Buddha walked seven steps
When the Buddha was born, the Buddha took the first seven steps. After he walked the seventh step, he pointed his hand to the sky and said:
“Heaven above Heaven below, I alone am the world honored one”
Today’s article we will discuss the meaning of the above sentence and the meaning of the first seven steps.
1 – “Heaven above Heaven below, I alone am the world honored one”
All beings reincarnate in 6 realms. As for those who attained enlightenment, they escaped to the first six realms of reincarnation and settled in the remaining four realms. 6 realms + 4 realms = 10 realms. The ten realms are the following realms: Buddha, Bodhisattva, Pratyekabuddhas, Hearers, Heaven, Asura , Human, Animal, Hungry Ghost and Hell realms
“Heaven above” – The Buddha raised his right hand to heaven which means that all beings live above the human realm. The six realms above the human realm are the Buddha, Bodhisattva, Pratyekabuddhas, Hearers, Heaven, Asura realms.
“Heaven below” – The Buddha’s left arm pointing down to the earth means that all beings live in the lower part of the heaven realm. Four realms lie beneath are the human, animal, hungry ghost and hell realms.
“I alone am” – translation is only me. The word “only me” has many meanings, depending on your point of view.
– For those in the six reincarnations, the word “I alone” translates as “only me”. Beings are full of greed and hatred, Everything, you wants to reserve only for you. You take self-esteem very seriously. Throughout the day, you are constantly cuddling and decorating your stinky body. “I alone” means only me, no one else.
– For Pratyekabuddhas and Hearers, they have cultivated, reached enlightenment and can transform into another body when they are old. They no longer need to cling to their body. For those in these two realms, the “I alone” has become “No one”. The “I” has became null.
– As for those cultivate according to Mahayana, the Bodhisattva realm. They don’t care about self-esteem. There is no I, they only live with the mind. They live with a true mind. For these cultivators, the word “self” means that only the mind because the true mind that doesn’t arise or have cessation.
“world honored one” – means the most precious one
If you live your life with high ego, greed without boundary, The “I alone am the world honored one” phrase will turn you upside down, you start to think only you is important, no one else in this world will be more important than you. No one else, therefore I deserve everything: money, beauty, wealth.
If you practice according to the Hinayana, the self has become null. So “myself” doesn’t exist. And “I alone am” does not belong to “world honored one. So you will assume that there is nothing in this world is precious. Those people will not understand within the null, there is not null. In the selflessness there is a true self.
“Heaven above Heaven below, I alone am the world honored one” means that all beings in the ten realms have a mind that either arising or cessation, the Buddha’s mind. And that Buddha mind is the most precious thing in this world. All ten directions of the universe, all Buddha are the same, all equal. Not to say only Buddha is unique, total authoritarian. Anyone can become a Buddha. Not only Shakyamuni is the Buddha, but all other sentient beings can become a Buddha. Currently, it is not only Buddha who has the Buddha wisdom. And all sentient beings have Buddha’s knowledge. Because the sentient beings are not transparent to this knowledge, and unable to access this knowledge. Because Buddha wanted to teach all sentient beings the hidden wisdom, he had reincarnated in this world.
Buddha spoke out because he wanted to make sentient beings realize the Buddha’s wisdom. Speaking of reason, your rational suddenly become transparent, but it is not enough. The mind must also be enlightened. If the mind is not yet enlightened, and just only listen to the dharma, the mind cannot fully open the truth wisdom. Buddha wants to make all sentient beings enlightened with the Buddha’s knowledge that they already have, so he reborn in this life time. The Buddha wants sentient beings to understand that everyone has the Buddha nature, but not yet attained enlightenment, so the Buddha wants all sentient to see the Buddha’s wisdom. To enter is to reach enlightenment, to enter the Buddha’s realm. So the Buddha purposes is to help all sentient beings to open, see, understand the dharma and enter the knowledge of the Buddha. Once sentient being is no longer in the cycle of birth and death, then his tasks is completed. When it is done, there is nothing to do. So when the Buddha finished explaining this truth, then he enters into Nirvana.
Buddha only used one method of teaching, teaching the “Actuality”. All of the Buddhas in the ten direction of the universe also used the same method of teaching. To help being, they speak the dharma, not using the big or small vehicle. Two or three different type of vehicles (these are Hinayana, Mahayana, Pratyekabuddhas or Hearer vehicles). All of those vehicles are just the method that guide them into seeing the “Actuality” of the world. Then what kind of vehicle is that type? It is the only vehicle, the vehicle to Buddhahood.
2. “Walking seven steps” – means Buddha took his first seven steps. All of the Bodhisattva living in the Tushita Heaven, when they reincarnated on this earth to become the next Buddha, they all took the first seven steps after birth. In the future, Maitreya Bodhisattva will also take his first seven steps after birth. Why all of the next Buddha do perform these steps?
In the Flower Adornment Sutra, chapter Transcending the World, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva answered the questions from Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva about the Actually that last forever, the final stage of reaching Equal and Wonderful Enlightenment. In one of those questions, there is one specific question about the seven steps. Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva asked:
Sutra: “Why taking the seven steps?”
Commentary: Why do future Buddha take the seven steps after birth?
Universal Worthy Bodhisattva answered:
Sutra: “Disciples of the Buddha! Maha Bodhisattva took seven steps because of these ten things. What are the ten things? They are: “
Commentary: Disciples of the Buddha, all of the great Bodhisattva, because of the ten things, took the first seven steps after birth. With right hand pointing finger to the sky and the left hand finger pointing to the ground, the Buddha spoke: “Heaven above Heaven below, I alone am the world honored one”. To show the scene of the birth of the great Bodhisattva. What are the ten things? They are:
Sutra: “1. To show the Bodhisattva strength, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show the world the strength and the power of the great Bodhisattva, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “2. To show the seven wealth, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show the world the seven heavenly wealth, they walked seven steps right after birth. The seven wealth are:
- Faith wealth
- Diligence wealth
- Discipline wealth
- Ashamed wealth
- Dharma wealth
- Give wealth
- Concentration wealth
Sutra: “3. To fulfill the earth god wishes, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To fulfill the wishes from the god of the land, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “4. To show the ability to escape the three heavenly realms, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show that they can escape the three heaven realms: The desire realm, the form realm and the formless realm. They walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “5. To show the supreme power of the Bodhisattva, beyond the king elephants, the king buffalo, the king lion ,they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show the strength the power of the great Bodhisattva, more powerful than the strength of the elephant’s king, the buffalo’s king, the lion’s king. They walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “6. To show the body and mind as clear as diamond, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show that they have the body and the mind as sharp, shine and clear as the diamond. They walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “7. To give the sentinel being the will power, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To give all of the sentinel being the will and the power, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “8. To show the seven bodhi , they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show the seven parts of Bodhi: enlightened, diligent, happy, except, discharged, reciting and sensing part, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “9. To show the true nature without the need of others, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show the truth dharma, your true Buddha nature, coming from within yourself and not from learning from others, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “10. To show the perfect world incomparable to others, they walk seven steps.”
Commentary: To show that this world can be the best place to cultivate that no other place can compete, they walked seven steps right after birth.
Sutra: “That are the ten things. Discipline of the Buddha! The Bodhisattva want to teach others, that is why they show the seven steps.”
Commentary: That are the ten things. Discipline of the Buddha! The great Bodhisattva wants to teach all of us the true dharma, the actuality. That is why the have perform the scene of taking the seven steps right after birth.
