THE COMING OF MAITREYA

By Ngawang Chotak

Sublime is the only word I can think of that even comes close to describing the blissful festival of Dharma that took place in Bodhgaya the last week of January [1998]. Every day was full but truly joyful. For five days, January 23 through January 27, His Holiness the Dalai Lama taught morning and afternoon on The Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta by Khunu Rinpoche, part two of The Stages of Meditation by Kamalashila and The Thirty-Seven Practices of All Buddha’s Sons by Togme Zangpo, and gave the oral blessings of The Heart Sutra.

His Holiness taught from more than one text each day, switching back and forth. He gave the complete oral blessing for all texts, which included the 250 stanzas of mystical poetry that comprise The Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta. On the afternoon of the fifth day he gave the complete oral blessing as well of parts one and three of The Stages of Meditation. He also offered the empowerments of Akshobya and Avalokiteshvara.

Before teaching or commenting on any text, or before imparting any empowerment, His Holiness would give the names of the teachers from whom he had heard the teachings or received transmissions and spoke briefly about their lineages. These lamas were from all four traditions practiced in Tibet.

The main theme of His Holiness’s teachings was bodhicitta. Khunu Rinpoche was renowned for his bodhicitta; he was a great scholar and accomplished poet. His Holiness likened The Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta to the great Shantideva’s classic, Bodhicaryavatara.

His Holiness said that the first teaching he received from Khunu Rinpoche was Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta. He said he would go to the rooms of Khunu Rinpoche, which were located in the house of a Hindu who happened to be a close friend. His Holiness said that he found reading and studying this contemporary text, composed in Varanasi after Khunu Rinpoche left Tibet, was “very beneficial for my mind.”

In Kamalashila’s text on how to develop single-pointed concentration, His Holiness said that when distraction comes in meditation, one should go for refuge and generate bodhicitta. And in order to add power to the meditation one should think, How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had this attainment of single-pointed concentration.

His Holiness also said that he has often seen the Tibetan kyab-su-chi translated as “taking refuge.” In fact, he said, it should be “going for refuge.” This is significant because “going” for refuge is a forward moving action; you are taking refuge in your own potential for enlightenment.

When His Holiness discussed mindfulness, he pointed out how important it is to not just mindlessly brush off insects buzzing around one’s head (there were many mosquitoes in Bodhgaya). Often, he said, when he would feel something on his neck, he would move to scratch it, thus killing a creature.

His Holiness laughed that when he was a young boy he was afraid of caterpillars but not of scorpions, and in fact kept scorpions around in order to keep away other insects!

According to various estimates there were between 15,000 and 20,000 people at the teachings in Bodhgaya – yet for the most recent Kalachakra empowerment given by His Holiness, in Siliguri in the far northeast of India in December 1996, there were some 200,000. Why the difference?

In response to a question that I had the good fortune to ask at a press conference in Siliguri, His Holiness said that “if it is announced that the Dalai Lama will give the Kalachakra empowerment, so many people will come,” whereas only very few would come if he were to teach on some important sutra. Then, once they are gathered, he said, “My main emphasis becomes the explanation of Buddhadharma. For at least three or four days before every Kalachakra I teach how to practice Dharma. This is very important. This is my personal motivation. It’s like a trick I play!”

His Holiness feels, he said, that the Buddhist community should be well educated. “In order to develop genuine devotion, you must know the meaning. The main emphasis in Buddhism is to transform the mind, and transformation depends upon meditation. In order to meditate correctly you must have knowledge.”

“Historically, extensive study was thought to be for monks only; and even then, not all monks. Average people knew very little about Buddhist philosophy. They would simply call themselves Buddhist and recite certain prayers and mantras. This is not sufficient. We must uplift the whole Buddhist community through knowledge.”

Early on the morning of January 27, His Holiness went to the Maitreya Project land and blessed the site where the great statue of Lord Maitreya will be built. And on the morning of January 28, His Holiness imparted the White Tara empowerment and then accepted a long-life offering. It was very moving. A brilliant array of people from all over the world – representative groups of people from each nation and all sponsoring agencies and institutions – formed a parade that streamed to the throne of His Holiness bearing auspicious giftse saiHe s in their hands. It was a celebration in the truest sense of the word and a fitting end to an experience that came very close to being, if not actually being, a Pure land on Earth.

I would like to acknowledge and honor the selfless and abundant energy expended by the Maitreya Project staff and the others who helped them. These Dharma adherents began converging on Bodhgaya as early as last October and initiated the enormous task of organizing this event. Their tireless efforts brought a very rich harvest. It was a smashing success.

 

 

Bodhicitta beautifies the whole appearance of a face.

Bodhicitta lends beauty to the wideness of the eyes.

Bodhicitta gives beauty to the sound of a voice.

Bodhicitta makes behavior beautiful.

 

Just as a wish-fulfilling gem

Is the be all and end all for the wealthy,

This Bodhicitta is the be all and end all

For every Bodhisattva.

 

Based on the shining orb of the sun

Those with eyes look out on forms.

With Bodhicitta the Bodhisattvas look out

On living beings equal to space.

 

Amongst knowledge, inner knowledge.

Amongst all jewels, the wish-fulfilling gem.

Amongst the fleet-footed, the stallion.

Amongst thoughts, Bodhicitta.

 

The elixir called the “Philosopher’s Stone”

Turns the element iron into gold.

Bodhicitta turns this unclean body

Into the body of a Buddha.

 

With bodhicitta one easily gets to the

Supreme stage of knowledge of all aspects.

With a fast jet, even though one covers

A great distance, how could one arrive?

 

–From The Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta

By Khunu Rinpoche (translated by Ven. Gareth Sparham)