Isn't there a saying that goes that just as there are infinite sentient beings, there are infinite myriads of tathagatas (and possibly bodhisattvas)? If one has been eliminated of knowledge obscuration, can control birth alongside help sentient beings, how is it that suffering still exists in the world? Shouldn't all sentient beings have already been helped (unless that is, we are going by the concept that you cannot subtract infinity by infinity according to calculus)? Considering how effective "Om Mani Padme Hum," Lord Avalokiteshvara, and Kshitigarbha are in emptying numerous hells such as Avici, how is it that there are still beings in these hells? Are they constantly coming, are there more infinite hells, or what?Malcolm wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:00 pmCorrect, you are not wrong.Tenma wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 2:50 pmHang on, what?Könchok Chödrak wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:16 pm
Not in the literal sense. But they appear to be reborn, don’t they? There is the Theravadin view by some that Gautama isn’t coming back at all, but the Mahayana view from what the Lotus Sutra (The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in Tibetan) has stated is that Buddha, even after Enlightenment, has been in this world for eons. He attained Enlightenment, which it is said in that Sutra, asamkhyas of kalpas ago as Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. The Buddha is in a true extinction, but He Emanates into this entire world from place to place, from time to time, to help guide sentient beings. He is not “born” neither does He “die”, but it appears that way, and often it is written about in such a way in the Suttas, Sutras, and commentaries and books. But what you have stated is correct. He is well gone. And we must do everything we can so that the Buddha will rest in Tranquility. Om. Namaste.
Everytime I learn something about this or that, I fail to understand what on earth Buddhism's purpose is. I thought enlightenment was to cease suffering and rebirth, am I wrong?
Full awakening in Mahāyāna means eliminating the afflictive obscuration, which causes rebirth in the three realms, and eliminating the knowledge obscuration, which prevents one from knowing all paths.So if a person enters enlightenment, is it just mere "tranquil rest" or helping others?
Because of eliminating the first obscuration, one has power over birth, and can appear in any place to help sentient beings; because one has the eliminated the knowledge obscuration, one knows how to lead any sentient being with the appropriate path.
Reading the Karandavyuha Sutra, is Avalokiteshvara supposed to be some kind of infinite "God" or being of some sort, an omnipotent sort of being with many emanations and incarnations?