Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo

The Precious Scroll of Incense Mountain, Part 1 51
A single shout, and in an instant the staff became a dragon:
Accompanied by clouds and rain, he returned to the heavens.
Manifesting his golden body, he ascended into the sky—
And the dragon-mien of the emperor showed his pleasure.
The story tells that from this time on the empress was in
blessed circumstances. Her eyes constantly saw ulumbara flowers
swirling about her; 16 her ears constantly heard the playing of a
heavenly music; her nose constantly smelled an exquisite perfume
wafting about; her body constantly produced a brilliant light; and
her throat was constantly moistened by ghee. Accompanied by
such auspicious signs, she was pregnant for the full ten months. 17
It was the eighteenth year of Marvelous Splendor, and the nineteenth
day of the second month was the birthday of the empress.
All the concubines and other palace women celebrated this with
three days devoted to enjoying the flowers. In the imperial flower
garden there were more than eighty paths for viewing the flowers
and willows. These had all been paved with white jade, while the
balustrade was fashioned of yellow gold. In addition there were
thirty-two pavilions for enjoying the flowers. These were covered
with blue and green glazed tiles, with golden beams and jade pillars.
The floor was made out of silver bricks interspersed with the seven
jewels. 18 Banquets had been set out everywhere, where zithers were
played and songs raised in joy. Eventually they arrived behind the
Palace of Completed Heaven, where they ascended the Thousandflower
Tower to look and gaze in the four directions. The sun in
the cloudless sky was positioned at the hour of si. 19 That very moment
they saw heavenly flowers scatter their colors, while extraordinary
treasure poured out of the earth. The overwhelming perfume
of the flowers enveloped and permeated the tower. In that instant
she gave birth to the princess. At that time the hundred birds in the
sky congratulated her by singing: ‘‘A bodhisattva has appeared in
this world, / She will ferry across limitless multitudes.’’ Everyone in
the palace heard these words. She then composed the following
gātha:
Enjoying ourselves by viewing the flowers we came to the tower,
Yellow orioles were calling, the hundred flowers were blooming.
How beautiful the spring on the nineteenth of the second month!
This was the day on which the princess was born into this world.