THE COMING OF MAITREYA

By Merry Colony

In 1982, when the Wisdom Jewel Yeshe Norbu His Holiness the Dalai Lama placed his holy feet upon the earth of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Pomaia, Italy, Lama Thubten Yeshe, FPMT’s founder and spiritual father, announced that now his job had been successful. To have the Compassionate Buddha Chenrezig himself visiting one of the centers established in the West by Lama was the guarantee seal for the future growth and success of the work Lama had done to establish Buddha’s teachings where there had been none.

By comparison, truly it is difficult to gauge the enormous significance of His Holiness’s visit in January to the land in Bodhgaya, India, where a 500-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha will be built. Lama Yeshe’s heart wish before his passing in 1984, as a means to bring vast benefit to living beings indeed, one could even say to re-establish the teachings where they had begun, was to build a huge statue of the future Buddha at this place of the enlightenment of all the Buddhas of this eon.

Of course, such a major event has been preceded by thousands of smaller markers, each one a beacon that lit the way to the next step. Earlier in 1982, before Pomaia, Lama had made his first mention of the statue. In the ensuing 16 years the project has evolved from a mere name, Maitreya for World Peace, to a mature concept supported by FPMT worldwide, to now The Maitreya Project, an internationally publicized first in modern history.

His Holiness accepted the request made by the Maitreya Project to teach in Bodhgaya and bless the statue land already a year ago, when health conditions forced a change in schedule to 1998. A team of hundreds had in the interim created a teaching venue-to-behold in the heart of India’s most derelict state. The grounds surrounding the 1985 Kalachakra pavilion were flattened and cleared for the teaching site. A diversion road, on the books for a decade, was built in just weeks, providing His Holiness and entourage easy access. Massive tent canopies capable of sheltering 20,000 participants from rain and sun were erected.

Five hundred hotel rooms were booked, 400 banners with sayings of the Buddha written in Chinese, Tibetan and English lined the entry roads interspersed by hundreds of prayer flag banners. Truckloads of goods were transported while plane and train passengers from around the world converged on the town. A town without adequate sanitation or garbage disposal now had not only a waste tractor combing the streets (with a Sponsored-by-the-Maitreya-Project flag proudly waving from its exhaust), and a first class line-up of 75 portable toilets, constructed by a company committed to a cleaner India.

On January 18, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Maitreya Project and the worldwide FPMT organization, arrived with a group of 100 pilgrims. Together with the Ven. Ribur Rinpoche, the group had been to the holy places of Sarnath and Sravasti before reaching Bodhgaya. On January 19, the group, then 150, went to the Maitreya land. Once gathered on the site where the Maitreya Buddha will sit on his 17-story throne, Ribur Rinpoche expounded the incomparable qualities of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, saying, “Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the common perception displays the qualities of debating, composing and explaining as well as the practice and behavior of wise contentment. When you are called a tulku it is your responsibility to live in accordance with the actions benefiting sentient beings and the doctrine. Otherwise just being called tulku doesn’t make any sense. And this is so clear with Lama Zopa, that among the young tulkus of the three great monasteries he is an outstanding example. There is no one who displays actions as beneficial. And it so clear that his only interest, his only thought, is benefiting sentient beings and the doctrine.”

Ribur Rinpoche continued, “Once I spoke with His Holiness the Dalai Lama about the Maitreya Project and His Holiness was really amazed by the magnitude of it. His Holiness said at that time that ‘Lama Zopa is so brave-hearted, so courageous from the points of view of the size of the statue, the place, the financial and the organizational challenges. From all of these it is inconceivable.’ I replied to His Holiness that among all the tulkus he stands out and His Holiness said, ‘Yes, yes.’”

By this time in the speech, Lama Zopa himself was nearly lying on the floor in humility and responded by saying that “the qualities that Ribur Rinpoche is saying about me are like the horns of a rabbit, they are just not there. It is what I wish but they’re just not there.”

It is January 23. His Holiness has just arrived in town. There are throngs of people, a solid corridor lining his route from the Great Stupa to the Gelugpa Gompa. It is hard not to shed a tear as the procession drives past. His Holiness is here in our midst. This event is not just an organizational matter anymore. It is alive, swelled with power and exuberance.

His Holiness wastes no time. Two and a half hours after arrival he is at the teaching tent, five minutes early. Accompanying His Holiness to the temple are Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Osel Rinpoche. What a beautiful sight. With very little opening ceremony, the teaching begins, an interweaving over the next discourses of three texts (see “Blissful Festival of Dharma”).

January 26: We are all in fifth gear. Tomorrow His Holiness comes to the Maitreya land; there are hundreds at work there as I write this at 10 p.m. At tomorrow’s blessing there will be 1,000 Westerners, maybe 10,000 Tibetans, as well as local villagers. There will be food, speeches and at night 1,000 offerings to Lord Maitreya. Only His Holiness could turn on a crowd as diverse and large.

There is hardly a foreigner in town who is not pitching in to make all this work. This is the energy His Holiness inspires: to work for the benefit of others, beyond the limitations imposed by concern for self. It almost comes automatically. It’s almost like one becomes a bodhisattva overnight; it’s such an incredible high.

Today we also had Chenrezig initiation, preceded by bodhisattva vows yesterday. His Holiness prostrating to the 10-direction Buddhas, imploring them all to pay attention to the 20,000 people who were making the pledge to work for the enlightenment of all in the central land of Bodhgaya. Wow!

January 27, 7 a.m.: Precisely on time as usual, His Holiness drives under the Maitreya Project banner onto the land. A beautiful tent with a 30-foot appliqué thangka of Shakyamuni Buddha is the backdrop for His Holiness’s elaborately decorated throne. And with little ado he speaks (see ”20,000 People Attend Teaching in Bodhgaya by His Holiness the Dalai Lama”), first of how those who have not been liberated by the previous Buddha, by making connection with Maitreya will be liberated by him. Because this has been taught. There is a tradition in Tibet of constructing images of Maitreya Buddha and so an image of Maitreya in Bodhgaya is “very welcome. From the depths of my heart I appreciate and applaud it.”

When immediately after the last word was spoken tea and rice were served, His Holiness said, “It is a very good coincidence that as soon as I finish talking you serve tea and rice. So, please enjoy!”

It was hardly a surprise then when back at the teaching site two hours later I heard that the tent at the Maitreya land where His Holiness had just sat had burned to the ground: the Buddha thangka, the offerings, the implements, almost everything, but the Maitreya thangka and His Holiness’s throne were untouched.

Then came the rain. At 4 p.m., as the afternoon teachings drew to a close, the torrent began. As one of the organizers of the full night of preparation ahead for the long-life Tara initiation and long-life puja for His Holiness that were to begin the next morning at 7, I was wishing auspiciousness could display itself in a slightly more friendly manner. Within hours the tent where the offerings were to be arranged was under water. The VIP section of the teaching tent was stripped of its carpets and cushions while the rest of the seats got waterlogged. At midnight, 30 Kopan nuns sat on the stage rolling long-life tsampa balls with streams of water pouring all around them. Nevertheless, they laughed and told stories while others decorated the palace with flowers and prepared the 15-foot high mountain of tsog.

In the dark of pre-dawn on January 28, it was still raining. Ven. Roger, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s attendant, had said he would be at the site to let me know if the puja was still on. His Holiness’s secretary was meant to be there as well. And a ritual master monk had been assigned to help with the procession line for the long-life offerings. No one showed. In the mud and darkness and chaos of the moment a few of the objects went missing.

But preparations continued and eventually the rain stopped. His Holiness arrived, granted the White Tara empowerment and the sun appeared. When the requesting prayers were made with elaborate offerings on behalf of all the FPMT students, teachers and benefactors for His Holiness to remain with us until samsara ends, the tent was shining and His Holiness beaming.

It is January 30 now. His Holiness departed this morning. Delight is mixed with exhaustion at the success of the past eight days. For followers from around the world this has been an opportunity to see and listen to the supreme guide Tenzin Gyatso, for the Maitreya Project the greatest boon imaginable. The earth now sanctified and the vision held in Chenrezig’s mind, there is no question of success. And His Holiness’s great delight at our request for long life is our promise of increased peace and understanding in the world.

 

Gratitude for the “tremendous goodwill and support”

By Peter Kedge

The whole event in Bodhgaya was so inspiring. The profile of the Maitreya Project has been raised significantly. So many people came to the land, saw the plans and the model of the whole project. People came to terms with the enormity of it.

There is tremendous goodwill and support; everyone has so much enthusiasm His Holiness the Dalai Lama, ordinary Tibetans, state and local officials of India, pilgrims from around the world.

During the ten days, so many Tibetans, for example, visited the site: they walked the two miles, or came in taxis and rickshaws. They would walk around the site, look at the plans, read the Tibetan captions in the exhibition at the site, and many gave donations. One day, three Tibetans, evidently pilgrims from Tibet itself, visited us. With the help of a young Tibetan monk translating, they looked at the plans and made a donation. The older man offered us a tsa-tsa of Chenrezig, on the back of which was gold writing. “I received this from His Holiness the Dalai Lama when I was a young boy in Tibet,” he told us. “I would like to have it placed inside the Maitreya statue.” We were very moved.

First we have to thank Lama Yeshe for his incredible foresight and vision; Lama Zopa Rinpoche for his courage in carrying this project through; His Holiness the Dalai Lama for blessing it and giving his support and encouragement; the Indian people and Indian government officials at all levels, who give it wholehearted support.

Special thanks go to the main organizing committee of this auspicious event: Ven. Marcel Bertels, Gelek Gyatso Rinpoche, Ven. Pende Hawter, Ven. Thubten Shemphen and Mr. Kalsang Tashi; to Vens. Tenzin, Thubten and Shakya of Gaden Palgye Ling; Sally Barraud, Françoise Baronet and Teresa Bianca; the team of 100-plus volunteers who worked tirelessly and so harmoniously to make the event such a success; and the Tibetan community in Bodhgaya.

We are most grateful to our kind and generous sponsors: Lama Zopa Rinpoche himself, who donated $50,000; Ven. Zia al Bassam, Mr. Derek Goh, Mr. and Mrs. Lin, Mr. and Mrs. Ho, Ms. Jenny Lee, Ms. Vivian Liu, Jan Pethar and Kadampa Center and many other kind people. (Altogether, the event cost $250,000 to put on, and we are around $50,000 short.)

The merit in contributing to and assisting with the Maitreya Project is indescribable, according to Lama Zopa, who has said: “Those who work, sponsor or help to build this statue in any way will be the first disciples of Maitreya Buddha when he comes to the world.”