When Shakyamuni was enlightened, He said, "I was, am and will be enlightened instantaneously with the universe" and now, as we hear these words, we are assured anew of our own Buddha Nature and our ability to enter the path of Truth. When Shakyamuni died, He told His followers to make His teaching the light of their lives and to make their own lives shine as brilliantly as the sun; the light of Shakyamuni and His followers has shone through many centuries and has been Transmitted to countless people. We must follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us so that our own light shall shine in the same way, and we must Transmit it, even as they did, so that it may shine brightly in countless worlds and for thousands of lives to come.
This text from the offertory sung at the very end of the Festival of the Buddha's Enlightenment at Throssel.
Apparently last evening, as a parting comment at the end of a conversation about training, I encouraged somebody to write down some of the insights which had come during the week-end retreat. It was clear that the light of insight had illuminated segments of her life and others would benefit from what she had come to understand. We'll see what she produces.
