Issue 298

Even if she occasionally believed. Perhaps she believed, but it was temporary. We must make vows to believe in Buddhism forever and not just believe temporarily like the mother of the Brahman woman. Temporary faith may last one hour then vanish. Some people’s faith does not even last for more than two hours — at most, an hour with five minutes of fervor. After five minutes, their faith cools off. We must vow to have faith forever.

She would soon become disrespectful again. Perhaps for five minutes’ time, she would go along and bow to the Buddhas, take refuge with the Triple Jewel, and find a teacher. But as soon as she turned around, for no reason at all, she didn’t want to pay respect to the Buddhas and to believe in the Buddhas. She died recently and I still do not know where she was reborn.’

Poisonless asked, ‘What was the name and clan of the Bodhisattva’s mother?’
The worthy woman replied, ‘My parents were both Brahmans; my father’s name was Shila Sudarshana, my mother’s name was Yue Di Li.’
Poisonless placed his palms together and implored the worthy woman, ‘Please, Worthy One, quickly return home. There is no need for you to grieve further. The offender Yue Di Li was born in the heavens three days ago. It is said that she received the benefit of offerings made and blessings cultivated by her filial child who practiced giving to Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One at stupas and monasteries.
Not only was the Bodhisattva’s mother released from the hells, but all the other offenders who were destined for the Relentless Hell also received bliss and were reborn with her.’ Having finished speaking, the ghost king put his palms together and withdrew.

Poisonless asked the Brahman woman for more details since he was not provided sufficient information. ‘What was the name and clan of the Bodhisattva’s mother? What was your mother’s surname and first name? Where did she live? What’s her address? You need to state clearly.’

The worthy Brahman woman replied, ‘My parents were both Brahmans. In India, the society consists of four castes, namely: 1. Brahmans – the clan of purity; 2. Kastriyas – the clan of royalty; 3. Vaisyas – the clan of merchants; 4. Candalas – the lowest caste which includes the butchers who slaughter pigs, goats, etc. In India, butchers cannot walk alongside other people; they have to walk on the roadside separately. If they meet members of royalty, they cannot even walk on the same road. They are marked so that everyone can tell at a glance that they are Candalas, the lowliest caste.

The Brahman woman belongs to the clan of Brahmans, members of the elite. The people in India and Great Britain were hierarchical, and that continues today. United States is democratic, people do not think hierarchically but equally. It’s different in India, where the elite cannot converse with low class individuals. If the elite speak with members of the lower class, nobilities look down on them and regard them as worthless. Hierarchical concepts harshly divide people up.

My father’s name was Shila Sudar-shana. Shila usually refers to the vinaya, but here it just means cool and refreshing. My mother’s name was Yue Di Li, a Sanskrit word that is not formally explained in the Buddhist sutras, but let me add some commentary now. Yue means favor, Di means emperor. Put together, it means someone favored by emperors; in other words, this person was so pretty that even the emperor liked her. You may say that, there is nothing fixed about a person’s name. Since people’s names are not fixed, you may explain it however you want as long as it is reasonable, and especially if it is Sanskrit. Do not simply claim ignorance when you see things in the sutras you do not understand, research it with your wisdom. Once you uncover your wisdom, you will know. You may explain it in whatever way reasonable; as long as you do not bash at people or say bad things about people. Do not be so rigid.

Out of respect, Poisonless placed his palms together and implored the worthy Brahman woman, ‘Please, Worthy One, quickly return home. There is no need for you to grieve further. Worry no more. Do not reminisce your mother with sadness. Do not be apprehensive of her sorrowfully and unable to let her go. The offender Yue Di Li, a woman who committed offenses, was born in the heavens three days ago. How?

It is said that she received the benefit of offerings made and blessings cultivated by her filial child, in this case, a daughter specifically, who practiced giving to Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One at stupas and monasteries. The filial child created blessings for her mother. She sold all her properties and used the proceeds to make offerings to Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. She also made offerings of alms and vegetarian food to the Sangha and the assembly.

Not only was the Bodhisattva’s mother released from the sufferings of the hells, but all the other infinite number of offenders like your mother who were destined for the Relentless Hell also attained bliss and were reborn in the heavens with her.’ They were all able to leave suffering and attain bliss. Having finished speaking, the ghost king put his palms together respectfully and withdrew.

The Brahman woman returned swiftly as if from a dream, understood what had happened, and then made a profound and far-reaching vow before the stupas and images of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One, saying, ‘I vow that until the end of future eons I will respond to beings suffering for their offenses by using many expedient devices to bring about their liberation.’
The Buddha told Manjushri, ‘The Ghost King Poisonless is the present Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth. The Brahman woman is now Earth Store Bodhisattva.’

The Brahman woman returned swiftly as if from a dream, understood what had happened. Upon her return, she brought back to mind the occurrence, thinking to herself, ‘Oh, I was by an ocean where I saw Poisonless, the great ghost king. Then, I saw the evil beasts and offenders in the hells. I asked Poisonless where my mother was reborn. He said she had been reborn in the heavens.’ She knew that none of these was illusory. Rather, this was brought forth through the awesome might of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One.

And then she made a profound and far-reaching vow before the stupas and images of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One, saying, ‘I vow that until the end of future eons. When will future eons end? It will never end. Hence, the vows of Earth Store King Bodhisattva will never end either. I will respond to beings suffering for their offenses throughout all the six destinies by using many expedient means to bring about their liberation, enabling them to leave suffering and attain bliss.’

The Buddha told Manjushri, “Ghost King Poisonless who conversed with the Brahman woman at that time, is the present Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth. Ghost King Poisonless cultivated the Way and became Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth, who cultivated the seven sagely and precious treasures:
1. Treasury of Faith is a treasury in cultivation.
2. Treasury of Precepts. The transmission of precepts and the receiving of precepts are rare happenstance especially in the Age of the Decline of Dharma. Moreover, left-home people must receive the precepts to be rightful monastics.
3. Treasury of Erudition.
4. Treasury of Giving.
5. Treasury of Wisdom.
6. Treasury of a Sense of Shame.
7. Treasury of a Sense of Remorse. In the Chinese language, shame and remorse usually go together. Here, we separate them into two categories. Both are necessary treasures in cultivation.
He is called Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth because he has these seven treasuries – faith, precepts, erudition, giving, wisdom, a sense of shame and a sense of remorse.

The Brahman woman is now Earth Store Bodhisattva.” This is why we must emulate the former Earth Store Bodhisattva. We must follow Earth Store Bodhisattva’s virtue of observing wide-scale filial piety, including being filial to our parents, saving and transforming them.