Long ago, during the reign of King Goda Pheljed, there lived a monk who was well-versed in sutra, abhidharma and vinaya texts. He had an utmost devotion towards Arya Avalokiteshvara and followed him as his personal diety.
One day, he had a debate with another monk when out of his pride he accused that monk of having an intellect of a woman. At that moment, from the vast radiance of the sun, Arya Avalokiteshvara appeared in the real form and said, “Having uttered unpleasant words out of pride, you shall take many lives as a woman, yet I shall never leave you alone, but guide you as a teacher- until you attain enlightenment.”
During the reign of King Sangye Chog, he was reborn as a girl in a Brahmin family known as Prakasa Shila. From the very early age she was able to remember her past lives and could easily remember and recite all the sutras and abhidharma texts simply by looking at them or hearing them. She always engaged in virtuous actions and she regularly made offerings to Avalokiteshwara. She had a strong faith in bodhi mind. [It’s a wrong record considering Prakasa Shila as a Bikhuni or a Nun]
Later, she married a man from a royal clan and soon she gave birth to an extraordinary son. When her son grew a little older, she taught him to read and write. She taught him all kinds of eighteen excellent arts along with mathematics, science and crafts.
One day son asked his mother about their clan. She told him that she gave birth to a son not for the royal cause or for continuity of the clan, but to spread Mahayana teachings. She told her son to become a monk and urged him to acquire true meditative absorption. As told by his mother, he went to be a monk and after serving the abbot and Sangha community for a year, he then formally got ordained as a Bikkhu (fully ordained Monk). For five successive years he recited and memorized all common classes of teachings: sutra, abhidharma and vinaya sect. He felt it was somewhat easier for him to understand the three common teachings and some of the mahayana teachings as well, but the vast and deep meaning of the Praja Paramita was beyond the reach of ordinary beings. So, for better understanding and perfect realization, he thought he had to have a true vision of a personal deity. He went to meditate upon Maitreya Buddha, in the cave popularly known as foot of a bird or ‘Gurwa Prabhat’ in Sanskrit. With the great anticipation and hope that he would be blessed, he meditated for three years but to his dismay he didn’t experience even a single sign of achievement. He was so disappointed that he decided to leave the cave. As he came out from the cave he noticed a bird’s nest on a rock. As the bird flew from the nest, its wings would touch the edge of a rock causing the rock to slowly wear away. Having noticed this, he knew that, gradually, the rock would become completely worn out. This sparked a little hope in his endeavour, thinking that his perseverance was nothing compared to that of the rock being worn out so he went back to the cave and meditated for three more years. Still then there was no sign of accomplishment. He was again saddened by the result and decided to give up. Upon coming out of his cave, he saw droplets of water dripping off from a leave, making a hole on the rock underneath. Having seen the sight, he was once again determined, and thought that meditating was much easier. He went back to his cave and another three years passed by, still without any improvement. Feeling miserable and in despair, he left the cave for the third time. This time on his way he met an old man polishing an iron bar with a soft cloth.
The old man said to Asanga, ‘’ I’m making a needle out of this iron bar ‘‘ and showed him a box of needles, saying that those needles were all made in the same way. Deeply moved by the determination and the will-power of the old man, Asanga once again went back to the cave and meditated for three more years.Still however, there wasn’t any sign of accomplishment. This time he completely left the cave and reached the nearby town. By the roadside he saw a wounded dog lying. The wound was so severe that most of it was rotten and covered with maggots. The helpless dog was crying out with immense pain. Asanga felt deep pity looking at the dog and thought that if the maggots aren’t removed, the dog would die painfully but if they are removed, the maggots would die. So he came out with the best way – to cut off his own thigh flesh in order to keep the worms on it and knelt down onto the ground to take out the worms from the rotten flesh with his own tongue. He closed his eyes and reached his hand to grab the dog. When he didn’t find it, he opened his eyes and to his amazement, instead of the wounded dog he saw Maitreya Buddha himself amidst radiance of light. He was very pleased and asked, ‘‘In spite of many efforts and attempts I had made, why didn’t you appear before me?’’ Having said this he wept bitterly. In his reply Buddha Maitreya said,
‘‘Even if the rain falls on time, if the seed is burnt then there is no hope for the seed growing into a plant. Similarly, even when the Buddhas appear, if one is not fortunate enough, he or she shall not experience the bliss of Dharma. It was due to your own ignorant mind that you didn’t see me; otherwise I was always there with you. All those hardships you went through and the compassion you showed to this poor dog today have cleansed all your defilements so you could see me. If you do not believe me then put me on your shoulder and walk around the town and see if anybody sees me.”
To be continued……..
By Sonam Dorji
8th Year, NNI
