Day 2 completes Chapter 1, Introductory.
Having last month considered what Manjusri saw in a previous life a long, long time ago, we come to the story of a Bodhisattva who was called Fame Seeking.
One of the eight hundred disciples [of Wonderful-Light] was called FameSeeking. He was attached to gain. He read and recited many sutras, but did not understand them. He forgot many parts of those sutras. Therefore, he was called Fame-Seeking. But he [later] planted the roots of good, and became able to see many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas. He made offerings to them, respected them, honored them, and praised them.
Maitreya, know this! Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva at that time was no one but myself; and Fame-Seeking Bodhisattva, no one but you. This good omen we see now is not different from what I saw at that time. Therefore, l think that the Tathagata of today also will expound the sutra of the Great Vehicle called the ‘Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’
It never fails to amaze me to hear that the next Buddha of the Saha World, Maitreya. was once a slacker more interested self-interest than in his Buddhist practice. There’s hope for me yet. Planting roots of good; looking forward to seeing many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas.