I love this story so very very much I asked my daughter to translate it from my Dhammapada book, Thai version. And I would like to dedicate this story to Tep, Sirikanya Sastri and my mother who love Ari-Metteyya Buddha so much
***************** Ajita: The Next Buddha Ari Metteyya
[Translated from Thai Dhammapada, Thai version by Dr. Sirikanya Sastri]
During the time of Buddha Gotama, the Bodhisatta who is to be the next Buddha,
Ajita lived. According to the commentary on the Anagatavamsa, Ajita was the son
of King Ajatasattu and Queen Kancanadevi. Prince Ajita had five hundred
attendants. When he reached the age of sixteen, the king asked his son to
inherit the Buddha's heritage. The Prince agreed, so the king took him to the
Veluvana Monastery in great luxury and splendour along with his five hundred
attendants.
Although Prince Ajita was ordained as a novice, he was respected because of his
serenity, calmness, and wisdom. Later, he was ordained as a bhikkhu. The Buddha
took him when he went from Rajagaha to Kapilavatthu to reside in the
Nicrodharama Monastery.
While they were residing at that monastery, Maha-Pajapati-Gotami came one day
with two special cloths to be presented to the Buddha for use as robes. She had
planted the cotton seeds herself and hand-crafted the robes with no assistance.
The account of the gift of the cloths is found in the Majjhima-nikaya.
There, the Buddha refused three times to accept the robes offered by
Maha-Pajapati-Gotami and suggested that she offer them to the Sangha with the
Buddha at its head. Ven. Ananda approached the Buddha, suggesting he should
accept the cloths. The Buddha then gave the discourse on the analysis of
offerings.
The Buddha accepted one robe for himself and instructed his step-mother to offer
the second one to the Sangha. But not one of the eighty leading disciples came
forward to accept that robe. Eventually, Bhikkhu Ajita thought to himself that the
Buddha had told his step-mother to give the robe to the Sangha for her benefit.
So, he bravely got up, in the midst of the Sangha and accepted the robe. There
was some disappointment and much talk about how an unknown bhikkhu could accept
the robe when none of the leading disciples had accepted them.
In order to dispel any doubts, the Buddha said, "Do not say this bhikkhu is an
ordinary bhikkhu. He is a Bodhisatta who will be the coming Buddha Metteyya."
Then the Buddha took the bowl that had been given to him shortly after his
Awakening by the world's four Guardian Devas and threw it into the air. None of
the eighty leading disciples could retrieve it, but Bhikkhu Ajita understood that
the Buddha intended for him to show his supernatural powers, so he retrieved the
bowl. Then Bhikkhu Ajita took the cloth he had accepted and put it in the Buddha's
Perfumed Chamber as a canopy under the ceiling. He aspired to have this act of
generosity result in a canopy made of seven gems, gold, silver, coral, and
pearls measuring twelve leagues for when he became a Buddha. The Buddha smiled
after this and Ven. Ananda asked why he had smiled. The Buddha replied, "Ananda,
the bhikkhu Ajita will become the Buddha Ari Metteyya in this Auspicious Aeon."
----------------------
There is a description of Metteyya in the Tusita world. He is said to go to the
Culamani shrine in the Tavatimsa Deva world to pay respects to the hair cut off
by the Bodhisatta Siddhattha when he made the great renunciation and to relics
brought there by the Deva king Sakka after the death of Buddha Gotama. The
Bodhisatta Metteyya is described as being surrounded by a host of Devas and
Devis. Four Devi maidens in particular are described as having beautiful
complexion, halos, ornaments and clothes, one of a shining colour, one red, one
dark gold, and the fourth,golden.
************* Love Buddha's dhamma,
yawares/sirikanya
Last edited by yawares on Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
(By the way, I have met and heard about so many people who are claiming to be the next Buddha Metteyya that they will probably have to melt into one person in the future, otherwise it will be a split-personality Buddha!)
I love Traibhumikatha ไตรภูมิคาถาVIDEO very much...so you know how Thai people think what devas/devis/superdevas(Brahma-devas) look like....this cartoon video clip is so cute, I truly enjoy it.
Yes, I know quite a few Thai people and so I am aware of their cultural background and what they grew up with in their home (what sort of beliefs and traditions).
There is a very good blog article about this, Burmese Folk Buddhism is pretty much like Thai Folk Buddhism:
gavesako wrote:Yes, I know quite a few Thai people and so I am aware of their cultural background and what they grew up with in their home (what sort of beliefs and traditions).
There is a very good blog article about this, Burmese Folk Buddhism is pretty much like Thai Folk Buddhism:
People who are saddha-carita (faith temperament) simply love such stories, and Mickey Mouse is a bit like that too
Dear Bhikkhu Gavesako,
Tep/I have a dear Burmese friend Dr.Han Tun,MD(used to work as a doctor for WHO,World Health Organization). He and Tep run SD Group/JTN Group, he's so good with Pali and he loves sutta/dhammapada/jataka just like me. I'll post this article you gave me @ JTN, many Burmese members will love to read...not SD Group, Tep likes Sutta/Abidhamma discussion(too much for Mickey Mouse.).
The Burmese article made me smile/with respect
yawares
gavesako wrote:
(By the way, I have met and heard about so many people who are claiming to be the next Buddha Metteyya that they will probably have to melt into one person in the future, otherwise it will be a split-personality Buddha!)
According to the suttas ( or perhaps the Commenteries), the bodhisatta who will be Metteya is in the Tushita heaven. So it is improbable that anyone walking around would be him today..Is my understanding correct?
gavesako wrote:
(By the way, I have met and heard about so many people who are claiming to be the next Buddha Metteyya that they will probably have to melt into one person in the future, otherwise it will be a split-personality Buddha!)
According to the suttas ( or perhaps the Commenteries), the bodhisatta who will be Metteya is in the Tushita heaven. So it is improbable that anyone walking around would be him today..Is my understanding correct?
Dear Pilgrim,
Realm (9) Contented devas (tusita deva)
Comments: A realm of pure delight and gaiety.
Bodhisattas abide here prior to their final human birth. This is where the
bodhisatta Maitreya (Metteya), the next Buddha, is said to dwell.
Cause of rebirth here: Ten wholesome actions (MN 41), The development of virtue
and wisdom (AN 10.177), Generosity.
The Buddha Gautama said that there are one thousand and one buddhas that will come into our world during the superior aeon. Among those, three buddhas have already come, so Gautama Buddha is the fourth. The next, or the fifth buddha, is known as Maitreya in Sanskrit, which means “loving-kindness.” Buddha Gautama spoke a lot about this future buddha in the Mahayana Maitreya Sutra. He said that Maitreya would realize buddhahood solely through the practice of loving-kindness.
Yawares, you're doing a wonderful job of presenting these stories. I find that when I read these stories, there's a lot of work for me to do to connect the dots between the stories - and I end up being too lazy and not seeing the whole picture most of the time. Thank you so much for presenting these stories here.
iforgotmyname wrote:Yawares, you're doing a wonderful job of presenting these stories. I find that when I read these stories, there's a lot of work for me to do to connect the dots between the stories - and I end up being too lazy and not seeing the whole picture most of the time. Thank you so much for presenting these stories here.
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Dear Iforgotmyname,
I should be the one who thank you for reading my Dhammapada story..and I like your name too...sounds so cool !!
