Day 2 completes Chapter 1, Introductory
Most interesting to me in this chapter is the way it sets up what will come in the following chapters. On the first day everyone witnesses what is happening in worlds in the east that are being illuminated by the Buddha. Today, Manjusri explains that what everyone sees today is exactly what he saw happen in a long-ago previous existence.
As Day 2 opens, Manjusri answers Maitreya’s question about whether Manjusri has ever seen such an omen before.
Good men! I think that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, wishes to expound a great teaching, to send the rain of a great teaching, to blow the conch-shell horn of a great teaching, to beat the drum of a great teaching, and to explain the meaning of a great teaching.
Good men! I met many Buddhas in my previous existence. At that time I saw the same good omen as this. Those Buddhas emitted the same ray of light as this, and then expounded a great teaching. Therefore, know this! I think that this Buddha also is emitting this ray of light, and showing this good omen, wishing to cause all living beings to hear and understand the most difficult teaching in the world to believe.
What’s important, in my view, is that the preaching and lessons seen today by the Buddha’s light and the teachings witnessed by Manjusri in a previous existence are the same as Sakyamuni has been practicing.
Manjusri explains that the previous Buddha, Sun-Moon-Light “expounded the right teachings.”
His expounding of the right teachings was good at the beginning, good in the middle, and good at the end. The meanings of those teachings were profound. The words were skilful, pure, unpolluted, perfect, clean, and suitable for the explanation of brahma practices. To those who were seeking Sravakahood, he expounded the teaching of the four truths, a teaching suitable for them, saved them from birth, old age, disease, and death, and caused them to attain Nirvaoa. To those who were seeking Pratyekabuddhahood, he expounded the teaching of the twelve causes, a teaching suitable for them. To Bodhisattvas, he expounded the teaching of the six paramitas, a teaching suitable for them, and caused them to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, that is, to obtain the knowledge of the equality and differences of all things.
This Buddha was followed by 20,000 identical Buddhas who taught the same right teaching until the last Sun-Moon-Light decided to take it a step farther:
Thereupon the last Sun-Moon-Light Buddha expounded a sutra of the Great Vehicle called the ‘Innumerable Teachings, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’ Having expounded this sutra, he sat cross-legged [facing the east] in the midst of the great multitude, and entered into the samadhi for the purport of the innumerable teachings. His body and mind became motionless.
Thereupon the gods rained mandarava-flowers, maha-mandarava-flowers, manjusaka-flowers, and maha-manjusaka-flowers upon the Buddha and the great multitude. The world of the Buddha quaked in the six ways. The great multitude of the congregation, which included bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kirpnaras, mahoragas, men, nonhuman beings, the kings of small countries, and the wheel turning-holy kings, were astonished. They rejoiced, joined their hands together [towards the Buddha], and looked up at him with one mind.
Thereupon the Tathagata emitted a ray of light from the white curls between his eyebrows, and illumined all the corners of eighteen thousand Buddha-worlds in the east just as this Buddha is illumining the Buddha-worlds as we see now.
When the last Sun-Moon-Light Buddha emerged from his samadhi he expounded the “Great Vehicle” for 60 small kalpas.
It was called the ‘Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’ The hearers in the congregation also sat in the same place for sixty small kalpas, and their bodies and minds were motionless. They thought that they had heard the Buddha expounding the Dharma for only a mealtime. None of them felt tired in body or mind.
As an aside, I love that supernatural power of the Buddha – the power to make 60 small kalpas seem as though it lasted for only a mealtime.
So we have set the stage, alerting everyone to expect something big tomorrow.
One aside in this day’s reading is the story about Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva and a lazy disciple:
One of the eight hundred disciples [of Wonderful-Light] was called Fame-Seeking. 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.
And in gathas:
There was a lazy man
Among the disciples
Of Wonderful-Light, the Teacher of the Dharma.
[The lazy man] was attached to fame and gain.
Always seeking fame and gain,
He often visited noble families.
He did not understand what he had recited,
Gave it up, and forgot it.
Because of this,
He was called Fame-Seeking.
But he [later] did many good karmas,
And became able to see innumerable Buddhas.
He made offerings to them,
Followed them, practiced the Great Way,
And performed the six paramitas.
Now he sees the Lion-Like One of the Sakyas.
He will become a Buddha
In his future life.
He will be called Maitreya.
He will save innumerable living beings.
The lazy man who Lived after the extinction
Of [Sun-Moon-]-Light Buddha was
No one but you.
Wonderful-Light, the Teacher of the Dharma, was I.
It makes me smile to imagine that our next Buddha was once a fame-seeking slacker. There’s hope for me yet!
