Search the Community

I posted this in another thread where there was apparently no interest in it. (no biggy) . So I'm wondering if there might be any interest and resulting conversation about it here in the Buddhist sub-forum? Btw, if it was the Buddhas own intention to do as sentence #3 says why would any outside prompting be needed? which btw. has some parallel to the incident where he got outside prompting from a great god to continue his teaching when he questioned himself and the value of his doing so post enlightenment? I find such to be in-congruent under the circumstances, how about you? ------------------------------------------------------- I'd say the Buddha talked about maintaining (his soul as an immortal) throughout a "world cycle" * but that didn't happen per this excerpt from the: Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha translated from the Pali by Sister Vajira & Francis Story © 1998: From part Three: "Relinquishing the Will to Live, The Blessed One's Prompting 3. And the Blessed One said: "Whosoever, Ananda, has developed, practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it. [21] The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it." 4. But the Venerable Ananda was unable to grasp the plain suggestion, the significant prompting, given by the Blessed One. As though his mind was influenced by Mara, [22] he did not beseech the Blessed One: "May the Blessed One remain, O Lord!. May the Happy One remain, O Lord, throughout the world-period, for the welfare and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, well being, and happiness of gods and men!" 5. And when for a second and a third time the Blessed One repeated his words, the Venerable Ananda remained silent. 6. Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Ananda: "Go now, Ananda, and do as seems fit to you." "Even so, O Lord." And the Venerable Ananda, rising from his seat, respectfully saluted the Blessed One, and keeping his right side towards him, took his seat under a tree some distance away." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *description of a world cycle: Great Aeon or World Cycle (Maha-kappa) A maha kappa or aeon is generally taken to mean a world cycle. How long is a world cycle? In Samyutta ii, Chapter XV, the Buddha used the parables of the hill and mustard-seed for comparison: • Suppose there was a solid mass, of rock or hill, one yojana (eight miles) wide, one yojana across and one yojana high and every hundred years, a man was to stroke it once with a piece of silk. That mass of rock would be worn away and ended sooner than would an aeon. • Suppose there was a city of iron walls, one yojana in length, one yojana in width, one yojana high and filled with mustard-seeds to the brim. There-from a man was to take out every hundred years a mustard-seed. That great pile of mustard-seed would be emptied and ended sooner than would an aeon.