Thirty deeds of a buddha

Thirty deeds of a buddha are a set of thirty acts that are performed by all buddhas during their lifetime, according to the commentaries of the Pali tradition.

According to contemporary scholar John Strong, these thirty deeds or acts are:

...on descending into his mother’s womb, the bodhisattva must be aware that this will be his final birth; within his mother’s womb, he should assume a cross-legged position facing outwards; his mother must give birth to him while in a standing position, in a forest grove.

Immediately after his birth, he should take seven steps to the north, survey the four quarters and roar the lion’s roar; his Great Departure occurs only after he has seen the four signs and the birth of his son; he must practice austerities for at least seven days and wear the yellow robe; on the day of his enlightenment, he must first have a meal of milk-rice.

Then he should sit on a seat made of grass, concentrate on his breathing, defeat the forces of Mara, and attain full enlightenment in a cross-legged position.

After enlightenment, he should spend seven weeks in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree; and the god Brahma must ask him to preach the Dharma, which he first does in the Deer Park at Sarnath. He should recite the rules of the community to an assembly of monks, reside mostly at the Jetavana monastery, perform the Twin Miracle at Sravasti, teach the Abhidharma in Indra’s Heaven, and descend from that Heaven at Samkasya. He should constantly abide in the attainment of fruits, survey the capacities of others during two nightly meditational trances, lay down new monastic rules only when necessary, recount jatakas when appropriate, and recite the Buddha-Chronicle in an assembly of his kinsmen. He should welcome monks who visit him, spend the rains-retreat where invited to do so, and daily carry out his duties prior to and after eating and in the three watches of the night. He should eat a meal containing (pork) meat on the day of his death, and pass into parinirvana after myriads of attainments.

See also

• Twelve deeds of a buddha

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University 
• Strong, John (2009), The Buddha: A Beginner's Guide, Oxford: Oneworld Publications