Last week, we mentioned that the venerable Ananda asked Shakyamuni Buddha four questions. Venerable Ananda was Shakyamuni Buddha’s attendant, someone who constantly followed and served him. Shakyamuni Buddha once praised him (venerable Ananda) as “foremost in learning.”

What does “foremost in learning” mean?

It means that because he frequently followed Shakyamuni Buddha, he heard the most teachings and Buddhist doctrines. However, while extensive learning is good, it also has a drawback: he had not put the teachings into practice. He went to listen to the Buddha’s sermons every day, enjoyed them immensely, and wanted to learn everything. He knew everything the Buddha taught, but he had not genuinely applied them in practice.

After the Buddha’s Nirvana, all the Arhats gathered together to discuss the teachings and doctrines of Shakyamuni Buddha. The assembly was chaired by Mahakasyapa, but because venerable Ananda had heard the most Buddhist teachings, they requested him to preside over the meeting as its chief speaker. At that time, there were five hundred Arhats present.

However, Mahakasyapa rejected Ananda, saying, “Although you have heard much, you have not actually practiced or attained enlightenment, so you cannot enter.” 

Venerable Ananda was heartbroken. Four hundred and ninety-nine had entered, leaving him alone outside. Finally, he said, “Very well! Since that’s how it is, I will quickly begin to cultivate.”

He began cultivating every day, from morning till night, for seven days and seven nights without sleep. However, he still did not attain enlightenment, he still could not figure it out. He said, “I have heard so many teachings, but because I have not put them into practice, thus I have not attained enlightenment. You all forbid me from going in to participate in the council.”

He cultivated continuously for seven days and seven nights, like a student preparing for an exam by studying late into the night. On the seventh day, he still hadn’t attained enlightenment. Suddenly, he went to bed: “Gosh! If I can’t attain enlightenment through cultivation, I might as well sleep.” 

The moment he laid down and touched the bed, he attained enlightenment.

He quickly ran to the assembly place to see Venerable Mahakasyapa and told him, “I have attained enlightenment.” 

Mahakasyapa was very skeptical: “How can you say you’ve attained enlightenment so quickly, in just seven days? You must be lying!” 

When they assembled, the four hundred and ninety-nine Arhats were gathered in a mountain cave. Mahakasyapa closed the cave door completely, without even a crack. He said to the venerable Ananda, who was outside the door, “If you have attained enlightenment, come in yourself.” 

With the door closed and the gate locked, how could he possibly get in?

The venerable Ananda, the Honored one then slowly dissolved his body into gas, passed through the keyhole, entered the cave, and then restored his body back to its original form inside. He said to the 499 Arhats inside, “I entered by myself!” 

Mahakasyapa said, “You were able to enter, very good! You have attained enlightenment and can now join us in compiling the Buddha’s teachings.”

This is a supernatural power, very powerful! It’s a supernatural power that allows one to become a thief. If anyone is interested in this, it would be pretty good, you’d definitely become a millionaire. I remember when I was a child, I often had strange dreams. I would walk to a wall and somehow be able to pass through it; I seem to have this dream often, many times the dreams were like this, almost like I could walk through walls, a person who walks through walls.

According to this supernatural power, it involves transforming your body into a frequency even less dense than liquid or gas. Logically, you could become light or liquid, but you still won’t be able to pass through walls. You have to become a radio wave to pass through walls. Therefore, in esoteric Buddhism, there have been instances of people becoming transparent, and when these two people collide, one passes through the other’s body, and the other passes through this person’s body – such strange supernatural powers exist.

When the venerable Ananda ascended the assembly seat and was speaking the words of the Buddha (explaining the words of the Buddha). His appearance was identical to the Buddha’s. At that moment, everyone was puzzled. How could Ananda’s face suddenly resemble the Buddha’s?

The first question was whether Shakyamuni Buddha hadn’t died and was expounding the dharma again; the second question was whether perhaps a Buddha from another place had come; the third question was that Ananda had already attained Buddhahood. In fact, Ananda had already achieved enlightenment at that time; and every time he expounded the dharma, he always began with “Thus I have heard,” because only by saying this phrase could everyone’s minds calm down, and they would still think of Ananda as Ananda. We end on this note today!

Om Mani Padme Hum