Essay: The Bodhisattva Manjushri, whose Sanskrit name is interpreted to mean "wonderfully auspicious,” has been the teacher of the past seven Buddhas.

Commentary: Today we will talk about Manjushri Bodhisattva. His Sanskrit name has been transliterated into Chinese in several ways, but the meaning remains the same. In Buddhism, this Bodhisattva is foremost in wisdom. His Way-place is on Five Peaks (wu tai) Mountain in China.

Contemplator of Sounds (guan yin) Bodhisattva's Way-place is on Potola (pu to) Mountain in China. Universal Worthy (pu xian) Bodhisattva's Way-place is on Emei Mountain in China. Earth Store (di zang) Bodhisattva's Way-place is on Nine Flowers (jiu hua) Mountain. These Four Great Bodhisattvas traditionally dwell on China's four most famous mountains. They visit each other, too. Sometimes Guanyin, Earth Store, and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva join Manjushri Bodhisattva on Five Peaks Mountain and hear him speak the Dharma. At other times, Manjushri Bodhisattva visits these three Bodhisattvas at their Way-places.

The potentials for Mahayana Buddhism are especially deep and rich in China. After Shakyamuni Buddha’s time in the world, the First Patriarch Mahakashyapa appeared in China by transformation as the philosopher Laozi and spoke the five-thousand-character Book of the Way and Virtue (dao de jing). The Bodhisattva Pure Youth Water-Moon appeared-by-transformation in China as the great educator Confucius. The Bodhisattva Pure Youth Bright-Like-the-Moon appeared-by-transformation in China as Yanhui, Confucius’ foremost disciple.. These three pioneers went to China to prepare China for the advent of Buddhism. If Taoism and Confucianism had not paved the way, the Chinese people might not have been receptive to Buddhism. Due to the influence on the Chinese people that Taoism and Confucianism had, Buddhism was able to take root and spread in China.

I often compare the social and educational mores of Confucianism to elementary school, with other religions such as Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism being equivalent to high school. In this context, Buddhism is analogous to higher education because it encompasses everything, leaving nothing out. Therefore, the advent of Buddhism is not a simple matter.

Manjushri Bodhisattva, along with the Bodhisattvas Universal Worthy, Earth Store, and Guanyin, have been teaching and transforming living beings in China for a long time. The common Chinese saying is:

Guanyin is found in every household.
Amitabha is venerated at every door.

Most Chinese people, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, worship Guanyin Bodhisattva and recite Amitabha Buddha's name on occasion. But they do it without knowing the meaning behind it. Very few of them understand what Buddhism is all about. In fact, most people think of Buddhism as superstitious, esoteric, and unrelated to daily life and because of that, never search out its truths.

Actually, without an understanding of Buddhism, we will never know in depth what it means to be a person. Not understanding what it means to be human beings, we even less understand Buddhism. When we truly understand Buddhism, we will know how to be a person and how to do things properly.

"Well, what about monastics who seem to know nothing about mundane matters?" you ask. If a monastic truly understands the Buddhism, he will also understand the mundane. Conversely, it takes someone who truly understands the mundane to understand Buddhism.

For example, a certain professor of mechanics believes in Buddhism, but he has not understood the teachings of Buddhism. He claims he is not out for fame or profit, but he is always debating and arguing with people. He harbors the misguided view that Buddhism is included within the scope of science. I told him, "Buddhism includes science, but science cannot include Buddhism." I debated this with him many times in Malaysia, but I do not know if he really understands. Why do I say that Buddhism includes science? The wisdom of Buddhas is all-encompassing, including within its scope all of science, mathematics, and philosophy.

Wise people understand everything, while those who lack wisdom do not understand anything. That is why I have given Buddhism a new name. I call it the "Teaching of Wisdom." Buddhism is the study not of how to achieve spiritual powers, but of how to become wise. With wisdom, problems are solved right away and everything is understood without having to be learned. Without wisdom, we may study all we want, but our learning will not be ultimate. Why do I call Buddhism the "Teaching of Wisdom"? The Buddhas are greatly enlightened, yet their enlightenment is simply wisdom. Since no one wishes to remain stupid, no one will have any objection to wisdom. The wisdom I am talking about encompasses every kind of knowledge.

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom, is foremost in wisdom. The Sanskrit word Bodhisattva (pu sa short for the full transliteration pu ti sa to) means both "one who enlightens sentient beings" and "an enlightened sentient being." He is an enlightened being who possesses great wisdom, and he sees that all living beings have the potential to become enlightened as well.

Manjushri translates as "wonderfully auspicious." Wonderful indicates inconceivable, and auspicious refers to having everything go as one wishes.

Manjushri Bodhisattva, in past lives that span the end of the last kalpa and the beginning of this one, has been the teacher of seven Buddhas: Vipashyin Buddha, Shikhin Buddha, Vishvabhu Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, Kashyapa Buddha, and Shakyamuni Buddha. During a long span of time, hese seven Buddhas were all born in Hangzhou, China. Hence, Hangzhou is considered a Buddhist holy site.

Essay: In the Sutra of Dwelling in the Womb, the Bodhisattva says, "I was the teacher of Capable Humane Ones in the past, yet I am the disciple of this present Buddha. Since two World-Honored Ones cannot appear in the same world at the same time, I come this time as a Bodhisattva." Riding on the power of his past vows, he came to help Shakyamuni Buddha propagate the Dharma and teach living beings.

Commentary: In the Sutra of Dwelling in the Womb, the Bodhisattva says, "I was the teacher of Capable Humane Ones in the past." Capable Humane One [neng ren] is the Chinese interpretation of Shakyamuni, but here, the reference is to all Buddhas, not only to Shakyamuni Buddha. This Bodhisattva taught many past Buddhas. "Yet I am the disciple of this present Buddha. Since two World-Honored Ones cannot appear in the same world at the same time, I come this time as a Bodhisattva." Two Buddhas will not manifest in the same world during the same period. However, although a given world has only one Buddha at a time as host, it is said that a thousand Buddhas come to support him. Does that not sound like putting on a play on some grand scale for the whole world?

Someone may challenge that comment, saying, "How can you relegate the events of Buddhism to being like a play?"

Is there anything in the world that is not a play? Everything is going through the four stages of forming, sustaining, decaying, and returning to emptiness, just like scenes in a movie flashing by on the screen. What is real? What is ultimate? A common Chinese saying addresses these questions. "The Great Wall is still here, but has anyone seen Emperor Shi of the Qin dynasty?” The once-mighty emperor who commissioned the Great Wall is long gone. We get caught up in our busy activities, but in the long run it turns out to be wasted effort. Ultimately, everything is empty. So why do we still do it?

The Buddhas put on plays in order to help us beings to wake up. When we try to stage plays, we just add confusion to confusion and, quite likely, cause ourselves and others to make more and more mistakes. A saying goes,

A superior person aims high.
A petty person sinks low.

A superior person strives to ascend, but a petty person follows the downward trend.

When the Buddhas come to the world, they put on plays to cause us beings to become enlightened by what we see and hear. They speak of cause and effect, retribution, and transmigration, warning us not to become attached to the world. If we contemplate matters with proper awareness, we can transcend the world. If we are confused by what happens, we will fall. The Buddhas put on plays just as ordinary people do, but they do so with a different purpose.

In his life as Manjushri Bodhisattva he appears as the Buddha's disciple, although he was the Buddha's teacher in the past. He says, "I come this time as a Bodhisattva." He does so in order to help the Buddha propagate the Dharma. He came to the world again based on the power of his former vows.

Essay and commentary: Ten auspicious signs occurred at his birth:

1. Bright light filled the room, meaning the room in which he was born.
2. Sweet dew rained down. During his birth, the rain that was falling outside was as pure as sweet dew.
3. Seven precious things welled up from the earth. The earth was probably soaked and softened by the rain of sweet dew, enabling the seven precious things to emerge. The seven precious things are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian.
4. Spirits revealed earthly treasures. By means of a divine power, the treasures that people had buried in the ground in the past were now revealed.
5. Chickens gave birth to phoenixes. Hens are supposed to hatch chicks, but in this case they hatched phoenixes. This is a very strange and rare sign.
6. Pigs gave birth to dragons. The offspring of the pigs resembled dragons instead of piglets. That was also a rare and auspicious portent.
7. Horses gave birth to unicorns. Unicorns are not the same as giraffes, as some commentator wrongly surmised. People just like to talk casually and act as if they know everything. The unicorn (qi-lin) is an auspicious creature. Confucius once said, upon seeing a unicorn:

   During the reigns of Tang and Yu,
   Unicorns and phoenixes freely roamed.
   This is not the time. Why have you come?
   Unicorn, O Unicorn, how I worry for you!

   From this verse, we know that they are not giraffes, because giraffes are not extinct. They have long-survived the time of Tang and Yu. So Confucius said, "Now is not the right time for you to appear. Why have you come? Unicorn, unicorn, I am concerned for you!"
   
   Not only horses, but cows, too, can give birth to unicorns. But since no such case has been recorded, people do not consider this possibility. Horses can also give birth to pristine creatures. We must apply what we learn in a flexible manner. If horses can give birth to unicorns, why should cows or pigs not be able to? The same can apply to all of them.

8. Cows gave birth to pristine creatures. These creatures understand human language. They can know what people are thinking and understand their thoughts. That is why they are considered to be a divine animal, a creature with an inconceivable state of being.
9. The grain in the granaries turned to gold. This is another auspicious portent.
10. Elephants with six tusks appeared. Elephants ordinarily have only two tusks. Six tusks represents the perfection of the Six Paramitas, generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva rides an elephant with six tusks.

Essay: For these reasons, he was named Wonderfully Auspicious. He rides upon a blue lion, which represents awesome courage, and holds a jeweled sword, which represents wisdom. He emphasizes All-Prajna and is foremost in wisdom. He is the Buddha's left hand attendant and is one of the Three Sages of the Flower Adornment Assembly.

Commentary: Manjushri Bodhisattva rides a lion and displays awesome courage. The jeweled sword in his hand represents great wisdom. It can cut through all ignorance, afflictions, emotions, and desires. The ability to cut through these things is wisdom. People without wisdom lack the determined resolve to cut off desire and emotional love. Wise people definitely cut these things off.

Essay: During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, the two sagely monks Kashyapa-Matanga and Gobharana came to China. The Emperor asked them, "Are there sages dwelling and teach-ing beings in this land?’

They replied, "The Great Warrior Manjushri dwells on Pure Cold (qing liang) Mountain." The Emperor built a monastery at that place and sanctioned many to become monks, who lived there and taught beings. There is a wisdom lamp on the central peak of the range, and miracles can happen if people bow to it sincerely.

Commentary: During the reign of Emperor Ming in the Han Dynasty, two Buddhist monks, Kashyapa-Matanga and Gobharana, went to China, carrying Sutras on a white horse. Later, White Horse Monastery was built in Loyang in memory of these two monks. Their graves are still extant in Henan Province. China is a place where sages and common people dwell together.

At that time, Emperor Ming asked the two venerable ones, "Are there any sages here in China teaching and transforming beings?"

They replied, "Manjushri Bodhisattva is teaching and transforming beings at Clear Cold Mountain.” Clear Cold Mountain is another name for Five Peaks Mountain, located in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. After the two monks revealed the presence of Manjushri Bodhisattva, the Emperor built a monastery at Wutai Mountain and it became a Buddhist holy site.

Essay: A verse in praise says:

Manjushri's great wisdom and Prajna's blazing furnace Forged all the Buddhas And the lines of patriarchs. Limitless sages in the Sangha Also come from these. Pure, cooling, wonderful medicine Cleanses away our confusion.

Commentary: Manjushri's great wisdom and/ Prajna's blazing furnace/ forged all the Buddhas/ and the lines of patriarchs. Manjushri Bodhisattva's wisdom is compared to a great furnace in which the Buddhas and patriarchs are forged. He taught and transformed them all. From Prajna wisdom come countless members Sangha members who became enlightened.

Limitless sages in the Sangha/also come from these./Pure, cooling, wonderful medicine/ cleanses away our confusion. They are certified sages possessed of great spiritual powers. The pure and refreshing medicinal ointment water washes away the confusion. Confusion is just ignorance. Ignorance makes people muddled. Without ignorance, we would be wise. Ignorance is also afflictions. At a coarser level, we speak of afflictions. In a finer sense, we speak of ignorance, which is an obstacle to wisdom. If we don't wish to be muddled, we must wash the confusion away with the water of Prajna-wisdom.

Essay: Another verse says:

An ancient Buddha, riding past vows, came to save the Saha world.
Manjushri, the Greatly Wise, proclaims the Mahayana.
On Five Peaks, he guides beings in number like Ganges' sands.
At Nine Flowers, he teaches multitudes as uncountable as sesame seeds.
Youth Good Wealth, following his suggestion, Traversed hundreds of cities.
The Dragon Girl, under his guidance, became a Buddha amidst thousands of auspicious clouds.
Wonderful Virtue lets loose his all-encompassing lion's roar.
In the Flower Adornment Assembly, he constantly speaks the ineffable.

Commentary: An ancient Buddha, riding past vows, came to save the Saha world. Saha, a Sanskrit word, means "able to be endured." It describes how human beings are able to endure the great suffering in this World of the Five Turbidities.

The first is the Turbidity of Time. Time is messy, chaotic. For instance, would not you agree that the Cultural Revolution in China was a mess? So many lives were lost and so much property was damaged. The mixing up of black and white, of right and wrong, of straight and crooked, is typical of the time turbidity.

The second is the Turbidity of Views. Our views are unclean. We delight in deviant matters and pay no attention to proper matters.

The third is the Turbidity of Afflictions. Afflictions are also messy.

The fourth is the Turbidity of Beings. The physical bodies of human beings and all creatures are basically unclean.

The fifth is the Turbidity of Life. Our lives are unclear. Planting impure causes, we receive impure results. Our birth as human beings is the impure result of the impure causes we planted. And so we continue being muddled.

Manjushri, the Greatly Wise, proclaims the Mahayana. The Mahayana refers to Great Vehicle Buddhism. Manjushri Bodhisattva proclaims the Buddhas’ Great Vehicle teachings.

On Five Peaks, he guides beings in number like Ganges' sands. Every year, countless pilgrims travel to Five Peaks Mountain to pay homage to Manjushri Bodhisattva, and there they are inspired to make the commitment to attain Bodhi themselves.

At Nine Flowers, he teaches multitudes as uncountable as sesame seeds. Manjushri Bodhisattva often goes to Nine Flowers Mountain to help Earth Store Bodhisattva teach and transform beings.

Forty years ago, a thirteen-year-old boy saw a man herding a flock of ducks about a hundred miles away from Nine Flowers Mountain.

"Where are you going with this flock of ducks?" he asked.

"I'm headed for Nine Flowers Mountain," the man replied.

"Nine Flowers Mountain? Aw, too bad I cannot go. I'd like to go and pay homage to Earth Store Bodhisattva, too."

"You want to go? I can take you there," said the man.

"But I don't have any money," said the boy.

"That's okay. Just climb on my back. I'll carry you there."

So the boy climbed on the man's back. Then the man said, "Close your eyes, and don't open them till I tell you." The boy obediently closed his eyes, and the sound of the wind blowing past his ears made him feel as if he were flying through the clouds. Soon the man said, "You can open your eyes now." The boy did so and saw that they were surrounded by great mountains.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"This is Nine Flowers Mountain," said the man.

"What should I do? I don't have any money," said the boy.

The man gave him some money and said, "You'll need this to pay for food and lodging on the mountain. When you have used up all the money, you can go home."

The man who carried the child on his back was in fact Manjushri Bodhisattva. Manjushri Bodhisattva, in practicing the Bodhisattva path, appeared as that man in order to take that boy to worship Earth Store Bodhisattva. After the boy had paid homage to Earth Store Bodhisattva and had spent all the money, he set out for his home, begging for food along the way. After he got home, he reflected on his unusual experience and decided to go to Cloud Abode (yun ju) Mountain in Jiangxi province, where he became a monk under the Venerable Master Hsu Yun. After he became a monk, Venerable Master Hsu Yun asked him to study the Shurangama Sutra. He memorized all ten rolls of the Sutra in just twenty-one days. This shows how intelligent he was. Later, however, it seems that he was forced by the difficult circumstances to return to lay life. Despite his sharp faculties and keen intelligence, he was unable to pass the test. He could not take the hardship.

Youth Good Wealth, following his suggestion, traversed hundreds of cities. The Youth Sudhana visited over a hundred cities while paying respects to fifty-three teachers. Because he was so sincere, he eventually became a sage.

The Dragon Girl, under his guidance, became a Buddha amidst thousands of auspicious clouds. Manjushri crossed the Dragon Girl over, so that she was able to realize Buddhahood at the age of eight. These are inconceivable events.

Wonderful Virtue lets loose his all-encompassing lion's roar. Wonderful Virtue, another name for Manjushri, lets his lion's roar resonate everywhere to teach and transform beings.

In the Flower Adornment Assembly, he constantly speaks the ineffable. Originally, there is nothing that can be spoken in the Avatamsaka Sutra. Not a single Dharma can be discussed. Nevertheless, the Bodhisattva still appears and speaks the Dharma in order to teach and transform beings. That is because a Bodhisattva's heart is most compassionate. His every thought is directed toward helping all creatures so they can leave suffering, attain bliss, and quickly realize Buddhahood.