CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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celestial abode comprises 32 cities of Devas, with Indra's capital in
the centre. There he receives the monthly reports of the 4 Maharajas,
or heavenly kings, on the progress of good
mortals (1). Buddha was born 20 times as Indra ;
or evil in the world of
the god was also
present at his birth, and assisted at his flight from the palace.
When he returned to Kapilavastu, Indra metamorphosed himself
into eight Devas, and escorted him on his way home (2). A legend
relates that Buddha's mother died seven days after his birth, and
was thus deprived of the advantage of hearing
the law from her
son's lips. To compensate for this loss, Buddha ascended to the
heaven of Indra, and there during three months preached
the law
for his mother's benefit. His return to earth was effected with the
help of a ladder made for him by Indra (3).
In view of the above kind services, early Buddhism admitted
Indra into, its Pantheon, but assigned him a place inferior to Guatama,
and all Buddhist saints (4). Armed with his Vajra, or thunderbolt,
he became a powerful tutelar}' god, and is deemed to protect
Buddhism throughout the world. His birthday
9 lh
day of the first month (5).
Indra, Yuli-ti 31 'iff* represented
is celebrated on the
in female form.
The large Buddhist monastery P'u-t'i shen-yuen ^f^iW (^ (6),
(1) Eitel. Sanscrit-Chinese Dictionary, p. 148.— Monier Williams. Bud-
dhism, p. 207.
(2) Getty. The Gods of Northern Buddhism, p. 48. — Monier Williams.
Buddhism . p. 111.
(3) Monier Williams. Buddhism, p. 414, 417. This extravagant myth
is believed in by all Buddhists in Ceylon, Burma, Siam, China and Japan.
(4) Monier Williams. Buddhism, p. 206, 215. — Eitel. Sanscrit-Chinese
Dictionary, p. 46.
(5) See Chinese Superstitions. Vol. V. p. 566 (Birthday of Indra). —
Edkins. Chinese Buddhism, p. 210.
(6) P'u-t'i H JH, transliteration of the Sanscrit word Bodhi, enlighten-
ment. Shen )|f , to sit abstracted^ in contemplation, as required by Dhyana.
Yuen |$/c, a walled inclosure, a monastery. Hence a place where Buddhists
reside, a Buddhist monastery. Williams. Dictionary of the Chinese Language.