Buddhism in India

[p. 2] This section outlines the following three topics: (1) the appearance of the Buddha in this world, (2) the formation of the system of his precious teachings, and (3) the rise of the masters who cherished those teachings.

The Buddhas appearance in this world

World systems are formed through the aspiration prayers of a Buddha or the karmic deeds of sentient beings. Of these two, our world system was formed due to the aspiration prayers of a Buddha. Long ago, during the great aeon Zinpa XE "Grahaka" and in the space where our world is, there was a king called Tsibkyi Muchud XE "Aranemi" who ruled over four continents and 84,000 provinces and had 1000 sons and a Brahmin advisor called Gyatshoi Dul. The advisor had 1000 Brahmin disciples including his eighty sons, the eldest of whom was Gyatshoi Nyingpo XE "Samudragarbha" . Gyatshoi Nyingpo attained enlightenment and became known as the Tathagata Rinchen Nyingpo. The Tathagata miraculously created myriads of worlds and for seven years made the king and his entourage choose the worlds where they would each like to attain Buddhahood. The Brahmin advisor and his 999 disciples chose this world of ours. Moreover, the Brahmin advisor, who was to become our Buddha, chose the age of five degenerates, which others abandoned. For this reason, he has excelled all other Buddhas in showing affection for the spiritually impoverished beings. As each of them will be attaining Buddhahood in this aeon, there will be a thousand Buddhas appearing in this world.

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During the aeon Zepar Nangwa, there was a Buddha known as Yonten Thaye Rinchen Natsho Kodpai Gyalpo and a universal monarch called Yulkhor Srung who had 700,000 queens and one thousand sons. In this period, two boys called Choeki Lodey and Choesem were also born miraculously on the lap of the two queens Mamedma and Pemedma. The king venerated the Buddha and his disciples with all kinds of offerings for a period of ten million years. He then thought to himself: As all of my children have entered the path of enlightenment, who would make it first to Buddhahood? Wishing to find this out, he wrote down their names and put them in a vase made of precious jewels. After making offerings in front of the vase, he took out the names in the presence of his sons. The first name to come out was that of Nampar Dagpai Lodro. The earth shook with a thunderous sound and he was prophesied to become the Buddha Khorwa Jig [the first Buddha of the fortunate aeon].

The second to come out was Nampar Gyalwa, who was to become Buddha Serthub then Wangpo Zhiwa to become Buddha Odsung, Donthamcad Drubpa as our teacher [Buddha Shakyamuni], Karagchen as the Buddha Maitreya and so on until Lothaye Drag as the Buddha Moepa. Choesem was prophesied to become Lagna Dorji, the guardian of their secret doctrine, and Choelo to be the great Brahma Tsugphudcan, who would beseech them to turn the Wheel of Dharma. Their father, the king, was to become the Buddha Marmezed.

When this aeon began and there was the formation of oceans, a thousand golden lotuses appeared. [p. 4] The gods took this as a sign of the appearance of a thousand Buddhas in this world system. They named the aeon Kalpa Zangpo or Fortunate Aeon and the world Mijed Jigten or World of Endurance. In the phase of the long beginning when human life span was 40,000 years, the Buddha Khorwa Jig (Krakucchanda) came to this world. The Buddha Serthub (Kanakamuni) came when human life span was 30,000, the Buddha Odsung (Kashyapa) when life span was 20,000 and Shakya Thubpa (akyamuni) when it was 100 years. Jampa (Maitreya) will come at the descending phase of intermediate aeon when human life span again reaches 80,000. The others are to come in the same fashion as Abhidharmakoa states:In the declining phase,

Until [human life span reaches] hundred years, they (Buddhas) will come.

As for the life of our teacher Buddha akyamuni, who appeared when human life span became a hundred years, there are several versions as to how he initially generated the altruistic mind, then accumulated countless merits for three aeons and finally attained perfect enlightenment. These differences are due to the varying experiences of those lower, intermediate, and advanced levels of understanding. I will present the story here in accordance with the perception of inferior commoners such as the ravakas (auditors).

Long ago, when our teacher only possessed the inclination for Mah(y(na, he was born as a giant cartman in the burning iron ground in the hell realm due to the force of his karma. At that time, his partner, who was very weak, could not pull the cart and was repeatedly beaten by the hell guard with a goad. Out of intense empathy for his partner, he said, Please do not beat him. I will pull his share as well. The hell guard got infuriated by this, struck him with the goad. He died instantly and was reborn as a god [owing to the power of his empathy].

When he was born as king Rabsel, he heard the name of a Buddha from his mahout which generated the thought of enlightenment. Then he cultivated the mind of enlightenment before the Buddha (kya Thubpa Chenpo and thus began his accumulation of merits for three countless eons, the duration which he took to become a Buddha. By the time he worshiped Tathagata Rinchen Tsugtor, he finished the first of the three countless aeons and attained the first Bodhisattva stage.[page no. 5]Then he attained the seventh stage by end of the second countless aeon. After this, he was born as a Brahmin boy called Trin. He studied the Vedas from an esteemed Brahmin master. In order to find fees for the master, he went to the cities of central India and arrived at the market place of Pemochen, the palace city of the king Drathul.

At that time, the Buddha Marme Zad came to this world and the son of the Brahmin Marmei Dagpo watched him sitting with the gods in the sky offering him flowers, music and melodious songs. Trin asked the Brhamin boy: What are you doing here? He replied: Dont you know that the Buddha Marme Zad is here? Trin was instantly awestruck. Alas, it is very rare for a Buddha to appear in the world. I will offer these five hundred silver coins to the Buddha and pay my master later on, he thought to himself.

Then he made the Brahmin girl Zanglendan sell him five blue lotus flowers promising to be her husband in all of their successive rebirths. He threw the flowers to the Buddha as offering, spread his spotted antelope skin and entreated the Buddha: May the all-seeing Tathagata Marme Zad see my pure intent and place his feet on this antelope skin. He laid out his golden tresses as a mat and entreated with a strong resolve: If the all-seeing Marme Zad do not place his feet here and prophesy my future, I shall let my body dry up right here. The Buddha placed his feet on Trins tresses and declared, Oh monks!

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Do not place your feet on the hair of this boy because he is the object of worship even for the gods. He will become in the future the [Buddha] Sakyamuni. Thus being prophesied, Trin was overcome with joy and he rose about the height of seven palm trees above the ground and also actualized hundreds and thousands of states of samadhi. In this way, he attained the eighth ground.

It was thus said [by (kyamuni]:For throwing five blue lotus flowers as offering,

And spreading my own tresses as a mat for the Buddha Marme Zad,

I attained the confidence in the non-arising dharmaAnd I was prophesied to become the King of (kyas.

Thus, by the time he worshiped the Buddha Nampar Zig, he completed the three countless aeons and perfected the ten Bodhisattva stages. It is said [in the ]:

The Buddhas Nampar Zig, Marme Zead and Rinchen Tsugtor

Appeared at the end of each countless [aeon].

(kya Thubchen was the first [Buddha our Buddha encountered].

The auditors assert that all of these happened while the Buddha was on the Path of the Accumulation. They acclaim the teacher (the Buddha) and the rhino-like solitary realizers reach enlightenment in thirty-four instances after attaining the Heat level on the Path of Preparation as per the following statement:The Teacher (the Buddha) and the rhino (-like solitary realizers)

Achieve all stages in one session of samadhi.

As for the calculation of the three aeons, it is stated in The Compendium of Vehicles:Through righteousness and the power of aspirations,

Through the stability of the mind -that strives for betterA Bodhisattva sets on [his path through]

The Three countless aeons.

It is also said in The Cloud of Jewels:Whenever the Bodhisattva

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engages in equality of [all] phenomena, from then on one must calculate the number of aeons, not from the time when he initially generated the mind of enlightenment.Whenever righteousness, [that is to say] the powerful foundation of virtues, the power of the aspirations, the stability of the mind, [i.e. its] irreversibility and the proceeding for better [which means to] become discontent with meagre qualities, when these begin to arise, from then on until the attainment of Buddhahood, one must calculate the three countless aeons. One must also classify accumulations which a Bodhisattva must accumulate into the accumulations of merit and wisdom or the six perfections. Our teacher has attained Buddhahood swiftly. Some take thirty-two countless aeons and others take innumerable countless aeons depending on when they realize their aspirations, like Ma(ju(ri and Samantabhadra.

Beginning with the emergence of the power of righteousness founded on virtues, the power of aspirations, and the stability of the mind - irreversible, ever striving, and unsatisfied with mediocrity, until the attainment of Buddhahood constitute the three countless aeons. One must also classify accumulations which a Bodhisattva must accumulate into merit and wisdom or the six perfections. Our teacher has attained Buddhahood swiftly. Some take thirty-two countless aeons and others take innumerable countless aeons depending on when they realize their aspirations, like Ma(ju(ri and SamantabhadraFinally, as for the manner in which he attained Buddhahood, it is stated in The Supreme Tantra:

Taking rebirth in the higher realms,Transmigrating from the Tushita heaven,

Entering the mothers womb and taking birth,Becoming skilled in the field of arts,

Enjoying the retinue of his consorts,

Renouncing the world and undergoing penance,

Reaching the seat of enlightenment,Destroying the host of Maras and attaining perfect enlightenment,Turning the wheel of dharma,

And entering the nirvana; these are the acts [of the Buddha].

The first act takes after our Buddha, who are was born as Dampa Togkarpo, was installed as the regent of the heavenly realm of Gadan by the Buddha Odsrung when Odsrung left Gadan. Dampa Togkarpo taught dharma to the gods in Gadan and towards the end of his regency, due to the power of his merits and the blessings of the Buddhas, he heard from the musical instruments of the gods verses such as the following:[page no. 8]

O you with vast merits, possessor of virtues and realizer of mindfulness,

Who holds unlimited intelligence and shine with wisdom

Who has matchless power and is protean in artistic skills,

Please remember the prophecy of the Buddha Marme Zad.

Inspired by such exhortation, he placed his jewel crown on Maphampa (Maitreya), whom he appointed regent and announced, O friends! I will go to the continent of Zambuling to attain Buddhahood. Maitreya will give you teachings. The celestial followers entreated: This is not the right time to go there as the Zambuling world is corrupted by the eighteen kinds of heretical doctrines. To this, he replied: Like the rays of the sun over other rays, I can outshine them. Having said thus, in accordance with the Vedic tradition of the Brahmins, he descended from heaven in the form of an elephant and entered into his mothers womb through her right rib cage after the winter has passed, on the 15th day of the Saga (Vaishaka) month, the last month of the spring, coinciding with the constellation Gyal and when his mother was observing a purificatory fast.

Hence it is stated in the verses [by his mother Mayadevi]:

I felt a supreme elephant

Finely wrapped in golden trappings,

And bearing a red crown, an ash-white colour and six tusksWith a hue like that of a conch shell, snow or silver enter me.As it entered me, my body and mindWere enraptured by a magnificent bliss,

Which has never been heard, seen or felt before.It was like being in a deep meditative absorption.

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Following this, he remained for twelve months in his mothers womb, which is the natural palace called the Array of Jewels enjoyed by the Sons of the Buddhas, and helped mature thirty-six hundred billion celestial and human beings.A vinaya text, The Holy Treatise, states that when the householder Gonmed Zebyin (Anathapindika) asked the Buddha which month he was born, the Buddha said: Househoder, I was born in the third month of spring.As stated, the Buddha was born on the 15th day of the Saga month, at Lumbini grove from the rib cage of his mother without giving any pain to his mother. Using a fine Kashi cloth, he was received by the Tshangpa (Brahma) and Jajin (Indra) and bathed by the Lu (naga).

He took seven steps each towards each direction and uttered the lions roar. At that time, there were thirty-two omens of auspiciousness such as all directions being filled with light of a golden radiance, the birth of four kings in the four great countries; the birth of five hundred noble persons, eight hundred girls including Drakzinma (Ya(odara), five hundred attendants including Dunpa (Channa), ten thousand stallions including the Ngagden (Kanthaka), ten thousand mares, ten thousand cattle, a pipal tree at the center of the continent, five hundred pleasure groves and five hundred treasures. As all wishes of the King were fulfilled, the prince was named Donthamched Drupa (Sarvasiddhartha*).

The astrologers predicted that if the child remained as a householder he would become a universal monarch who is victorious in all directions, and if he became a homeless renunciate, he would attain the Buddhahood. [page no. 10]

His mother passed away seven days after he was born and he was brought up by his aunt Kyegui Dagmo (Mahaprajapati) and thirty-two nurses. As he grew up he was given four names; [Siddhartha as we have seen above and] kya Thubpa (kyamuni) for humbling the pretentious kyas when he visited Serchaizhi (Kapilavastu), Lhaiyang Lha (god of gods) for being saluted by Nodjin kya Phel, the god of kyas and other gods and Langpoche Tongthub (Subjugator of a thousand elephants). He joined the school to learn from Kungi Shenyen, Sidrub, his uncle Lharche and many others writing, arithmetic, arts, sports and such other fields of learning pursued in the world. In all these fields, he excelled his teachers. Although he was asked to marry, he initially turned down the proposals but with persistent request, he accepted with the following thought:

From within a muddy swamp, the lotus flower blooms magnificently.Within a multitude of the subjects does the king get honoured.The Buddhas in the past have risen from within their harem of queens,

And have attained the ultimate peace.Thinking thus, he sought Yashodara, the daughter of kya Lagnabecon. She was placed as the prize in a competition to win her hand. At the age of seventeen, displaying matchless skills of sportsmanship, he defeated all opponents and won Yashodara. He received Yasodhara and also Bedma and Ridagkye, the three chief queens, who were accompanied by 60,000 beautiful maidens and lived a life full of fun and luxury until the age of twenty-nine.As it is natural for the Buddhas of the ten directions to exhort [a Buddha-to-be on the path to enlightenment], at that point, he heard the following exhortation from the sounds of the musical instruments.

Thinking, I shall quench those tormented by thirst with nectar,

Having attained the immortal sorrowless state of the Buddha,

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Recollect the supreme words of your past aspirations,

And renounce this city as quickly as possible!After he heard this, he saw old age, illness, death and a monk in the four directions and showed his unhappiness with the worldly life. He skillfully sought permission from his father to become a renunciate and assisted by the gods, he arrived mounted on his horse, Khanthaka, to the banks of Yiyong Den river in Pongbyed region, which lay twelve leagues to the east of Kapilavastu. He returned the horse and his royal clothes with Channa. He said:Until I have arrived at the undying sacred state of enlightenment,

The holy land of immortality where there is no old age and death,I shall not stand, sit, sleep or walk,

Toward the city of Kapilavastu.Having thus resolved, he cut his own hair, put on saffron robes and became a self-ordained monk.

Under the rationalist teachers Gyutsal Shekyibu Ringphur and Rengjedkyibu Lhagchyod, who were renowned for their meditation instructions, he perfected the absorptive meditation of Nothing Whatsoever and Peak of Existence.But he criticized [their methods] saying that they cannot bring about liberation [from samsara]. Then, accompanied by the five followers, he went to the banks of Neranjana river and started to fast. Entering into the meditative state called Pervading Space he practiced austerity for six years. As his body turned dark and thin, he came to be known as the dark mendicant. The Tathagatas then woke him up by snapping their fingers. Abandoning his unshakeable meditation,

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he accepted the nectar of milk porridge offered by the Brahmin girl Legkema, and his body revived gleaming like a polished bar of gold.

According to the tantras, the Buddha, at this point left behind his corporeal body and ascended to the magnificent mansion of Akanishtha heaven in his wisdom form. There he received the empowerment of the Vajra Sphere from the Tathagatas, who have gathered there like a heap of sesame seeds, and then attained full enlightenment. He then re-entered his [corporeal] emanation body and performed the act of attaining enlightenment again. Thus the Tantra says:The real Buddha got enlightened over there;Only an emanation became enlightened here.

Furthermore, the Lankavatara Sutra states:In the desire and formless realms,

A Buddha will not reach Buddhahood,

But in Akanistha of the form realms,

You, one who is free from desire will attain Buddhahood!This distinction (of where the Buddha become enlightened) is a doctrinal distinction between the Mahyna and Hinayna.Eventually, on the full moon day of the Saga month, the Bodhisattva proceeded towards the Bodhi tree of Ashvatatha at spiritual sanctuary Dorje Denthe central spot of enlightenmentlocated at Magadha. The great naga Nagpo saw through his clairvoyance that the Bodhisattva was soon going to become the Buddha. On his way, the Bodhisattva asked the grass-seller Tashi:

O Tashi please give me some grass quickly,

Today these grasses will be of great benefit.

I will defeat the Maras and its armies,

And achieve the supreme tranquil enlightenment.He collected a bunch of grass which was like feather from a peacocks neck and upon arriving at Dorje Den, where one thousand pipal trees and one thousand lion-thrones sprung from the earth,[page no. 13]

he went around the first three thrones and he took his seat on the fourth one. The five followers thought the Bodhisattva failed in the practice of penance and abandoned him. They went to Deer Park in the region of Kashi. The Bodhisattva sat on the grass seat and made this resolve:

On this seat, whether my body dries up,

Or my skin and bones disintegrate,

Until I achieve the enlightenment hard to attain in many aoens,I shall not move from this seat.In the evening of that day, he thought that it is not proper for him to attain Buddhahood without defeating the host of Maras and thus sent forth from between his eyes rays of light across the three-fold thousand world systems in order to destroy the assembly of Maras. The rays gave out the sound of the following verse:The being who has practiced purity for many aeons,

The son of the Sudhodana has given up his kingdom.Having pursued with strong desire the remedial nectar

He has come to [Bodhi] tree. Watch out today!

The evil force had thirty-two bad dreams. It mobilized tens of trillions of diabolic forces as said in the following verse.

The Mara took the forms of all kinds

Of wrathful and vile figures in the world

Such as the bodies of goblins, trolls, reptilian beasts

Demons, flesh eating spirits and hungry ghosts.

They roared to create fear:

With chains of mountain ranges crushing in from all quarters,

With showers of rocks and weapons pouring down from the sky,

And with the indestructible flaming scepter,

Let us pulverize the Son of the akyas to dust. [page no. 14]

However, the Bodhisattva being was without a slight sense of fear.The King of akyas has realized the law of interdependence,

The natural state of non-substantiality.As he possesses a mind which is like the space,

No armies of deceptive forces can diminish him.As the Bodhisattva was full of loving-kindness, the weapons flung against him were also transformed into rain of flowers.

Again, the evil one challenged:For the continuous sacrifices I have done in the past,

I have you as the witness.But as you do not have a witness to this [act of working for enlightenment]

You loss although you make the claim [to enlightenment].In this manner, the Mara rejected that the Buddha practiced the path leading to enlightenment. Then the Bodhisattva touched the earth with his right hand and declared:The earth is the witness for all beings.She is impartial to both the mobile and immobile.She is my witness and she does not lie.O earth, you be my witness to this [act of working for enlightenment].When the Bodhisattva said this, the earth shook and the goddess of earth showed half of her body above the ground and said:

O great being! That is so. I have clearly witnessed this fact but the Blessed One is the witness for everyone in the world.

As soon as they heard this, they retreated as stated in the lines:

Like a pack of wolves in the forest hearing a lions roarAnd crows scurrying when a stone is thrown at them,

They escaped in terror, their hearts nearly shattered. The diabolic lord of desire (the Mara) entered into the state of grief.

[proof-reading resumed from here 25/07/10] At that time, the gods of the Pure Places rebuked the Evil one in sixteen different ways and the tree gods praised the Bodhisattva in sixteen different ways. In this manner, he was victorious in the battle against the evil forces and thus got the title, The Victor. By midnight, the Bodhisattva actualized the fourth stage of meditative concentration and abiding in the final phase of the fourth concentration, he investigated the nature of dependent origination both in successive and reverse orders and attained the three kinds of knowledge. In the last hour of the night, when it was about time to beat the wakingdrum, he attained perfect Buddhahood through the instantaneous wisdom.

He then rose up in the air to the height of seven palm trees and exclaimed: I have ended the continuity of my existence. The Buddhas of the ten directions paid tributes and praised him thus: You have become fully enlightened just as we have, and become one of us like butter in any state is of the same essence. The eight classes of spirits in large groups also worshipped the Buddha.Buddhahood consists of the three [enlightened] bodies and enlightened activities. It is also known as the inexhaustible wheel of ornaments of the enlightened body, speech and mind or as the inconceivable secret. From the moment of enlightenment, Buddhahood comprises as many enlightened bodies and speech as sentient beings and enlightened mind which knows all of them. [page no.16]

1) The formation of the system of his precious teachingsDuring the first week after he attained enlightenment, he continuedto sit in the crossed-legged position appreciating the bliss of enlightenment and thinking: Here, I have conquered suffering. This is a natural phenomenon as it is said [in the sutra]:

The Buddhas, who are in possession of the ten powers,

Will not abandon the crossed-legged position

For seven days at the centre of the Earth (=Vajr(sana) Where they have fulfilled their aspirations and have become empowered.

The second week after his enlightenment, the Buddha spent gazing at the Bodhi Tree (pipal), the third week, he walked until the ocean and the fourth week, he traversed the three-fold thousand world systems. In fifth week, he went to the place of the naga Tangzung and in the sixth week, at the foot of the Nigradha tree and said to the wandering mendicants:Happy is the one who hears and sees the Dharma,Happy is the one who likes solitude,

Happy is the one who subdues

All egos whatsoever.(all forms of self-righteousness?)In the seventh week after his enlightenment, the merchant brothers, Gagon and Zangpo, offered him food under the Drolgyu tree. He took the food in a stone bowl formed from the bowls offered by the kings of the four cardinal directions. At this occasion, the Buddha spoke the following verses of auspiciousness.

Through the auspices of the gods that fulfil all wishes,And makes all directions auspicious,

May you enjoy peace and happiness.They were both prophesied to become Buddhas in the future. Then, the Buddha thought:I have achieved the profound, tranquil, unfabricated and luminous,

Unconditioned dharma, which is like an ambrosia.

(Profound, tranquil, unfabricated, luminous, and unconditioned

A dharma like an ambrosia have I achieved.)

As no one can understand this even if I teach it,I think I shall dwell in the forest without speaking a word of it.

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As the one with boundless compassion for all sentient beings,

I shall not resist any requests for the teachings.

Since all beings are devoted to the Brahma,

Upon his request shall I turn the wheel of Dharma..This emanation of the Buddha was noticed by Brahma. Accompanied by sixty-eight hundred thousand gods from the Brahma world with their palms folded, he entreated the Buddha:Having accomplished the Mandala of the supreme wisdom,You emanate rays of light in all ten directionsRays of wisdomthat makes humanity blossom like lotuses.Why is it then that the lord of speech today maintains silence?To their supplication, the Buddha only granted silence.

As the Buddha became preoccupied in small activities,Lord Indra was prompted to supplicate as follows: Just like the full moon being released from Rahula (eclipse)

Your mind has been thoroughly liberated.

O the victorious Conqueror, please rise up,

And illuminate the darkness of the world with the light of wisdom

But the Buddha still remained in silence, to which the lord Brahma requested in the following lines.

You have become the achiever after a thorough search,

O the Able One, please teach us the Dharma.

Following this request, the Teacher spoke,

O Brahma, having abandoned all rigidityI have realized with austerity;That this Dharma, one cannot realizeEntrapped in the cycle of desire.

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Brahma requested, Since the world consists of beings with inferior, mediocre and sharp faculties, grant us the teachings that suit the faculty of mediocre beings.

O Brahma, I shall grant the teachings briefly,

So that people will not speak ill of the excellent Dharma.

Having consented to grant the teachings and pondered over the first recipient of his teachings, he wished to start with his former master Lhagchyod (skt??) but it was found that he passed away just one week ago. Then the lord wanted to start with Ringphur, (skt??) but he also happened to have passed away three days ago. So, he decided to grant the teachings for the first time to the group of five who accompanied the lord earlier. So the lord headed from Magadha to Seldhen (Kashi), passing through Rigaya, Tenge, Chandala and the city of Khalojur (???) to the north, after which he arrived at the banks of River Ganges. There a boatman asked him for the fare but the Lord flew away toward the place where the group of five lived saying, I do not have a boat fare.

At that time, the five seeing the Lord approaching from afar, said, Look that mendicant Gautama who is relaxed, eats a lot, and violated the Samadhi practice is coming back! They agreed amongst themselves that nobody will receive him, stand up in reverence, or pick up his robes and alms bowl but just let him sit on the empty cushion if he wished. However, Kaudrinya did not accept it mentally. When the Lord arrived, they could not withstand the charismatic radiance of reverence that emanated from the Lord, and they all found themselves willingly breaking their conditions they had agreed upon. They rushed to receive the lord, laid the cushion, and arranged water to wash the Buddhas feet. Having done this, they expressed how fortunate itit was and entreated the Buddha to be seated. The teacher now having seated,

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made lots of conversation in order to please the five. The five enquired, O venerable Gautama, if your faculty has become so clear and totally free of obscurations, did you experience any manifest difference with the actualization of true wisdom? The lord commanded, You should not address the Tathagata as just a venerable foryou could remain unhappy for a long time. I have obtained the nectar; I am enlightened; and I am omniscient. He asked, Didnt you all enact a rule just before my arrival? The five repented, fell at the Buddhas feet and pleaded absolution. Having become confident of the noble path, all of them became fully ordained monks. Since all of them were dressed like laymen, the teacher commanded them to wearmonastic robes worn in a circular way.

It is mostly claimed that the Five Disciples became fully ordained monks when they attained the path of seeing. However, in the Sutra of the Turning of Wheel Jarolpa ( Extensive Sport Sutra) and others, the Buddha refers the Five Disciples as monks, well before the attainment of the path of seeing. Hence, at the time when they became fully ordained monks, they may have achieved confidence in the path of seeing but not actualized it.On the Fourth Day of the Month of Shadha (4th Day of the 6th Month), Lord Buddha considered the venue for turning the Wheel of Dharma. He realized that the Deer Park Forest was the place used by the three former Buddhas to turn the Dharma Wheel. There appeared a thousand thrones. The Lord circumambulated the first three thrones and took up his seat on the fourth throne in cross-legged posture. The Five Disciples, the eight great classes/groups, Bodhisattvas of the ten directions all assembled in the manner that not even a space of a hairs breadth on the Great Thousand World Systems was left out by the gathering.

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Then, Lord Brahma bowed down at the feet of the Buddha and offered the golden wheel with one thousand spokes,made from gold extracted from the Dzambu river, ornate and so brilliant that it could even dim the sunlight, that which was also accepted by the three former conquerors (Buddhas?), and requestedto set in motion the Wheel of Dharma. At the same time, two Rurudeers of golden colour came out of the forest and knelt down staring one-pointedly at the tip of the golden wheel. The Buddha then observed the silence of the exalted beings in the morning; narrated inspirational allegories at mid-day; and in the afternoon, called the Five Disciples and turned the wheel of Dharma Wheel in twelve aspects by repeating [the Four Noble Truths] three times each. In this Great Thousand World System it is known that there are ten billion and ninety four hundred thousand synonyms of the Four Noble Truths and each one of them resounded at the same time the Lord granted the teachings for the first time.

At that time in Varanasi, the gods exclaimed, O friends, the Lord Bhagavan is turning the Dharma Wheel in twelve aspects reciting the Four Noble Truths three times, and teaching in ways that has been never before taught by any teacher. The family of the gods will increase while the classes of Asuras will decrease. At the first recitation of the four noble truths, Kaudrinaya achieved the Dharma Eyes free from the dusts of ignorance. The second recitation made him an Arhat, and there came about the Rare Three Jewels/Triple Gem. His four friends attained the Dharma Eyes at the second recitation and Arhat-hood at the third recitation. Eighty thousand gods saw the truth of realization.Gezang erected a Vihara. The five close disciples including Dragpa, and others, fifty sons of the village chiefs, Katayana and his five hundred followers all took monastic vows.

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Then the teacher headed to Magadha where Zangdes group of sixty boys became monks. At Tengyes, the three long-haired Kashayapa brothers including their one thousand retinues become monks. Shariputra and Maudgalyana with their five hundred followers also became fully ordained monks and achieved Arhathood.

Half of the disciples including the two Supreme Attendants and their five hundred retinues who were sent out to visit the country with the other half that included the long-haired Kashayapa and his followers altogether constituted 250,000 monks known to be the strength of the first assembly the Buddhas disciples.

Even though this turning of the Dharma Wheel was mainly aimed at the path for mediocre beings, the path for the lesser beings was also included naturally. This is known as the true nature of the Noble truths. Ananthapindada (mGonMed zas sByin), a householder offered the Jetavana groves (rGyal Byad tshel). Six years after the enlightenment, the Buddha met his father, King Suddhana. For the following thirteen years, the Buddha teachings prospered, and only the brief version of the Pratimoksha Sutra (mThar pai mDo) was recited.

At the sacred place of Vulture Peak (Bya rGod Phung poi Ri) in Rajgir (rGyal poi Khab), amidst an assembly of Four Groups of Disciples, particularly a huge gathering of Bodhisattvas, the Bhagavan Buddha sat on the Lions throne with the gestures of turning the Dharma Wheel , sat cross-legged and a straightened back,maintaining mindfulness. And then through the three kinds of miracles, he taught the Prajnaparamita Sutra that which was virtuous in the beginning, virtuous in the middle, and virtuous in the end in one hundred thousand verses to those who preferred the prose and elaborate version; the Sutras in twenty-five thousand verses, in eighty one thousand verses, and

[page no.22]

the wisdom in ten thousand verses to those who were inclined to a less elaborate version; and for those who understood by the mere mention of the outlines and preferred a short version, the sutra in eight thousand verses which condensed the entire meanings. To those who preferred verses, the Compendium of the Precious Qualities which condensed the entire meanings of the Hundred Thousand Verses, was taught. This is according to Arya Haribhadra while another version from the Tibetan historian Buton claims that for those who preferred elaborate explanation, the Buddha taught the Prajnaparmita Sutra in Hundred Million Verses and in One Hundred Thousand Verses. When this teaching was given by Lord Buddha, the sons of the gods remarked, O alas, we are witnessing the second turning of the Wheel of Dharma in Zambudvipa; and this is why it is known as the second turning of the Dharma Wheel. As all the causal vehicles are summed up in these teachings, it was pronounced as representative of the path to enlightenment or reaching across to the other side (Paramitas), the path of the great beings. As for the time of this event, in agreement with the assertion of the School of Elders (Sthavira), the Buddha taught these teachings sixteen years following his enlightenment.

In the Unraveling of the Thought Sutra of the Third Turning of the Dharma Wheel, there are teachings in regard to the profound meaning [of the emptiness,] but that too should be classified under the Second Turning of the Dharma Wheel. Even though many Indian and Tibetan scholars have commented on the teachings after the Second turning of the Wheel of Dharma to be Chittramata/ Yogacara (Mind only School) scriptures, it is logically inconsistent. That which is claimed to be the Yogacara scriptures correspond to the third one of the three methods of purification of the Buddha Nature explained in the Irreversible Dharma Wheel Sutra. This [profound] meaning, when the Madyamaka School postulates turning-down all views, is described as because of that (profound meaning) the subject to be tamed by this (Madyamaka School) has to enter into all the vehicles. The implied meaning of this statement should be understood as; for the sake of profound meaning whichever vehicle one might enter into but eventually, at the end one must enter into this (vehicle of Madyamaka School) since it is impossible to attain Buddha without entering into this school. And also, the statement that all sentient beings will attain the Buddhahood, will become baseless if that is not the case of the statement. ???[page no.23]

For the turning of the first and second Wheel of Dharma, some claim that first wheel took seven years and while the second wheel took twenty-seven or thirty-one years, but this assertion is unfounded because such teachings classified as belonging to both the periods were spread right from the beginning of the teachings until Buddhas Mahaparnirvana.

As for the Third Turning of the Dharma Wheel which was on Vajrayana teachings, was scatteredacross various times, and locations such as Oddiyana and other places.. However, all Vajrayana teachings were given in a single time period was at the glorious Kalacakara Mandala of the Rice Mound Temple (Drepung Palden Gyukar gyi Kilkhor).

As for the timing of the Vajrayana teachings, even though it is believed to have occurred during the final years of the Buddha, This is what the King of Bestowing Pith Instruction (gDams Ngag Bogs pai rGyalpo) Sutra says,

The trio of vehicles which bring about liberation,

Has definitively been taught by the Bhagavan,

Yet, what reason for you did not teach the ultimate vehicle,

Which conducts the cause and effects spontaneously,

And does not need to seek the Buddha from other sources?The three vehicles of liberation

Has been taught by the triumphant one

The spontaneous application of cause and effectThat does not require to seek Buddha from withoutWhy did you not teach this ultimate vehicle?In response to this question asked by Manjushri, Lord Buddhareplied,

Having thoroughly turned the Dharma Wheel

Of the Cause to those who opted for the causal teachings,

A shorter way to Buddhahood, the Vajrayana,

Will appear at the time in future.A teaching for those who believed in cause,I have set the excellent wheel in motion;Vajrayana, a route to liberation that is shorterWill appear at a time in the future.Hence, it is incorrect that the Vajrayana teachings took place towards the last days of Buddhas life in this world. During that time, it was not just Kalacakara but also all other tantric esoteric teachings were taught. The Root Kalacakara Tantras states,

Similar to the event of Prajnaparamita Sutra teachings,

At the Vultures Peak by the Buddha,

At the Glorious Rice Mound Pagoda,

The entire teachings of the Secret Mantra were taught.Just as the Buddha at the Vultures Peak (Bya rGod phung po ri)

Taught the Prajnaparamita teachings;At the Glorious Rice Mound, (dPal lden bras spungs)He taught the essence of esoteric tantric teachings.A Commentary of Manjushrinama Sangita (mTshen brJod) authored by the Acharya Nyima Pal Yeshe, skt?? explains this verse as follows:

[page no.24)

Here, at the great Stupa of the Conqueror, the Glorious Rice Mound, as those who desired to hear the various teachings of the Tantras entreated the Bhagavan Buddha Shakyasingha. On the 15th Day of the First Month, emanating the primordial Buddha in the Mandala of the glorious Kalacakara atop the Mandala of the Lord of Enlightened Speech, Lord Buddha conferred the empowerment of the entire Secret Mantra in the various forms, both elaborate and condensed, to the gods and others..

Menlung Guru personally visited Glorious Rice Mound (dPal lden bras spungs), and according to his writings sent to Tibet, the Rice Mound was in the southern region of the Land of Aryas (phags pai yul/ India). During the time of the Buddha Kanakamuni (gSer thub), an ascetic who had supernatural powers brought down a rain of paddyover this place. At this location, the gods including the eight classes built the foundation of the Pagoda while top portion was completed by the humans who had achieved the power of miracles; and the surrounding wall was constructed by the King Vala Maitri during the Buddha Shakyamunis era.

This version is endorsed by the scholar Budol, and is accepted generally.

Furthermore, in the commentary of the writings of Abhaya and Cama/ Tsama by Tengpa Lotsawa Tshulthrim Jungne and Goed (rGwa?) Lotsawa Zhonu Pal, it is narrated as follows. The fully enlightened Buddha Vajradhara (rDo rJe chang), having first taught the entire teachings of the Mahayana in the Akanishtha pure land (Wog-min), intended to reveal the teachings of the Secret Mantra to the sentient beings of the three realms,

[page no.25]

and foresaw that teaching the chiefs of the three realms, Brahma, Shiva and Indra would result in the teachings flourishing in all the realms. In order to achieve this, the Buddha Vajradhara chose to be born as the son of King Sudhodhana, then renounce worldly pleasures, undergo penance, and achieve enlightenment. Following enlightenment, he taught the Shravakayana and Prateyaka Buddhayana (nyen rang gyi thegpa) to those with inferior faculty; the wisdom perfections and the profound Sutras (phar chyin dang mdo sde zabmo) to the beings of mediocre faculties; and for the purpose of fulfillment of those with sharp faculties, he travelled to the southern region of Rice Mound Pagoda. There, for the Great Four Gods and others capable of being proper vessels for receiving the teachings, the Mandala of the Lord of Enlightened Speech was constructed as inseparable in essence with the Mandala of the Vajra Sphere of Reality; and the Great Four Gods, the Shambhala King and his retinue, and others who were fortunate enough were granted the empowerment along with the entire teachings of the Secret Mantra of the Mahayana. The Great Lord Shiva (dBang phyug chenpo), who had eight sons, offered his youngest son, the Great Black one (Nagpo chenpo) as a token of gratitude for granting the empowerment.

The Victorious One (Buddha) empowered the Great Black one and entrusted him with the teachings. Previously a non-Buddhist, he was now pronounced the Buddhist Great Black one who achieved the transcendental realization. After the event of empowerment was over, the Mandala was left open, and whoever saw the Mandala was able to attain liberation. The Great Four Gods were envious of this and they had the divine craftsman Vishakarma to construct a stupa made from a mix of precious jewels and only an opening in the form of a door was left.

[page no.25]

Even after this, anyone who saw it attained liberation. It concealed and known as the Choe-zang Trin-gi Yang-dzong, the Innermost Fortress of the Sublime Dharma Clouds. Even today, if one could circumambulate for seven consecutive days, one can achieve the spiritual attainment. As a symbol of empowerment received by the Great four Gods, at about a hailing distance from this shrine in the four directions, one can see the images of the Great Four Gods - Brahma in the east, Shiva to the south, Krishna/Vishnu? (khyab jug) to the west, and the six-faced Kartika (gZhonu gDong drug) to the north, sculpted by the divine craftsman, Vishwakarma. Even non-Buddhists continue making huge offerings at this site. This region got its name, the Rice Mound during the reign of King Serdog (skt??) because of a Prateyaka Buddha who caused a rain of unhusked rice grains here..

This statement is correct in that it is consistent with the following quotation from the Stainless Light Tantra/Sutra??.(dri med od)

.having turned the Wheel of Dharmaby teaching the three vehicles, on the Full Moon Day of the 12th Month, in Shri Dhanaya Katraka, the Lord of Enlightened Speech Mandala of the Sphere of Reality in its sixteen pairs of characteristic aspects with the Kalacakara Mandala perfectly divided into its sixteen pairs of aspects on its top was perfectly adorned with the primordial Buddha.The Constellation of Stars Mandala (Kalacakara Mandala ?) got its name from its shrine which was square in shape and had six pillars each inthe four directions; and this Mandala was also taught at that time. Among the recipient of this teaching was the master of the ten stages of the Bodhisattvas, Vajrapani (phyag na rdo rje), who was born to the goddess of the sun rays, Vijaya (rnam par rgyal ma) as Chandra Bhadra (zla ba bzang po) in Kalapa city of Shambhala.

[page no.27]

Chandra Bhadra, emanation of Vajrapani, entreated to the Tathagata in order for the entire sentient beings to achieve both the mundane and supramundane spiritual attainments. The Tathagata saw the residents of Shambhala and 960 million other cities located to the north of river Sita, to bearthe perfect fortune; and completely revealed the twelve thousand primordial Buddhas through the supreme Vajra terms of great clarity.

The time when this teaching took place, Lord Buddha was in his seventy-ninth year, and the [Shambala] King had ruled his country for ninety-nine years.

Seven years after the enlightenment, Lord Buddha ascended the Heaven of Thirty-three Gods to perform deeds for His mother, and descended at the Jetavana Grove (gSal lden). At Vaishali (mNyan yod) due to the six non-Buddhist scholars, the Teacher demonstrated great miracles, and finally displayed the deed of entering into the Mahaparinirvana. Annanda failed to request the teacher to live eternally when Buddha repeatedly proclaimed as follows: O Ananda, anything is possible. For those who meditate for a long time relying upon the Four Legs of Miracles, it is possible to live for an eon or even more. Since the Tathagata has meditated with the Four Legs of Miracles for several times if the Tagathata intends, He can remain for an eon or even more. Even when the Lord repeated this thrice, Ananda could not hear anything and he remained silent as his ears were obstructed by the devils.[page no.28]

But the wicked devil supplicated the Lord to pass away and the Lord agreed to attain the Mahaparinirvana after three months. The Lord then blessed the provisions for livelihood and gave up on the means to lengthen his lifespan. Immediately, the earth shook, fiery meteoroids shot down, and burned some regions. Then the Lord proceeded to the Brizis Aloe-tree grove and having indicated the impending Mahaparinirvana through an earthquake, he instructed to engage into the Sutras, observe the Vinaya, and adopt them as the Dharmas if they do not contradict the true nature of reality, and not to adopt if otherwise. Chandra, a blacksmiths son beseeched the Lord to delay the Mahaparinirvana by three months, and the Lord proceeded toward Kushinagar. After converting Ghandharva Pramodya (dri za rab dga) and always-wandering mendicant Prabhadra??? (kun tu rgyu rab bzang) were the last disciples to be convertedwhen in his actual form, the Buddha said, O monks, if you have doubts about the Rare Trio of Supreme Jewels and the Four Noble Truths, please get them clarified now. Then the Lord took off his upper robes and said, O monks, it is extremely difficult to have the audience of the Tathagata, so behold the Tathagata.Please do not say anything for this is the disintegrating nature of all compounded or conditioned phenomena, and the final words of the Tathagata. Having thus said, the Tathagata entered into the meditative absorptions of the four concentrations [of the form realm], the four concentrations of the formless realm successively and in reverse order remaining in equinamity. Consequentlyhe entered into the four concentrations of the form realms and finally went beyond the sufferings of samsara or enteredMahaparinirvana. Immediately after this, the earth shook, meteors came crashing down razing parts of the earth, and the divine music sounded. Mahakashyapa (od sung chenpo) noticed this and knew that the Teacher has passed away, and exhorted the Sangha to rush to see the body of the Tathagata before it degenerated.[page no.29]

The people of Malla dressed the body of the lord in the royal costume of the universal monarch and wished to cremate but the fire would not start. The disciple Aniruddha (ma gags pa) understood that it was because Mahakashyapa has not yet arrived, and as soon as he mentioned this to the others, Kashyapa arrived. Kashyapa opened the coffin, uncovered the cloths and cotton, and made prostrations to the undecayed body of the Tathagata. Then the all-knowing Kaudrinaya, Chunda (sKul Byed), Kashyapa of Ten Powers, and the Mahakashyapa piled more cotton leaves and wrapped the body up with five hundred pairs of cloths, inserted the body inside an iron box, filled it up with oil, and piled up all kinds of aromatic wood upon which the fire started of its own. Following this, Ananda exclaimed,

The Perfect Liberator, who possessed the precious body,

With the power of great miracle, left for the world of purity,

The enlightened body covered with five hundred pairs of cloths,

And wrapped by as many thousands of Dharma robes,

By its own brilliance, the holy remainsSo well-wrapped was thoroughly cremated;But for the two holy robes which did not burn;There was an inner layer and an outer layer.

Of the eight Dre-measures of relics of the omniscient,

Seven were received as the objects of worship byJambudvipa,

One Dre-measure of relics of the Supreme Being,

Was received for worship by the Naga King of the city of Dra-drog,( skt??)Of the four canine teeth relics of the Supreme Being,

The first one was received by the Heaven of Thirty Gods,

The second went to Yid-wong,(skt???) city of the Tshig-dzin,( skt???)The third one went to the kingdom of the King Kaling,

And the fourth canine tooth of the Supreme Being,

Became the object of worship by the Naga King of the city of Dra-drog.

[page no.30]

Also as explained in detail (From the Great Treasury of Detailed Exposition?),At the place of the turning of Dharma Wheel, and Vaishali,

The white earth place, abode of the gods,

Jipa-sod (skt??) and Kaushambi,

Drog and the Chorten Ri,

The city of bamboos, and Drar-ce,

And at the city of Kapilavastu,

In all these places, the Able One

Of Supreme Rebirth, dwelled a year each.

Twenty-three years at Koshala,

Four years at the forest of medicines,

Two years at the Burning Cave,

Five years at the city of Rajgir,

Six years of hardship and asceticism,

Twenty-nine years in the palace of Kapilavastu,

Thus, at the age of eighty,the ConquerorThe Supreme Holy Master entered Mahaparinirvana.

According to the Indian version the account of the Mahaparinirvana, it is stated to have taken place on the midnight of the full moon day of the Vishakha Month, the Fourth Month in spring.2) Mentioning a just a little of all who dearly cherished His Teachings (?)Thirdly, to mention just a little of all who dearly cherished the Teachings of Buddha, we will look at how the compiler put together the collection, the successive trustees of the teachings, and how Mahayana flourished and spread, thus explaining it in three parts.

a) The Manner of Collection by the Compilers of the Buddhas Teachings

Firstly, a little before the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, Shariputra along with a retinue of 80,000 Arhats and Maudgalyaputra along with a retinue of 70,000 Arhats passed into Nirvana. This was followed by the Buddhas Mahaparinirvana along with 81,000 Arhats, and many others who passed away. In order to prevent any derision from the gods who were capable of living for eons that the Buddhas teachings looked as if reduced to a mere smoke since the monks empowered to pass on the teachings of the Buddha have passed away, and Tripitaka teachings will no longer be heard, Mahakashyapa asked the Arhat Purna (Gang po) to gather the Sangha.

b) [page no.31]

Arhat Purna engaged in the final meditative concentrationand rang the bell, except for the Arhat Gavampati (ba lang bdag), all the monks gathered. So he went to call him but as he came to know that the Buddha has passed away, he too passed away into Nirvana.

Then Mahakashyapa (od srungs chen po) addressed the gathering,

O venerable monks, please listen,

Just like he (Gavampati) passed away as the exalted one (Buddha),

Rest of you should not pass into the ultimate cessation,

Instead perform the needful activities as you can,

The intelligent ones (empowered) shall assemble and proceed .

Like the great Gavampati, the supreme being,

Who had already become the object of virtuous activity,

You shall not contemplate in similar ways to him,

And forall the sentient beings, let us confer.Thus, having established this as a code of conduct/ rule, Mahakashyapa said, If we discuss the mode of Dharma here, overcrowding will distract the monks. So, let us go to Magadha. Avertingthe other monks, he appointed Ananda (kun dga bo) as the water-steward who guided the Sangha through the country side. Mahakashyapa went directly to Rajgir where King Ajatashatru (ma skyes dgra?) saw him and fainted and fell off from the back of an elephant as he was reminded of the Teacher (Buddha?). Mahakashyapa saved him and asked the king not to repeat it in future; and said, We wish to conduct the convention on the Dharma here in this heavenly land To this, the King replied, That is very noble, and I will provide the entire provisions. Their sustenance being sponsored by the King, they convened at the cave of Nayagrodha and took up the vows to conduct the summer retreat there. Knowing that Ananda could be disciplined through harsh criticism, Mahakashyapa pointed out his faults, and expelled him from the gathering.

[page no.32]

Ananda left for the city of Briji where he expounded the Teachings assisted by a son of Briji. This boy, gauging his teachers mind, said,

Gautama, carefully avoiding waste of timeReliant on a dense forest tree attained Buddhahood;If you keep that in mind and be in meditation,

It will not be long before you achieve cessation.

Because of this suggestion from the Son of Briji, just within one session of meditation from morning till evening, he was able to purify the mental obscurations. Over the midnight session, he washed his legs outside the Vihara and returned inside where as he laid down on his right ribs, and before his head could touch the pillow, he attained Arhathood. Then he returned to the Cave of Nayagrodha.

For the sake of forgetful monks of the future, Mahakashyapa discussed about verses in the morning session and prose in the evening. The collection of the Sutra section was discussed first and Mahakashyapa asked if Ananda was interested. He was then assigned the collector of Sutras section using the procedure of twice repeating the activity. Nine-hundred and ninety-nine Arhats spread their Nam-jar robes over the lions-throne , sat Ananda on it, and thus entreated Mahakashyapa:,

O Venerable (Annanda) please teach us

Whatever those supreme teachings were

Taught by the Conqueror,

The Teacher who cared for the benefit of the world!

Annanda, then recollected the enlightened qualities of the Teacher, faced toward Vajrasana, folded his palms together, and spoke in an all pervasive voice just as it is mentioned in the Pith Instruction of the Perfection Condensation of the Dharma,:[page no.33]

Thus have I heard once upon a time, the Lord Bhagavan lived in the Deer Park forest of Varanasi. There the Lord Bhagavan taught in these words to the five monks. O monks, the Dharma that you have not heard is the exalted truth of suffering and so forth as they were being consolidated into the cannon of teachings. The all-knowing Kaudrinya exclaimed, We have directly perceived or heard this aspect of the Dharma, and it has dried up the ocean of my blood and tears, crossed the mountain of my bones, closed the door of the unfortunate migration, opened the door of the emancipation, and as this was explained to us, I and 80,000 gods obtained the Dharma eyes. This iswhat I heard today. Having explained this, he said, Alas, all of them have no difference in being impermanent, and got down from his seat. Likewise, all the others got down from their seats and said, As we all saw the Teacher actually granting us these teachings, yet owing to the power of impermanence, even the Lord Bhagavan has become a story now.

Then the Arhats using their clairvoyance sought confirmation, Ananda, is that the transmission [you received from the Buddha]? Ananda replied, Yes, that is the transmission I received. Is this the transmission that you received? The other Arhats confirmed, Yes, that is it. Mahakashyapa then summarized this as the first Sutra, and recognized this to be Dharma as no one disputed it, and asked Ananda where the Second Sutra was taught. Ananda answered thus: If asked what is the exalted truth of suffering, it is the suffering of birth and so forth.

[page no.34]

When asked where the Third Sutra was taught, Ananda replied in these words, O monks, ones form is not the self and recited so forth. Then the Arhats numbering one short of five hundred, with Anandas recitation as the root text, collected the Teachings in various sections. Those which contained the teachings about (psycho-physical) aggregates were put under the aggregates section; those that related to sensory-spheres under the sesory-sphere section; teachings which discussed the law of interdependent origination and the realization of the exalted truth were classified as belonging to declarations/ main topics of discussion/ background narratives; those that contained more about the listeners, as the teachings for the Shravakas; those which stated more about the Buddhas, as the teachings of the Buddha; those which stated about enlightenment as the section on the Path; those which contained extensive narrations under the section of extensive narratives; those which were taught in verses under the section of perfect names; those which contained long transmissions under the section of lengthy transmissions; those which contained moderate length of transmissions under the medium section; and for those which were in single verses as the section emanating from one transmission.

Then the Mahakashyapa enquired, Have we acquired the transmission? Since we have acquired it, there is nothing more than this. Having said this, he got down from the throne and sat on the ground. Then the Arhat Upali (nye bar khor) was encouraged through the formal system of asking twice and was appointed as the collector of the teachings related to Vinaya-discipline. Having placed Upali on the throne, he was asked, Where did the Lord Bhagavan enact the First Precept? He replied, At Varanasi. Upon being asked for whose purpose , he answered that it was for the Five Disciples, when the Lord ordered them to put on the lower-robes in a circular way, and so forth. Then the Arhats using their clairvoyance sought confirmation, and recognized this to be Dharma as no one disputed it, and asked Upali where the second precept was enacted. Upali answered, It took place in Varanasi when the Lord commanded the Five Disciples to put on the Dharma-robes in a coiled way. When askedabout the third precept, he replied, It began at the village of Kalandraka when the Lord pointed out sexual misconduct as one of the defeating acts to Sudinna (bzang sbyin) , followed by the inclusion of [page no.35]

defeating acts, remainders, the indefinite, downfalls to be abandoned, transgressions, confessions, various vows, pacifying conflicts, subsequent precepts, renunciation, ordination, absolution, retreat rules, subtle precepts, discourse, to until the Buddha said, Faith should be like this. Thus, having put together the Vinaya (dul ba) section, Upali got down from the throne.

Then, Mahakashyapa said, I shall put together the so-called Mamo-teachings on my own. And having fulfilled the proceedings of asking twice, he said, Mamo is the kind that thoroughly clarifies the characteristics of the knowable phenomena. Thus, it was carried out through the four mindful establishments, and following the proceedings similar to the earlier collections. The Gods exclaimed, The collection of the Buddha Dharma into the three baskets of teachings by the five hundred Arhats has caused the prosperity of the gods and subdued the anti-gods. Thus, the collection came to known as the The Complete Collection by the Five Hundred Arhats.

Mahakashyapa composed the following as the convention concluded:.

Ah, the speech of the one endowed with the ten powers is boundless

This is a collection of the Teachings for the benefit of sentient beings

Where bad intelligence can create darkness in the world and waste

This is the wisdom that will clear the blurred vision, the perfect light

As for the Mahayana teachings, on the mountain of Vimalasvabhava in Rajgir, along with the assembly of one million Boddhisattvas, the Samantabhadra, Manjushri, Vajrapanithe lord of secrets, Maitreya and others collected the Mahayana teachings. The Mantra teachings were mainly collected by the Vajrapani. This event was known as the First Buddhist Council and this was the only convention which collected the scattered teachings of the Buddha.

[page no.36]

Eighty years/Hundred and ten years (?) after the demise of the Teacher, the monks of Vaishali (yangs pa chan) introduced the following ten transgressions:Exclamations of alas, celebrating Arhats, and deliberate practice of agriculture;

Sipping cure from a pot of ale, misuse of sacred salt, and eating on the road;

Offerings with two fingers, stirred curd and milk beverage, and using a new mat;

And begging for gold or silver perfectly summarize the middle vows.

Following this, Elder Kirti (gnas brtan grags pa) convened 700 disciples of Ananda such as Thams cad dod/Sarva Abhinandati?? who were all Arhats. Starting with the senior ones and addressed these fundaments to the gathering . Without mentioning the names of monks who spread them, he scolded severely O venerable monks, do you think these transgressionsof Ah La La and so forth are appropriate? We must discard them, and deliberated on them elaborately. He then came out and rang the bell to assemble the monks of Vaishali. At this gathering, in the order of the elder ones first, he addressed them as the Monks of Vaishali, and deliberated on the ten transgressions in detail. As the gathering declared in unison, We will abandon these transgressions, this event was known as the Perfect Declaration of the Seven Hundred Arhats. Though this event was known as the Second Collection of the Buddhas Teachings (second Buddhist council), it was only about clearing the transgression of some precepts.

After the demise of the King Dharma Ashoka, in order to correct those who were carried away with the ordinary, corrupted and moderate words of the scriptures, the Arhats gradually compiled the different texts into ones such as the Sutra of Compilation in the Vast/ Extensive Language.Such things kept on occurring until the appearance of the eighteen different schools.

[page no.37]

Then followed the disputes over whether the eighteen schools were the Buddhas teachings or not and this kept the Sangha divided and fighting against each other for sixty-three years. In order to pacify the disputes, with King Kanishka as the patron, five hundred Arhats including Purnika, five hundred Bodhisattvas including Basumitra, and 61,000 ordinary scholars orPanditas convened and established the eighteen schools as the teachings of the Buddha for the reason that each of those schools taught moral disciplines and observed the Vinaya, taught the special mind (higher thoughts?) and engaged into the Sutras, taught the special wisdom concordant to Nirvana that does not contradict the true nature of Dharma; for the reason that all of their views were sealed by the three seals such as all phenomena are selfless and so forth; for the reason that they are ultimately rooted in the Buddhadharma; for the reason that all of them were classified by Arhats; and they have occurred through the blessings of the Buddha. Also from the Narration of King Titis Dream Sutra: O! Great King, seeing eighteen people pulling apart the cloth in your dream, indicates that Shakya Munis Dharma will be split into eighteen aspects and these liberated pieces of cloth will not be divided. Thus the prophecy has been achieved.The Sarvastivada(Existence of Everything/ thams cad yod par smra ba) School got its name for its acceptance of the trio of aggregates, sensory spheres and elements and the three times of past, present and future as existing with substantial entity. Named in Sanskrit, it is said to be the foundation of all the successive schools that emerged. Through the preceptor Rahulabhadra??? (sgra gcan dzin bzang po), who hailed from a royal caste and famed for his veneration/observation of the precepts, emerged the school of the elders whose emblems were Utpala flower, jewel, and tree leaf[page no.38]

worn on their 9th to 25th layer of the Namjar robes.??(worn on the 25th to 29th patches of Namjar robes)The Mahasanghikas School (Phal chen pa/Majority of the Sangha Group) got its name as their group had the majority of monks from amongst the divided Sangha. The preceptor of this group was Mahakashyapa who hailed from the Brahmin caste and was famed for the [twelve] ascetic practices (the most excellent Mahakasyapa, a Brahmin by birth, well-trained and practicing the virtues). Their medium was the locally spoken language. Their conch emblem was bored one their 7th to 25th layer of Namthren-robes.??? (the conch was their emblem placed in between the 25th to 7th layers/ patches? Of namthren robes)??The Mahasammitaya School (Mang bkur ba/the School Respected by the Multitudes) got its name as it taught according to the tradition revered by the common citizens. The preceptor was Upali (nye bar khor?) who hailed from the ordinary caste and upheld the Vinaya principles. Their medium of instruction was a corrupted offshoot of Sanskrit called Ava Bhramsha. The emblem of this school was a Sotsika,skt??? flower on their 5th to 21st layer (?) of the Namjar-robes.

The Sthavira School (gnas brtan pa/the School of the Elders) got its name as they claimed to belong to the group who were all exalted elders. Katayana was the preceptor who hailed from the warrior caste supremely famed for taming the rural subjects (The learned aristocrat and most excellent conqueror of the uncivilized/ primitive called Katayana was their preceptor). They spoke the language in between Sanskrit and ordinary tongue (they used an intermediary language linking Sanskrit and the local?). Their emblem was known to be similar to that of the Mahasammitaya School.

Thus, the eighteen schools advocated major differences in views as described in the following quote: Totally because of the differences in the views,

All of these schools got divided,

But none of them have a different teacher [other than Buddha].(Different and unique viewsCaused them to be distinctThere is no different TeacherThe Arhat Dul-lha states,

The eastern, western, and Kashmiri,

The proponents of transcendental world,

And the proponents of permanence (?)imputations,

are five Sangha groups of Mahasanghika.

The Purvashailas and Uttarashailas;

The Haimavatas and Lokottaravadins;

And those called Prajnaptivadins; all belonged to the Mulasarvastivada.

The Mahaviharavadins; the Jetavaniyas;

And the Abhaya girivadins are Sthavira.[page no.39]

The Kauru kullikas, the Aavantakas;

And the Vatsiputriyas are the Sammitaya.

All of them owing to the three-fold factors

Of particular places, views, and teachers,

Became eighteen different schools.

According to Lodre Khenpos,skt?? assertion, there are six sub-schools within the Mahasanghika school, four within the Mulasaravstivada, five within the Sammitaya, and three sub-schools within the Sthavira School.

Hence, it would be a totally confused assertion if anyone explains the third council outside than these narratives. ????/ Hence, the explanation of the Third Council using any other classification would be utter digression. (?)According to the Minor Precepts of the Vinaya scripture, Also, as for the third council, King Kanishka was presaged to appear four hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana, and it was during the reign of this king that the Third Council took place. Hence, the third council might have taken place around 500 years after the Mahaparinirvana. This is the reason why the Fortunate Era Sutra states that the sublime Dharma will exist for 500 years in its original form and another 500 years in the Dharma-like form. Thus the existence of the Dharma for 1000 years was based on this notion. The Dharma existed without divisions for 500 years after the Mahaparinirvana, and doubts and uncertainties crept in as it was explained in different forms, proclaiming as the command of the Buddha, any teachings that served the common interest and objectives of the proponents. How the reality of the baskets of teachings of the Shravakas was in the time of Vasubhandu could be even deduced from his writings such as this line, Because the foundation of the sublime council was corrupted.From the Stainless Light Sutra, it is stated the collectors wrote down the teachings of the three vehicles in black and white and it can be assumed that the collected teachings were documented in writing even during the First Council/ Convention (?). Yet with time mistakes crept in, and it was realized that references to the documents of the First Council could not be reliable. Due to shortcomings in reciting out of memory and not documenting in writing, the Third Council was recorded in writing.

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c) How Mahayana flourished and spread

There are two explanations of how the Mahayana flourished: 1) a causal explanation of how it flourished, and 2) a resultant explanation of how it flourished.

1) Causal Mahayana

Of the two Great founding chariots of the Mahayana tradition, the first one is prophesized in the Lankavatara Sutra:

In the Land of the Palms of the Southern region,,An illustrious monk of great renown,Known by the name of 'Naga'(klu)Will destroy the positions of existence and non-existence,And proclaim my spiritual approach to the worldAs the unsurpassed Great Vehicle.He will attain the ground of extreme joy,And depart to the Land of Bliss (bde ba chan).

Also, the Root Tantra of Manjushri (jam dpal rtsa-rgyud) prophesied:After I, the Tathagatas parinirvana,

When four hundred years have passed,

A monk known as Naga will appear.

To the Dharma, he will be devoted and beneficial.

Having achieved the ground of extreme joy,

He will live for six hundred odd years.

The knowledge of rma bya chen mo (Mahamayuri?)

This great being will even achieve this;

The meanings of various treatises, and,

The emptiness of objects, he will understand.

After giving up his body,

He will be reborn in the Sukhavati (bde ba chan).

And thereafter gradually Buddhahood,

Surely and that alone most appropriately will be his.p.49In these verses, the one that is prophesized as the champion of the tradition of Middle View School (Madhyamaka/ dbu ma) that is profound and free from extremes, is Nagarjuna (klu sgrub). Four hundred years after the Teachers demise, in the southern region of Bedarbha, there was a very powerful man of high Brahmin caste, whose wealth was even comparable to that of a king, but he lacked an heir. He was instructed by a deity in his dream that he make feast offerings to 100 Brahmins which he followed. In ten months time, a healthy baby boy was born. The child was named Nagarjuna (klu sgrub) as this name was heard reverberating from the sky. When the child was shown to an astrologer, it was predicted that although the child bore noble marks, yet the child would die after seven days. On asking the astrologer if there is a way to save the child, the astrologer said, If feast offerings are made to 100 Brahmins, the child would live for seven months; if feast offerings are made to 100 monks, the child would live for seven years, but there is no way to save the child beyond that. When the childs seventh year approached, the parents thinking that they would not be able to bear the sons impending death, dispatched the child along with anh entourage to a distant place. Eventually they reached at the door of abbot Rahulabhadra (sgra chan dzin), at Nalandra University, where he recited the Vedic verses. He was summoned in by the abbot and upon the abbots inquiry, he narrated his whole story.Can you become an ordained monk? asked the abbot. Yes, I can, the boy replied and after that he received the (novice) ordination. Goddess Mahamayuri was bestowed on him as his Yidam deity and as he recited the long-life dharani (gzungs) and relied upon the holy globules of the seven-time Brahmin, he obtained the blessings of immortality and thereafter he lived for 600 years. He received full ordination from the same abbot. He was cared for/ accepted as a disciple by Arya Manjushri (phags pa jam dpal dbyangs) , he became proficient in every field of knowledge. p.50Then, his preceptor wishing to enter into a twelve year retreat, the treasury of the Sangha was entrusted to him. At this time, as a consequence of failing to provide adequate sustenance to Shri Birvapa, the entire region suffered terrible famine. This disaster claimed many lives yet the Sanghas of Nalanda were spared as Nagarjuna, with his expertise in alchemy, produced lots of gold which were then sold to buy provisions for the monastery. Finally, the retreat of his abbot was over and seeing many rotten dead bodies, the abbot inquired what disaster has struck them. When he narrated the story, the abbot asked: What about my Sangha? are they alright? When Nagarjuna explained how they have been saved, the Abbot responded, You shouldnt have done like that. I had this kind of solution. You could have extracted inexhaustible quantity of milk by milking the cow painted on the wall. You have sustained the Sangha through perverted means and hence you must purify your sins by constructing 108 temples and 10 million stupas. Thus he was commanded.Many claim that Nagarjuna was then stripped off his title Acharya. However, this claim is untenable as it contradicts the fact that soon after the Abbot (Rahulabhadra) was succeeded by the adept ascetic Saraha. Saraha entrusted Nalanda to the Acharya (Nagarjuna), who protected the teaching for a very long time.Around that time, Acharya (Nagarjuna) subdued Gelong Dejed, who composed a 1200,000 versed text called Ornament of Awareness (rig-pai rgyan) criticizing both Buddhist and non-Buddhist views. He constructed 108 temples and entrusted them to 108 dharma protectors. Once while teaching, the Acharya had a vision of two boys and as he kept his eyes on them to find out where they went, he saw them enter into the ground. When the Acharya inquired, they said, We are Nagas. Then bring me the clay of the Nagas, the Acharya commanded. The two Nagas promised to bring it; and they appraised this matter to the Naga King, Jogpo. The Naga King then invited Nagarjuna as a physician to cure him from an illness. p.51The Acharya foreseeing a very special purpose, departed for the land of Nagas. There after healing the Naga King Jogpo from illness, he was offered the volumes of Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom/ shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa) sutras as a gift of gratitude. When the Acharya was asked to return in future, he accepted the offer but he said that it will be after completing the construction of 10 million stupas. As a collateral for the Acharyas return, the Nagas retained the last section of the Prajnaparamita in 100,000 verses.On his return, using the clay of the nagas, the Acharya constructed almost all the 10 million stupas but he left [some of clay soil] intently so that nagas would be spared from spells. He even constructed walls embossed with crossed Vajras around the Vajrasana (rdo rje ldan, the place of Buddhas enlightenment). The Sawambhunath (phags pa shing kun) stupa of Nepal is considered one of the 10 million stupas said to have been constructed by the Acharya. The people of Nepal even claim that the Acharya departed to the world of Nagas from there.As a matter of fact, the Acharya first established the cause that leads to obtaining the gnosis of the Tathagata by generating, for the first time, the Boddhicitta which is a great compassion ornamented with the gnosis of non-duality. Finally, he achieved the faultless realization of the prajnaparamita, and became accomplished in all that can be overcome through the mastery of the five sciences. . According to the Sutra Tradition, in his very life time, Nagarjuna obtained the Eighth Ground.In particular, the perfection of wisdom which is like a golden ball hidden in the darkness, was revealed so clearly in his Collection of Stories, Collection on Reasoning, Collection of Praises and Collections on Reality. Acharya Nagajuna entrusted the institution of Nalanda to his best disciple, Sakyamitra (shakya bshes gnyen), and left for the Glorious Mountain (dpal gyi ri). There he took in Arya Deva and others as his disciples.p.52During his final years, the son of the King King Udayibhadra (bde spyod bzang po) called Zhonu Nueden, was given a seamless outfit by his mother, to which the prince exclaimed, Oh I would need that when I rule the kingdom. But the mother replied, There will be no time for you to rule the kingdom. Your father and Acharya Nagarjuna practiced the longevity sadhana, and extracted the elixir of immortality together and hence their life forces are one.The prince then went to see Nagarjuna and begged the Acharya to grant his head. The Acharya granted it to him saying, Yes, you can cut off my head. But the sword would not cut the Acharyas throat. At this, the Acharya said, I have the karmic consequence of cutting kusa grass and thereby causing death to a living being, so use it to slit my throat. When the Acharya was beheaded, the head spoke thus:I will go the pure land of Sukhavati and come back into this body again.The prince carried the Acharyas head with him but it was snatched away by a female Yaksha (gnod sbyin mo) and it was thrown away to distance of one league. It is said that both the head and the body of the Acharya would not decay but would keep getting closer to each other with every passing year, and finally, he will start serving the Teaching and sentient beings once his body and head joins together. Progressively, he will become a Buddha known as Tathagata Yeshe Jungne Od (de-bzhin gshegs-pa ye-she byung-gnas od), in the Buddha field called Extreme Brilliance (rab-tu dang-bai od).Sakyamitra protected the teaching for a very long time. He entrusted the teaching to his most outstanding student called Devakara. Devakara, who also met Nagarjuna and became learned in all sciences was entrusted with the teaching by these two masters. Abhaya recalls that when Devakara was studying and teaching at Nalanda, he defeated many heretic scholars in debates, and everyone hailed him as the Victorious One (rgyal wa).p.53Devakara having attained some common magical powers, knew how to pitch a canopy in midair without using any support, and possessed the power to invalidate the arguments of the heretic scholars just by tossing a damaru into the air. This feat made him arrogant and violated his Gurus command. He handed over the charge of Nalanda to Zagzed De and he departed for ascetic practice. On the way, he begged for some fruits at an orchard that belonged to a mother and her daughter, who were heretic yoginis. The daughter said, You seem to be a powerful yogi, so you should bring down the fruits, and I shall offer them to you. The Master with his Samadhi/ meditative concentration and gaze, brought down the fruits on the ground. But the girl put the fruits back on the tree with her gaze; and her mother exclaimed, Do not be like that. Pluck the fruits and offer them to the yogi. The master was embarrassed and he said, Now, I dont want them. The girl said, You are so arrogant. I shall kill you within three days by applying my tantric spell. Guard yourself as powerfully as you can. The master was alarmed and remained in Samadhi but nothing happened even after three days. Thinking that she was unsuccessful, as he stood up to resume on his way to assuming ascetic practice, blood oozed out like seminal fluid and he was taken ill. When his disciples inquired for a cure, he said that ocean or sea-water foams could cure him. One of his students, who had accomplished the power of walking at supernatural speed, fetched the ocean-foam. When this student was on his way back, the girl knew that if the master gets to consume it, he will recover and understood that her life would be at risk after that. She went to see the two disciples on their way and asked them where they were going, to which they told her the entire story. She said, Both of you are so faithful and devoted to the master. But what is the use of it when it is already three days since your master passed away. Then they threw away the foam and returned. p.54Upon their arrival, the master inquired if they brought the cure. The students narrated the incident. Then the master instructed, As a consequence of violating the Gurus command, I will die now, but come back in seven days to this body by the means of phowa-drong-jug (spiritual transferring of consciousness from one body to another) after apologising to the Guru. So protect this body until then. The heretic yogini understood it to be harmful for her if the master were to return through drong-jug. So, she spread the news of the presence of a dead body in the middle of the city during the day, and at night she transformed herself to a wolf and ran through the city scratching every door. This frightened the city and the Ratsa (Raja, a local king?) ordered his guards to search for the body and eventually they found the masters dead body. Even though the disciples appealed that their master will return through the means of drong-jug, and that his body be spared until then,they did not pay any heed. The body was transported to the cemetery where wolves devoured it. Seven days after this, at the place where the body was initially, there appeared a circle of rainbow and as it found no place to enter into, a sound, like that of a flute was heard saying, Due to the obstruction by the heretic yogini, I could not achieve the supreme attainment. In future generation, I will be reborn at Dra Jelar of Magadha and achieve the supreme attainment. Having said this, the rainbow disappeared. This masters later emanation was Maitrepa. This Barwai Tsowo, or the Protector of Possessor of Ascetic Conducts, or the Jayadeva/ the Victorious One, served as the preceptor of the Great Elder Palden Chokyong and Shantideva. The Arya Acharya (Nagarjuna) didnt die as he accomplished the Extraction of Life Essence, but Sakyamaitri passed away.Arya DevaIn the garden of the King of Singala, there was a lake filled with lotuses that opened during the day and closed their petals during the night. But one lotus never opened its bud and the gardener apprised the king. The king instructed the gardener to take extra care and to observe it every day. p.55When it was seven days old, the lotus bud opened and there was an extremely beautiful child, about eight years old, fresh and covered with drew drops. Seeing it as improper to touch it with the bare hands that came out of a womb, the child was picked up wrapped in a pantsali-linen. On the way to the palace, the child asked where Arya Nagarjuna was living.They answered that he is still living in this world but not in this country. He was adopted by the king as his son and was protected for a very long time and became very famous. After persistent persuasion, his parents allowed him to receive monastic ordination from Nagarjuna. He traveled to Shriparvata (dpal-gyi ri - glorious mountain) and became an ordained monk. He worshipped the Lord of Speech, Manjushri, and as a result, became an erudite scholar of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophies. At this time, in southern India, a boy called Mati Citra was born to a Brahmin named Varya Mavyitakraya. The boy listened to whatever his mother said even when he was very young. As he served his mother like a slave, he was called Ma-khol (mothers slave). He learned the entire system of pacifying heretics (mu-stegs zhi-bai lugs). He traveled to the western region of India, where he planted himself in front of a statue of the great Shiva (dbang chugs chen po) and resolved not to rise until Shiva bestowed him the boon that would enable him to defeat every debater. He laid down in a pond by the statue, and recited the Maha Shivas mantra for seven days. On the morning of the eighth day, he saw Shivas face, and he was asked, What is the boon that you seek? I seek the boon to be all-victorious in debates, he replied. I will bless you so that no person born from a womb could defeat you, but it will be extremely difficult for you to defeat someone who is spontaneously born, said the Shiva. p.56Then Shiva invoked Brahma beside him and commanded, When he debates, you manifest as a parrot pundit and assist him. He then invoked Krishna and commanded, When he debates, you manifest as a drawing chalk/ alabaster pundit and help him; and invoked Umadevi and commanded, When he debates, you manifest as his sister pundit and assist him.Similarly, I shall enter his body and make him win the debates. Thus, Shiva agreed to support him.Following this, with the exception of those in the southern and eastern regions who followed his non-violent heretic tradition, he defeated all his Buddhist and non-Buddhist opponents and converted them to his tradition. He went to see his mother who was a Buddhist and saw her making a mandala offering to the goddess Tara. He asked his mother, Where are the rest who practice like this? Thinking that the pundits who lived in Maghada would be able to tame her son, she said, Buddhists in the east and west of India are just about the numbers of hairs on a white horses mane, but in the central land and other regions, they are about the number of hairs on a horses body.He then said to himself, I must defeat them;and stopped to wash his feet halfway and headed toward the direction of Nalanda. When he reached a crossroad nearby Nalanda, he saw a girl eating fruit under a tree, and asked her for the way to Nalanda. She said, You, stupid and uncivilized who do not know the human language, it is called Nalanda, and showed him the way. At this, he felt his body hair rise. That girl was an emanation of the goddess Tara. He followed the directions and arrived at the glorious Nalanda known as Gyunter (continuously giving) in Tibetan. There were 14 huge temples with 84 courtyards, adorned with numerous highly blessed objects and shrines of veneration, five hundred pundits/ scholars, and several birwa (birb)? Who lived there, but none could dare debate with him. (surrounded by many Bilwa-fruit trees). p.57He went each day and hit pundits on their heads with his cane and asked, Oh monks, where did these heads come from? He straddled a threshold and asked, Will I go inside or outside? Trapping little birds in his palms, he asked, Will it die or not? But no one dared answer him.The monks disc