Compendium of the Five Lamps

The World-Honored One World-Honored One: A title for the Buddha (Sanskrit: Bhagavan). then asked, "Do you still wish to come out or not?"

The reply came: "I am waiting for the World-Honored One to come, and then I shall come out."

Ananda The Buddha’s cousin and personal attendant, known for his incredible memory. asked, "The Buddha is the Great Teacher of the Three Realms; how could he possibly have a share in entering hell?"

The reply was: "If the Buddha has no share in entering hell, how could I have a share in leaving it?"

Once, because Manjushri The Bodhisattva of Wisdom. suddenly gave rise to "Buddha-views" and "Dharma-views," the World-Honored One used his majestic spiritual power to banish him to the two Iron Ring Mountains Iron Ring Mountains: In ancient Buddhist cosmology, these are the mountains that encircle the world..

In the east, there was an old woman who was born at the exact same time as the Buddha, yet she did not wish to see him. Whenever she saw the Buddha coming, she would immediately turn away to avoid him. Even so, when she looked east or west, the Buddha was everywhere. She then covered her face with her hands, but even within the palms of her ten fingers, the Buddha was there too.

Angulimala A famous disciple who was a serial killer before being converted by the Buddha. once carried his alms-bowl to the gate of a wealthy elder. The woman of the house was in the middle of a difficult labor, where the child and mother had not yet separated. The elder said, "Disciple of Gautama The Buddha’s family name., you are a most holy one; what method do you have that can spare them from the suffering of this birth?"

Angulimala said to the elder, "I have only recently entered the Path and do not yet know this method. Wait for me to return and ask the World-Honored One, then I shall come back and report to you."

Upon his return, he related the matter fully to the Buddha. The Buddha told Angulimala, "Go quickly and report this: 'Since I was born into the Noble Dharma Noble Dharma: The teachings and way of life of the enlightened ones., I have never intentionally taken a life.'"

Angulimala followed the Buddha’s words and rushed back to tell her. As soon as the woman heard this, she immediately gave birth safely.

Once, while the World-Honored One was sitting beneath a Nyagrodha tree A banyan tree, common in India., two merchants asked him, "Did you see the wagons pass by?"

He replied, "I did not."

The merchants asked, "Did you hear them?"

He replied, "I did not."

The merchants asked, "Were you perhaps in a state of meditative concentration?"

He replied, "I was not."

"Were you sleeping?"

He replied, "I was not."

The merchants marveled, saying, "Excellent, excellent! The World-Honored One is awake, yet he does not perceive." They then offered him two pieces of white felt.

During the assembly on Vulture Peak, the World-Honored One held up a flower before the crowd. At that time, everyone remained silent. Only the Venerable Kashyapa broke into a faint smile.

The World-Honored One said: "I possess the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Mind of Nirvana, the Real Sign of the Signless, the Subtle and Wondrous Dharma Gate. It does not rely on words or letters and is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. I now entrust it to Mahākāśyapa."

When the World-Honored One arrived before the Multi-Son Pagoda, he called for Mahākāśyapa to share his seat, making him sit beside him. He wrapped him in his own Sanghati robe Sanghati: The formal outer robe of a Buddhist monk. and announced: "I take the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye and secretly entrust it to you. You must protect and maintain it, and transmit it to the future."

As the World-Honored One was about to enter Nirvana, the Great Being Manjushri requested the Buddha to turn the Wheel of Dharma Wheel of Dharma: The preaching of the Buddha’s teachings. once more.

The World-Honored One scolded him, saying: "Manjushri, I have lived in this world for forty-nine years, yet I have never spoken a single word. You ask me to turn the Wheel of Dharma again—does that mean I ever turned the Wheel of Dharma to begin with?"

At the assembly of the Great Nirvana, the World-Honored One rubbed his chest with his hand and told the crowd: "You all should observe well this body of five-fold purple-burnished gold. Gaze upon it until you are satisfied; do not let yourselves have regrets later. If you say I have crossed into extinction Meaning he has "died" or ceased to exist., you are not my disciples. If you say I have not crossed into extinction, you are also not my disciples." At that moment, the million-billion members of the assembly all achieved realization.

Patriarchs of the Western Heavens

The First Patriarch, the Venerable Mahākāśyapa, was a man of the Kingdom of Magadha. His family name was Brahmin. His father was named Yinze ("Drinking Radiance") and his mother was Xiangzhi ("Fragrant Will"). In a past life, he was a goldsmith. He excelled at understanding the nature of gold, making it soft and yielding. After Vipaśyin Buddha The first of the seven Buddhas of the past. entered Nirvana in a distant eon, the people built a stupa. The face of the statue inside the stupa was golden, but it had become chipped and damaged. At that time, there was a poor woman...