Article – Mysterious Births of Prophets

Many parts of the Buddhist world celebrate May 8 as the birthday of Gautama Buddha, the founding prophet of Buddhism. This occasion is celebrated on different dates by different sects of Buddhists, but all of them mark this as a very meaningful day.

In March, Hindus celebrate the festival of Rama Navami, the birthdate of Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu. In April, Hindus also celebrate the festival of Hanuman Jayanti, which is the birthdate of the Hindu god Hanuman. Also in April, Jains celebrate the birth of their founding prophet Mahavir.

Birth is magical to begin with. When infused with a breathtaking religious narrative, it becomes the stuff legends are made of. Since prophets and gods come into this world for a special mission, their stories are inevitably accompanied with mysterious births under special circumstances. These stories help sustain the magic of the religious traditions themselves, as the faith of their followers is deepened by finding meaning in these mysterious birth narratives which make their prophets seem all the more special.

There are many such narratives across religion, which have been immortalized and amplified over the years. The births of Jesus, Muhammad, and the Buddha were both heralded by the appearance of special celestial lights. Jesus was born by immaculate conception to the virgin Mary, and the nativity story comes embellished with wise men and a bright guiding star. The Prophet Muhammad’s birth was marked by the absence of any pain to his mother.

Prince Siddhartha, who became the Buddha, was born out of his mother’s right side as opposed to a normal uterine birth. The legend describes how, while sleeping, his mother Maya had a vivid dream filled with angels and a white elephant carrying a white lotus entered her body. One story reveals that upon exiting his mother’s womb, he immediately took seven steps and announced that this was his final birth in which he would save the world.

The legendary author of the foundational scripture of Taoism, the Taoteching, was named Lao Tzu (which means “Old Master”) because he is said to have been born with gray hair, a sign of his special wisdom.

The births of all these prophets, and more, are celebrated across the world by followers of their respective religious traditions through various festivals, rituals, and storytelling practices, keeping the mystery of their origins, deeds, and wisdom alive.