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| Buddha Maitreya |
last revised October 7, 2019
Many members of
our school do not fully understand the term Bodhisattva
in Mahayana. Also, when we read the 22nd Vow of Amida presented in section7 of this sutra, and which is generally accepted to mean that we return to this
world as fully Enlightened Persons or Buddhas to save all beings, some of us
are puzzled that in the respective vow there is no mentioning of the word
"Buddha", but only "Bodhisattva". However, there is no
contradiction between the two. The reason is that, in Mahayana, the term
“Bodhisattva” does not only refer to a highly evolved person who is extremely
close to Enlightenment (on one of the ten bodhisattva stages/bhumis[1]),
but also to a Buddha who manifests as
Bodhisattva or Bodhisattvas who already attained Enlightenment. There is
clear evidence for this in many Mahayana sutras, esoteric tantras and also in
the writings of various Buddhist masters[2].
So, according to Mahayana Buddhism, there are two types of bodhisattvas:
1. Bodhisattvas
in aspiration who have made the vows of becoming Buddhas for themselves and
all beings, but who are still on the path (still in training) and still
unenlightened (not Buddhas yet). Anyone who made the four Bodhisattva vows[3]
may call himself or herself a bodhisattva in aspiration. Some bodhisattvas may
be very much advanced and on various higher levels, even close to Enlightenment, but as long as they
have not reached perfect Enlightement I also include them in this category.
2. Bodhisattvas
who already attained Buddhahood but who do not remain secluded in their
Enlightenment. These are in fact, ancient Buddhas who manifest as Bodhisattvas[4].
In this category we find Avalokitesvara[5],
Mahasthamaprapta[6],
Samantabhadra, Manjusri, Maitreya, and many others.
While Avalokitesvara (Kannon in Jap) and
Mahasthamaprapta (Seishi in Jap) are the two Bodhisattvas who accompany Amida
Buddha, the other three, Samantabhadra[7],
Manjusri[8]
and Maitreya, were also assembled at the Vulture Peak when Shakyamuni preached
the Larger Sutra:
“Mahayana
bodhisattvas also accompanied the Buddha, including all those of this
Auspicious Kalpa, such as the Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva Manjusri and the Bodhisattva Maitreya. There
were also the sixteen lay bodhisattvas, such as Bhadrapala, as well as the
Bodhisattva as well as Bodhisattva Profound
Thought, Bodhisattva Wisdom of Faith, Bodhisattva Emptiness, Bodhisattva Bloom
of Supernatural Power, Bodhisattva Hero of Light, Bodhisattva Superior Wisdom,
Bodhisattva Banner of Wisdom, Bodhisattva Tranquil Ability,
Bodhisattva Wisdom of Vows,
Bodhisattva Sweet-smelling Elephant, Bodhisattva Hero of Treasures, Bodhisattva
Dwelling in the Center, Bodhisattva Practice of Restraint, and Bodhisattva
Emancipation.[9]
About them the sutra says:
“With
such roots of virtue, all the
Bodhisattvas in the assembly had reached the
shore of Emancipation (Enlightenment/Buddhahood). They had acquired the
Buddha's immeasurable merit and attained the sacred, pure and inconceivable
wisdom. Innumerable Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, such as these assembled there
all at once.”[10]
As we clearly see in the above quote taken
from the 1st and 2nd sections of the Larger Sutra, the three Bodhisattvas, Samantabhadra, Manjusri and
Maitreya, the other sixteen lay Bodhisattvas and in fact,” all the Bodhisattvas in the assembly”, already attained Enlightenment - "had reached the shore of
Emancipation".
The whole section two of this sutra describes
the virtues of the Bodhisattvas in the audience. Thus, each one of them follows
ad infinitum the same pattern as Siddharta Gautama who became Shakyamuni Buddha, that is, they are Buddhas who manifest as
Bodhisattvas. It is like the story
of Shakyamuni Buddha repeats itself over and over again in all universes:
He first dwells for some time in the Tusita
heaven[11]
where Maitreya is now dwelling - "first dwelling in the Tusita Heaven, He
proclaims the true Dharma", and then, “…having left the
heavenly palace, He descends into His mother's womb. Soon after He is born from
her right side, He takes seven steps. As He does so, an effulgence illuminates
everywhere in the ten quarters and innumerable Buddha-lands shake in six ways.
Then He utters these words, ‘I will become the most Honoured One in the
world.’" [12]
After a childhood and youth filled with
various achievements and pleasures He "encounters
old age, sickness and death", and "He
realizes the impermanence of the world". Then He "renounces His kingdom, wealth and throne, and goes into the
mountains to practice the Way. After sending back the white horse that He
has been riding, together with the jewelled crown and ornaments which He has
been wearing, He takes off his magnificent clothes and puts on a Dharma robe.
He cuts His hair and shaves His beard, sits upright under a tree and strives at
ascetic practices for six years in accord with the traditional way".[13]
After realizing the futility of the ascetic
practices He washes himself in the river, eats moderately and then He takes a
sit under the Bodhi tree "with His
legs crossed". Then "He
emits a great flood of light to inform Mara of this. Mara and his army come to
attack and tempt him, but He brings them under control with the power of wisdom
and makes them all surrender. Then He attains the supreme Dharma and realizes the highest, perfect
Enlightenment".[14]
After this attainment of Enlightenment,
exactly like Shakyamuni in our present world, He goes on teaching the Dharma,
thus guiding others to the attainment of freedom from birth and death:
"[…]
destroys wrong views, removes afflictions, flushes the gutters of desire,
protects the Dharma-castle, opens the Dharma-gate, washes off the grime of the
passions, and reveals the pure white Dharma. He unifies everything in the
Buddha Dharma, and thus proclaims the right teaching".[15]
And at the end of His physical body, He "demonstrates that He passes into
Nirvana"[16],
or in other words, He puts on the show of disappearing into the
non-comprehensible state of beyond form and non-form, but in reality, according to the Larger
Sutra, He "endlessly brings
sentient beings to emancipation"[17],
which means that His activities in various manifestations continue in other
places of the universe, where He starts again the same story.
The sutra says:
"Just
as a magician with his perfect skill can create at will various illusions,
including images of man or woman, at will, so the Bodhisattva, having
thoroughly learned all the methods of emancipation and attained serene
awareness of reality, can freely teach and transform beings. He manifests himself everywhere in
innumerable Buddha-lands, performing acts of compassion for sentient
beings, tirelessly and with diligence".[18]
Simply stated, let’s imagine that you, the
reader of these lines, are a Buddha and I, Josho, am a stupid unenlightened
person, which I am, of course :) You attained Enlightenment many kalpas ago, in
the distant past, but because you have Compassion for Josho and other beings of
this earth, you decided to manifest yourself here. If Josho is attached to his
own personal power, then you need to show Josho that a person like himself can
become a Buddha and in order to encourage him to start practicing you take the
appearance of a person who is unenlightened and who passes through the same
difficulties like him. So, you play this game for Josho because his mind cannot
be convinced in another way. After “many struggles” you attain Enlightenment
and thus prove to Josho that it’s possible for him too, to become enlightened.
Josho is thus encouraged to start practicing, thinking that if you, his friend
or teacher, struggled and attained it, then he can do this, too. Also, if Josho
or others become deeply aware of their own limitations and incapacity to become
a Buddha like you, in the present life, and because indeed most of the people
from your time and especially after you leave your physical body, will be
incapable to attain Enlightenment in their present life, you start teaching to
them Amida’s method of salvation. Because you are a Buddha, your listeners will
trust your various teachings and follow them. But what they and Josho do not
know is that you were Enlightened from
the very beginning of your life in their realm and that all your years spent
among them were just a skilful mean for them and others to entrust to you and
to your teaching.[19]
You can find a similar explanation in the Lotus Sutra, too, where Shakyamuni
described himself as a Buddha who actually attained Enlightenment many eons ago
and who plays this game many times for the sake of unenlightened beings[20].
We should also remember that Shinran Shonin regarded Shakyamuni Buddha as a
manifestation of Amida Buddha in human form (Nirmanakaya):
“Amida,
who attained Buddhahood in the infinite past,
Full of compassion for foolish beings of the five defilements,
Took the form of Sakyamuni Buddha
And appeared inGaya
Full of compassion for foolish beings of the five defilements,
Took the form of Sakyamuni Buddha
And appeared in
So, these are
the Mahayana Bodhisattvas who gathered to listen to the Larger Sutra together with “twelve
thousand monks, all great sages who had
already attained supernatural powers”. Certainly, such great
beings who witnessed the teaching presented that day on the Vulture Peak have
always been promoting and protecting its transmission to later generations.
 |
| Shakyamuni Buddha entrusting the Larger Sutra to Maitreya |
However, the special character
who has been entrusted by Shakyamuni with the transmission of this sutra is
Bodhisattva Maitreya as we will see at section 33. In accordance with my above
explanations, there are two ways of speaking about Him.
One is the usual, provisional way, in which He plays the role of the future
Buddha of our age and successor to Shakyamuni, and the other is the true way,
as a Buddha who assumes many other roles in the various worlds of the ten
directions, beside the one He plays in our world.
The provisional way is well represented by
Shinran who said that we, people who have faith in Amida, are in the same stage
as Maitreya in the sense that we are also assured of becoming Buddhas in the
next life with the difference that we don’t need to wait bilions of years like
Maitreya and that we entered this stage through the Power of Amida. Of course,
for us is also the first time we become Buddhas, as we are not yet Enlightened,
so we are not playing any role until we are actually born in the Pure Land. This
provisional way is also presented in various sutras when He is described
without further explanations, as the successor to Shakyamuni. In this role He
manifested in Tusita heaven[22]
and will be born in human form in our universe and simulate the attainment of Enlightenment, just like the rest of the
Bodhisattvas in the audience do in many other worlds.
The true way of speaking about Maitreya is
represented by the following passage from The
Question of Maitreya Sutra:
“Ananda,
when the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya was formerly engaged in the conduct of
a bodhisattva (when He was a bodhisattva in aspiration), because the vehicle is
easy, the entry is easy, and the path is easy, He perfectly accomplished supreme, perfect Enlightenment.
Ananda,
when the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya was formerly engaged in the conduct of
a bodhisattva he did not let go of his arms, legs, or marrow. He did not
renounce and let go of his spouse, or his child, village, town, city, royal
palace, or retinue. But Ananda, when the Bodhisattva Mahasttva Maitreya was
formerly engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva, because He fully embraced
skilful means, through the easy vehicle, the easy entry, and the easy path, He accomplished supreme, perfect
Enlightenment”.
When further asked by Ananda how Maitreya
attained Enlightenment, Shakyamuni explained that unlike himself, who chose a
hard way of various sacrifices, Maitreya followed a somewhat easier path of
devotion towards all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, confessing His negative actions
in front of them, rejoicing in other meritorious deeds, entreating the
bodhisattvas in aspiration to attain Enlightenment and then benefit all beings,
making aspirations to fulfil the six perfections, etc[23].
Also, in section 33 of the Larger Sutra, Shakyamuni said:
“Maitreya,
you should know that you have, for innumerable kalpas, been perfecting the
bodhisattva practices to save sentient beings. Incalculable indeed is the
number of beings who under your guidance have attained the Way and reached
Nirvana. From time immemorial, you and all the devas and humans in the ten
directions and the four groups of followers have been floundering in the
five realms of samsara, undergoing indescribable troubles and afflictions.
Until you were born in this life, you, too, underwent endless cycles of birth
and death.”[24]
The last sentence is the key of the
fragment and should be read as follows – until He attained Enlightenment (“until you were born in this life”) and
became a Buddha who manifests as a Bodhisattva, He too was subject
to “endless cycles of birth and
death”. This is extremely important as it shows that the “endless cycles of birth and death” are
something of the past for Maitreya who is now ready to take the place of
Shakyamuni in the role of teaching the Amida Dharma to future generations,
doing what all Enlightened Bodhisattvas do as explained in section 2 of this
sutra. The words“born in this life” means
to become a Buddha free of birth and death, a permanent dweller in perfect Nirvana
as only somebody who already attained Nirvana can guide others to reach Nirvana
– “incalculable indeed is the number of
beings who under your guidance have attained the Way and reached Nirvana”.
to be continued
[1] The ten
bhumis are the ten stages on the Mahayana bodhisattva's path to Buddhahood. The Avatamsaka Sutra refers to the
following ten bhūmis: 1) the Very Joyous (Skt. pramuditā), 2) the
Stainless (Skt. vimalā), 3) the Light-Maker (Skt. prabhākarī),
4) the Radiant Intellect (Skt. arciṣmatī), 5) the Difficult to Master (Skt. sudurjayā),
6) the Manifest (Skt. abhimukhī),
7) the Gone Afar (Skt. dūraṃgamā), 8) the Immovable (Skt. acalā),
9) the Good Intelligence (Skt. sādhumatī), 10) the Cloud of Doctrine (Skt. dharmameghā).
The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, Sutra
Translation Committee of the United States and Canada. The Corporate Body of
the Buddha Educational Foundation/Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc., Taipei,
2nd ed. pp.759-760
[2] For example, in the Ojoraisan, Master Shan-tao himself presented Avalokitesvara as
already enlightened:
“Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, out of great compassion,
Does not stay in the Bodhi
(Enlightenment) which He has already realized.
Enfolding all the five states of samsaric existence in
His bodily light,
He observes beings at six times of a day and responds
to their needs with three kinds of act.
The light of His body of response is the colour of
purple gold;
His majestic physical characteristics are limitlessly
superb.
Extending always a hundred kotis of illuminating
hands,
He embraces all who are karmically related to Him
and takes
them to the home country of Amida”
(Shan-tao’s Liturgy
for Birth – Ojoraisan, compiled by Master Shan-tao, annotated translation
by Zuio Hisao Inagaki, edited by Doyi Tan, Singapore, 2009, p.90-91)
Certainly Master
Shan-tao was well aware of the Mahayana view of great Bodhisattvas who already
attained perfect Enlightenment, and became Buddhas. Also, in the Great Compassion Dharani Sutra (Maha Karuna
Dharani Sutra), Avalokitesvara is again presented as an ancient Buddha who
manifests as Bodhisattva:
“Then, Ananda asked the Buddha: "Bhagavan, what
is the name of this Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, who is so good to teach us this
Dharani?"
The Buddha said: "This Bodhisattva is called Avalokitesvara, the Unrestricted One, also called Nipping a Lariat, also called A Thousand Bright Eyes. Virtuous man, this Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has unimaginable mighty and holy powers. Uncountable kalpas before, He had already been a Buddha named True Dharma Brightness Tathagata. Because of the power of His great compassionate vows, and in order to call upon all Bodhisattvas to comfort and please all living beings, He appears as a Bodhisattva. All of you, including the Bodhisattvas, Brahmas, Gods of the 33 heavens, dragons, and divinities, should show respect to Him, do not despise Him.”
The Buddha said: "This Bodhisattva is called Avalokitesvara, the Unrestricted One, also called Nipping a Lariat, also called A Thousand Bright Eyes. Virtuous man, this Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has unimaginable mighty and holy powers. Uncountable kalpas before, He had already been a Buddha named True Dharma Brightness Tathagata. Because of the power of His great compassionate vows, and in order to call upon all Bodhisattvas to comfort and please all living beings, He appears as a Bodhisattva. All of you, including the Bodhisattvas, Brahmas, Gods of the 33 heavens, dragons, and divinities, should show respect to Him, do not despise Him.”
(English
translation at this link, https://huntingtonarchive.org/resources/downloads/sutras/05bodhisattvaYana/Great%20Compassion%20Dharani%20Sutra.doc.pdf)
[3] The four
Bodhisattva vows are: 1. no matter how perfect a Buddha would be, I vow to
become like Him, 2. no matter how profound the Dharma (the teaching) would be,
I vow to fully understand it all, 3. no matter how numerous the passions would
be, I vow to conquer them all, 4. no matter how numerous the beings would be, I
vow to save them all.
[4] When you read verses about great
Bodhisattvas who postpone their own attainment of Enlightenment until all
beings enter Nirvana, you should know it refers to the profound truth that
their Enlightenment has no trace of ego, and that the Nirvana they already
attained is not a personal Nirvana (they did not attain it for themselves), but
a continuous awareness of the suffering of others and a constant effort to save
them. It means they will not disappear
or remain hidden in Nirvana until all beings also attain Nirvana. How else can it be, when a Buddha has
Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion? It is something natural for a Buddha
to immediately return to Samsara, in many forms, to help all unenlightened
beings, while retaining His Nirvanic state of mind as without it He cannot
actually save anybody because no one can lead others to a place (Nirvana) that
oneself has not attained it. The aspiration of the Bodhisattva Path is to
become a Buddha for all beings, so once a Bodhisattva actually becomes a
Buddha, He will continue to manifest in Samsara, taking up various forms, from
the highest to the lowest, and going to all the worlds and universes to turn
the wheel of Dharma. Thus, He plays again and again the skilful game of a
beginner who leaves family, starts practicing, and finally attains Enlightenment,
doing all these in order to encourage beings in various worlds to practice the
Dharma themselves.
[5] See
footnote 4 of this chapter.
[6] Mahasthamaprapta
too, the other companion of Amida, is also an Enlightened Bodhisattva, as He
presented himself in Suranghama Sutra,
when Shakyamuni asked all the Bodhisattvas in the audience to explain the
methods they used for attaining Enlightenment:
"The Dharma Prince Mahastamaprapta (Great
Strength), together with fifty-two fellow Bodhisattvas, arose from their seats,
bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha:
'I remember when, as many eons ago as there are sand grains in the Ganges River, a Buddha called Limitless Light appeared in the world. During that same eon, there were twelve successive Tathagatas, the last of whom was called Light Surpassing the Sun and the Moon Buddha. Those Buddhas taught me the Buddha-Mindfulness Samadhi:
'I remember when, as many eons ago as there are sand grains in the Ganges River, a Buddha called Limitless Light appeared in the world. During that same eon, there were twelve successive Tathagatas, the last of whom was called Light Surpassing the Sun and the Moon Buddha. Those Buddhas taught me the Buddha-Mindfulness Samadhi:
Suppose there are two people, one of whom always
remembers the other, while the other has entirely forgotten about the first
one. Even if these two people were to meet or see each other, it would be the
same as not meeting or seeing each other. On the other hand, if two people
develop intense memories for one another, then in life after life, they will be
together like an object and its shadow, and they will never be separated. The
Tathagatas of the ten directions are tenderly mindful of living beings just
like a mother remembering her son. But if the son runs away, of what use is the
mother's concern? However, if the son remembers his mother in the same way that
the mother remembers her son, then in life after life mother and son will never
be far apart. If living beings remember the Buddha and are mindful of the
Buddha, they will certainly see the Buddha now and in the future. Being close
to the Buddha, even without the aid of expedients, their hearts will open of
themselves. That is like a person who, once perfumed by incense, carries the
fragrance on his body. That is called the adornment of fragrance and light.
On the causal
ground (when a bodhisattva in aspiration/not yet enlightened[6]), I used
mindfulness of the Buddha (focus on Amida Buddha/saying of His Name in faith).
Now in this world I gather in all those who are mindful of the Buddha (Amida
Buddha), and I bring them to the Pure Land.
(English translation:
http://www.fodian.net/world/shurangama.html#rememberBuddha)
[7] Samantabhadra
appears in some tantras of Vajrayana (Esoteric) Buddhism as the name of the
awakened Buddha nature, being depicted sky-blue in color and naked meaning that
He is beyond any concept. In the ninth chapter of the Tantra of the Great Perfection That Shows the Penetrating Wisdom of
Samantabhadra, He says about himself:
“I, Samantabhadra, recognized from the beginning the
nature of the ground - free from cause and condition [...]
My emanations are unceasing. I manifest inconceivable
billions according to the needs of beings to be trained. [...] All beings of
the three realms and I, the primordial Buddha, share the same basic nature.
This nature for them, however, becomes the ground of confusion and they engage
in the six pointless actions like delusions in a dream.
I am the primordial Buddha who tames the six types of
beings through my emanations.”
(English
translation: https://www.bodhicittasangha.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Prayer-of-Samantabhadra.pdf)
To recognize “from the beginning the nature of the
ground” means to have always dwell in the ultimate Buddha nature, no matter
what forms He may manifest for the sake of unenlightened beings. In the context
of our Pure Land teaching we should read the words “the primordial Buddha” in the sense that this Buddha nature in
which Samantabhadra dwells has no beginning and no end. When we attain
Buddhahood, we’ll also dwell in the primordial Buddha-nature and in the same
time manifest everywhere “according to
the needs of beings to be trained”.
[8] In the Surangama Samadhi Sutra, Manjushri is
presented as an ancient Buddha who attained Buddhahood in the past, but who
continues to re-manifest as a Bodhisattva:
“’At that time the elder Mahakasyapa addressed the
Buddha, "World-Honored One, I
suggest that Dharma Prince Manjusri has already been a Buddha in a past life.
He has himself sat in the seat of
Enlightenment and turned the Wheel of the Dharma, and He has manifested entry
into Parinirvana to sentient beings.’
The Buddha said, ‘Thus it is, thus it is.
It is as you have spoken, Kasyapa.
Long in the distant past, an immeasurable and innumerable [number of]
inconceivable immeasurable eons ago, there
was a Buddha who was called Paragon
of the Dragons [as well as by the ten titles] Tathagata, He Who Should
Receive Offerings, Of Correct and Universal Understanding, Sufficient in Wise
Practice, Well-Gone, He Who Understands the World, the Unsurpassed One, He Who
Disciplines Humans, Teacher of Humans and Gods, and WorldHonored Buddha. A
thousand Buddha lands south of this world, there was a country called Universal
Equivalence, which had neither mountains nor rivers, neither stones nor rocks,
and neither hills nor dales. The land there was as flat as the palm of one's
hand, and on it grew a soft grass, like that in Kalinga. When Paragon of the Dragons Buddha attained
unsurpassable and perfect Enlightenment and first turned the Wheel of the
Dharma in that world, He created an assembly of seven billion Bodhisattvas
through His teaching. Eight billion people became Arhats, and ninety-six
thousand people resided as Pratyekabuddhas [lit., resided within the dharmas of
the causes and conditions of Pratyekabuddhas]. Afterward, there were also an
immeasurable number of Sravaka monks.
Kasyapa, the life span of Paragon of the Dragons
Buddha was four million four hundred thousand years, during which time He saved
humans and gods and then entered into Nirvana. His physical relics were divided
and distributed around the world, and there were erected thirty-six
hundred-million stupas, at which sentient beings made offerings to Him. After
that Buddha died, the Dharma remained for ten thousand years. When Paragon of the Dragons Buddha was about
to enter Nirvana, He conferred a prediction [of future Enlightenment] on
Brilliance of Wisdom Bodhisattva, saying, 'After I am gone, this Brilliance of
Wisdom Bodhisattva will achieve unsurpassable and perfect Enlightenment. He
will again be called Brilliance of Wisdom [Buddha].'
Kasyapa, could that Paragon of the Dragons Buddha of the world Universal Equivalence be
anyone else? You must have no doubt! Why? It was none other than Manjusri, the
Dharma prince.”
(Surangama
Samadhi Sutra, translated
into Chinese by Kumarajiva, English translation by John McRae, BDK English
Tripitaka 25-II, 25-III, Numata Center for Translation and Research, Berkeley,
California, 1998, p.79-80)
[9] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.3
[10] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.7
[11] All
those who become great Buddhas spend their prior life in the Tusita Heaven.
[12] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.4
[13] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.4
[14] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.4-5
[15] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.5
[16] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.5
[17] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.5
[18] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated
into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised
second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist
translation and Research, 2003, p.5-6
[19] When you read verses about great
Bodhisattvas who postpone their own attainment of Enlightenment until all
beings enter Nirvana, those refer to the profound truth that their
Enlightenment has no trace of ego, and that the Nirvana they attained is not a
personal Nirvana (they did not attain it for themselves), but a continuous
awareness of the suffering of others and a constant effort to save them. How else can it be, when a Buddha has
Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion? It is something natural for a Buddha
to immediately return to Samsara, in many forms, to help all unenlightened
beings, while retaining His Nirvanic state of mind. The aspiration of the
Bodhisattva Path is to become a Buddha for all beings, so once a Bodhisattva
actually becomes a Buddha, He will continue to manifest in Samsara, taking up
various forms, from the highest to the lowest, and going to all the worlds and
universes to turn the wheel of Dharma. Thus, He plays again and again the
skilful game of a beginner who leaves family, starts practicing, and finally
attains Enlightenment, doing all these in order to encourage beings in various
worlds to practice the Dharma themselves.
We who entrust to
Amida Buddha will also become such active Buddhas who manifest as Bodhisattvas
after we are born in His Pure Land, after death. This is what Amida promised in
His 22nd Vow, and this is the meaning of the term "bodhisattva" from
that vow.
[20] “The devas, humans, and asuras in all the worlds
all think that the present Buddha, Śhakyamuni, left the palace of the Sakyas,
sat on the terrace of Enlightenment not far from the city of Gaya, and attained
highest, complete Enlightenment. However, O sons of a virtuous family,
immeasurable, limitless, hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas
of kalpas have passed since I actually attained Buddhahood. […]Since then I
have constantly been residing in the Saha world, teaching the Dharma and
inspiring sentient beings. I have also been leading and benefiting sentient
beings in incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of
other worlds.”
The Lotus Sutra, chapter
16 (Taishō Volume 9, Number 262),
translated from the Chinese of Kumarajiva by Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama,
Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2007, p223-224
[21] Hymns of the Pure Land - The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.349
In Shinran’s day, Gaya – the place where Shakyamuni attained Enlightenment –
was sometimes confused with Kapilavastu, his birthplace (note of the
translator).
[22] Each
universe has its own Tusita heaven and other heavens of the gods, as well as
human realms, demigods, animals, pretas and hells. Maitreya is now residing in
the Tusita heaven of our Saha universe.
[23] “Then the venerable Ananda asked, ‘Blessed
One, what were the skillful means to which the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya
adhered, thus accomplishing supreme, perfect Enlightenment?’
The Blessed One replied, ‘Ananda, when formerly the
Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva (when
He was a bodhisattva in aspiration), He would drape His shawl over one
shoulder, set His right knee on the ground, and put the palms of His hands
together three times during the day and three times during the night. Making
all the Buddhas visible, He would then speak to them in these words:
“ ‘Homage to all the Buddhas! Homage to the
bodhisattvas, those sages with the divine eye, and to the Sravakas, too.
Homage to the mind of Enlightenment which reverses all
negative rebirths, shows the path to higher rebirths, and leads beings to the
state without aging or death.
Whatever negative actions I have done under the
influence of mind, here in the presence of the Buddhas I confess them.
Whatever accumulation of merit I have produced through
the three kinds of action, may it be the seed of my omniscience and
inexhaustible Enlightenment.
Whatever offerings to the Buddhas arise in all realms
throughout the ten directions, the Buddhas know and rejoice in them, and at
that I myself rejoice.
I confess all negative actions. I rejoice in all
meritorious acts. I pay homage to all the Buddhas. May I attain supreme
awareness!
I exhort the bodhisattvas of all ten directions who
abide on the ten bodhisattva levels to attain supreme Enlightenment.
May they become truly Enlightened Buddhas, overcoming
negative influences of every kind, and then, to benefit living beings, may they
turn the wheel of the Dharma.
Through the sound of the great Dharma drum, may they
bring the suffering of sentient beings to an end. For unimaginable millions of
eons,may they teach the Dharma and continue to remain in this world.
I beg you, best of all humans, look upon those who are
trapped in the swamp of desire, and tightly bound by the cords of craving, fettered
in every kind of bond.
Buddhas, do not belittle those whose minds are defiled,
but with loving intent toward all sentient beings, save them from the sea of
existence.
May I train in the footsteps of the perfect Buddhas-
those present now, those of the past, and those of the future, and may I engage
in the conduct of the bodhisattvas.
May I complete the six perfections and liberate beings
of the six realms. May I realize the six supernormal powers and reach supreme
Enlightenment.
Unproduced and non-arising, without self-nature or
location, neither mental cognition, nor substance - may I realize the teaching
of emptiness.
Just like the Buddha, the great sage, may I realize
the teaching of non-self: a sentient being does not exist, nor does a living
being, nor does an individual, or a person.
May I not dwell on there being anything substantial, a
belief in a self, or what I take to be mine, but in order to make all sentient
beings happy, may I give everything away without miserliness.
Since material objects do not really exist, may my
wealth be spontaneously accomplished. Since all material objects decay, may I
complete the perfection of generosity.
Possessing conduct that is flawless, conduct that is
perfect, and conduct that is without arrogance, may I complete the
perfection of moral conduct.
Like the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, not
dwelling on anything, with patience and free of anger, may I complete the
perfection of patience.
Through assiduous application of diligence, may I have
constant enthusiasm without laziness, and with strength of body and mind, may I
complete the perfection of diligence.
Through magic-like meditative concentration, meditative
concentration of bravery, and vajra-like meditative concentration, may I
complete the perfection of meditation.
Actualizing the three gates to liberation, the
sameness of the three times, and the threefold knowledge, may I complete
the perfection of wisdom.
May I be praised by all the Buddhas, and blaze with
light and splendor; through the diligence of a bodhisattva,
may my intention be fulfilled.
Thus engaging in such conduct, may I, who am known as
Maitreya, complete the six perfections and dwell on the ten bodhisattva
levels.’
‘Ananda, those are the skillful means through which
the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya, by adhering to them, through the easy
vehicle, the easy entry, and the easy path, perfectly accomplished supreme,
perfect, and complete Enlightenment.’”
The Question of Maitreya Sutra, (Skr. Āryamaitreyaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra,
Tib.’phags pa byams pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo), translated
from Tibetan by Karen Liljenberg under the patronaje and supervision of 84,000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha, http://read.84000.co/translation/UT22084-044-005.html
[24] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A
Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with
Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation
and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.52
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