Explanation of the Mahayana Sutra on the Manifestation of Consciousness

Original Text: The Buddha saw Bhadrapāla. His entire body radiated light, illuminating Bhadrapāla. At that moment, Bhadrapāla attained fearlessness. He circumambulated the Buddha three times, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "O World-Honored One, I beseech you, out of compassion, to instruct me. I have now for the first time gained pure faith in the Buddha. My heart yearns for the wondrous Dharma and wishes to ask a question. Yet, I have long dwelt in birth and death, drowning in the suffering of afflictions, with confused thoughts running rampant. I lack the secret support of observing precepts and other practices. Although my heart is profoundly earnest, I do not know how, amidst this web of ignorance, confusion, and doubt, I may transcend it and cross over birth and death. The World-Honored One is the Omniscient One, seeing all universally. The appearance of a Buddha is exceedingly rare and difficult to encounter. It is like a wish-fulfilling jewel that bestows joy upon sentient beings. The Buddha is the great wish-fulfilling jewel. All sentient beings rely solely upon the Buddha to attain great peace and happiness. He is the great parent, the good root of sentient beings. It is because of the Buddha, our parent, that we see the right path. I beseech you, out of compassion, to dispel my doubts and darkness."

The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, "You may ask whatever doubts you have freely. I will explain them to you in detail." At that time, Bhadrapāla, having received the Buddha’s permission to ask, focused his mind on his inquiry and stood to one side.

Explanation: The appearance of a Buddha in the world is indeed extremely rare and difficult to encounter. The Buddha told us in the sutras that in the Sahā World, it is only after a very long time that a Buddha appears. In the Bhadrakalpa (Auspicious Aeon), one thousand Buddhas will appear. Śākyamuni Buddha is the fourth, and the fifth Buddha will be Maitreya Buddha. The time between the appearance of Śākyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha, according to the sutras, is 9.6 billion years. The interval between the appearance of these two Buddhas is considered the shortest. Often, no Buddha appears for many great kalpas, and sometimes, not even one Buddha appears for several tens of great kalpas. How long is several tens of great kalpas? The time it takes for the Earth to go through one cycle of formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness is one great kalpa. Such a long period is 16.8 million years (one minor kalpa), multiplied by eighty, which equals one great kalpa. If no Buddha appears for several tens of great kalpas, how deeply distressed must the sentient beings living in this world be? With no one to save them from birth and death, they have no end to their cycle of rebirth. When such a long time passes without a Buddha appearing, the appearance of a Buddha in this world is truly rare and profoundly difficult to encounter.

"Sentient beings rely on the Buddha to attain great peace and happiness; the Buddha is the great parent." This is said from the perspective of appearance. From the standpoint of actual truth, all sentient beings rely on the Buddha within their own five aggregates body to attain great peace and happiness. The Tathāgatagarbha is the parent giving birth to the five aggregates; it is the parent that brings all dharmas to sentient beings. The Buddha within the five aggregates body can bring the Three Baskets and Twelve Divisions of scriptures, the Dharma of Buddhahood, and the Dharma of liberation to sentient beings. Sentient beings who practice according to it can attain great peace and happiness. All sentient beings rely solely on their own Tathāgatagarbha to attain great bliss. The Tathāgatagarbha is also the parent of sentient beings, bringing them everything. The Tathāgatagarbha is the good root of sentient beings; it is because sentient beings possess the Tathāgatagarbha that they can cultivate wholesome dharmas. Sentient beings, because of the Buddha, this parent, see the right path of practice. Once on the right path, there is hope for liberation. I only wish that the World-Honored One, out of compassion for us, would illuminate our doubts, dispel our darkness of ignorance, and remove our perplexities.

The Buddha told Bhadrapāla: "You may ask whatever doubts you have freely. I will explain them all to you one by one." In truth, the Buddha already knew what Bhadrapāla wished to ask, hence He spoke thus. Knowing that the Buddha had granted him permission to ask, Bhadrapāla stood to one side, single-mindedly intending to pose his question.