Compendium of the Five Lamps

A follower of another school asked: "Are all phenomena permanent?" The World-Honored One World-Honored One: An honorific for the Buddha, highlighting his status as a teacher of both gods and humans. did not respond. The follower asked again: "Are all phenomena impermanent?" Again, he did not respond. The follower said: "The World-Honored One possesses all-encompassing wisdom. Why do you not answer me?" The World-Honored One replied: "Your questions are nothing but sophistry." original: 戲論 (papanca); this refers to conceptual play or speculation that serves no spiritual purpose and only leads to more confusion.

One day, the World-Honored One displayed a Mani jewel A mythical, wish-fulfilling gemstone said to reflect the colors of whatever is near it. and asked the Heavenly Kings of the Five Directions: "What color is this jewel?" At that time, each of the Five Kings reported a different color. The World-Honored One then hid the jewel in his sleeve, held up his empty hand, and asked: "What color is this jewel?" The Kings replied: "There is no jewel in the Buddha's hand; how can there be any color?" The World-Honored One sighed: "How great is your delusion! When I showed you a worldly jewel, you each stubbornly insisted it was blue, yellow, red, or white. But when I showed you the true jewel, you did not recognize it at all." At that moment, the Five Heavenly Kings all attained enlightenment.

Because the Gandharva King Gandharva: In Buddhist cosmology, these are celestial musicians who live on the scent of herbs. offered music, the mountains, rivers, and the great earth all resounded with the sound of the lute. Mahakasyapa One of the Buddha's foremost disciples, famous for his strict ascetic lifestyle. stood up and began to dance. The King asked Mahakasyapa: "Are you not an Arhat Arhat: A person who has attained the highest stage of enlightenment and is free from all worldly passions.? Since your 'outflows' [passions] are already extinguished, why do you still have this lingering habit of dancing?" The Buddha said: "In truth, he has no lingering habit. Do not slander the Dharma." The King then struck the lute three times, and Mahakasyapa danced three times more. The King said: "Is Mahakasyapa not dancing?" The Buddha replied: "In truth, he has never danced." The King asked: "How can the World-Honored One speak such a lie?" The Buddha replied: "I do not lie. When you play the lute, the mountains, rivers, trees, and stones all make the sound of the lute. Is that not so?" The King replied: "It is so." The Buddha said: "It is the same with Mahakasyapa. Therefore, he has never actually danced." The King then believed and accepted this teaching.

An outsider asked the World-Honored One: "What teaching did you give yesterday?" He replied: "I spoke a fixed teaching." A teaching that is definitive or certain. The outsider asked: "What teaching do you give today?" He replied: "An unfixed teaching." The outsider

asked: "Yesterday you spoke a fixed teaching; why do you speak an unfixed teaching today?" The World-Honored One replied: "Yesterday it was fixed; today it is unfixed."

An ascetic with five supernatural powers These powers include divine vision, divine hearing, and the ability to fly, but exclude the "sixth power" which is the total end of all suffering. asked the World-Honored One: "There are six supernatural powers. I have five. What is that one remaining power?" The Buddha called out the name of the ascetic. The ascetic answered "Yes!" The Buddha said: "That power—why are you asking me?" The Buddha points out that the true "power" is the immediate, conscious awareness that allowed him to respond.

When Universal Vision Bodhisattva original: 普眼菩薩 (Samantacaksu) wished to see Samantabhadra The Bodhisattva of Great Practice, he could not find him. He entered a deep meditative state three times and observed the entire Great Trichiliocosm Great Trichiliocosm: A Buddhist concept representing a billion-world universe., searching for Samantabhadra, but he was nowhere to be found. He returned and told the Buddha. The Buddha said: "Simply within your quiet meditation, give rise to a single thought, and you will see him." As soon as Universal Vision gave rise to a single thought, he saw Samantabhadra in the sky, riding a six-tusked white elephant.

On the day of Pavarana The ceremony at the end of the 90-day summer retreat where monks confess their errors., it was discovered that Manjusri The Bodhisattva of Wisdom had spent the summer retreat in three different places This was a violation of monastic rules, which required staying in one place.. Mahakasyapa intended to strike the gavel to expel him. But just as he picked up the gavel, he saw hundreds of millions of Manjusris appear. Mahakasyapa used all his spiritual power, but could not lift the gavel. The World-Honored One then asked Mahakasyapa: "Which Manjusri are you planning to expel?" Mahakasyapa had no answer.

The Long-nailed Brahmin Dighanakha, a famous non-Buddhist debater known for his long nails and sharp intellect. sought a debate and made a vow: "If my argument fails, I will cut off my own head." The World-Honored One asked: "What is the central premise of your philosophy?" The Brahmin said: "My premise is to accept nothing at all." The World-Honored One replied: "Do you accept that view [of 'accepting nothing'] or not?" The Brahmin brushed his sleeves and left. Halfway home, he realized his error and said to his disciples: "I must go back and cut off my head as an apology to the World-Honored One." The disciples said: "In front of the great assembly, you luckily won. Why cut off your head?" The Brahmin said: "I would rather have my head cut off in front of a wise man than gain victory before those who are ignorant." He sighed and said: "My argument failed on both sides." If he accepts his own view, he violates his rule of "accepting nothing." If he does not accept his own view, his philosophy is void. This is a classic logical trap.