The Rising Sun

Chapter 1: Impermanence

1. Maitreya

Once, the Buddha was in Vārāṇasī.

The Buddha addressed the monks, “In a future era, sentient beings will live for 84,000 years. In that time, those sentient beings with a life span of 84,000 years here in Jambudvīpa will dwell together in a single place. The rice and grain they harvest will be abundant and the people will flourish. It will be common to hear the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking.”

The Buddha also told the monks, “You should know that the women of those people will go out to marry at the age of five hundred. In that time, there will be a king named Śaṅkha who’ll be followed by the seven treasures. He will rule with the Dharma and without any crookedness.

“He will have a treasure chariot that flies by itself a thousand cubits high and sixteen cubits wide. It’ll be built and designed with many precious jewel strings. When it’s in a large assembly, the people will be generous without reservation and establish virtues to become myriad leaders. Accompanied by śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and awakened people, he will travel great distances. Wherever they stop to rest or pass through, they’ll be provided with whatever they require without any miserliness.

“In that time when sentient beings will live for 84,000 years, there will be a Tathāgata who’ll appear in the world named Maitreya. He will be an Arhat, Completely Awakened One, Accomplished in Wisdom and Action, Well Gone, Understander of the World, an Unsurpassed Man, a Dharma Trainer, and Teacher of Devas and Humans. He’ll be called the Buddha and Bhagavān. Just like myself today, he will achieve the unsurpassed, correct, and perfect awakening and perfect the ten epithets.

“He will always lead and protect numberless hundreds of thousands of monks, just as I today lead and protect numberless hundreds of thousands of monks. Accompanied by these great assemblies, he will widely teach the profound Dharma that’s good in the beginning, middle, and end, has a meaning that’s sublime, and which will be the perfect and pure cultivation of the religious practice. It’ll be like myself today being accompanied by these great assemblies and widely teaching the profound Dharma that’s good in the beginning, middle, and end, has a meaning that’s sublime, and which is the perfect and pure cultivation of the religious practice. I widely teach like Maitreya will when he comes down to be born.

“As the buddhas teach, there is a sūtra named ‘The Path of Six Sensory Contacts.’ Suppose there are sentient beings who are born around him. If their eyes see forms, everything they see will be pleasant forms and not detestable forms. They’ll see what’s lovely and not what is unlovely. They’ll see what’s respectable and not what’s disrespectful. They’ll see what’s memorable and not what’s not memorable. They’ll see beautiful forms and not see forms that aren’t beautiful.

“The sentient beings that have ears to hear sounds, noses to smell odors, tongues to taste flavors, bodies to perceive what’s fine and smooth, and minds to know phenomena will be likewise, even Īśvara.”

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 29 July 2019