The traditions of Buddhism, to have in its communities large schools with courses in philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and other subjects, are the direct result of the covenants of the Teacher, Who pointed out that “ignorance is a stain, which stains man beyond all other things.”
The Buddhist schools as well as the exact contents of their literary treasures are little known to the outsiders, but each new point of information serves to broaden western understanding about the inner structure of Buddhism. Without language, without knowledge, without faith, no one may penetrate into those strongholds to which the community is so near, “Samgha.”
Let us not forget that the word “lama” means teacher, and not monk as is often understood through ignorance. Since ancient times learned lamas copied and printed books from engraved plates and were highly skilled artists, with complete anonymity in authorship. Reverence to books and book-treasures are traditional in Tibet. Among learned lamas a custom exists to lock him, who is defeated in an intellectual debate, into a library.
The restoration of the ancient “Vinaya,” the codex of moral and communal precepts of Buddhism, has always and especially now stood as the immediate task of Buddhist gatherings.
A Russian scholar, in a lecture delivered by him in Petrograd at the exhibition of Buddhist objects, said, “We must say that the foundations of the Buddhist philosophical teaching, correctly understood and translated into our philosophical language, reveal an extraordinary affinity with just the latest, the newest achievements, in the domain of our scientific world concept. ‘Universe without God,’ ‘psychology without a soul,’ ‘the eternity of elements of matter and spirit’ which is only a special manifestation of the law of causality; heredity, a vital process instead of the existence of things. And in the domain of practical life — the denial of the rights of personal possession, the denial of a national limitation, the universal brother-hood of all peoples, deprived of the rights of private property. Finally, the general and for us all, indispensable inevitable faith that we move and must move towards perfection, regardless of soul and free will — these are the fundamental traits of the Buddhist, as well as our contemporary new world conception.”
One must, however, point out with regret that the last words of this distinguished lecturer — “we are moving and must move towards perfection, regard-less of free will” — are in evident contradiction to the fundamental principle of the Teaching, which, for the possibility of perfection and achievement of the highest conscious existence, demands absolutely personal efforts and assiduous exertion upon oneself.
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Let us consider Buddhism and contemporary science: it is evident that Buddhists are most open to all evolutionary achievements. Of course, this quality was instilled by their basic Teaching. Being familiar with the foundations, we see how greatly the statements of the Teacher are confirmed by the achievements of our contemporary science. The same results which Einstein reached by way of experiment were reached by ancient Buddhists through a purely contemplative way.
Once more, we repeat that Buddhism cannot be regarded as a religious revelation, because Gotama Buddha affirmed His teaching as the apprehension of eternal truths, which were likewise propounded by his predecessors.
Gotama taught that all which exists issued from Akasha, or primary substance, in conformation to the law of motion, inherent in it, and dissolves after a certain period of existence.
“Nothing comes from nothing.” Buddhists do not believe in miracles; consequently they deny the creation and cannot conceive of the creation of something from nothing. “Nothing organic is eternal. Everything is in a state of continuous flux, undergoing change, transmutation, and sustaining the continuity according to the law of evolution.”
“The world exists by cause. All things exist by cause. All beings are bound by cause.” (Vasettha Sutta.)
Regarding the constant change of the world, visible to our coarse organs, as well as its dissolution, Buddhism points out that those dissolutions are temporary and periodical; for, according to the principle of evolution, guided by the law of individual and collective karma, the disappearing world will in turn manifest a new world with all its contents, as our universe was manifested from the primary substance — matter.
Denying miracles, the Teacher pointed out the concealed powers of human nature which, when developed, can produce the so-called miracles.
The method of developing these powers is interpreted in Buddhist books and is known under the name of the science “Iddhi-Vidhanana”, which points out two forms of manifestation of these powers and two ways to attain them. One, the lower, is reached by way of various ascetic and other physical practices; the other higher one, embracing all possible manifestations, is attained by the power of inner development.
The first method of developing these powers is not lasting and may be lost, whereas inner development can never be lost. Its mastery is attained by following the noble way indicated by Buddha.
All these hidden powers gradually unfold in man usually of themselves, in proportion to man’s mastery of the lower expressions of his nature in a whole series of previous lives.
For the development of power of the higher grade, four conditions are indispensable:
1) will;
2) its exertion;
3) mental development;
4) the discrimination between truth and error.
A man possessing those powers of knowledge, increasing nature’s powers, can perform the most unusual miracles; in other words, he can produce any scientific experiment. Buddha did not encourage manifestations of powers, which lead only to confusion in minds ignorant of the principles which are represented by those manifestations and which create a heavy atmosphere of forcibly disturbed elements.
The “Mahaparanirvana Sutra” tells about an unusual light emanating from the body of Buddha which was observed by His nearest disciple Ananda. The Teacher pointed out that in two circumstances could such physical radiation be visible to the physical eye:
1) at the time of the great enlightenment of the man who became Buddha;
2) on the night when such a man — Buddha — finally departed.
Studying the Buddhist sources one may find many valuable indications about the purely physical manifestation of radiation. It is indicated as of a luminous and most subtle quality which surrounds man and is the nearest inward factor of human perception. “This matter is exceedingly fine, as the radiance of a diamond, imponderable, incombustible, disappearing after death without any traces. Nevertheless it is atomic.”
Nowadays this radiation is known to Europeans under the name of aura. This radiation is quite normal and it has been scientifically proved that not only all human and animal organisms possess it, but even trees, plants and stones.
The first of the scholars and scientists to point out this characteristic was Baron Reichenbach. He proved this radiation to be quite natural and his experiments were expounded in detail in his “Researches of 1844-45.”
Similarly in Paris, Dr. Baraduc took photographs of this radiation, and now in London, America and Berlin whole institutions are devoted to the study of human emanations — auras. It has been proved that this radiation may be of different shades, that it expands in volume, and grows in intensity of light, according to the spiritual and intellectual development of the man. Such manifestations as sudden flashes of colored rays emanating from the shoulders have also been noted. But science has not found any explanation for the origin of such flashes. Mention has been made of the decrease in power of the light of these emanations during ailing conditions of the organism.
In her book, “The Magnetic Aura of the Cosmic Man,” Mar-Galittu (Mrs. J. P. Reimann) writes:
“Professor Yourevitch of Moscow points out the Y-rays of the human aura, as a newly discovered, highly powerful and invisible radiation.
“After a decade of detailed experiment, Professor Yourevitch brought the results of his investigations before the International Psychological Congress, which took place last year at Copenhagen.
“The difference between the human emanations and those of Radium and the Roentgen Rays is that human emanations are far subtler and can penetrate dense walls, whereas the Roentgen Rays and Radium depend upon a definite density of the bodies which they penetrate. The emanations, for instance, transform gaseous streams, otherwise non-conductors, into remarkable conductors of magnetic force. Their far-reaching conductivity is the chief basic quality of the Y-rays. Without respect for distance and intensity, these gaseous streams become conductive under the influence of human emanations. Their far-reaching and penetrative power is conditioned by the cosmic contact of human emanations and therefore they are conceded to have a stronger effect than all other rays.
“Beyond their capacity for far-reaching conductivity and power of penetration, the Y-rays have the power, when piercing thick obstructions, to exercise mechanical functions as well. When piercing thick metal plates, the Y-rays cause molecular sediments as soon as the rays pass through in a consciously concentrated way. During certain experiments they induce refraction of light-waves. They may also be photographed. The Y-rays of the aura are at the basis of levitation and telekinetic phenomena. The work of Professor Yourevitch, which is called ‘Y-rays as Conductors of Bio-physical Energy’ contains fifty photographs of his experiments.”
The contemporary theory of hypnotic suggestion may be found in the following legend about Chullapanthaka in the Pali commentaries of Dhammapada:
“Chullapanthaka was a disciple who had mastered some of the powers. On the same day Buddha sent for him and when the messenger reached the Samgha, he saw three hundred disciples sitting in a group, each of them an exact image of the other. To his question, ‘Which is Chullapanthaka?’ every one of the three hundred answered, ‘I am Chullapanthaka.’ The messenger returned to his Teacher disconcerted, but Buddha ordered him to return immediately and if the same thing would occur, to take the first one who called himself Chullapanthaka by the hand and bring him to Buddha.” The Teacher knew that the disciple desired to display his newly acquired power, by suggesting to the consciousness of the messenger his illusive image. This power is called “Mahamaya Iddhi” and in order to manifest it, Chullapanthaka had vividly to represent in his mind his own image and then to suggest it up to the desired number in the consciousness of the messenger.
In the same way, contemporary scientific data support the theory of Karma expounded in Buddhism. Contemporary science teaches that each generation of man is heir to the distinctive characteristics of preceding generations, not only in mass but in individual cases.
Psychology finds its raison d’etre in that exclusive and strong attention, which Buddha apportions to the process of the mind, to the purification and expansion of consciousness of His disciples in affirming thought as the dominant factor in the evolution of the all-existent. The psychological processes in Buddhism are closely connected with physiology.
Buddhism does not trace any line of demarcation between psychic processes and matter. The psychic processes are regarded as the manifestations of the subtlest qualities of matter.
In the “Dialogue of Buddha,” Part II, we find an indication about the existence in addition to a physical body of a mental body which is its exact counterpart and which can be externalized at will and become active at great distances.
“With his mind thus concentrated, completely purified, utterly clear, devoid of depravity, free of taint, ready to act, firm and imperturbable, he applies and directs it to the evoking of the mental body. He evokes out of this body another body, having form, made of thought-stuff, having all limbs and parts, not lacking any organ. It is as if a man were to pull out a reed from its sheath. He would know: ‘This is the reed, this is the sheath. The reed is one thing, the sheath another. It is from the sheath that the reed has been drawn forth.’ Just so, the bhikshu calls up from this body another body, having form, made of thought-stuff, having all limbs and parts, not lacking any organ.”
Asserting the indestructibility of energy, Buddha regarded the all-existent as aggregates of the finest energies.
For the physicist of today the moving power is matter, man’s perception of matter being the response of his senses to the vibrations of energy.
And what is dharma, if not energy?
Dharmas, according to Buddhism, exist for us by their effects; all our perceptions being, above all, dharmas.
Therefore translating this formula into the contemporary language, we may say that all sense-perceptions are exclusively energy effects and energy is the only real existing entity.
Similarly His affirmations about thought acting at a distance antedate our researches in the domain of thought-transmission and wireless. Since thought is energy then, as such, it is subject to the same law in its action as any other energy. We know that the Hertzian waves are emitted for a thousand miles into space without any wires, with the result that they can be caught by any equally attuned receiver. Why, then, cannot man send out a thought-energy which, will evoke identical vibrations in the man susceptible to them?
Thus, Buddha is our predecessor in many domains of knowledge.
Buddha also pointed out the difference that exists between the evident and the reality. His comparison of the evident to a mirage or illusion (Maya) is applicable to any contemporary discussion.
This Great Wisdom, if studied not in letter but in its spirit, would enrich an unprejudiced mind with many a priceless gem.
The philosophy of Buddhism may be termed the analysis of separate elements attracted into combination by the formation of a definite individual stream. The individual stream is accumulated and fed by numberless manifestations of man on the earth, in other planes and other worlds. Absorbing all the characteristics of each manifestation, this stream swells in possibilities, transforming and remaining eternally self-containing. True individuality, true immortality, is contained in the realization of the true “I” which is constructed by innumerable combinations of human manifestations.
“All concern about the personality is in vain; the self is as a mirage, all tribulations that touch it will pass away. They will vanish as a nightmare when the sleeper awakens.”
In Buddhism man is not a futile pygmy as he is in the representation of the western mind, but the Lord of the worlds. Being part of the Cosmos, like it he is limitless in his possibilities.
The data about cosmic creation, about the existence of innumerable world systems in eternal motion, which are manifested and dissolved; the affirmations of the inhabitance of the multitude of worlds and about the full coordination of organisms which populate these worlds with the properties and structure of their planet, coincide with those scientific problems which at present agitate the minds of the true scientists.
Thus, contemporary science in accord with the affirmation of fundamental Buddhism, confirms the very realistic essence of this Teaching of the reality of the life-creative essence of great matter, impressed for the first time.
Let us pay due homage to that Great Mind which, impelled by a powerful Spirit, fathomed the very foundations of Existence, solved the problems of life and pointed out the goals of evolution as conscious cooperation with the Cosmos and communion with the far-off worlds.
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No teaching foresaw the future with such precision as Buddhism. Parallel with reverence to Buddha, Buddhism develops the veneration of Bodhisattvas — future Buddhas. According to the tradition, Gotama, before reaching the state of Buddha, had been a Bodhisattva for many centuries. The word, Bodhisattva, comprises two concepts: Bodhi — enlightenment or awakening, and Sattva — the essence. Who are these Bodhisattvas? The disciples of Buddhas, who voluntarily have renounced their personal liberation and, following the example of their Teacher, have entered upon a long, weary thorny path of help to humanity. Such Bodhisattvas appear on earth in the midst of the most varying conditions of life. Physically indistinguishable in any way from the rest of humanity, they differ completely in their psychology, constantly being the heralds of the principle of the common welfare.
Buddha, directing all possibilities towards the affirmation of evolution, bid His disciples venerate the future Buddhas more than the Buddhas of the past. “Thus as the new moon is more worshipped than the full moon, so those who have faith in Me must reverence Bodhisattvas more than Buddhas.” (Madhyamakavatara.)
History has not revealed to us elsewhere such a living example of self-denial. According to tradition, the Blessed One preordained the Bodhisattva Maitreya as His successor.
And the Blessed One said to Ananda, “I am not the first Buddha who has come upon earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One endowed with wisdom, auspicious, embracing the Universe, an incomparable Leader of Men, a Ruler of devas and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths, which I have taught you. He will establish His Law, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal in the spirit and in the letter. He will proclaim a righteous life wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands while mine number many hundreds.”
Ananda said, “How shall we know Him?”
The Blessed One said, “He will be known as Maitreya.”
The future Buddha Maitreya, as His name indicates, is the Buddha of compassion and love. This Bodhisattva, according to the power of His qualities, is often name Ajita — the Invincible.
It is interesting to notice that reverence of many Bodhisattvas was accepted and developed only in the school of Mahayana. Nevertheless the reverence of the one Bodhisattva Maitreya, as a Successor chosen by Buddha Himself, is accepted also in Hinayana. Thus the one Bodhisattva Maitreya embraces the complete scope, being the personification of all aspirations of Buddhism.
What qualities must Bodhisattva possess? In the Teaching of Gotama Buddha and in the Teaching of Bodhisattva Maitreya, given by Him to Asanga according to tradition in the IVth century (Mahayana-Sutralamkara), the maximum development of energy, courage, patience, constance of striving and fearlessness was first of all underlined. Energy is the basis of everything, as it alone contains all possibilities.”
“Buddhas are eternally in action; immovability is unknown to them, like the eternal motion in space, the actions of the Sons of Conquerors manifest themselves in the worlds.”
“Mighty, valiant, firm in His step, not rejecting the burden of an achievement for the General Good.”
“There are three joys of Bodhisattvas; the joy of giving, the joy of helping and the joy of eternal perception. Patience always, in all and everywhere. The Sons of Buddha, the Sons of Conquerors, Bodhisattvas in their active compassion are the Mothers to the All-existing.” (Mahayana-Sutra.)
Throughout the entire Buddhist world the rocks on the roadsides, with the images of Maitreya, point out the approaching future. From the most ancient times until now this Image has been erected by Buddhists who know the approach of the New Era. In our day, venerable lamas, accompanied by disciples, painters and sculptors, travel through the Buddhist countries, erecting new images of the Symbol of aspirations towards the radiant future.
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The Teaching of Buddha must be verified and should be given for broad knowledge. In our time, it is strange to think about the community and not to know the foundations of the first Scientist Exponent of the community. The hand of Buddha was tireless in preparing the experiment of the world’s laboratory. The fact that Buddha ordained the world community as the evolution of humanity, alone gives to His Teaching its fiery persuasion.
In Buddha’s structure one may move through endless stories and the doors everywhere will be open to the call of the community. The exact knowledge of Buddha permitted Him to determine the exact condition of His contemporaries and to perceive the universal community only in the far-off future.
Respect to Buddha was such that no one obscured the image of the Teacher with the garb of divinity. Buddha is impressed on minds as a Man, a Teacher Who affirms. In this leonine fiery affirmation he attained the prevision of Maitreya — the Symbol of the Era of comprehension of the greatness of matter and affirmation of the great universal community!
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Said the Blessed One, “Distinguish between those who understand and those who agree. He who understands the Teaching will not tarry in applying it to life, he who agrees will nod and extol the Teaching as remarkable wisdom, but will not apply this wisdom to life.
“There are many who have agreed, but they are like a withered forest, fruitless and without shade. Only decay awaits them.
“Those who understand are few, but like a sponge they absorb the precious knowledge and are ready to cleanse the horrors of the world with the precious liquid.
“He who understood cannot but apply the Teaching, because realizing goal-fitness, he accepts it as a solution of life.
“Do not waste much time with the agreeing ones. Let them first demonstrate the application of the first call.”
“Thus is attributed to the Blessed One the goal-fitting attitude to newcomers.”
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It means that the purification of the Teaching will rest not only in the acceptance of its foundations, but in its application into life. An abstract understanding of the Teaching of the Blessed One is impossible. We see how greatly it penetrates into life when we realize how entire countries fell away from the Teaching, when instead of applying it to life they turned it into abstract discourses. In Tibet a lessening of the religious interest is apparent. One may even notice the increase of the Teaching of Bon-Po, the antithesis of Buddhism.
The Tashi Lama found it impossible to remain in Tibet. Following his example many of the best lamas have left Tibet. Without these educated lamas, the religious life of Tibet has become dormant.
Such examples are useful in observing how the distortion of the Teaching is effected.
At the same time one may see what victory the Teaching carries into other countries, where people are concerned with applying the foundations into life.
The same task is solved by the new tendency towards toleration of the followers of Hinayana.
Buddha, as the source, and Maitreya as a universal hope will unite the austere followers of the Teaching of the South with the multiformity of the North.
That which is most essential for the immediate future will definitely manifest itself. Instead of swelling the Teaching with commentaries, it will again be restored to the beauty of the value of concise conviction. The new time of the Era of Maitreya is in need of conviction. Life in its entirety must be purified by the flame of achievement. The great Buddha, Who preordained Maitreya, prescribed the path for the whole of existence. To those wise and clear covenants, is the manifestation of the new evolution calling.
The demand for the purification of the Teaching is not accidental. The dates are approaching. The image of Maitreya is ready to rise. All Buddhas of the past have combined Their wisdom of experience and have handed it on to the Blessed Coming One.
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The lama proclaims, “LET LIFE BE FIRM AS ADAMANT; VICTORIOUS AS THE BANNER OF THE TEACHER; MIGHTY AS AN EAGLE AND MAY IT LAST FOR ETERNITY.”
