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gods stirred all over, addressing their friends, and announcing,
now, the
'On the expiry of a thousand years from Buddha will be born in the world.
Being inspired by the announcement, all the gods residing in the 10,000 cakravalas (each ca kravala is a world by its elf, with a diameter of 12,03450 yojanas and circumference of 36, 10, 350 yojanas). assembled. They enquired who the next Buddha was, and having observed his prior marks they came to him and prayed. When the marks had become explicit, all the gods from the cakravālas, such as Caturmahārā jika, Sakra, Suyāma, Santusit, Paranirmita-vasavarti. and others, met in the same cakravāla with the Mahabrahmas, and held consultation among themselves. Thereafter they came to the Bodhi-sattva in the Tuşitloka and prayed unto him:
'Friend! You have acquired the 10 päramitas not to win the seat of Indra, nor to usurp the position of Mara, Brhama or a cakravarti, but you have done so in order to save the world and attain enlightenment for yourself. Friend! We have come to tell thee that it is time for thee to become the Buddha.'
Five great selections - Without committing anything to the gods, the Bodhi-sattva analysed threadbare five items, the time (period) of his birth, the isle (continent), the country (region), the parental line and the span of his life. The first item up in his thought was whether the time was propitious or not. When people had a life-span of more than one lakh years, that period was not propitious for the birth of a Buddha; for, with such a long life, people did not have the experience of birth, old age or death, nor are the preaching by the Buddhas (during this period) free from transcience, misery and emphasis on non-self. During this period, people did not pay heed to these preachings, and had no respect for these. Rather, they made adverse comments. (During this phase, ) people were not conscious about the utility of religion, and unless they were so conscious, the preachings by the Buddha had no impact on them. So such a period (when people lived more than one lakh years) was not suitable (for the birth of a Buddha).
