ABSTRACT
In all the worlds, devas, men and asuras say that the present Shakyamuni Buddha came forth from the palace of the Shakya clan and, seated in His training place of enlightenment not far from the city of Gaya, attained Perfect and Complete Enlightenment. All the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, even with their flawless intellects, would be unable to envision or comprehend the exact number. Were they to see a Tathagata as someone constantly present and never extinct, they would then become self-indulgent and unrestrained, cherishing satiety and indolence, unable to conceive of the notion of just how hard it is to meet a Buddha and to cultivate a reverent heart for such a One. “For the sake of analogy, imagine a good physician, one who is intelligent and perceptive, astute and caring, well-practised in the use of curatives, skilled in healing all sorts of ills.
