their liberation was thus.’ When this was said, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda said to us: ‘Friends, Tathāgatas are wonderful and have wonderful qualities. Tathāgatas are marvelous and have marvelous qualities.’ This was our discussion, venerable sir, that was interrupted when the Blessed One arrived.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ānanda: “That being so, Ānanda, explain more fully the Tathāgata’s wonderful and marvelous qualities.”
3. “I heard and learned this, venerable sir, from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Mindful and clearly comprehending, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta appeared in the Tusita heaven.’5 That mindful and clearly comprehending the Bodhisatta appeared in the Tusita heaven—this I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.
4. “I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Mindful and clearly comprehending the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita heaven.’ This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.
5. “I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘For the whole of his lifespan the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita heaven.’ This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.
6. “I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Mindful and clearly comprehending the Bodhisatta passed away from the Tusita heaven and descended into his mother’s womb.’ This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.
7. “I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘When the Bodhisatta passed away from the Tusita heaven and descended into his mother’s womb, an immeasurable great radiance surpassing the divine majesty of the devas appeared in the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and human beings.