The celebration of Burkhn Bagsh Hüvlhän Üzülsn Ödr (Day of the Manifestation of the Miraculous Powers of Buddha Shakyamuni) was held at the Central Khurul of Kalmykia
Over the course of three days, beginning on February 24, the great prayer assembly Ik Yöräl (Monlam Chenmo) was held at the Central Khurul.
Before the prayer service began, the Head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche addressed those present and all the residents of Kalmykia with a welcoming word; representatives of the Buddhist community “Tilopa” also delivered a welcoming word, making an offering to the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia and the monks of the Central Khurul.
More than 2500 years ago on this day, Buddha Shakyamuni concluded, with a brilliant victory and a display of miracles, a debate with six false teachers, which lasted fifteen days (from the first lunar day of the first month — Tsagan Sar). The celebration of Ik Yöräl was established in 1409 by Lama Tsongkhapa in honor of the momentous victory of Buddha Shakyamuni.
What happened during these days in the times of the Buddha is recounted in the Sutra of Wisdom and Folly (Dzanlundo). The sutra tells how six false teachers — advisers of the younger brother of King Bimbisara, who had led him and the inhabitants of his country astray from the path of the Teaching — tried to shame the Buddha by challenging him. It was during these days that Buddha Shakyamuni, during the debate with the false teachers, showed his miraculous abilities.
On the first day the Buddha manifested the first miracle. He stuck a wooden toothpick into the ground, which at once began to grow and quickly grew into an enormous tree, whose flowers were the size of a cartwheel and whose fruits were the size of a large jug. The trunk, branches, foliage, and fruits of this tree were made of all sorts of jewels, which with their light outshone the sun, and when the wind blew, the branches produced the melodious sound of the Dharma. Those who tasted its fruits found them divine. Merely those who smelled the sweet fragrance of the tree and its fruits became joyful and happy. This tree gave rise in those assembled to thoughts of faith. Then the Buddha bestowed the Teaching, and those present attained many spiritual fruits.
On the second day the Buddha manifested the second miracle. To his right and left he created two very large mountains made of jewels of five colors. On the mountains grew lush trees with juicy fruits, flowers bloomed, and melodious sounds resounded. On the summit of one mountain grew juicy and delicious fruits, with which all the assembled people ate their fill. And the summit of the second mountain was covered with juicy and velvety grass, which the inhabitants of the animal world enjoyed. After which the Buddha bestowed the Teaching, and the minds of those assembled were completely purified.
On the third day the Buddha manifested the third miracle, rinsing his mouth after the food and spitting out the water. The water began to spread and turned into a large pond adorned with jewels. The water of the pond possessed eight miraculous qualities, and its surface was covered with a multitude of lotuses of all colors. The radiance emanating from these lotuses illuminated heaven and earth with light. After this the Buddha bestowed the Teaching, and the number of those who took the path of performing deeds that give rise to good merits increased.
On the fourth day the Buddha manifested the fourth miracle. On this day he made it so that at the corners of the precious pond eight large canals appeared, out of which water flowed, went around the pond, and flowed back in. And in the murmur of the flowing water one could hear a voice that preached about the various aspects of the Teaching. Many were imbued with the Teaching, listening to this voice of the Dharma, and set out on the path of becoming a buddha.
On the fifth day the Buddha manifested the fifth miracle. Parting his lips, the Victorious One emitted a ray of golden light and illuminated the sphere of the great thousand worlds. Those living beings whom this ray touched were freed from the three poisons and the five obscurations, and attained bodily and mental tranquility like a monk immersed in the third dhyana. After this the Buddha bestowed the Teaching, and many of those present gave rise to thoughts of the highest spiritual awakening.
On the sixth day the Buddha manifested the sixth miracle. He made it so that all the assembled people became able to read each other's thoughts. In this way, all those present learned of one another's good and non-virtuous deeds and thoughts. Rejoicing at such a miracle, the people extolled the miraculous abilities of the Buddha and offered up prayers for a swift enlightenment.
On the seventh day the Buddha manifested the seventh miracle. By the power of his miraculous abilities he made it so that each of the people present felt himself to be a universal monarch, a Chakravartin, the lord of the world, to whom vassals and princes pay tribute of respect. Feeling himself to be a Chakravartin, each of those assembled greatly rejoiced, and to them, rejoicing, the Buddha bestowed the Teaching. As a result, all attained deep satisfaction and gained spiritual fruits.
On the eighth day the Buddha manifested the eighth miracle. Seated on the lion throne, the Buddha pressed on it with his hand. At once a loud roar sounded and five rakshasas appeared, who snatched the seats out from under the six tirthikas and smashed them to pieces. Vajrapani raised over the heads of the tirthikas a vajra spewing flame, and they in fear threw themselves into the river, where they met their end. Then ninety thousand people from the entourage of the tirthikas turned to the Buddha with a request to accept them as monks. “Come in virtue,” the Buddha answered them. And at once their heads shaved themselves of their own accord, and they became monks. The Buddha bestowed the Teaching upon them, after which they were completely purified and became arhats.
After which the Buddha, from each of the eighty thousand pores of his body, emitted rays of light, which filled the whole sky. At the tip of each ray the Buddha, by the power of his abilities, created a large lotus, on which a Buddha sat and bestowed the Teaching. Many of those present, seeing such miracles, were strengthened even more in their faith. And when the Victorious One bestowed the Teaching upon them, they attained great spiritual merits.
On the ninth day the Buddha manifested the ninth miracle. By the power of his magical abilities the Buddha made his body incredibly large. Shining, it rose into the heavens, reaching the sphere of the world of the god Brahma. And the bright rays emanating from it illuminated the earth and the heavens all around. Beholding this and hearing the Teaching from the lips of the Buddha, those present gave rise to the thought of the highest spiritual awakening.
On the tenth day the Buddha manifested the tenth miracle. On this day he made the numerous assembled people witnesses of how in each of the countries of the four great kings a nirmanic body of the Buddha appeared. These bodies emitted bright rays and occupied all of space, rising to the summit of the world. Those assembled clearly saw and heard the nirmanic buddhas bestow the Teaching. They greatly rejoiced at such a miracle and gained many spiritual fruits.
On the eleventh day the Buddha manifested the eleventh miracle. Immersed in meditative concentration, he made his body invisible. And then, emitting a ray of bright light, in very melodious words he expounded the Teaching in detail. Seeing such a thing, many of those present gave rise within themselves to the thought of the highest spiritual awakening.
On the twelfth day the Buddha manifested the twelfth miracle. He emitted golden rays of light, which filled the space of the sphere of the thousand great worlds. All living beings whom these rays of light touched completely subdued the non-virtuous thoughts connected with the three poisons and gave rise to thoughts of mercy. When the Buddha bestowed the Teaching upon those assembled, many laid a good foundation for a divine or human, higher, rebirth.
On the thirteenth day the Buddha manifested the thirteenth miracle. On that day the Buddha, seated on the lion throne, emitted from his navel two rays of light. At the end of each ray a lotus formed, and on each lotus resided a nirmanic buddha. Each nirmanic buddha also emitted from his navel two rays, on which there were a lotus and a buddha. This continued until the whole sphere of the thousand great worlds was filled with buddhas. Those assembled, at the sight of such a miracle, were filled with faith in the Teaching.
On the fourteenth day the Buddha manifested the fourteenth miracle. On this day the Buddha was invited to a feast by King Uttrayana, who scattered flowers before the Victorious One. The Buddha transformed these flowers into one thousand two hundred and fifty chariots with precious stones, which with their light illuminated the sphere of the three thousand great worlds. All beheld this miracle, and the Buddha bestowed the Teaching upon those assembled.
On the fifteenth day the Buddha manifested the fifteenth miracle. On this day the Buddha was invited to a feast by King Bimbisara. On the eve, the Buddha said to him: “O King! Prepare only the vessels for the dishes.” At noon the vessels magically filled with excellent and varied delicacies, tasting which all those present attained bodily and mental peace. Then the Buddha struck the ground with his hand and made visible to all those assembled the immeasurable sufferings of living beings in the eighteen hells. From what they saw, all the people were so frightened that they gave rise to the thought of compassion. And when the Buddha bestowed the Teaching upon them, the hearts of the people were filled with satisfaction. By virtue of the fact that the inhabitants of the hells also beheld the Buddha and heard his Teaching, their term of dwelling in hell was exhausted, and they gave rise to thoughts of faith and gained a good rebirth.
The miracles manifested by the Buddha and the accompanying bestowals of the Teaching became the reason that many beings set out on the path of the Dharma. All the practices done during these 15 days with a pure thought and motivation will bring immeasurably great fruits.
