We have finished talking about the sixteen venerables. Now we will discuss several bodhisattvas, great bodhisattvas.

The sutra reads: 

“…together with all the Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas: Manjushri, the Dharma Prince, Ajita bodhisattva, Gandhastin bodhisattva, Nityodyukta bodhisattva, and others such as these, all great bodhisattvas.” 

Here, “Maha” means “great,” and “Bodhisattva” means “an enlightened sentient being,” referring to one who seeks enlightenment above and goes down to convert sentient beings.

The first Bodhisattva we will discuss is “Manjushri, the Dharma Prince.” 

Manjushri’s origins are very extraordinary, he is supreme among all bodhisattvas. He was also a buddha in the past, with the dharma name “Buddha of the Race of Honourable Dragon Kings.” Mount Tiantai in China is known as the bodhimanda of Manjushri bodhisattva.

In many temples, there is a great bodhisattva riding a lion – it resembles a lion, but it’s not actually called a lion -, whom we call Manjushri Bodhisattva. The one riding an elephant is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. In esoteric Buddhism, Manjushri Bodhisattva manifests in many forms.

Why is it that in this Amitabha Buddha dharma assembly, when Shakyamuni Buddha was expounding the “Amitabha Sutra,” Manjushri Bodhisattva was also listening to the sutra? 

This proves that the “Amitabha Sutra” taught by the Buddha is extremely important. 

Even such a great Bodhisattva as Manjushri Bodhisattva appeared in the dharma assembly, showing that the “Amitabha Sutra” is extremely important.

Among the Bodhisattvas, the Buddha is regarded as the Dharma King, and Manjushri Bodhisattva is often called the “Dharma Prince.”

Manjushri Bodhisattva has many other names, such as “Wonderful Virtue” and “Auspicious One.”

Grandmaster once visited the sacred bodhimanda of Manjushri Bodhisattva… Now this brings us to the matter of spiritual power. 

When Manjushri Bodhisattva saw a junior practitioner visiting, he was very pleased. He once extended a golden arm; originally it was only this long, but it could transform and stretch farther and farther, reaching all the way over. Then he gently patted the child on the head, saying, “Hello there!”

In front of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we are almost like tiny insects, truly very small. So, to be touched on the head by Manjushri Bodhisattva would make one happy for an entire week. So happy that one would not even want to wash their hair, almost to the point of it becoming smelly.

Om Mani Padme Hum