Three Lives of Maitreya Bodhisattva

by Rev. Shokai Kanai

In Chapter One of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha’s disciples and followers, as well as deities and animals gather before the meditating Buddha Sakyamuni at Mt. Sacred Eagle in Rajagriha, India.

The Buddha does not speak at all in this chapter but meditates in deep concentration. Then suddenly he emits a ray of light from the white curls between his eyebrows, and illumines down to the hells and up to heavens of eighteen thousand worlds in the east.

Maitreya Bodhisattva wonders, “Why is he displaying this good omen?” He asks Manjusri Bodhisattva who was a great scholar.

“I think that the Buddha wishes to expound a great teaching named the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. The reason is that, in my previous existence, I saw the same good omen at the time of a Buddha called Sun-Moon-Light. He emitted a ray of light then expounded the great dharma.”

After the Nirvana of the Buddha Sun-Moon-Light, Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva kept the Lotus Sutra and expounded it to people for many years. One of his disciples was called Fame-Seeking. He was attached to gain. He read and recited many sutras but did not understand them. He forgot many parts of those sutras. Therefore he was called Fame-Seeking. But he later planted the roots of good and made offerings to innumerable Buddhas. Because of these good conducts, he will become a Buddha in his future life. He will be called Buddha Maitreya.

Manjusri continued to talk. “Wonderful-Light at that time was no one but myself, and Fame-Seeking was no one but you.”

Don’t you think that Fame-Seeking is like you and me? Even though we hardly understand the teaching of the Lotus Sutra and easily forget phrases of the sutra, we will be able to become Buddhas in our future by accumulating good conducts. This is what Chapter One teaches us.

Moreover, Chapter Twenty-eight of the Lotus Sutra reveals, “Anyone who copies this sutra will be reborn in the Heaven of the Trayastrimsa Gods immediately after his present life.” The Treayastrimsa Heaven is where Maitreya Bodhisattva stays now, waiting to be born on this earth to become the Maitreya Buddha.

The future Buddha is you and I!