In contrast to the story about The Deer Park, some of Master Hsuan Hua’s stories diverge from more common traditions. Consider this explanation of Rāhula, Śākyamuni’s son, and Yaśodharā, Rāhula’s mother.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v2, p92-94Rāhula was Śākyamuni Buddha’s son. The Buddha had three wives. His senior wife was Gopika, his middle wife was Yaśodharā, and his junior wife was Mṛgadāva. Rāhula was the son of his second wife, Yaśodharā. After giving birth to him, Yaśodharā encountered a lot of problems and was involved in a scandal. Why was that? She did not show signs of pregnancy until after the Buddha had left the home life. Naturally, the entire Śākya clan was outraged. They said, “She’s certainly been up to no good. Her husband has been gone for six years. How could she have a son?” The truth was that Rāhula had been living in his mother’s womb for six years. Of course, no one could believe this. The Śākyans were furious and wanted to punish Yaśodharā for her infidelity by sentencing her to death.
Malicious rumors spread through the streets and all over the country. Everyone knew that the Buddha had been away for six years, but his wife had given birth to a son. Even though the palace maids had sworn before the Buddha’s father that Yaśodharā had not been unfaithful and that the child was indeed Śākyamuni Buddha’s, no one believed her innocence. It was thought to be impossible!
Left with no choice, Yaśodharā swore, “If I have behaved improperly, then when I jump into a pit of fire, my son and I will be burned to death; but if I am blameless, the heavenly spirits will protect us from the fire.
Consequently, a large pit was made and filled with lots of wood, and a roaring fire was lit. Holding Rāhula in her arms, she jumped into the fire. Miraculously, the fiery pit turned into a pond, and a lotus emerged to support her and Rāhula. After witnessing this, the king realized that his daughter-in-law had been wrongfully accused. Everyone in the country acknowledged this was an extraordinary situation and stopped criticizing her.
Rāhula means “covering and obstructing.” Why was he called Covering and Obstructing? In one of his past lives, when he was a child, he plugged up a mouse hole with a piece of wood for six days before removing it. As a result, in this life he had to bear the consequence of having to stay in his mother’s womb for six years. We should all consider this carefully: cause and effect is truly remarkable. Even though Rāhula was the Buddha’s son, he still had to undergo the retribution of spending six years in his mother’s womb because of this misdeed of plugging up a mouse hole. That was how he got the name Covering and Obstructing.
Another possible interpretation would be from Yaśodharā’s point of view. Because of Rāhula, she had to face a lot of troubles and adversities. The obstacles that she faced came from her son. That could also explain the name Covering and Obstructing.
Ultimately, where did Śākyamuni Buddha’s son come from? Was he really Śākyamuni Buddha’s son? Yes, he was. Did Śākyamuni Buddha have his son in the same manner as ordinary couples do? No. When Yaśodharā expressed her desire to have a son, the Buddha pointed his finger at her, and she became pregnant. This may sound like a myth, but in Buddhism there are many such myths. Yaśodharā’s pregnancy was inconceivable. There is no way to verify it
Google’s AI Mode search is helpful here. If you ask, “Which Buddhist school says Siddhartha had multiple wives and that his son, Rahula, was born years after he became the Buddha?” you find that Hsuan Hua’s story follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition. The Widkipedia entry for Rāhula has more on this.