Manjushri was a leader of the Buddha’s students. Manjushri is a Sanskrit name that means “Wonderful Virtue”, referring to his subtle, wonderful, inconceivable virtuous practices. He is also called “Wonderfully Lucky”, because every place he goes becomes auspicious. This Bodhisattva has a great wisdom and also the wisest Bodhisattva. In the countless past lives, he already achieved enlightment as the Buddha, with the name of as the Great Dragon King Buddha, located south of this world, about a thousand Buddha realms. The realm name was Equality Land
Currently he is in the realm of Happiness Land, lying to the north about forty-two zillion Buddha realms, with the Buddha’s name being Happy Heap of Jewels Buddha . In the future, he will return to the teaching of beings with the Buddha’s name, Universal View Buddha. Why is the name, Universal View Buddha? Because that Tathagata, being in all ten countless hundreds of thousands zillion Buddha realms are able to see him. If any sentient beings able to see Universal View Buddha, then that being will be enlighten in the near future.
He had already became a Buddha in countless lives, but he still appeared as a great or small presence, or reincarnation as a Bodhisattva and acted with Bodhisattva good deed to all sentient beings, assisting other Buddhists to propagate. Bodhisattva Manjushri often appeared at the Five Great Mountain , the ashram where he often manifested. His miraculous spirit was inconceivable.
Venerable Master Hsu Yun once vowed to take three steps and a bow, from the south sea of Mount Putuo to the Mount of the Five Great Mountain, for the inspiration of Manjushri Bodhisattva, thus making him attain great wisdom. The three-step roadmap is about five to six thousand miles long. How long would you say it take to finish? It is a very long time, if you want to know it in details, read the book about the life of Master Hsu Yun. In it, there is a paragraph like this: Master Hsu Yun was bowing along the Yellow River. At the time, it was in the winter when the snow falled down heavily, he was dwelling along the river in a tiny hut to avoid snow falling. Experiencing thru a few snow days, the snow was gradually lessening, He was hungry to the point of almost dying. At that time, there was a beggar who came by and took the grass and covered around the stall, then started a fire, cooked a small pot of yellow rice porridge, offering it to the Venerable Master. When Master Hsu Yun finished eating, he started to recover his strength, and he asked the beggar’s name and where he came from.
The beggar said: “Last name, Virtue. First name Lucky, from Five Great Mountain, everyone knows me.”
After that, the beggar helped to carry Master Hsu Yun luggage. The three steps one vow were very convenient. During the way, they passed by one of the pagodas, but the monks at the monastery was in contempt for the beggar, then yelled at Master Hsu Yun: “You stepped and bowed, why do you have to bring along the beggar!” Master Hsu Yun was scolded by the monks, and the beggar was even more scolded by the monks. They did not even let the beggar sleep in the temple, he was kicked out of the temple. The beggar said to Master Hsu Yun: “From here is not that far from the Five Great Mountain. I will go ahead, you can comes later. Your luggage will soon be brought to the mountain by others.” Later, Hsu Yun met a bureaucrats, helped him to carry luggage to the Five Great Mountains, and Master Hsu Yun then continue took three steps to bow. When he came to Five Great Mountain, he asked the Venerable of at Five Great Mountain, do you know a beggar named Virtue Lucky! But no one knew. Then one of the monks heard the question, the monk joined his palm and said: “It is the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri!” Virtue is Virtuous Practices, Lucky is Wonderfully Lucky.
Hsu Yun bowed to Manjushri Bodhisattva and received the inspiration of the Bodhisattva Manjushri to help him. Master Hsu Yun and the Bodhisattva Manjushri lived with each others in general for a long time. Master Hsu Yun did not know until much later that was the Bodhisattva Manjushri, but he did not recognize him. The wonder of Bodhisattva Manjushri was inconceivable. Because of his miraculous virtue, he manifested as a beggar. Or maybe he turned into a rich man or rode a horse to help the Master Hsu Yun luggage, it was also possible. But he did not do that! He also vowed to follow the Master Hsu Yun. It is the great wisdom of Bodhisattva Manjushri.
Bodhisattva Manjushri was a very special Bodhisattva, when he was born, there were ten things of arising, unlike other Bodhisattvas. Manjushri Bodhisattva is a great wise man, yes you will ask: “The Venerable Shariputra also has great wisdom, between the Bodhisattva Manjushri and the Venerable Shariputra, is there any different?” Wisdom of Bodhisattva Manjushri is true, the wisdom of the great wheel of dharma. And the wisdom of the Venerable Shariputra is the use of provisional, the wisdom of the small dharma vehicle.
Here are the ten things that happen when the Bodhisattva Bodhisattva was born.
1. Brightness filled the room. This clarity was brighter than any light, representing the great wisdom of the Bodhisattva.
2. The nectar was full of around the house. Nectarine is a special holy water, able to heal all kinds of diseases. If one drinks it, one will not be threatened with suffering, old age, sickness or death.
3. Seven treasures soared up from the ground. Seven treasures were: gold, silver, glass, crystal, nacre, pearl, agate. Why were seven treasures soaring? Because the Bodhisattva Manjushri, who had practiced thousand of virtue, fulfill all vows. So that where ever he came the treasures soared up from the ground.
4. Power to open treaure. The great divine power of the Manjushri Bodhisattva can caused the earth to crack open and reveal the underground treasure hidden below. This was not the same as the land that soared up seven treasures, like the third above. Here, the earth cracked open and revealed the hidden treasures.
5. Chicken gave birth to the Phoenix. This was not trivial compared to the above sign. In fact, chickens only breeded chickens, but because the Bodhisattva Manjushri was born is a remarkable special event. The chicken eggs hatched into the phoenix (the phoenix is the god of birds).
6. Pig gave birth to dragon. This was an inconceivable virtuous, rarer than chicken gave birth to phoenix. If you have felt too inconceivable, then read at at the following signs.
7. Horse gave birth to unicorn. Unicorns with oxtail, deer body with a horn on its head. Horse gave birth to unicorn was a rare event in the world.
8. Horse gave birth to a white beast. White beast was the name of a beast, able to talk. It was an extremely rare species of the heavenly animal, considered as a lucky animal. It’s not like an ox and it’s not like a horse; it’s not like a deer or a mule. It’s not like anything at all. It looks like a horse, but has the hooves of an ox.
9. Rice turned into gold. Do you think it’s weird? There are people who think it’s too weird, so don’t believe it. If you don’t believe it, you’re not transparent. If you are transparent, there is no question. Before, you certainly have not heard these things, so how can you believe it? Surprisingly, this world is so vast, that what we see is limited, because we have not heard of these strange phenomena. When the rice turned into golden rice, it couldn’t be eaten, but it is more valuable.
10. The elephant had six ivory tusks. Usually we only know elephants had two tusks. But when the Bodhisattva Bodhisattva was born, the elephants all grew six ivory tusks. Would you say it was weird?