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LALITA-VISTARA.
a total period of four months, and then brought him to his own house. In that house, which was like an agglomeration of many jewels, the Bodhisattva took his abode. There all elderly S'ákya men and women assembled, and discussed the question as to who was there who could nurse and amuse and protect the Bodhisattva with due feelings of interest, friendliness, affection and calmness. Among them were five hundred S'ákya wives, and each of them said, "I shall nurse the Prince."
Then the Súkyas, including the elders, men and women, thus remarked: "All these wives are inexperienced and thin and youthful; they are elated with the vanity of their youth and beauty, they are not fit to nurse the Bodhisattva at proper tiines. But here is the good matron Gautamí, the sister of the Prince's mother; she is well able to bring up the Prince in a proper way; and at the same time approach king S'uddhodana." Then they in a body made the request to the great matron Gautamí; and the great matron Gautamí undertook to nurse the Prince. Now, thirtytwo maid-servauts were appointed for the Bodhisattva, eight as body-nurses to carry him about; eight as milk-nurses to give hita nourishment; eight as cleansing-nurses to wash and dress him; and eight as play-nurses to amuse and play with him.
Then kg Saddhodana invited the S'ákyas to a meeting, and held counsel with them as to whether the Prince would become an imperial sovereign, or whether he would retire as a houseless hermit?
At that time there lived on the side of the noble IIimavat mountain a great sage (maharshi) named Asita. Ile was versed in all the five sciences, and lived with his nephew Naradatta. At the moment of Bodhisattva's birth he beheld many extraordinary, wonderful, inagical occurrences. He saw Devaputras moving about in great joy under the sky, and, high in the void above, resounding the name of Buddha. The wish arose in his mind, "I must inquire into this mystery." With his intellectual eyes he surveyed the whole of the Jambudvipa. He beheld in the great city called Kapila, in the house of king S'uddhodana, a prince
