Date: 6/5/2011 10:36:16 PM
Subject: [CASonline] Ascension of Lord Maitreya
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Date: 6/5/2011 10:36:16 PM
Subject: [CASonline] Ascension of Lord Maitreya |
  "Namo Da Ci Mi Le Pu Sa:
Homage to Lord Maitreya, the Bodhisattva of Great Love !!"
OM MAIM MAITREYE SOHA
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CAS's Demand Video features
"The Sutra of the Ascension
of Lord Maitreya":
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"Sutra on the Birth of the Bodhisattva Maitreya in the Tushita":
... The merit of Tushita ( Lord Maitreya's Pure Land ) is unique. Even if a tathagata were to describe it for a kalpa, the description would not be complete...
Tushita is a place of consummate joy and happiness...
From Lord Maitreya's jeweled crown innumerable tathagatas, along with their retinues of bodhisattvas, will be emanated. They will demonstrate 18 types of miracles to the bodhisattvas of other realms. From Lord Maitreya's brow rays of white light will emerge. From those light rays will appear numerous devas, blazing with light, adorned with marks and signs, their bodies as colourful as hundreds of jewels. Those devas will teach, throughout day and night, the dharma wheel of irreversibility...
After I, the bhagavat Shakyamuni, haved passed into nirvana, all those of the 4 retinues who abide in vows, venerate stupas, recite sutras, create images of the tathagatas, and recite Maitreya's name will after their deaths be miraculously born Tushita. They will see Maitreya's face, hear his dharma, and will eventually receive prophecy from the buddhas of this fortunate kalpa. Anyone who hearing the name of the bodhisattva mahasattva Maitreya, prostrates to him with joy and respect will not fall into realms of darkness after their death...
Will be welcomed at death by rays of white light emanated from Maitreya's brow. They will be received by devas casting rains of mandarava flowers. In an instant, they will be born in the deva abode of Tushita. They will see Maitreya's face, hear his dharma, and find the path to unsurpassable awakening...
They will ( also ) see as many buddhas as the ganges river's sand grains.
The Ratnakuta Sutra: the "Great Lion's Roar of Maitreya":
....The Buddha then placed his golden right hand, the result of the virtue of innumerable kalpas, on Maitreya's head and said, "Maitreya, in the future, during the final 500 years, when holy dharma is disappearing, enthusiastically guard, uphold, and sustain holy dharma. Ensure that the lineage of the three jewels is unbroken."
As the Buddha placed his hand on Maitreya's head, the world shook 3 times and was filled with bright light.
The devas of all realms up to Akanishtha joined their palms and said,"Lord Maitreya, be enthusiastic for the benefit of many beings!"
Maitreya then arose from his seat.
He bowed to the bhagavat and said,"Bhagavat, for the sake of even one being I would be willing to remain in samsara until its end ..." Maitreya said this while placing his right knee on the ground. As he did so, this realm of a billion worlds shook 6 times...
( "A Garland of Jewels - the 8 Great Bodhisattvas", KTD Publications. )
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THE Aside:
In 1910 William Clifton Dodd, a minister representing the American Prsbytarian Mission.. Embarked ( to where he called ) "regions where no missionary had ever preceded"...
At a monastery in Muang La, Dodd showed a throng of curious villagers illustrations of Christian themes ...
" .... The Lue villagers were making all sorts of wild guesses about those wonderful pictures. At first they meant nothing sacred to them... When their curiosity had been somewhat sated, I explained the pictures. It was a fine sight to see their mirth change to reverence, then to deepest interest ... Many of them lifted their hands in adoration. As the adoration was directed neither to me nor the picture, but to the "Coming One" ... I did not forbid."
... A Lue man in the audience asked Dodd,"Is this Yesu ( jesus ) he whom we call the Noble Lord Maitreya ??".
( "The Buddha in the Jungle" by Kamala Tiyavanich. ) |