Literary History of Sanskrit Buddhism

Lalitavistara – 29
of the Buddha.” Thus the lifework of the Buddha on the earth is
characterised as the diversion (lalita) of a supernatural being.
In the introductory chapter the Buddha appears as an exalted divine
being, although the chapter starts after the mode of the ancient Pāḷi
Suttas with the words: “So have I heard. Once upon a time the
Master was sojourning at Śrāvastī in the Jeta Park in the garden of
Anāthapiṇḍada.” [20]
Extravagant Imagery
But while in the Pāḷi texts the Master is introduced with these or
similar stereotyped initial phrases and is surrounded by a few
disciples or at the most his suite of “500 monks,” and then
immediately the Sutta proper begins, in the Lalitavistara, as in all the
Vaipulya sūtras of the Mahāyāna, the picture that is outlined of the
Buddha is a grandiose one encircled by divine radiance. He is
surrounded by twelve thousand monks and by no less than thirty-two
thousand Bodhisattvas, “all still in the trammels of only one re-birth,
all born with the perfections of a Bodhisattva, all enjoying the
knowledge of a Bodhisattva, all in the possession of an insight in
magical charms” and so forth.
While in the middle watch of the night the Buddha sits sunk in
meditation, from his head issues forth a stream of light which
penetrates into the heavens and sets all the gods in commotion.
These latter forthwith chant a hymn of praise to the exalted Buddha
and soon after appear Iśvara and the other divinities before the
Master, [who] throw themselves at his feet and implore him to reveal
the excellent Vaipulya Sūtra called the Lalitavistara for the salvation