Myohorengekyo Ju Gaku Mugaku Nin Ki Hon Dai Ku(9)    THE ASSURANCE OF FUTURE BUDDHAHOOD OF THE SRAVAKAS WHO HAVE SOMESHING MORE TO LEARN AND OF THE SRAVAKAS WHO HAVE NOTHING MORE TO LEARN

The main point of the chapter 9

 After an expression of understanding by the metaphor of jewelry on the back of clothes of the 500 Arahans,  The chapter 9 begins when the two people, Ananda and Rahula,who wish to receive a Buddhist prediction from Buddha.

 

Statue of Ananda
Statue of Ananda

Ananda served as a Buddha's attendant for 25 years from when he was 55 until he was 80 years old. He was born on the day that Shakamuni was made Buddha, and he was named Ananda (meaning joy). He had a cousin relationship with Shakamuni-Buddha, and he was called the “First to hear a lot” Buddhist apprentice among the ten largest disciples. At this point, he is told that he will become The Mountain-Sea-Wisdom-Liberty-King Buddha in the future.

 

Statue of Rahula
Statue of Rahula

Rahula is a son when the Shakamuni-Buddha was the prince of Shakya. At the time of reunion with his father, Buddha, he left the house under the direction of Buddha and received guidance from Sariputra directly. At first, he was eager to be a son of Buddha and lied to his guests that the Buddha was absent, but after being reprimanded by Buddha, he earnestly practiced Buddhist training and commanded him as a disciple. He became a Buddhist apprentice of "First to follow the buddhist precepts" who protected Buddhist precepts more closely than anyone else. Rahula was told that in the future he would become The Stepping-On-Flower-Of-Seven-Treasures Buddha.

 

 

 

Continue, the 2,000 disciples of sravakas who have something more to lean and who have nothing to lean also stepped forward in front of the Buddha, silently asking for a guarantee for the future of Buddha. A disciple of lean is a person who understands "The Four Truth" (suffering, the cause of suffering, extinction of suffering, the way to extinction of suffering) by refusing the material view centered on the body, but still has selfish feelings and desires. On the other hand, an unlearned disciple is a person who has completely lost his way and has reached the rank of Arahan. Buddha gave all of the 2,000 Buddhist disciples of both of these sravakas the same guarantee of The Treasure-Form Buddha. 

 

 

The question of the novice Bodhisattvas

A novice Bodhisattva has just started to seek enlightenment. Even though they had never heard of such a guarantee of Buddha in great bodhisattva, they were suspicious of their heart when they saw the special guarantee of Ananda as a sravaka. Buddha, who was known for their doubts, was preaching the past world practice of the Ananda. 

 

"Good man! Ananda and I had resolved to aspire for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi under the Void-King-Buddha at tha samu time[in our previous existence]. At that time Ananda always wished to hear much while I always practised strenuously. Therefore, I have already attained  Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi[,but he has not yet].Now he protects my teachings. He also will protect the store the teachings of future Buddhas, teach Bodhisattva, and cause them to attain [Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi], according to his original vow. Therefore, now he has been assured of his future Boddhahood." ~from the sutra~ 

 

It is because the guarantee of the Buddha has been given because it has been a long time as a Bodhisattva.

 

 

ANANDA [a Buddha's attendant ]

After the extermination of Shakyamuni-Buddha, the elders of the Buddhist cult held a gathering to conclude the teachings that Buddha had presented to various people and to establish a “Buddhist theory”. The first gathering is called the “First Gathering” after 500 Buddhist disciples gathered at the Seven Leaf Cave of OHSHAJO[The chapital of MAGADA] after the entering nirvana of Shakyamuni-Buddha. At this time, it was decided without objection that the person responsible for organizing the commandments would be the “first of law” Upari , but who became the person responsible for organizing the Sutra became a problem. It was Ananda who served Buddha until the end that listened the most to Buddha's teachings. However, he had not yet opened up the enlightenment of Arahan. 

  

There was an opinion that it was not necessary to realize, but the strict leader Maha-kashapa  after the death of Buddha did not allow it. Ananda re-interpreted Buddha's teachings as his own, and as a result of concentrating on his training, He opened his wisdom at the moment when he was trying to put his head on the pillow at night when the night before gathering.

 

 

Ananda, who reached enlightenment in this way, attended the gathering place with a face that was clear the next morning, and as the person responsible for putting together the Sutra, “I heard this way[NYOZEGAMON]” Contributed to the creation of the many scriptures. 

 

 

 

 at Sven Leaf Cave in 2006
at Sven Leaf Cave in 2006

RAHULA[the son of Shakamuni-Buddha]

 

When Shakamuni-Buddha was at the Royal Palace of Capila Castle as Prince Siddhartha, when he decided to leave home for enlightenment and came back from the walk, the messenger of King Sududana, his father, announced the birth of a new prince. The prince who heard it said that he had made "Rahula".

 

"Rahula" is a word meaning “restraint” and indicates that the prince who decided to leave home has a bond of love. Neither the messenger nor the father knew such a heart of the prince, and used it as the name of the  new prince.

 

From the story of Buddha and his disciple 89

 

 

The ruins of Kapila Castle in 2002
The ruins of Kapila Castle in 2002