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Meditation J Krishnamurti Tao Te Ching Dhammapada Buddhist Classics A Call To Practice! One Buddha Per Universe A Lesson From A Ghost Karma Tales A Scripture That Protects Kings The Realms of Rebirth
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Buddhist Classics
One Buddha Per Universe
'Revered Nagasena, this too was said by the Lord: "This is impossible, monks, it cannot come to pass that in one world-system two arahants who are perfect buddhas should arise simultaneously - this possibility does not exist." When they are teaching, revered Nagasena, all tathagathas [buddhas] teach the thirty-seven things helpful to enlightenment, and when they are talking they talk about the four [noble] truths, and when they are making [disciples] train themselves they make them train themselves in the three trainings [ethics, meditation and wisdom], and when they are instructing they instruct in the practice of diligence. If, revered Nagasena, one is the teaching, one the talk, one the training and one the instruction of all tathagathas, for what reason do two tathagathas not arise at the same moment? Already by the arising of one buddha is this world illuminated; if there were a second buddha all the more would this world be illuminated by the light of them both. And two tathagathas, when exhorting [monks] could exhort at ease, and when instructing could instruct at ease. Tell me the reason for this that I may be without perplexity.'
'This ten-thousand-world-system, sire, is the sustainer of one buddha, it sustains the special qualities of one tathagatha only. If a second buddha were to arise, the ten-thousand-world-system could not sustain him; it would tremble, shake, bend, bow down, twist, disperse, dissolve, scatter, it would disappear. Suppose, sire, there should be a boat for taking [only] one man across; for so long as [only] one man had embarked in it it would go along evenly. But suppose a second man were to come along, similar to the first in age, appearance, stage of life, size, and lean and strong in all his limbs - if he too were to embark in the boat, could that boat, sire, sustain the two of them?'
'No, revered sir, it would tremble, shake, bend, bow down, twist, disperse, dissolve, scatter, it would disappear, it would sink into the water.'
'Even so, sire, this ten-thousand-world-system is the sustainer of [only] one buddha, it sustains the special qualities of one tathagatha only. If a second buddha were to arise, the ten-thousand-world-system could not sustain him; it would tremble, shake, bend, bow down, twist, disperse, dissolve, scatter, it would disappear. Or suppose, sire, a man were to eat as much food as he wanted, and was filled up to his throat with what he had appreciated and that, though he were satiated, regaled and quite full with no room left for more, drowsy and rigid as a stick that cannot bend, he nevertheless again ate even as much food as before. Would that man be at ease, sire?'
'Certainly not, revered sir. If he ate even once more he might die.'
'Even so, sire, this ten-thousand-world-system is the sustainer of [only] one buddha, it sustains the special qualities of one tathagatha only. If a second buddha were to arise, the ten-thousand-world-system could not sustain him; it would tremble, shake, bend, bow down, twist, disperse, dissolve, scatter, it would disappear.'
'But, revered Nagasena, does the earth tremble at an overburdening of dhamma?'
'As to this, sire, there might be two carts filled to capacity with precious things; if [people] took the precious things from one cart and piled them into the other, would that cart, sire, be able to sustain the precious things that had been in the two of them?'
'No, revered sir, its nave would split, and its spokes would break, and its rims would fall to pieces, and its axle would break.'
'So, sire, a cart breaks with an overburdening of precious things?'
'Yes, revered sir.'
'Even so, sire, does the earth tremble at an overburdening of dhamma. And, sire, this is a reason propounded for illustrating the power of the buddhas. And listen to another reason why two perfect buddhas do not arise at the same moment. If, sire, two perfect buddhas were to arise at the same moment, dispute would arise among their assemblies and [on these] saying: "Your buddha, our buddha", a two-fold faction might be brought into existence. As, sire, dispute might arise in the companies of two powerful ministers and [on these] saying: "Your minister, our minister", a two-fold faction might be brought into existence - even so, sire, if two perfect buddhas were to arise at the same moment, dispute might arise among their assemblies and [on these] saying: "Your buddha, our buddha", a two-fold faction might be brought into existence, This, sire, is one reason why two perfect buddhas do not arise at the same moment.
'And, sire, listen to another and a further reason why two perfect buddhas do not arise at the same moment. If, sire, two perfect buddhas were to arise at the same moment, false would be the statement which says: "The Buddha is the foremost, the Buddha is the eldest, the Buddha is the best, the Buddha is the [most] eminent, the Buddha is the supreme . . . the most distinguished . . . without an equal . . . equal to the unequalled . . . matchless . . . without a counterpart, the Buddha is unrivalled." Accept according to its meaning this reason too, sire, why two perfect buddhas do not arise at the same moment.
'Moreover, sire, this is the natural individual essence of buddhas, of lords, that only one buddha arises in the world [at a time]. And why? By reason of the might of the special qualities of omniscient buddhas. Other things that are mighty in the world, sire, are also unique: the earth, sire, is mighty and is unique; the sea is mighty and is unique; Sineru, monarch of the mountains, is mighty and is unique; space . . . Sakka . . . Mara . . . great Brahma is mighty and is unique; . . . the tathagata, arahant, perfect buddha is mighty and is unique in the world. Where these uprise there is no occasion for a second. Therefore, sire, only on tathagata, arahant, perfect buddha arises in the world [at a time].'
'The question has been well spoken to, revered Nagasena, with similes and reasons [adduced]. Even a person who is not clever would be delighted on hearing this, how much more then one of great wisdom like myself? It is good, revered Nagasena; so it is, therefore do I accept it.'
...Excerpt from Buddhist Scriptures
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