Chapter 5: The Chapter on the Brahmin’s Divination

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

At that time, all goodness gathered together. Misfortune and calamity were eliminated, and happiness was boundless. Because of this, the king rejoiced and pardoned all the people in the kingdom. Joy and celebration came together like the flowing of many rivers.

It was like the god Indra (天帝釋 [tian di shi]) having his son Qúhuò (瞿或 [qu huo]). It was like the god Ānxiáng (安祥天 [an xiang tian]) having his son Tóngnán (童男 [tong nan]). It was like Vaisravana (毘沙門 [pi sha men]) having his son Bǎopíng (寶瓶 [bao ping]). The king was also filled with joy at the birth of the Bodhisattva (菩薩 [pu sa]).

The Bodhisattva's (菩薩 [pu sa]) body was soft, like a newborn heavenly being. The wet nurses took care of him as if he were an infant. The king invited the old and virtuous, and the experienced wet nurses to surround and protect him so that they would not leave his side.

His radiant form was as bright as the most noble of the Brahma heavens (梵中尊 [fan zhong zun]). The wet nurses quickly took him to a temple of the heavenly beings. They wanted him to pay respects to the statues of the heavenly beings. All the statues of the gods stood up, bending and bowing.

All the statues of the heavenly beings (天像 [tian xiang]) made of gold, stone, and clay folded their hands and bowed their heads to show respect to the Bodhisattva (菩薩 [pu sa]). The wet nurses were shocked and terrified. Because of this auspicious sign, they called him "the heaven among heavens" (天中天 [tian zhong tian]).

They did not yet fully understand the divine virtue of the prince. Because of this terror, they quickly returned to the palace. When the king, Bái Jìng (白淨王 [bai jing wang]), heard this, he was startled and trembled with fear. He immediately summoned the Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]) who were skilled in divination.

When they arrived, the king asked them, "O wise masters, please perform a divination for my son. I am afraid that because of this son, I have offended the statues of the heavenly beings. Please remove the deep doubt in my heart."

The Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]) replied with happy faces, "O heavenly king! You should be celebrating now, not feeling sad. Your royal family will be renewed, starting from this day. A holy Cakravartin emperor (轉輪聖帝 [zhuan lun sheng di]) will rule the four directions.

According to the divination, a person born from the right side will surely be a noble and holy person with universal wisdom. He will stand above all kings, shining like Mount Sumeru (須彌 [xu mi]), and will be the king of all mountains, with no one able to surpass him.

Among all treasures, the wish-fulfilling jewel is the best. Among all rivers, the great ocean is the best. Among all lights, the sun and moon are the best. Now, this prince is the most excellent among all saints.

According to the classical divination, there were kings with a dignified demeanor who were born from the hand. There was a king who governed with the law and was born from the palm. There was a king with strength of will and thought who was born from his father's armpit. There was a king named Wǎnggǔ (往古 [wang gu]) who was born from his father's thigh. King Wěntuójié (抆陀竭 [wen tuo jie]) was born from the top of his head. These powerful people were all Cakravartin kings (轉輪王 [zhuan lun wang]).

Now, the divination of this auspicious sign is that he will be a holy king who will save the heavenly and human beings with his holy wisdom and power. His name and title will be known everywhere, throughout the ten directions, just like the great holy king Wěntuójié (抆陀竭 [wen tuo jie]).

He will have the seven treasures (七寶 [qi bao]): the golden wheel (金輪 [jin lun]), the white elephant (白象 [bai xiang]), the jade woman (玉女 [yu nu]), the dark horse (紺馬 [gan ma]), the bright pearl (明珠 [ming zhu]), the holy minister (聖臣 [sheng chen]), and the soldier in charge (主兵 [zhu bing]). He will travel between heaven and earth with his four divisions of troops. He will open the path of non-action (無為路 [wu wei lu]) for heavenly and human beings.

He will have a thousand sons who are talented, strong, and brave. He will rule the world in peace with the right Dharma (正法 [zheng fa]). If he leaves his home to seek the path, he will surely become a Buddha (佛 [fu]) and will surpass the world with his wisdom. According to the divination of the classical scriptures, there are only these two paths for him."

The king smiled and said to the Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]), "Since the time of our ancestors, the line of holy kings has been broken. My father was not a Cakravartin king (轉輪王 [zhuan lun wang]), so how could my son become a holy king on his own?" Although the king said this, the Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]) were astonished.

They all spoke in unison, raising their hands and praising him. Like the sound of a great nāga's thunder, they greatly praised him in the king's hall: "O king, do not doubt and think that this is not so. The virtues of a father and son can be different, and their past actions can be different.

It all depends on the virtuous deeds cultivated in a past life. Please allow us to present the divination record, and you will see it. The ancient immortal sages and talented and wise people listed four-line verses in sequence, like a medical prescription.

The ancient doctor Lóutuó (婁他 [lou ta]) was not very wise, but his son was an immortal sage and was wiser than his father. The ancient holy kings also did not have a successor, but after a hundred generations, their descendants once again inherited the throne.

The recent saints are also limited to the rivers and oceans, and their light cannot be compared to that of your son. There are countless other such skills and techniques. The ancient predecessors did not attain them, but their later descendants excelled and surpassed them. The outcome of a matter depends on the virtues of a past life and not on a person.

The cultivation in a past life matches the virtues of this life. Even if the current time is not right, a virtuous person will live an auspicious life. The examination of the record of divination matches the auspicious signs. He will surely become a Cakravartin king (轉輪王 [zhuan lun wang]) in this world."

The king told the great multitude of Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]), "I will now give my son a name based on his virtues." The Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]) were silent, thinking for a moment. They humbly and softly told the heavenly king: "We have observed the current time, and it is very peaceful and harmonious.

Auspicious birds are flying and singing, and the sounds of auspicious signs are everywhere. The earth is shaking gently, and the seasons are moderate. The wind and rain are timely, and the world is in a state of great peace.

All the fires are burning, clear and without smoke. The heavenly beings (諸天 [zhu tian]) are filling the sky, appearing and folding their hands. They are raining down various flowers, and the heavenly music is playing at the same time. The king's teachings are fair and balanced, and the kingdom will be prosperous. The auspicious signs are appearing throughout the king's kingdom. Therefore, the prince should be named Jícái (吉財 [ji cai])."

The king was very pleased and generously rewarded the Brahmins (梵志 [fan zhi]). He gave them hundreds of thousands of milk cows with golden horns. The king returned with great joy and caressed the prince's head. He placed a beautiful jeweled necklace around the prince's neck. With a compassionate heart and folded hands, he praised his virtues: "First, you will rule as a holy king, and then you will leave home."

[5] fú běn xíng jīng fàn zhì zhàn xiāng pǐn dì wǔ

dāng ěr zhī shí,　　zhòng shàn pǔ huì；　　yāng huàn xiāo miè,
　kuài lè wú jí.　　wáng yīn shì xǐ,　　shè jiàng tiān xià；
　xīn qìng lái jí,　　rú zhòng chuān liú.　　rú tiān dì shì,
　shēng zi qú huò；　　rú ān xiáng tiān,　　shēng zi tóng nán；
　rú pí shā mén,　　shēng zi bǎo píng；　　pú sà dàn yù,
　wáng yì huān xǐ.　　pú sà tǐ ruǎn,　　rú tiān chū shēng；
　rǔ mǔ shōu yǎng,　　rú yù yīng hái.　　qǐng zhū jiù dé,
　xiǎo shì mǔ rén；　　wéi wèi yōng hù,　　bù lí zuǒ yòu.
　guāng xiāng míng zhào,　　rú fàn zhōng zūn；　　zhū mǔ sù jí,
　jiāng yì tiān sì.　　yù lìng bài yè,　　zhū tiān xíng xiàng；
　tiān xiàng jiē qǐ,　　qū shēn dī yǎng.　　zhū yǒu jīn shí,
　shuǐ ní tiān xiàng；　　chā shǒu jī shǒu,　　lǐ jìng pú sà.
　zhū mǔ jīng bù,　　xīn jiē è rán；　　yuán shì ruì yīng,
　hào tiān zhōng tiān.　　wèi dì shěn zhī,　　tài zi shén dé；
　yīn cǐ kǒng bù,　　sù hái guī gōng.　　bái jìng wáng wén,
　jīng guài bù zhàn；　　yīn zhào fàn zhì,　　míng zhàn xiāng zhě.
　yīng lìng xún zhì,　　wáng jí wèn yuē:　　 “wéi zhū míng shī,
　zhàn xiāng wú zi.　　jù yīn cǐ zi,　　fàn chù tiān xiàng；
　wéi bá wú xīn,　　zhū shēn hú yí.” 　　fàn zhì xǐ yán,
　duì yuē: “tiān wáng! 　　jīn yīng chēng qìng,　　bù yí huái qī.
　wáng zú gèng xīn,　　dāng cóng jīn shǐ；　　zhuǎn lún shèng dì,
　yīng lín sì fāng.　　àn guà zhàn chá,　　yòu xié shēng zhě；
　bì wèi zūn guì,　　shèng dá pǔ zhì.　　lín zhòng wáng shàng,
　xiǎn rú xū mí；　　wèi zhòng shān wáng,　　wú néng jí zhě.
　zhòng bǎo zhī zhōng,　　rú yì wèi zuì；　　zhòng liú zhī zhōng,
　dà hǎi wèi zuì.　　zhòng guāng zhī zhōng,　　rì yuè wèi zuì；
　jīn shì tài zi,　　zhòng shèng zhōng zuì.　　àn zhàn gǔ diǎn,
　yǒu wēi yí wáng；　　yīn shǒu ér shēng,　　lǜ wáng zhǎng shēng.
　qíng sī lì wáng,　　cóng fù yè chū；　　wáng míng wǎng gǔ,
　yīn fù bì shēng.　　wěn tuó jié wáng,　　dǐng shàng shēng chū；
　shì děng dé qiáng,　　jiē zhuǎn lún wáng.　　jīn zhàn guāng ruì,
　xiāng yīng shèng wáng；　　shè dù tiān rén,　　yǐ shèng huì lì.
　míng hào pǔ wén,　　zhōu biàn shí fāng；　　rú dà shèng wáng,
　hào wěn tuó jié.　　jīn lún bái xiàng,　　yù nǚ gàn mǎ,
　míng zhū shèng chén,　　zhǔ bīng qī bǎo.　　yóu tiān shì jiān,
　cóng bīng sì pǐn；　　dāng wèi tiān rén,　　kāi wú wèi lù.
　dāng yǒu qiān zi,　　cái lì yǒng měng；　　dāng yǐ zhèng fǎ,
　zhì shì tài píng.　　ruò shě jiā chū,　　jìn qiú dào shù；
　bì dāng wèi fú,　　yǐ huì shèng shì.　　yì àn shì jiān,
　zhòng shèng míng shī；　　àn guà suǒ zhàn,　　wéi cǐ èr qù.”
　wáng xīn jiě yán,　　wèi fàn zhì yuē:　　 “zì zōng zǔ lái,
　shèng wáng duàn jué.　　fù wáng yì wú,　　zhuǎn lún wáng wèi；
　zi hé yóu néng,　　zì zhì shèng wáng?” 　　wáng suī rú shì,
　fàn zhì è rán；　　jiē gòng tóng shēng,　　jǔ shǒu chēng tàn.
　yóu rú dà lóng,　　léi zhèn zhī shēng,　　yú wáng diàn shàng,
　dà chēng shàn qìng:　　 “wéi wáng mò yí,　　wèi qí bù rán；
　fù zi dé yì,　　sù xíng bù tóng.　　wéi zài sù shì,
　xiū lì dé xíng；　　qǐng chéng jí guà,　　wáng dāng zhào zhī.
　wǎng gǔ xiān shèng,　　xián cái míng dá；　　cì bǐ sì jù,
　ruò yī yào fāng.　　wǎng yī lóu tā,　　bù néng mǐn dá；
　qí zi xiān xián,　　míng dá yú fù.　　wǎng gǔ shèng wáng,
　hòu yì bù jì；　　bǎi zhuǎn zhī sūn,　　nǎi fù hái shào.
　jìn shèng yì fù,　　xiàn qí jiāng hǎi；　　qí guāng mò néng,
　rú qí zi zhě.　　rú shì yì shù,　　nǎi yú wú shù；
　wǎng gǔ xiān rén,　　suǒ bù dá jí.　　qí hòu miáo yì,
　xiù chū yú qián；　　shì rèn sù dé,　　fēi yóu yú rén.
　qián shì suǒ xiū,　　yǔ jīn dé hé；　　suī jīn shí fēi,
　dé rén jū jí.　　zhān àn jí guà,　　yǔ ruì fù hé；
　bì dé yú shì,　　wèi zhuǎn lún wáng.” 　　wáng gào zhū dà,
　zhòng fàn zhì yuē:　　 “jīn dāng wèi zi,　　yīn dé lì zì.”
　fàn zhì mò rán,　　xīn sī sī xū；　　qiān xùn bēi shēng,
　qǐ bái tiān wáng:　　 “chá jīn shí yùn,　　tài qīng hé shùn；
　jí niǎo xiáng míng,　　ruì yīng zhì shēng.　　de dòng xiáng xù,
　jié qì diào shì；　　fēng yǔ shùn shí,　　shì yīng tài píng.
　zhòng huǒ yán xiàn,　　qīng chè wú yān；　　zhū tiān sāi kōng,
　xiàn xíng chā shǒu.　　yǔ zhòng zá huā,　　tiān lè bìng zuò；
　wáng jiào píng jūn,　　guó yīng fēng shú.　　dà wáng guó jìng,
　xiáng ruì pǔ zhēn；　　dāng míng tài zi,　　hào yuē jí cái.”
　wáng yì dà yuè,　　zhòng cì fàn zhì；　　jīn jiǎo rǔ niú,
　shù bǎi qiān tóu.　　wáng hái xǐ yuè,　　mó tài zi tóu；
　yǐ miào bǎo yīng,　　xì tài zi jǐng.　　cí xīn chā shǒu,
　tàn qí dé yuē:　　 “xiān lín shèng wáng,　　rán hòu chū jiā.”

[5] fu ben xing jing fan zhi zhan xiang pin di wu

dang er zhi shi, zhong shan pu hui; yang huan xiao mie,
kuai le wu ji. wang yin shi xi, she jiang tian xia;
xin qing lai ji, ru zhong chuan liu. ru tian di shi,
sheng zi qu huo; ru an xiang tian, sheng zi tong nan;
ru pi sha men, sheng zi bao ping; pu sa dan yu,
wang yi huan xi. pu sa ti ruan, ru tian chu sheng;
ru mu shou yang, ru yu ying hai. qing zhu jiu de,
xiao shi mu ren; wei wei yong hu, bu li zuo you.
guang xiang ming zhao, ru fan zhong zun; zhu mu su ji,
jiang yi tian si. yu ling bai ye, zhu tian xing xiang;
tian xiang jie qi, qu shen di yang. zhu you jin shi,
shui ni tian xiang; cha shou ji shou, li jing pu sa.
zhu mu jing bu, xin jie e ran; yuan shi rui ying,
hao tian zhong tian. wei di shen zhi, tai zi shen de;
yin ci kong bu, su hai gui gong. bai jing wang wen,
jing guai bu zhan; yin zhao fan zhi, ming zhan xiang zhe.
ying ling xun zhi, wang ji wen yue: "wei zhu ming shi,
zhan xiang wu zi. ju yin ci zi, fan chu tian xiang;
wei ba wu xin, zhu shen hu yi." fan zhi xi yan,
dui yue: "tian wang! jin ying cheng qing, bu yi huai qi.
wang zu geng xin, dang cong jin shi; zhuan lun sheng di,
ying lin si fang. an gua zhan cha, you xie sheng zhe;
bi wei zun gui, sheng da pu zhi. lin zhong wang shang,
xian ru xu mi; wei zhong shan wang, wu neng ji zhe.
zhong bao zhi zhong, ru yi wei zui; zhong liu zhi zhong,
da hai wei zui. zhong guang zhi zhong, ri yue wei zui;
jin shi tai zi, zhong sheng zhong zui. an zhan gu dian,
you wei yi wang; yin shou er sheng, lu wang zhang sheng.
qing si li wang, cong fu ye chu; wang ming wang gu,
yin fu bi sheng. wen tuo jie wang, ding shang sheng chu;
shi deng de qiang, jie zhuan lun wang. jin zhan guang rui,
xiang ying sheng wang; she du tian ren, yi sheng hui li.
ming hao pu wen, zhou bian shi fang; ru da sheng wang,
hao wen tuo jie. jin lun bai xiang, yu nu gan ma,
ming zhu sheng chen, zhu bing qi bao. you tian shi jian,
cong bing si pin; dang wei tian ren, kai wu wei lu.
dang you qian zi, cai li yong meng; dang yi zheng fa,
zhi shi tai ping. ruo she jia chu, jin qiu dao shu;
bi dang wei fu, yi hui sheng shi. yi an shi jian,
zhong sheng ming shi; an gua suo zhan, wei ci er qu."
wang xin jie yan, wei fan zhi yue: "zi zong zu lai,
sheng wang duan jue. fu wang yi wu, zhuan lun wang wei;
zi he you neng, zi zhi sheng wang?" wang sui ru shi,
fan zhi e ran; jie gong tong sheng, ju shou cheng tan.
you ru da long, lei zhen zhi sheng, yu wang dian shang,
da cheng shan qing: "wei wang mo yi, wei qi bu ran;
fu zi de yi, su xing bu tong. wei zai su shi,
xiu li de xing; qing cheng ji gua, wang dang zhao zhi.
wang gu xian sheng, xian cai ming da; ci bi si ju,
ruo yi yao fang. wang yi lou ta, bu neng min da;
qi zi xian xian, ming da yu fu. wang gu sheng wang,
hou yi bu ji; bai zhuan zhi sun, nai fu hai shao.
jin sheng yi fu, xian qi jiang hai; qi guang mo neng,
ru qi zi zhe. ru shi yi shu, nai yu wu shu;
wang gu xian ren, suo bu da ji. qi hou miao yi,
xiu chu yu qian; shi ren su de, fei you yu ren.
qian shi suo xiu, yu jin de he; sui jin shi fei,
de ren ju ji. zhan an ji gua, yu rui fu he;
bi de yu shi, wei zhuan lun wang." wang gao zhu da,
zhong fan zhi yue: "jin dang wei zi, yin de li zi."
fan zhi mo ran, xin si si xu; qian xun bei sheng,
qi bai tian wang: "cha jin shi yun, tai qing he shun;
ji niao xiang ming, rui ying zhi sheng. de dong xiang xu,
jie qi diao shi; feng yu shun shi, shi ying tai ping.
zhong huo yan xian, qing che wu yan; zhu tian sai kong,
xian xing cha shou. yu zhong za hua, tian le bing zuo;
wang jiao ping jun, guo ying feng shu. da wang guo jing,
xiang rui pu zhen; dang ming tai zi, hao yue ji cai."
wang yi da yue, zhong ci fan zhi; jin jiao ru niu,
shu bai qian tou. wang hai xi yue, mo tai zi tou;
yi miao bao ying, xi tai zi jing. ci xin cha shou,
tan qi de yue: "xian lin sheng wang, ran hou chu jia."