Chapter 9 The Ornaments
Monks, at the time of the constellation of Citrā, after the constellation of Hastā had passed, the chief priest of the king, who was called Udayana, the father of Udāyin, went before King Śuddhodana surrounded by some five hundred priests and said, “Your Majesty, please know that it is now proper for ornaments to be made for the prince.”
The king replied, “Very well, then do it.”
At that time King Śuddhodana had five hundred types of ornaments made by five hundred Śākyas. He commissioned bracelets, anklets, crowns, necklaces, rings, earrings, armbands, golden belts, golden threads, nets of bells, nets of gems, shoes bedecked with jewels, garlands adorned with various gems, jeweled bangles, chokers, and diadems. When the ornaments were completed the Śākyas went before King Śuddhodana at the time of the constellation of Puṣya and said, “King, please ornament the prince.”
The king replied, “It is better if you ornament the prince and make these offerings to him, since I have commissioned the ornaments for the prince.”
They replied, “The prince should wear these ornaments that we have made for seven days and nights. This will make our efforts meaningful.”
At dawn, as the sun rose, the Bodhisattva entered the park known as Stainless Array, where Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī took him onto her lap. Eighty thousand women welcomed the Bodhisattva and gazed at his countenance. Ten thousand girls welcomed the Bodhisattva and gazed at his countenance. Ten thousand Śākyas welcomed the Bodhisattva and gazed at his countenance. Five thousand priests also arrived and [122] gazed at the Bodhisattva’s countenance. Then the ornaments that had been commissioned by the gracious king of the Śākyas were fastened onto the Bodhisattva’s body.
As soon as the ornaments were placed on the Bodhisattva’s body, the radiance of his body eclipsed their luster. They did not glitter or gleam, and they lost all their shine. They were just like a lump of coal that is placed next to gold from the Jambū River—it also does not glitter, gleam, or shine. In the same way, when the ornaments were struck by the light radiating from the Bodhisattva’s body, they lost all their glitter, gleam, and shine. And thus it was that any ornament that was placed on the Bodhisattva’s body lost its luster, like a lump of soot thrown before gold from the Jambū River.
Then the goddess of the pleasure grove, Vimala, revealed her vast body before the king and the group of Śākyas, and spoke these verses to them:
“Even if the entire trichiliocosm with its cities and towns
Were filled with stainless and beautiful gold,
A single coin of gold from the Jambū River would steal its splendor,
Leaving the other gold bereft of glory and brilliance.
“Even if this entire earth were filled with gold from Jambudvīpa,
The light radiating from the pores of the Glorious Guide would outshine it.
It would not shine or gleam, but lose its beauty and glow;
Before the Blissful Protector, it would appear just like soot.
“His body is adorned with signs, the result of previous virtue,
So why would he need ordinary ornaments made by someone else?
Remove the ornaments! Do not disturb the One Who Makes the Foolish Wise—
He, who brings supreme knowledge, does not wear artificial ornaments!
Having spoken these words, the goddess scattered divine flowers over the Bodhisattva and disappeared.
This concludes the ninth chapter, on the ornaments.