The Prophetic Dream of Buddha's Father
Dreamed by King Suddhōdana c.563 BCE, as told by Sir Edwin Arnold, 1883
And all that night The King Suddhōdana dreamed the troublous dreams. The first fear of his vision was a flag Broad, glorious, glistening with a golden sun, The mark of Indra; but a strong wind blew, Rending its folds divine, and dashing it Into the dust; whereat a concourse came Of shadowy Ones, who took the spoiled silk up And bore it eastward from the city gates. The second fear was ten huge elephants, With silver tusks and feet that shook the earth, Trampling the southern road in mighty march; And he who sate upon the foremost beast Was the King's son--the others followed him. The third fear of the vision was a car, Shining with blinding light, which four steeds drew, Snorting white smoke and champing fiery foam; And in the car the Prince Siddārtha sate. The fourth fear was a wheel which turned and turned With nave of burning gold and jewelled spokes, And strange things written on the binding tire, Which seemed both fire and music as it whirled. The fifth fear was a mighty drum, set down Midway between the city and the hills, On which the Prince beat with an iron mace, So that the sound pealed like a thunderstorm, Rolling around the sky and far away. |
The sixth fear was a tower, which rose and rose High o'er the city till its stately head Shone crowned with clouds, and on the top the Prince Stood, scattering from both hands, this way and that, Gems of most lovely light, as if it rained Jacynths and rubies; and the whole world came, Striving to seize those treasures as they fell Toward the four quarters. But the seventh fear was A noise of wailing, and behold six men Who wept and gnashed their teeth, and laid their palms Upon their mouths, walking disconsolate. These seven fears made the vision of his sleep,
So in the city men went sorrowful
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Bowed reverent and said, "O Maharāj! I hail this favored House, whence shall rise A wider-reaching splendor than the sun's! Lo! all these seven fears are seven joys, Whereof the first, where thou didst see a flag-- Broad, glorious, gilt with Indra's badge--cast down And carried out, did signify the end Of old faiths and beginning of the new; For there is change with gods not less than men, And as the days pass kalpas pass--at length. The ten great elephants that shook the earth The ten great gifts of wisdom signify, In strength whereof the Prince shall quit his state And shake the world with passage of the Truth. The four-flame breathing horses of the car Are those four fearless virtues which shall bring Thy son from doubt and gloom to gladsome light; The wheel that turned with nave of burning gold Was that most precious Wheel of perfect Law Which he shall turn in sight of all the world. The mighty drum whereon the Prince did beat, Till the sound filled all lands, doth signify The thunder of the Preaching of the Word Which he shall preach; the tower that grew to heaven The growing of the Gospel of this Buddh Sets forth; and those rare jewels scattered thence The untold treasures are of that good Law |
To gods and men dear and desirable. Such is the interpretation of the tower; But for those six men weeping with shut mouths, They are the six chief teachers whom thy son Shall, with bright truth and speech unanswerable, Convince of foolishness. O King! rejoice; The fortune of my Lord the Prince is more Than kingdoms, and his hermit-rags will be Beyond fine cloths of gold. This was thy dream! And in seven nights and days these things shall fall!" So spake the holy man, and lowly made
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SOURCES: The New World of Dreams, Ralph Woods & Herbert Greenhouse, eds., 1974; p.127-9; excerpt from The Light of Asia, 1883, by Sir Edwin Arnold, a free translation of The Play in Full, a (3rd-century?) compilation from multiple sources up to 8 centuries older still... so don't ask me if it's true! Even the date of Buddha's birth is uncertain; I've used a figure accepted through much of the 20th century, but many recent scholars propose dates more like 490 BCE.
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