Chapter 1
son (to the Prince).
The Death of Queen MahÈmÈyÈ DevÊ and Her Rebirth in TusitÈ
On the seventh day after the birth of the Prince, his mother, MahÈmÈyÈ DevÊ, reaching
the end of her life span, passed away and was reborn in TusitÈ abode as a deva bearing the
name of Santusita.
(The mother died not because she had given birth to a Bodhisatta, but because her
life span had come to an end. It may be recalled that even when the Bodhisatta
Deva Setaketu made the five great investigations, MahÈmÈyÈ had only ten months
and seven days left to live. Nobody else is worthy of occupying the lotus-like
womb of a Bodhisatta’s mother, for it is like the perfumed chamber which has
housed a Buddha or His statue or an object of worship. Besides, while a
Bodhisatta’s mother is still alive, it is not appropriate to keep her aside and make
another woman Chief Queen. So it is the usual course of event (
dhammatÈ
) that a
Bodhisatta’s mother should remain alive for only seven days after giving birth to
her son. Hence the passing away of the mother at that time.)
The Age of MahÈmÈyÈ DevÊ at The Time of Her Demise
To the query, ‚In which period of life did MahÈmÈyÈ die?‛, the answer is: ‚She died in
the middle period.‛ To elaborate: Since desires and passions abound in sentient beings in
the first period of life, a woman who conceives in this period cannot take good care of her
pregnancy. Accordingly, the baby at that time is susceptible to many diseases. But the
womb of the mother remains clean when she passes two thirds of her middle period and
reaches the last third. And whoever takes conception in such a clean womb is free from
diseases. Therefore, the Bodhisatta's mother, after enjoying palatial luxuries in the first
period of life, gave birth to a son and died when she came to the third and last stage of her
middle period of life. (DÊgha-NikÈya Commentary, Vol. II, in the exposition of Bodhisatta
dhammatÈ.)
Strictly following the exposition of this Commentary, famous teachers of old have
composed an aphorism in a verse form to state that the mother of the Bodhisatta passed
away when she was precisely fifty-six years, four months and twenty-seven days old. There
is also another one saying that the royal mother conceived at the age of fifty-five years, six
months and twenty days.
Further explanation in brief: At the time when the mother MÈyÈ was born as a human
being, the general life span was one hundred years which may be equally divided into three
periods, each consisting of thirty-three years and four months. She enjoyed her luxurious
life in the first period of thirty-three years and four months. If the second period of thirty-
three years and four months are made into three portions, each portion covers eleven years,
one month and ten days. The sum of the first two portions will then be twenty-two years,
two months and twenty days. To this, add the number of years and months of the first
period, and the result is fifty-five years, six months and twenty days. At this age,
MahÈmÈyÈ conceive the Bodhisatta. Hence the second aphorism.
If and when the ten months duration of pregnancy as well as the seven days that followed
the Prince’s birth are added to the fifty-five years, six months and twenty days, the sum
total will be fifty-six years, four months and twenty-seven days. Hence the first aphorism.
(An elaboration of the meaning of the subject-matter under discussion is given in the
Samantacakkhu DÊpanÊ, Vol. I.)
Was Royal Mother MÈyÈ reborn as A Male or A Female Celestial Being
To the question as to whether the royal mother, MÈyÈ, was reborn as a male or a female
celestial being in the abode of TusitÈ, the answer, no doubt, should be that she was reborn
as a male.
In this matter, after superficially studying the PÈli statement ‚
mÈtaraÑ pamukhaÑ katvÈ
‛
some scholars say or write that she was reborn as a female deity; but such reliable works as