7. Interpretation of the Lord Supreme Maitreya Sutra
In the Lord Supreme Maitreya Sutra, the Buddha said:
"Later, the Bodhisattva Maitreya will be reborn under the name Tu Thi. When He becomes the Buddha, His nation will be a very serious one. All the palaces are made up of seven gems. There are limpid lakes and all kinds of sweet flowers everywhere. The surface of the ground is flat, without thorns covered uniquely with soft, carpetlike green grass. Those who were born in this world have a good cause and would enjoy a very peaceful life, without suffering, illness or worry. Their bodies are well proportioned, imposing, and good looking. They can live up to ten thousand years with all the succulent, tasty foods, and no textiles are needed since plants produce clothes. At the end of their life, they go to the forest reserved for those who come there to rest forever."
He was reborn, this time, into the family of Tu. His verse, cited in chapter one, was the Tu Thi Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha.
One morning, at the wooden loft at 42 of Hong Bang Street, Nha Trang, The Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya started His teaching:
"Mankind thinks that thanks to His virtue and authority, the nation where Lord Supreme Maitreya was born will become prosperous and solemn, without chaos and confusion. The land will be transformed into precious things such as gold, crystal, mother of pearl, agate, and pearls of all kinds etc. And the sage thinks that: After having corrected all his living creatures’ nature, his mind became a great purity. His body seems to pose all the time, walking, standing, lying, and sitting. He became the possessor of the ‘seven gems’ in the universe.
From the time of Sakyamuni Buddha to the time when Lord Supreme Maitreya attained Buddha hood, there were only two Buddhas possessing the ‘seven gems’. Right after His birth, the Crown Prince Siddhartha advanced seven steps, which became seven lotus flowers, accounting for the ‘seven gems’. Lord Supreme Maitreya had written a poem on the ‘Sword of Seven Gems’, which the Buddhas only skillfully utilize these seven gems when necessary to make a skillful use. Mara and evils are frightened of it. The sword of seven gems is reserved only to the Buddhas. It can push down bulwark and bail water out of the sea. The sword of seven gems is very active and never refuses a necessity, basically to destroy the ignorance.
Everybody can have a sword of seven gems, but because of his stupidity, the sword did not appear. Only those who possess the great strength, great power, and great compassion know how to use the sword effectively. It can expunge the Three Worlds and Six Ways. The seven gems of the Buddha are focused mind, natural insight, Buddha nature, dharma body (full comprehension), Tathagata store, dharma realm and dharma nature." –T.V.
There are limpid lakes and all kinds of sweet flower everywhere
Because His mind is tranquilized, He can see the clarity everywhere, and His body is complete with its three bodies, thus there is a constant fragrance.
The surface of the ground is even, without thorn or prickles, and covered uniquely with soft green grass, which feels like a carpet.
Ordinary men believe that when Lord Supreme Maitreya returns, the land will no longer be rough. There are no hills and valleys and everything is on the same level. There are no more thorns, and walking on the land is like walking on a carpet.
The sage thinks that from His rebirth to His practice of the dharma; everybody could hear sweet words, full of compassion without denaturalization and abnormality as in the living creatures. There are no more naughty and thorny speeches and all of the living creatures who met Him felt as satisfied as walking on a carpet of grass.
Even the evil and cruel people, after meeting Him, feel satisfied on the way back home. By His great compassion, He turns the evil thoughts into good ones.
Once, a powerful high-ranking government official from the Central came to see Him. He sweetly received him. When He gained insight into the mind of the other He knew there would be a catastrophe, He then made a deity appear on the mountain, one near the number 6 of the Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Nha Trang. The deity was brown skinned and sturdy, with round eyes. He was sitting, guarding Him. The visitor, startled to see it, said to his inferiors when returning: This monk is of high dignity. He did not really know who He was, and needed neither to discharge the halo, nor to heighten himself. He was very simple but full of compassion and vigor. Those close to Him follow His practice and have confidence in Him and He often demonstrates the halo from His body. The story is true; it is no use to invent or lie.
Those who are born in this world have a good cause. They enjoy a very peaceful and pleasant life, without suffering, illness or worries.
For all living beings, to live in a world where Lord Supreme Maitreya was born is to be very happy, needless to practice the Dharma.
For the sage, if all living creatures living at the same time with Lord Supreme Maitreya had the great good cause to practice His dharma of salvation, he would have a calm and joyful mind. Thus, there is no more suffering in all situations, and once the mind is tranquil, disease will be chased out.
Their bodies are proportioned, imposing, and beautiful. They can live up to ten thousand years.
The people believe that when they meet Lord Supreme Maitreya, their ugly bodies will become beautiful and they can live longer.
For the sage: When meeting Him, try to correct your temper, practice meditation and dharma, and study the doctrine for a while, and your character will be better. Therefore, your form also gets better, your face will be bright and beautiful, and your way of walking will be imposing too. Once liberated from the transmigration of birth and death, you will be immortal and have longevity of 10 thousand years in heaven.
There are plenty of succulent and tasty foods and textiles are not needed since plants produce clothes.
The people believe that after they meet Lord Supreme Maitreya, there is no more bad, decayed food in the country, the dressing is available everywhere and you could have beautiful clothes that you do not have to buy.
When you meet Him, the sages, no matter how painful and thorny the situation is, you will be glad to undergo it because it is the source of foods for the bodhisattva vows. Once you are able to control all nature, all dharma, you will have a durable and beautiful countenance. You will neither have to seek it, nor work harder for it. Plants produce clothes, which mean there is no more hatred, suffering, or fear to invade you. When the mind is calm and joyful, the body will become young and beautiful.
At the end of their life, they go to the forest, reserved for those who come there to rest forever.
The people often believe that they will die tranquilly in their old age.
The sage: When you have reached purity by your practice, you will leave the world as light as a feather at the end of your life. Forest means that the purity is plentiful everywhere.
He had also taught “If people have good virtue, are generous and have pity toward the suffered, frequently help those of misfortune, they transfer their merits when meeting a holy monk and follow Him to practice meditation properly. They will receive good blessed rewards, though they will not yet be enlightened. Having good karma, they will be reborn in a noble and eminent family, having good luck, and high longevity.
If you sow merits, when meeting the Buddha and practicing dharma and meditation under His guidance, you will enjoy good fruits and blessed rewards in heaven and in royal and noble scenarios. If you are enlightened, end all worries, see clearly, and do not pollute yourself with desires, and you will have an eternal life. If you are completely enlightened, you will get out of the universe, completely liberated from birth and death, from the transmigration. Though completely liberated from karma of worries, the worries and desires remain present. Why? All dharma are suchness without pollution.” –T.V.