Attaining
Transcendental Vision through Repentance
Elder Annirhuda lost his eyesight as
a result of adhering to his vow of not sleeping. He made this vow after he was reprimanded by the Buddha for dozing off during a Dharma discourse.Despite
his handicap, Annirhuda was not deterred in his cultivation. His mind's eye was
gradually opened up, and he became the disciple best known in transcendental vision who could see sentient beings of all the Six Paths.
One day,
Ananda asked the Buddha:" Buddha! What difference is there between what
you see and what Annirhuda sees?"
The Buddha
replied:" What the Buddha sees is not what even the Arhat and Pacceka Buddhas could envisage, not to mention a Bikshu. The Buddha can see clearly all those
in the eastern worlds including the very minute beings in the darkest corners.
What Annirhuda sees is not even a ten-thousandth part of that seen by the Buddha."
Ananda
then asked:" What karma had Annirhuda planted in the past to enable his
attainment of transcendental power?"
The Buddha
therefore recounted the origin of his karma:
Long ago,
on a night soon after an ancient Buddha had entered into Nirvana, a thief went into a temple to steal.As
it was deep into the night and the the light of the lamp in front of the Buddha's image was almost burnt out,
everywhere was pitch dark. So, the thief took out one of his arrows which he
was carrying with him to adjust the wick of the lamp to make it burn brighter.
As the
lamp lit up again,he could see the compassionate and dignified image of the
Buddha. The thief suddenly shuddered and felt ashamed as he thought:" So
many people come into the temple to make offerings to the Buddha. How could I steal any of these gifts of pure donation from the temple?" His
urge to steal was extinguished. He left the temple and henceforth led a reformed life.
It was
this single thought of good which had allowed him to gradually eliminate his
evil karma and build up his merits for ninety-one kalpas. This karma has led to his birth in this era of the present Buddha, his renunciation to become a bikshu and his eventual attainment of transcendental vision which he is now renowned for.
[ Repentance
is an indispensable virtue in our daily life. It is like the water of Dharma which could cleanse our sins, a boat which could carry us to the opposite shore of Nirvana
and liberation,
and a medicinal herb which could cure the range of illnesses caused by
defilements. It is also like a bright lantern which shines through the darkness of our ignorance, a wall
which protects the six roots of our body and mind, a bridge that leads us to
the Way of the Buddha and clothing which adorns the fruit of the Bodhi Way.
Being truly repentant
can help to erase
our unwholesome karma.]