Chapter 8. Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples
The Buddha bestows prophecies of future Buddhahood upon five hundred disciples. Among them, Purna Maitrayaniputra stands out as particularly prominent within the prophecies given to the Sravaka disciples. The Buddha reveals that Purna was actually a great Bodhisattva who manifested in the form of a Sravaka disciple throughout many lifetimes. Therefore, one should not assume that there are no great Bodhisattvas among the Sravaka followers; this specific disciple is a prime example.
To the inhabitants of various Buddha-worlds, he appeared to be a mere Sravaka, yet this was only a skillful means employed by Purna Maitrayaniputra to teach and transform countless sentient beings, guiding them toward the path of cultivation and the realization of Unexcelled Complete Enlightenment. To purify and adorn Buddha- lands, he frequently manifested in various forms consistent with the Dharma to teach others. Furthermore, during the time of the past seven Buddhas, he was already renowned as the foremost among preachers. In the Buddha’s own era, he remained the foremost preacher among the ten principal disciples, just as he was in the past and will be in the future. The Buddha thus bestows upon him a prophecy of future Unexcelled Complete Enlightenment.
Contained within this prophecy is the Parable of the Jewel in the Robe, one of the seven famous parables of the Lotus Sutra. After receiving their prophecies, the five hundred disciples were deeply moved and shared this comparison with the Buddha: “World-Honored One, it is like a man who goes to a relative’s house, gets drunk, and falls asleep. This relative, having to leave on urgent business, sews a priceless jewel into the lining of the sleeping man’s robe as a gift. The man, in his drunken stupor, is completely unaware of the priceless gem hidden in his clothing. After waking up, he travels to many countries, laboring hard to provide for his basic needs. Leading a life of great hardship, he feels satisfied with even the slightest gain.
Later, the relative happens to meet him again and is astonished to see him living in such poverty. He tells the man, ‘Years ago, I placed a jewel in your robe. It could have provided you with a wealthy life forever.’ This parable illustrates that if we can bring forth our inherent Mani-jewel of wisdom, we will find lasting joy and never again be spiritually impoverished. The disciples said to the Buddha: ‘The Buddha is just like that relative. Long ago, when you were a Bodhisattva, you taught us to resolve our hearts upon Unexcelled Complete Enlightenment. Although we heard it, we soon neglected and forgot it—just like that jewel sewn into the robe!
Thus, we were unaware of this supreme Dharma, ignorant of the jewel we possessed. Upon attaining the stage of Arhat, we believed we had reached ultimate extinction, like a poor man satisfied with the smallest gain. Yet the vow to seek supreme wisdom, which we heard long ago, still exists and has not been lost. Today, the World-Honored One speaks to us for our awakening, saying: ‘Bhikshus, the Nirvana you have attained is not ultimate extinction. For a long time, in order to help you plant the roots of Buddhahood, I used skillful means to describe the appearance of Nirvana, yet you mistook it for the final end.’
World-Honored One, only today do we finally know that we are actually true Bodhisattvas, and that we have all been prophesied to eventually attain the supreme fruit of Buddhahood. Because of this, we are filled with a joy we have never known before!” These disciples lamented their previous narrow-mindedness and realized they should not have been satisfied with small wisdom, but should instead resolve to seek Unexcelled Complete Enlightenment. They were deeply moved by the Buddha’s prophecy.