Sakra is the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, also known as Lord Indra. Sakra is the Lord of the Thirty-Three Heavens. Countless multitudes of heavenly beings are all at the top of Mount Sumeru, Trayastrimsa Heaven is in the center and surrounding it are eight heavens in each direction, making it a total of thirty-three heavens.
Of the origin of Sakra, it was said that there was a woman who saw Kasyapa Buddha enter into Nirvana. She greatly revered him and built a stupa to worship Kasyapa Buddha. At that time, thirty-two people helped this woman build the stupa, and these thirty-three people became the Lords of the Thirty-Three Heavens.
In this passage, the phrase “Countless multitudes of heavenly beings” indicates that many many heavenly beings came to listen to the Buddha’s teachings. These countless heavenly beings all came to the Buddha’s assembly to listen to the Buddha expound the “Amitabha Sutra.”
The text that follows talks about the twenty-eight heavens and matters related to the heavenly beings. Everyone can take a look at “The Essential Explanation On The Amitabha Sutra” and will know!
Therefore, those who came to listen to the Dharma included heavenly beings from the ten directions, Dharma protectors, and the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, countless and immeasurable, hence the phrase “multitudes.”
A woman built a stupa to make offerings to Kasyapa Buddha and because of that received the blessings to be reborn as a heavenly being, becoming the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven.
Someone once asked me, “How can it be so simple? Then I will also build a few stupas to make offerings to the Buddha, and I will become the Lord of the heavens!”
Ah! At the very least we have four magnificent stupas in our Leizang Temple!
According to what I know, this woman becoming the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven has two meanings. It seems to be a teaching that as long as you do a little good, or perform good deeds, you can receive the blessings to become a heavenly being.
Also Indra, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, is an ancient Buddha reincarnated, a Buddha who emanated, manifesting in the form of Indra, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven. There are many affinities, cause and effect involved.
We know that there are also wars in the heavens. These heavenly wars often involve battles with Indra, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, and the Asura King.
What caused this war?
It is said that the Asura King was celebrating his birthday at the bottom of the sea, holding a birthday party. Lord Indra and all the heavenly beings happened to be out traveling and passed by in the air above the sea. Wow! This traffic was loud and noisy. The Asura King said “While I am holding my birthday party, you actually fly through my sky like this? This is an insult to me!”
This is the reason that sparked the great war in the heavens. From this, we can see that the wisdom of heavenly beings is not necessarily superior to that of humans. Sometimes, the wisdom of us Buddhists surpass the wisdom of heavenly beings. In the heavens, there are fights over who is higher or lower, who is bigger or smaller.
As we’re discussing high and low, big and small, so I will talk about this. Recently a Temple Head wrote to me saying he wanted to become a Master. I told him, “Isn’t that a little too fast?”
He said he was determined to become one no matter what.
I said, “What if you are not allowed to become one?”
He said, “I will lead all the Temple Heads to declare independence.”
He thinks that a Master is above a Temple Head, because the Temple Head sits in the first row while the Masters sit up there, there is a differentiation between high and low.
Those who become Masters but cannot attain enlightenment will all have to go to Vajra Hell.
Those who become Temple Heads but cannot attain enlightenment will still reincarnate as humans.
The responsibility of a Master is very great, so there must be a contrast.
Furthermore, one of my disciples also asked me to give him a temple.
I said, “Isn’t there already a temple next to where you live?”
He told me that he doesn’t get along with the Head of that Temple.
“Then what do you need a temple for?” I asked.
He said, “I need a temple to fight against that temple.”
Ah! It sounds like a war!
Also, one Master ran here to tell me that the big hall he presides over has been infiltrated by a spy from a smaller hall.
I said “Isn’t that a spy versus a spy?”
Those who cultivate to this extent are almost like Asuras!
Extremely combative, war-like and competitive. The more they cultivate, the more their fury grows. All day long they just look at who displeases them and want to hit them on the head! The vajra bell and vajra scepter are not used for subduing demons, they are specifically used to hit people.
This kind of behaviour we all know, this is already going further and further away from the Way.
The Way is truly beyond words, nature itself is the Way, diligence is the Way, selflessness is the Way, non-self is the Way.
The people of the world, have war, have who is high or low, have who is big or small, it is because there is “self.”
If one realizes this principle, one is already close to the Way.
I look forward to all disciples of True Buddha School attaining Buddhahood. It is not necessary to become a Master, also not necessary to become a Temple Head.
I believe that in the future when all the disciples have become Buddhas, only the Temple Heads and Masters have not become Buddhas. This is because if a Temple Head or Master still has a trace of arrogance remaining in them, they will fall into Vajra Hell.
Om Mani Padme Hum.