Five
days after his birth, the young prince received the name of
Siddhartha. When his parents took him to the temple, the
statues of the gods prostrated themselves before him, great were the
rejoicings of the people over the birth of this illustrious prince.
Also at this time a devout old man named Asita came down from
the Himalayas to meet the newborn prince. An ascetic of high
spiritual attainments, Asita was particularly pleased to hear this
happy news. Having been a tutor to the King, he visited the palace to
see the royal baby. The king, who felt honoured by his unexpected
visit, carried the child up to him in order to make the child pay him
due reverence. To the surprise of all, the child's legs turned and
rested on the matted locks of the ascetic.
Instantly,
the ascetic rose from his seat and recognizing in the young child the
80 signs that are pledges to a highly religious vocation, and
foreseeing with his supernormal vision the child's future greatness,
saluted him with clasped hands. The Royal father did likewise. The
great ascetic smiled at first and then was sad. Questioned regarding
his mingled feelings, he answered that he smiled because the prince
would eventually become a Buddha, an Enlightened One, and he was sad
because he would not be able to benefit from the superior wisdom of
the Enlightened One owing to his prior death and rebirth in a
Formless Plane.
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