Why is Maitreya Bodhisattva the face of love? Why is Maitreya called the Future Buddha? Why does his name translate as loving friend?
CONTENTS
00:00-01:54 Why is Maitreya the Face of Love?
01:54-03:10 Maitreya foretold in Sutra as Next Buddha
03:10-08:12 Asanga's Quest to See Maitreya and the 3 Sights
08:12-09:54 Maitreya's Boundless Love for All Beings
09:54-11:27 Maitreya in Tushita Heaven Now -- Sutra
11:27-13:57 Many Forms of Maitreya
13:57-14:34 Practicing Maitreya Now
14:34-14:54 Mantra three times
14:54-15:55 The Longer Dharani: Maitreya's Promise
15:55-16:56 CAUTION: A common Sanskrit Error "Smara" not "Mara"
16:56-18:30 Maitreya's Promise Dharani Three Times in Sanskrit
18:30-20:10 Buddha's Instruction while Chanting the Dharani.
HIS MANTRA:
om maitri maha maitri maitri ye svaha
There is also a longer Dharani mantra called the Arya Maitrina pratijna nama dharani.
This is often translated as, the Mantra of Maitreya Buddha's Promise. Although it should be chanted in Sanskrit, a translation of the Dharani is helpful for our practice.
Homage to the Three Jewels
Homage to the Lord Shakyamuni, Tathagata, Arhat, Completely Perfect Buddha
The Dharani translated follows:
Om Invincible, Invincible, Unconquered; Conquer the Unconquered;
You Who Look Down with Friendliness: Act! Act!
Bring! Bring the fulfillment of your great pledge
Shake the seat of great awakening
Remember. Remember your pledge for us.
Awakening, awakening, great awakening, svaha
Here is the Heart Mantra
OM MOHI MOHI MAHA MOHI SVAHA.
Here is the close Heart Mantra
OM MUNI MUNI SMARA SVAHA
IMPORTANT NOTE: For the Dharani and close Heart Mantra there is a common transcription error from Sanskrit to other languages. In the Dharani and the Close Heart Mantra, the word "smara" which means remember is often transcribed as "Mara", which has a negative connotation. Mara was the Opponent of Buddha under the Bodhi tree, and various meanings include death, suffering and other negative associations.
In the mantra it is meant to translate as "remember, remember, your pledge for us." It is fairly common to see the mantra chanted "mara mara atmakam samaya" however this should be "smara smara atmakam samaya" to translate as "remember, remember your pledge for us." Smara is "remember. "Atmakam is "Consisting of" and "Samaya" is promise or oath.
The Dharani, in Sanskrit is:
NAMO BHAGAVATE SHAKYAMUNIYE TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMYAK SAM BUDDHAYA
TADYATHA: OM AJITE AJITE APARAJITEH
AJITAN CHAYA HARA HARA
MAITRI AVALOKITE KARA KARA
MAHA SAMAYA SIDDHI BHARA BHARA
MAHA BODHI MANDA VIJA
SMARA SMARA ATMAKAM SAMAYA
BODHI BODHI MAHA BODHI SVAHA
OM MOHI MOHI MAHA MOHI SVAHA
OM MUNI MUNI SMARA SVAHA
Maitreya's name gets to the heart of his practice right away. His name, Maitreya, literally translates as "loving friend." Maitreya's name is derived from the Sanskrit word Mai tri as in "friendship" however it has many layered meanings: benevolence, kindness, friendliness, amity, goodwill, active love for others.
For people who aspire to his loving kindness and protection, simply chant his powerful mantras, and his famous Dharani. Later in this presentation, we'll cover the mantra and Dharani. We'll also explain how one syllable in the Dharani and heart mantra is frequently mispronounced, and how to correctly chant the mantras.
Maitreya is frequently just called Ajita, which means the unsurpassed. Ajita is part of his Dharani as well. When Buddha speaks to Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva in the Lotus Sutra, he addresses him in person. The assembly usually call him "Ajita."
Maitreya is foretold in many Sutras as the future Buddha, the next Buddha to come after Shakyamuni Buddha to the Earth, including the Maitreya vimana Sutta, the Lotus Sutra and the Maha paranirvana Sutra.
Maitreya Bodhisattva embodies the Bodhisattva ideal of Mahayana Buddhism: one who delays their own Buddhahood out of compassion for all sentient beings, although he is now on his "last life time" before being born into our world as the next Buddha. Maitreya's name means "loving friend" or "friend of all", and his compassionate nature is extended to all beings, regardless of whether they are human, animal or anything else. Maitreya is therefore known as the "friend of all creatures".
How do we practice Maitreya now, in this life? As the Loving Friend, the Compassionate One, the Great Bodhisattva of the highest level, his main practice is compassion. One story often told by lineage teachers to illustrate how we can see and practice Maitreya now, is the wonderful and inspiring life of the great Asanga.
Lama Tsomo's book "Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection" Publisher ‏ : ‎ Namchak Publishing (October 11, 2022)
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1951096007
Available on Amazon.com (affiliate link): amzn.to/3TT2wZO
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