Mahakyasyapa is alive

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zamotcr
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Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by zamotcr »

I was reading Master Hsing Yun "Buddhism in Every Step", specially the one called: "The Buddhist Perspective on the Supernatural". In there Master Hsing Yun talked about Mahakasyapa:
According to the sutras, even though two thousand years have passed, several of the Buddha’s disciples still live amongst us. Mahakyasyapa, one of the Buddha’s top disciples, in deep meditation inside Kukkutapada mountain, guarding the Buddha’s robe. He is waiting for the birth of Maitreya Buddha fifty-six trillion and seven hundred million years from now. He will present the robe, which represents the correct Dharma of the previous Buddha, to Maitreya Buddha for the sake of continuously spreading the teachings.
I would like to know what is the source of this affirmation? And if this is true, why nobody has find him or is in a state invisible to physical eyes?

Thanks! And sorry for my lazy questions :anjali:
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by Huseng »

You can visit the mountain in Bihar if you want. It isn't so far from Bodhgaya.

Dhammika Bhante rediscovered it some decades ago and later on Ananda Bhante from Ladakh built a stupa there.
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zamotcr
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by zamotcr »

Indrajala wrote:You can visit the mountain in Bihar if you want. It isn't so far from Bodhgaya.

Dhammika Bhante rediscovered it some decades ago and later on Ananda Bhante from Ladakh built a stupa there.
Hi Venenerable,

I don't doubt about mountain existence, but about the story. If he is alive, why nobody else has found him? Perhaps, is invisible to us or perhaps is just a legend. I don't about those things.
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by plwk »

I would like to know what is the source of this affirmation?
“Then Maitreya Buddha, together with His great disciples and sentient beings that were headstrong in their past lives in the Sahā World, will go to the Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain. Having arrived at its foot, they will serenely walk up the Wolf Track Mountain. After they have reached the summit, Maitreya Buddha will touch the ground with his big toe. Forthwith, the great earth will move in eighteen different ways. Then Maitreya Buddha will split the cliff with both hands, like a Wheel-Turning King opening the gate of a great city [to find Mahākāśyapa inside].

“Then the Brahma-kings will pour scented oil onto the crown of Mahākāśyapa’s head and over his body. Next, they will beat the great Dharma instruments and blow the great Dharma conch shells. Mahākāśyapa will then rise from the Samādhi of Total Halt. He will straighten his robe, bare his right shoulder, kneel on his right knee, and join his palms. Kneeling on both knees, he will hold the Dharma robe worn by Śākyamuni Buddha and offer it to Maitreya Buddha, saying these words: ‘The great teacher Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha, upon His parinirvāṇa, entrusted me with His Dharma robe and commanded me to offer it to the World-Honored One.’

The Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of Maitreya Bodhisattva’s Attainment of Buddhahood
And if this is true, why nobody has find him or is in a state invisible to physical eyes?
Maitreya & Asanga
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by Huseng »

zamotcr wrote: I don't doubt about mountain existence, but about the story. If he is alive, why nobody else has found him? Perhaps, is invisible to us or perhaps is just a legend. I don't about those things.
In my estimation it is a legend.
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

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Indrajala wrote:
zamotcr wrote: I don't doubt about mountain existence, but about the story. If he is alive, why nobody else has found him? Perhaps, is invisible to us or perhaps is just a legend. I don't about those things.
In my estimation it is a legend.
How can someone discern where some Sutra or story it's a legend or real? For me it's important, I saw a lot of people who said that Sutras are to be taken literally and were spoken by Buddha himself, others said otherwise. Are there some guidelines to discern this?

Thanks! :anjali:
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kirtu
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by kirtu »

zamotcr wrote:
Indrajala wrote:In my estimation it is a legend.
How can someone discern where some Sutra or story it's a legend or real?
If it is physically impossible then it is a legend. The Earth will be destroyed by the Sun in about 5B years so 58T years is out o the question. Anyway I always read that Maitreya is coming in some 30,000 or so years (note that these numbers are somewhat variable anyway).

However sometimes physically impossible things do in fact happen.
For me it's important, I saw a lot of people who said that Sutras are to be taken literally and were spoken by Buddha himself, others said otherwise. Are there some guidelines to discern this?
Some statements/teachings in sutras are meant literally and some aren't. Some are argued about. In general you have to use your own discernment.

Kirt
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plwk
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by plwk »

Of course there's always another direct way... practice and master the Three Higher Trainings of sila, samadhi and prajna.
Are you anywhere for instance near the mastery of the dhyanas, tapping into the subtle mind and insight?
Merely asking and plowing through academic stuff is limited though helpful but nothing beats the above...
It's another option though... to answer the how do you know questions...

Until then, it's back to the drawing board and nian fo for me... :sage:
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by Jinzang »

There's a tradition that Buddha asked 16 arhats to remain alive to guard the teaching until the coming of Maitreya. The idea is, just like the Buddha, arhats have control over their lifespan and can live as long as they wish. The idea of the 16 arhats can be found in a sutra, but I don't remember its name. The 17th Karmapa did an ink drawing of the 16 arhats.
"It's as plain as the nose on your face!" Dottie Primrose
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zamotcr
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by zamotcr »

Jinzang wrote:There's a tradition that Buddha asked 16 arhats to remain alive to guard the teaching until the coming of Maitreya. The idea is, just like the Buddha, arhats have control over their lifespan and can live as long as they wish. The idea of the 16 arhats can be found in a sutra, but I don't remember its name. The 17th Karmapa did an ink drawing of the 16 arhats.
Well, yeah, but if the story is true, then, where are they? Why nobody know about them? I mean, this just doesn't make sense, why would they live so long? What is the purpose if nobody knows about them?
This just seems to be a legend, like Indrajala said. Maybe the sutra has a deep underlying message, but the long lifespan is not one of them, I think.
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by Jinzang »

zamotcr wrote: Well, yeah, but if the story is true, then, where are they? Why nobody know about them? I mean, this just doesn't make sense, why would they live so long? What is the purpose if nobody knows about them?
I think the idea is they are meditating in caves, but manifesting apparitions as needed to help the dharma. Sort of like the Theosophists' ideas about the Ascended Masters. I must say the evidence for the truth of this idea is very slim, but it's a persistent strain in Buddhist thought.
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Re: Mahakyasyapa is alive

Post by zamotcr »

Jinzang wrote:I think the idea is they are meditating in caves, but manifesting apparitions as needed to help the dharma. Sort of like the Theosophists' ideas about the Ascended Masters. I must say the evidence for the truth of this idea is very slim, but it's a persistent strain in Buddhist thought.
I got your point. But it is said that Mahakyasyapa is inside a mountain in deep samadhi, that's even harder to believe. But, at the end, who know? :shrug:

:namaste:
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