Buddhism as magic: Amitabha's heaven

The Tale of Amitabha Sutra, [not] spoken of by the [historical] Buddha

(Wisdom Tellers) March 29, 2024: Explore the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhavati) with Buddha Amitabha, [not] spoken by the [historical] Buddha [but added later in apocryphal texts attributed to the Buddha, as many Mahayana sutras are something other than authentic texts spoken by the historical figure of the Buddha and his first enlightened disciples as represented in the Pali language canon].

Join us on a profound journey through the realms of [the journey to] enlightenment. #Amitabha

What is the "pure land"?

Sukhavati (Sukhāvatī, "blissful") is the pure land of Amitābha ("Infinite Light") in Mahayana Buddhism.

• Mahayana ("Greater Vehicle") is an amalgamation of Hinduism (Brahminical Brahmanism) taking the historical Buddha's Doctrine (Dharma) and making it align with the very (Vedic) beliefs the Buddha opposed and argued against, revivifying the meaning of obscure texts and stories from the ancient "Knowledge Books" of Proto-India. But the Brahmins had their views and were not going to lose them to this new shramana ("wandering ascetic") movement headed by Shakyamuni Buddha (the Scythian Siddhartha Gautama) and Mahavira (the Nigantha Nattaputta, founder of Jainism).
• Therefore, elements of Mahayana Buddhism are almost indistinguishable from modern Hinduism even if at their core their ambition is different. One would not know it's different because it's clothed in the same sort of fanciful language of a "higher self" (atman) merging with the Infinite (Brahman) until there's no distinction (advaita) and we are returned to our original luminous state of mind. The historical Buddha spoke of "pure lands" as worlds where once-returners and non-returners might be reborn to advance towards arhatship. Such worlds only exist when the teaching of a Buddha still exists in the world because that is how they came to be once-returners and non-returners. It may sound silly, but this is because when someone reaches the first stage of enlightenment (called stream entry), one will at most be reborn seven more times. If one progresses no further, one is nevertheless sure of reaching full enlightenment within seven lives. 
• Although there are other stages detailed in the Path to Freedom (Vimuttimagga), these are abbreviated to four in the later commentarial and exegetical text the Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), which is regarded as canonical (official doctrine) in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. This abbreviation results in four classes of enlightened individuals: stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats. There is more than one kind of stream-enterer, who have at most fewer and fewer rebirths to endure.
• With practice, a stream-enterer may become an arhat in the same life. Practicing no further, that same person nevertheless faces no more than seven more rebirths. The next class of noble ones (Aryans) is the once-returner who will at most be reborn in this world one more time. (This seems to open up the possibility of being reborn in a sukhavati, a place where all the beings study the Dharma until they reach liberation without again being reborn in a lower world. As there are more than one such worlds, one can imagine being reborn in more than one of those worlds). Still such attainers are once-returners (sakkadagamis).
• The next stage and class is non-returning, who is no longer liable to being reborn in the human world again. (One of the extraordinary things about stream-enterers and the others is that they have all overcome the possibility of being reborn in any world lower than the human plane). But the non-returner, not returning to this plane of existence, is reborn in a sukhavati (pure abode), there to reach arhatship in however long it takes.
• The arhat is the fully enlightened person, who it must be noted is not the "supremely" enlightened. The enlightenment of a buddha and that of a disciple is the same in many respects. But a disciple is not likely to be able to teach others effectively and can in no way establish the Dharma in the world. This kind of enlightenment is called "supreme" (samma-sam-bodhi, "all the way around enlightenment" with the linguistic and other abilities to be able to establish the Dharma and a Sangha).
• There is another kind of "full" enlightenment between these two, and that is the enlightenment of a pacceka-buddha ("non-teaching" or "silent" buddha). This person sees all and knows all just like a supremely awakened buddha but does not possess the Ten Powers of a Buddha to effectively teach or establish the Dharma.
• All three are nevertheless called arhats; therefore, all buddhas are arhats, but not all arhats are buddhas. It's nitpicking, but it's important to make the distinction for scholarship purposes. The more interesting nitpicking distinctions are those in the first category: Stream entry has four kinds, like those born among noble families and the bija-bija. See The Path to Freedom (Upatissa) for details.

Sukhavati Pure Land is also called the "Land of Bliss" or the "Western Paradise" and is the most well-known of the Buddhist pure lands due to the popularity of faith-based Pure Land Buddhism in East Asia.

Etymology and names

Sukhavati the word is the feminine form of the Sanskrit word sukhāvat ("full of joy," "blissful") [1, 2] from sukha ("delight," "joy") and -vat ("full of") [3].

Sukhavati is known by different names in other languages. East Asian names are based on Chinese translations, and longer names may consist of the words "Western," "Blissful," and "Pure Land" in various combinations.

Some names and combinations are more popular in certain countries. Due to its importance, Sukhavati is often simply called "The Pure Land" without distinguishing it from other pure lands. Wiki: Sukhavati

#Amitayus #Amitayur #Amituofo #AmidaButsu #Öpamé #UltimateBliss #Sukhavati #Dharma #Enlightenment #BuddhaLand #PureLand

L.A. is a Buddhist crossroads (field trip)

Ven. Samruay; Ven. YongHua; CC Liu, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

Ajahn Samruay and Master YongHua at Korea Sah Temple, Los Angeles

Silk Road temple, Mogao, Dunhuang, China

What made Siddhartha and Jesus and Mohammad possible as founders of the three world religions was the fact that they lived at crossroads.

Jesus could go to cosmopolitan Jerusalem, which had a Silk Road route to India and the East. Siddhartha lived along the Silk Route, and one of his hometowns was greatly enriched by trade coming through Kapilavastu.

The Silk "Road" was many connected routes.

He grew up and lived in three seasonal capitals of the Scythians' "Shakya Land," a range from Indo-Sakastan to Kazakhstan and Iran/Persia to Magadha, likely in what is modern Afghanistan (Bamiyan, Mes Aynak, and Kabul), on the northwest frontier of "India" (Jambudvipa, Maha Bharat), in the remnant territory of the once great Vedic Indus Valley Civilization. Mohammad lived not far away -- Dr. Ranajit Pal places all great religious figures (including Zoroaster) around Pataliputra (Palibroha, Patna) in Central Asia -- and had a crossroads from which his message could spread.

It's a long way to India and the Sacred East...but it's well worth it for the sages.

 
Los Angeles Field Trip, Oct. 2

Korean Sah Temple, East Hollywood, L.A.

Los Angeles is a lot like that. All Buddhist traditions and ethnic groups are present here, often as their first point of entry.

The result is a blending and happy commingling of communities that would only be side by side in Bodh Gaya, India (presumed site of the Buddha's enlightenment, where all Buddhist traditions have a temple). This FREE field trip takes place Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 for a most interesting combination of traditions, and YOU are invited!

The Theravada Thai Forest Tradition elder Ven. Phra Ajahn Samruay, Abbot of Wat Bhuridattavanaram (Buddhist Temple of America, Ontario, California), has been invited to speak at Korea-Sa Buddhist Temple in East Hollywood/Koreatown, Los Angeles. And he is bringing along and sharing the stage with Vietnamese/Chinese Ch'an Meditation Master YongHua from Lu Mountain Temple (chanpureland.org) in Rosemead, California.

• Korean Sah Buddhist Temple
• 500 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA
• 11:00 am: Recitation of the Buddha's name (temple program)
• 11:45 am: short meditation
• 12:00 pm: Dharma talk, Ven. Samruay/Ven. YongHua
• 12:30 pm: FREE lunch (Korean vegetarian)

What about history's Silk Route?

Shashi Thoroor, Huffington Post

NEW DELHI, India - The phrase "Silk Road" evokes a romantic image -- half history, half myth -- of tented camel caravans winding their way across the trackless deserts and mountains of Central Asia [in and around faraway Afghanistan].

But the Silk Road is not just part of a fabled past; it is an important feature of China's current foreign policy.

 

The historical Silk Road comprised an overland and a maritime route, both of which facilitated the transfer to Europe of South and East Asian goods and ideas, from Chinese tea to inventions like paper, gunpowder, and the compass, as well as cultural products like Buddhist scripture... More

The Buddha was born at the crossroads between East and West along Silk Road.

How do I find a Buddhist temple? (map)

TempleMap.org; Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

Buddhism in America revised and expanded edition (Richard Hughes Seager)

How do I find Thai Buddhist temples around the world? Search by city (templemap.org).

Psychedelic Bangkok, Theravada Buddhist Thailand: Wat Bung Thong Lang Temple at midnight on Magha Puja Day (Nattapan Suwansukho as nattapan72/flickr.com)

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Namaste with anjali mudra

There was once a great series on the Buddhist temples around the the USA. It's hard to keep track because so many new ones kept popping up. New communities set up ethnic enclaves, purchasing a residential property and turning it into a monastery or nunnery (vihara) complex, a gathering place for expats from a certain land, individuals who miss their food, culture, religious customs, and sense of familiarity. American-oriented temples arise less frequently then move as they become better known and outgrow their leases. Know of new one? Why not update Wikipedia's list?

• List of Buddhist temples (Wiki)
• Dixie Dharma: Inside a Buddhist Temple in the American South 
• UNC Press: Dixie Dharma 
• Being a Buddhist in America (University of Washington Press) 
• BAUS: Buddhist Association of the United States, Chaung Yen Monastery (Upstate New York)
• BCA Bookstore
• Project MUSE - Dixie Dharma
• Buddhist Churches of America.org (temple church finder)
• Buddhism in the United States - Wikipedia
• Engaged Buddhism in the West 

First gay marriages in Buddhist Church of SF

Jeff Wilson (Tricycle.com, June 27, 2015 ); Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly

Do we support gay marriage, Bruno?

Buddhist same-sex marriage was born in the USA.

That’s a little-known but significant fact to reflect on now, just after the Supreme Court has declared legal marriage equality throughout the country. Appropriately enough, it all started in San Francisco and was conceived as an act of love not activism.

 

The first known Buddhist same-sex marriages took place in the early 1970s, at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco. Founded in 1899, it’s the oldest surviving temple in the mainland United States.

Rainbow flag of unity now a gay symbol.

It’s also part of the oldest Buddhist organization outside Hawaii: the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), part of the Shin tradition of Pure Land Buddhism.

 

During the Nixon years, the LGBTQ rights movement was picking up, and San Francisco was one of the primary centers of both activism and community building.

Rise of Political Buddhism in Burma

Located not far from the famously gay Castro District, the Buddhist Church of San Francisco (BCSF) was attended by singles and couples, gay and straight. As consciousness rose, people began to seek the same services that heterosexuals already enjoyed in American society.

 

A male couple in the congregation eventually asked Rev. Koshin Ogui, then assigned to BCSF, to perform their marriage. He readily agreed, and the ceremony was held in the main hall -- identical to other marriages at the temple, except for the dropping of gender-based pronouns in the service. Without fanfare, history was made.

 

Lost in Capitulation

Soon other BCA temples were also conducting same-sex marriages, and by the time of my research into the subject in the early 2010s, I couldn’t find a single minister in the scores of BCA temples who was unwilling to preside over same-sex weddings.

Legislating Love

Indeed, BCA ministers had already performed marriages for gay and lesbian couples, bisexuals, transgender people, and polyamorous groups. Many of these were interracial marriages, or carried out for non-Buddhists who had nowhere else to go, though most were for members of local BCA temples. More

The first gay U.S. president
RantPolitical.com

U.S. President James Buchanan (wiki)

Skeletons in our American closet: Pres. James Buchanan was a "bachelor" as president and might have been the first gay president. Not that being gay is a scandal, but when you think about America in the mid-19th century you can bet it would be a skeleton that a person would want kept in the closet. For 15 years, Buchanan lived with William Rufus King. The two were called “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy” by U.S. Pres. Andrew Jackson.

The first gay first couple, Barry and Michael

Pres. Buchanan even referred to King as his wife in a letter to James K. Polk’s wife. While none of this had an effect on his presidency, it did on his immediate legacy. To make matters worse, Pres. Buchanan is often [listed] among the worst presidents in history for his role in kicking the can down the road to our disastrous Civil War. More

• Pres. B.S. Obama is a homosexual (rense.com)
• VIDEO: Michelle (Michael) Obama is a man
• Pres. Obama's "gay lover" gets revenge
• Pres. Obama caught up in gay murder probe: Larry Sinclair had gay sex with president

Adventures in Mahayana: Ling Yen

Dhr. Seven and CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Ling Yen Mountain Temple, California

Amitabha Buddha (center) with his female assistants Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva and Kwan Yin Bodhisattva, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China (Tengu800/wiki).

Ling Yen temples worldwide are in the Taiwanese Pure Land tradition and branches of Ling Yen Shan monastery near Puli, Nantou, Taiwan, founded by Master Miao Lien (wiki).

 

Ksitigarbha vowed to save beings from the hells

ETIWANDA, California - Far from the city, up a dirt road on the face of a small mountain, on 400 acres of rural, nearly barren sagebrush exists Ling Yen, a Mahayana nunnery dedicated to monasticism and spreading the blessings of Master Miao Lien.

 

He made 49 vows to save suffering beings in the manner reserved in Western thought to St. Issa (Jesus Christ Bodhisattva). This is well within Pureland tradition.

There are, of course, other great bodhisattvas (beings who have vowed to become full buddhas and delay their own liberation to save all others from suffering). The greatest vows were made by an amazing savior-figure named Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

He is said to have declared, "I shall attain buddhahood only when every last sentient being has been saved; furthermore, unless hell itself is completely emptied of suffering beings, I vow never to enter buddhahood."

Goddess Kwan Yin is the Bodhisattva of Wise-Compassion for all (AmitabhaBuddha)

 

His birthday will be celebrated from September 2-8, 2013 in upper Rancho Cucamonga, in the former Tongva settlement known as Etiwanda. (The Tongva were the indigenous First Nation people of Los Angeles).

To celebrate the birth of this great being, Ling Yen Temple will hold a special Ksitigarbha Service.

Amitabha Pureland (dawaarts)

The Great Vow Bodhisattva, as Ksitigarbha is known, is one of the four major bodhisattvas. His compassionate vow affects the living as well as the dearly departed. All of the merits accrued from reciting the sutras and chanting the Buddha's name (usually the favored buddha of Mahayana devotion, Amitabha or Amitofo, rather than the historical Shakyamuni Buddha) will be transferred.

The transfer of merit benefits living relatives, eradicating karmic obstructions and increasing virtuous roots, and departed relatives extending back for seven generations, freeing them from suffering and helping them attain bliss by promoting their rebirth in the Western Pure Land (a heaven conducive to cultivating the perfections and pursuing liberation from death and rebirth).

• Ksitigarbha Dharma Service
• Sept. 2-8, 2013, 8:00 am-9:40 pm (daily)
• 13938 Decliff Dr., Etiwanda CA 91739
• Telephone: (909) 463-0189

Gratitude

"Family" goes back seven generations.

One of the most important teachings in Buddhism is gratitude. All sentient (feeling) beings are our past parents and future buddhas. In Mahayana Buddhism July is the month of "filial piety." This means repaying our countless previous parents' kindness and help. One reveres present parents and strives to benefit those of the beginningless past. The Sutra of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Fundamental Vows" refers to a Mahayana discourse on filial piety. It is said that by reciting this sutra, one achieves an understanding of cause and effect. We obtain 28 kinds of excellent benefits and in time achieve buddhahood. Moreover, we deliver our foes and relatives. Ksitigarbha's vow benefits those still living and the departed. This service is very special and an opportunity not to be missed. Come, join in, and benefit countless beings.

Namu Amida Butsu (Shane James Kramer)

THE MASTER'S 49TH VOW: Master Miao Lien, founder of Ling Yen Mountain Monastery in Taiwan and a worldwide movement to benefit others, vowed to help ALL beings who ask him, who call for him, who have seen him, or who have so much as heard his name.

1. Sunday (9-1-13): Sanctuary Purification Ceremony where participants who desire to sleep over in the monastic compound, both males and females, register in advance.
2. Monday: The Eight Precepts and Fasting Ceremony 8:00 am, morning service at 8:30 am.
3. Daily recitation of Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and recitation of his name.
4. Wednesday: "Universal Worship of the Buddha and Bodhisattva" in the morning service to celebrate the birthday.
5. Thursday: The first day of the eight month of the Chinese lunar calendar with recitation of the Jeweled Censer Praise (Incense Anthem Pao Ting) and prostrate to the Mahayana Buddhist Patriarchs.
6. Saturday: Three Steps One Prostration Pilgrimage at 7:00 pm.
7. Sunday (9-8-13): Taking Guidance Ceremony will be held in the afternoon (with advance registration).

• MERIT: The temple welcomes practitioners to sow fields of blessings by donating toward the vegetarian meals offered to the public, which helps establish positive affinity.
• During this Dharma Service, plaques for the living and departed will be available, with large plaque accommodating up to eight people.
• Remember: Participants requesting to stay in the temple overnight must register in advance.

The Monk's Mother in Hell (sutra)

Maha Moggallana rescues his ghost mother
Abbess Shiou Ping (Ling Yen Mountain Temple), Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Maha Moggallana rescues his mother from the Hungry Ghost Realm (Wisdom Quarterly)

 
The Ullambana Sutra (佛說報恩奉盆經) is a Mahayana work which consists of a brief discourse given by the historical Buddha to one of his chief disciples "foremost in psychic powers," Maha Moggallana (Sanskrit, Maha Maudgalyāyana, Japanese, Mokuren), on the practice of filial piety.

 

In this discourse the Buddha provides instructions for the liberation of his mother, who had been reborn onto an unfortunate plane in the realm of hungry ghosts. The solution offered by the Buddha was to make food offerings to the accomplished monastic Sangha on the 15th day of the seventh month.

 

The Ullambana story in Chinese (WQ)

This practice is the basis of the Japanese Obon ceremony in honor of one's ancestors (relatives extending seven generations back). This Halloween/All Souls Day-like event is still observed widely throughout Japan and in the US among Japanese Buddhists. The sutra, however, like most Mahayana discourses, was probably written several centuries after the Buddha's final nirvana.

• VIDEO: Understanding the Ullambana Sutra, Master YongHua (ChanPureLand.org) in English and Vietnamese
• California Prisoner Hunger Strike 2013 continues
• VIDEO: California to torture/force feed striking prisoners 
• Killing children with chemical weapons in Syria (BBC)

"The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror" (book)

Melanie Strouse; Google.com review

A new book as a guide to practicing Buddhism in modern life (3blondmice/Flickr.com)

 

Years ago, journalist and practicing Buddhist Woody Hochswender co-authored a book on Buddhism.
  
That book focused on the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th-century Japanese monk who has become the spiritual teacher for more than 20 million [devotional] Buddhists worldwide.

  

The mirror reflects wisdom and compassion.

That book, which is in its tenth printing and has sold more than 80,000 copies, was such a resounding success that Hochswender has written an insightful new work -- at once a follow-up to the previous volume and a freestanding work of its own.

  

A new breath of inspiration, The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror speaks to the spiritual yearnings so many of us have amid the hustle and flux of contemporary life. The book is a sophisticated but accessible introduction to Buddhism as well as an in-depth study of Buddhism in the Samurai period [in Japan].

  

Hochswender again focuses on the philosophy of Nichiren and applies its principles to everyday issues ranging from health to careers to family problems. The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror is both cogent and compelling -- informative history and inspiring self-help.
  
Ideal for the novice or veteran Buddhist, the book will resonate with anyone interested in concrete methods for tapping into their own highest potential or [Buddha nature]. Source

Lama Ole Nydahl on book tour at Barnes & Noble, Los Angeles, May 2012

Visit Yosemite (via Webcam)

Yosemite Falls is the fifth highest waterfall in the world with a total drop of 2,425 feet.

The Lost Arrow spire is located immediately adjacent to Upper Yosemite Fall and is a popular spot for climbers.

Yosemite Conservancy restored the approach to Lower Yosemite Fall in 2005. More

Yosemite webcams are maintained through the generous support of Yosemite Conservancy donors. Help support them and provide for the future of Yosemite by becoming a Friend of Yosemite today.

• WEBCAMS (Yosemite Conservancy.org)

The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar

Ñanamoli Thera, Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Mahasihanada Sutta (MN 12); Wisdom Quarterly

The Belum Caves Buddha near Kurnool in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is part of the second largest cave system on the subcontinent, which once used by Jain and Buddhist monks as determined by artifacts found inside dating back to 4500 BCE, now in the Museum at Anantapur. The area is now a protected archaeological and geological site developed as a state tourist attraction (Vesuvianite/Flickr.com).

.

[The Hair-Raising Discourse]
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was living at Vesali in the grove outside the city to the west.

2. Now on that occasion Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, had recently left this Dhamma and Discipline [Note 1]. He was making this statement before the Vesali assembly: 

The recluse Gotama does not have any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.  [2]  

The recluse Gotama teaches a Dharma (merely) hammered out by reasoning, following his own line of inquiry as it occurs to him.

And when he teaches the Dhamma to anyone, it leads that person who practices it to the complete destruction of suffering. [3]

3. Then when it was morning, Venerable Sariputta dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, went into Vesali for alms. He heard Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, making this statement before the Vesali assembly. When he had wandered for alms in Vesali and had returned from his almsround, after his meal he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and told the Blessed One what Sunakkhatta was saying.

4. (The Buddha:) "Sariputta, the misguided man Sunakkhatta is angry, and his words are spoken out of anger. Thinking to discredit the Tathagata, he actually praises him; for it is a praise of the Tathagata to say of him: 'When he teaches the Dharma to anyone, it leads him that person who practices it to the complete destruction of suffering.'

A lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away

5. "Sariputta, this misguided man Sunakkhatta will never infer of me according to Dharma [truth, reality, "the way it really is"]: 'That Blessed One is accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, enlightened, blessed.' [4]

6. "And he will never infer of me according to Dharma: 'That Blessed One enjoys the various kinds of SUPERNORMAL POWER:

• having been one, he becomes many; 
• having been many, he becomes one; 
• he appears and vanishes; 
• he goes unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, through a mountain, as though through space; 
• he dives in and out of the earth as though it were water; 
• he walks on water without sinking as though it were earth; 
• seated cross-legged, he travels in space like a bird; 
• with his hand he touches and strokes the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; 
• he wields bodily mastery even as far as the Brahma-world.'

7. "And he will never infer of me according to Dharma: 'With the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, that Blessed One hears both kinds of sounds, the heavenly and the human, those that are far as well as near.'

8. "And he will never infer of me according to Dharma:

• 'That Blessed One encompasses with his own mind the minds of other beings, other persons. 
• He understands a mind affected by lust as affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust; 
• he understands a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; 
• he understands a mind affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by delusion as unaffected by delusion; 
• he understands a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; 
• he understands an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; 
• he understands a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed; 
• he understands a concentrated mind as concentrated and an unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; 
• he understands a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated.'

Ten Powers of a Tathagata

9. "Sariputta, the Tathagata [a supremely enlightened buddha] has these ten Tathagata's powers, possessing which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma.[5]

What are the ten?

• 10. (1) "Here, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible.[6] And that is a Tathagata's power that the Tathagata has, by virtue of which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma.

• 11. (2) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the results of actions undertaken, past, future and present, with possibilities and with causes. That too is a Tathagata's power...[7] 
• 12. (3) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the ways leading to all destinations. That too is a Tathagata's power...[8] 
• 13. (4) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the world with its many and different elements. That too is a Tathagata's power...[9] 
• 14. (5) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is how beings have different inclinations. That too is a Tathagata's power...[10] 
• 15. (6) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the disposition of the faculties of other beings, other persons. That too is a Tathagata's power...[11] 
• 16. (7) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the defilement, the cleansing and the emergence in regard to the jhanas, liberations, concentrations and attainments. That too is a Tathagata's power...[12] 

[COUNTLESS PAST LIVES]

• 17. (8) "Again, the Tathagata recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, 20 births, 30 births, 40 births, 50 births, a 100 births, a thousand births, a hundred-thousand births, many aeons of world-contraction, many aeons of world-expansion, many aeons of world-contraction and expansion: 'There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I reappeared here.' Thus with their aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold past lives. That too is a Tathagata's power...

[THE WORKING OF KARMA]

• 18. (9) "Again, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, the Tathagata sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings pass on according to their actions thus: 'These worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body, speech and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination, in perdition, even in hell. But these worthy beings who were well-conducted in body, speech and mind, not revilers of noble ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, have reappeared in a good destination, even in the heavenly world.' Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings pass on according to their actions. That too is a Tathagata's power...

[NIRVANA]

• 19. (10) "Again, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, the Tathagata here and now enters upon and abides in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints. That too is a Tathagata's power that a Tathagata has, by virtue of which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma. ...

[REBIRTH]
57. "Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through the round of rebirths (samsara).'

"But it is impossible to find a realm in the round that I have not already passed through in this long journey, except for the devas of the Pure Abodes. And had I passed through the round as a deva in the Pure Abodes, I would never have returned to this world.[20]

58. "There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through (some particular kind of) rebirth.'

"But it is impossible to find a kind of rebirth that I have not been reborn in already in this long journey, except for the devas of the Pure Abodes...

59. "There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through (some particular [heavenly]) abode.'

"But it is impossible to find a kind of abode that I have not already dwelt in... except for the devas of the Pure Abodes...

60. "There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through sacrifice.'

"But it is impossible to find a kind of sacrifice that has not already been offered up by me in this long journey, when I was either a head-anointed noble king or a well-to-do-brahmin.

61. "There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through fire-worship.'

But it is impossible to find a kind of fire that has not already been worshipped by me in this long journey, when I was either a head-anointed noble king or a well-to-do brahmin.

62. "Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'As long as this good man is still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, so long is he perfect in his lucid wisdom. But when this good man is old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, and come to the last stage, being 80, 90, or a 100-years-old, then the lucidity of his wisdom is lost.'

"But it should not be regarded so. I am now old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, and come to the last stage: my years have turned 80.

"Now suppose that I had four disciples with a hundred years' lifespan, perfect in mindfulness, retentiveness, memory and lucidity of wisdom. [21] Just as a skilled archer, trained, practiced and tested, could easily shoot a light arrow across the shadow of a palm tree, suppose that they were even to that extent perfect in mindfulness, retentiveness, memory and lucidity of wisdom. Suppose that they continuously asked me about the four foundations of mindfulness and that I answered them when asked and that they remembered each answer of mine and never asked a subsidiary question or paused except to eat, drink, consume food, taste, urinate, defecate, and rest in order to remove sleepiness and tiredness.

"Still the Tathagata's exposition of the Dharma, his explanations of factors of the Dharma, and his replies to questions would not yet come to an end. But meanwhile those four disciples of mine with their hundred years' lifespan would have died at the end of those hundred years. Sariputta, even if you have to carry me about on a bed, still there will be no change in the lucidity of the Tathagata's wisdom.

63. "Rightly speaking, were it to be said of anyone: 'A being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the welfare and happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare and happiness of gods and humans,' it is of me indeed that rightly speaking this should be said."

64. Now on that occasion Venerable Nagasamala [the Buddha's attendant before Ananda] was standing behind the Blessed One fanning him. [22] Then he said to the Blessed One: "It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous! As I listened to this discourse on the Dharma, the hairs of my body stood up.

"Venerable sir, what is the name of this discourse on the Dharma?"

"As to that, Nagasamala, you may remember this discourse on the Dharma as 'The Hair-raising Discourse.'" [23]  More