Buddhas Introduction

Geshe Wangchen, a Tibetan lama and author, explains that "Lord Buddha says that having faith in the Buddha is in itself not sufficient to liberate ourselves. The true protector is the practice of Dharma. I shall sincerely try to follow and put into practice whatever teachings Lord Buddha has shown me. In this way I take refuge in the Dharma. To be able to practice the Dharma sincerely and continuously, I will need constant ins, inspiration, I will need constant inspiration from those who are advanced in spiritual practice, therefore I will take refuge in the Sangha, my true spiritual friends" and the Body of the Buddha on earth.

It is the responsibility of the disciples of the Buddha to embody the Teaching and therefore to embody the very living presence and flame of the Buddha, to spread abroad the Teaching, thereby expanding that light, multiplying it by the aura, and to defend both the Teaching and the Teacher as well as the Sangha, the worldwide Community who comprise the 'Body' of the Buddha on earth.

On New Year's Eve 1976, in a dictation delivered through Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Gautama Buddha prophesied the transfer of the forcefield of his retreat, Shamballa, to America as the place where the Three Jewels would be enshrined. Let us take note of his words.

"This is the land, America. To us it is a miracle, 'a miracle of life.' It is that inner key to the fulfillment of all miracles and dreams and hopes of liberty. America--a miracle of the I AM race. This is indeed the place where all shall return to the cause and core of Dharma and the Dhamma, the Teaching, and the Sangha. For here we will transfer Shamballa, here we will transfer that city of light one day. "It will be the implementation now of a secondary forcefield, the Omega aspect of Shamballa, as the Alpha aspect remains positioned where it is, where it has always been, in the Gobi Sea of light over the Gobi Desert. And that motto of our retreat has never changed. It is Go Be."

Gautama Buddha, 12-31-76

In Gautama Buddha's April 18th, 1981, dictation, he announced: "I come to establish the Inner Retreat....From Shamballa I arc a light. I would establish the ground of the Ancient of Days....In this hour I contemplate--note it well--the arcing of the flame of Shamballa to the Inner Retreat as the Western abode of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas and the Bodhisattvas-to-Be who are the devotees of the Mother light."

Maitreya to the Right and Manjushri to the Left of Gautama

As the transmitter of the Dharma, Maitreya is often depicted in Tibetan iconography as the Bodhisattva to the right of Gautama, representing the head of the path of enlightenment by "extensive deeds" or "magnificent deeds" of love and compassion. To Gautama's left is Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, who is the head of the "profound view" stage of the path of enlightenment. Manjushri is an Ascended Master and a great sage to whom we may appeal.

One of the most common icons in Tibet is called the "refuge field," which presents the Buddha Shakyamuni in the center of a host of Indian, Tibetan, and supernatural teachers. To Shakyamuni's left is Manjushri, at the head of the lineage of the "profound view" stage of the path of enlightenment, and to his right is Maitreya, at the head of the lineage of the "magnificent deeds" stage of the path of enlightenment. Beneath Manjushri sit Nagarjuna and Aryadeva, at the head of the historical teachers who maintained the unbroken succession of this tradition of critical philosophy. Beneath Maitreya sit Asanga and Vasubandhu at the head of the succession of ethically oriented philosophers. The Buddha in the center of this icon represents the unification of both these lineages, so no ultimate dichotomy is intended by the separation of the two. There are, however, different persons on different stages of the path at different times, and different teachings are elaborated for their benefit that emphasize either wisdom or compassion.

The team of Maitreya and Manjushri, heading the two main branches of the great tree of this philosophical tradition, assure that the balance never goes too far in either direction.