My suspicions about Manjushri

The Lotus Sutra refers to Manjushri as being a bodhisattva - not as a fully-enlightened Buddha. Since Shakyamuni Buddha himself refers to the Lotus Sutra as his highest teaching, it would be easy enough (on that basis alone) to think of Manjushri as (only) a bodhisattva.

However, I have my doubts which, as you will see, the Lotus plainly encourages.

The Lotus Sutra speaks of a profound concept - expedient means - which is "the foremost device of the Buddhas" (page 27*) and is, in fact, the title of its second chapter. Briefly, expedient means are a wide variety of teaching methods used by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to lead living beings to enlightenment. For example, the Lotus speaks of a Bodhisattva named Wonderful Sound, when it claims:

QUOTE:

If the form of a Buddha will bring salvation, he immediately [as a kind of expedient means] manifests a Buddha form and preaches the Law. Thus he manifests himself in various different forms, depending upon what is appropriate for salvation.

:UNQUOTE: [Page 296*]

Why I think Manjushri is a fully-enlightened Buddha

If Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound can "manifest a Buddha form," then it's at least plausible that Manjushri could manifest a Bodhisattva form - even though he's really a Buddha - if that's what it takes to lead living beings to enlightenment. My suspicions about Manjushri being a Buddha were aroused when Bodhisattva Maitreya asks Bodhisattva Manjushri:

"What is the cause of these auspicious portents, these signs of transcendental powers, this emitting of a great beam of brightness that illumines the eighteen thousand lands in the eastern direction so we can see all the adornments of the Buddha worlds there?" [page 7*]

Manjushri replies, "...in the past I have seen this auspicious portent among the Buddhas. They emitted a beam of light like this, and after that they expounded the great Law [that is, they expounded the Lotus Sutra, the greatest among the teachings of the Buddhas]." [page 14*]

Manjushri knew this, but Maitreya did not - even though Maitreya was the next Bodhisattva among the Great Assembly predicted, by Shakyamuni Buddha, to become a Buddha. Furthermore, Manjushri tells Maitreya about a time, trillions of years ago during the lifetime of the Buddha Sun Moon Bright, when they knew each other:

QUOTE:

The eight sons of the Buddha Sun Moon Bright all acknowledged Wonderfully Bright as their teacher....Among the 800 disciples of Wonderfully Bright was one named Seeker of Fame. He was greedy for gain and support, and though he read and recited numerous sutras, he could not understand them, but for the most part forgot them. Hence he was called Seeker of Fame....Maitreya, you should understand this. Bodhisattva Wonderfully Bright who lived then - could he be unknown to you? He was no other than I myself. And Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame was you.

:UNQUOTE: [Page 17*]

Wow...Seeker of Fame (of whom Manjushri later refers - on page 21* -  as being "that lazy and slothful one") is the next in line to become a Buddha. While Manjushri had not yet been so predicted. We're expected to believe that the lazy and slothful one is to become a Buddha before his teacher. Then a sudden thought hit me:

"Manjushri, though only identified as a Bodhisattva, is the first within the pages of the Burton Watson text*, to speak of the Buddha about to preach the Great Law of the Lotus Sutra. And it's obvious he'd heard this Law before. I have to bow down in appreciation to Manjushri as foremost in modesty - allowing himself to be an anonymous Buddha so that he could walk freely among the members of the Great Assembly without intimidating them. He could then serve the useful function of being accessible at times when the seekers of the Way might be too awed to approach the Buddha directly with their questions."

Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

"Hail, Manjushri Buddha" - Steve.

*  All asterisked items above refer to the Burton Watson translation of the Lotus Sutra, which is available in its entirety on line: http://lotus.nichirenshu.org/lotus/sutra/english/watson/indxwatson.htm

Why angels have wings

Angels have wings because it was for angels that the earth was created, not man. Angels were intended to be the dominant life form on planet earth, and their wings were meant to enable them to fly like the birds. The creation of man wasn't even really anticipated; it was in response to the growing arrogance of the angels who had once been so close to God.

In fact, it had been this closeness to the Almighty that encouraged this arrogance. God saw this and was not pleased. So He created a lesser being - a man - and told His angels to bow down to this creature made of dirt. He meant man as a means to humble the angels - and to challenge them. Man, as an obviously inferior being, was an offering to the angels. Bow down to man, yes, but do your part to raise man as a master raises a disciple - to fulfill his potential.

The angels had been close to God and therefore would know what needed to be done to raise man. About this bowing business? What could man possibly think of an angel who would bow down to him (as, really, a token gesture) but who was superior to man in all obvious ways. If someone were to bow down to me, and then proceed to fly high over my head, I might think this creature were mocking me.

But, no...the bow was sincere and not sarcastic. For the bow was meant for what I had the capacity to become, not for what I happened to be at the moment. Much the same reason is behind why, in certain oriental traditions, the master bows down to the disciple. For the disciple is the means for the master's eventual attainment of perfect enlightenment.

Man stood to gain much under the tutelage of the angels. And the angels, too, stood to gain much. For one thing - humility. For you see, man isn't really very bright and he, too, is arrogant. Any good teacher undergoes trial by fire when trying to instruct the dim, the proud, and the unwilling. By trying to teach men, the angels would come to know how God felt while trying to teach them.

And God would have a good and private, though not malicious, laugh over having created Man out of dirt and the angels out of light. After all, dirt is nothing more than another name for earth (not to mention, all dirt contains light though it be locked up, in a manner of speaking), which had been created to be home to the angels after being weaned away from the direct presence of the heavenly kingdom. An angel might well have thought:

"What? The Heavenly Father makes a creature out of the dirt we were intended to walk upon? The dirt we scrape off our feet? And He tells us to bow down to that?"

But the point was lost upon the angels, and also upon men, I'm afraid. It doesn't matter whether you are made of dirt or light, whether your origins are lofty or base, whether your teacher is an angel or a God. What matters is what you make of yourself.

But...you're a Buddhist, aren't you?

My dear reader, you may well wonder why I write about angels and God Almighty, even though I'm a Buddhist. Let me put it this way:

Sometimes you have to write in terms that people can understand, using images and "realities" they're comfortable with. Then we can move on from there.

I'm still a Buddhist who doesn't believe in a God-the-Creator, though I believe in the existence of untold trillions of angelic entities called Bodhisattvas, of which the Western God is but one. These Bodhisattvas (including God) wish, in turn, to become Buddhas, of which there are also untold trillions. And none of these Buddhas - past, present, or future - is at all interested (even if this were possible) in creating a universe which worships him. Instead, each of these Buddhas is solely interested in being the means by which Bodhisattvas become Buddhas.

Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

"I was speaking to a born-again Christian friend concerning my view of angels (above). Then I told her about the perfect Bible - that uncorrupted and complete version which she believes is out there, somewhere. I don't know why I said this, but I more or less blurted out: What you're looking for is buried in the Crimea, a land bordered by the Black Sea. But...don't seek it; seek God directly instead" - Steve.