Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, also translated as Mahasthanaprapta, Great Strength, or Great Power Arrived, is also known simply as Sthita or Shizhi. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva has the power to illuminate all beings with wisdom, liberating them from the suffering of the three lower realms of existence. Therefore, the name Mahasthamaprapta represents the great power of wisdom reaching the ten directions.
The Wisdom and Light of Mahasthamaprapta
According to the Amitayurdhyana Sutra, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva possesses the light of wisdom, which shines everywhere, enabling sentient beings to escape the suffering of the three evil paths and obtain supreme power. This is why he is named Mahasthamaprapta, meaning “arrival of great strength”. He is also known as “Boundless Light,” which refers to the pure and wonderful light he sees from the immeasurable Buddhas of the ten directions. His image closely resembles that of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, but the key distinction is the precious vase on top of Mahasthamaprapta’s head. This vase holds the light of wisdom. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva often appears in the Western Trinity alongside Amitabha Buddha, typically as his right attendant, represented in two ways: as a “teaching” figure or as a “welcoming” figure. In Esoteric Buddhism, Vajrapani Bodhisattva, often considered an emanation of Mahasthamaprapta, appears in a wrathful form, holding a vajra in his hand, with the divine power to eliminate evil and subdue demons. In Thangka paintings, he is often depicted with a blue body, and sometimes with a red body.
Mahasthamaprapta’s Sacred Site and Teachings
Langshan Mountain in Nantong, Jiangsu province, is considered the primary sacred site of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. Many temples have been built on Langshan Mountain in honor of the bodhisattva. Among them, Guangjiao Temple is the most famous. The temple’s main hall, Yuandong Baodian, houses a 4.5-meter-tall seated statue of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, which attracts countless visitors and worshippers. Furthermore, the Venerable Master Yinguang is believed to be the reincarnation of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. He selected the “Chapter on the Perfect Penetration of Mindfulness of the Buddha of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva” from the Surangama Sutra and combined it with the Amitabha Sutra, Amitayurdhyana Sutra, Longer Sukhavativyuha Sutra, and Samantabhadra’s Practices and Vows, to form the Five Sutras of Pure Land Buddhism. He also established the Honghua Society and developed Lingyan Mountain as a Pure Land practice center, leading monastics in propagating the Samadhi of Buddha Recitation. Every year, on the 13th day of the seventh lunar month, the birth of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva is celebrated. At this time, various temples hold Dharma assemblies, praying for the wisdom of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva to illuminate all sentient beings.
The Past Life of Mahasthamaprapta as Vajrapani Bodhisattva
In Tibetan Buddhism, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva is known as Vajrapani Bodhisattva. The Karuna-pundarika Sutra and the Ratnakuta Sutra: the chapter on Secret and Inconceivable Matters record the life of this bodhisattva before his enlightenment.
Vajrapani Bodhisattva originated from a world called “Magnificent,” a prosperous and peaceful realm with vast lands. People there experience little suffering and no unexpected deaths. The king of the Magnificent world was a Chakravartin (wheel-turning) king who achieved irreversible supreme enlightenment. His one thousand sons all attained complete enlightenment.
One day, as the wheel-turning king was enjoying music, his two wives, Mama Man and Huimei Ma, emerged from a lotus and gave birth to two princes on a lion bed after bathing. The heavenly beings above proclaimed, “Marvelous, this child shall be named Dharmacinta, and that child shall be named Dharmajnana.” Both princes immediately sat in the lotus position. After being born, they left their mothers’ embrace and bowed before their father, requesting to go to the Tathagata in the palace to hear the Dharma. Dharmacinta vowed to become Vajrapani, to protect all the secrets of the Tathagata, to hear, to believe, and to realize all the inner and outer teachings of the Buddha.
Mahasthamaprapta as Part of the Western Trinity
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva is one of the three holy beings of the Western Pure Land, alongside Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, both acting as attendants to Amitabha Buddha. he is known for his wisdom, majestic virtue, light, and role in guiding beings to enlightenment.
According to the Sutra on Ten Ways to be Reborn in Amitabha’s Country, if one aspires to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, twenty-five bodhisattvas, including Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta, will arrive to greet the person upon their death, escorting them to the Pure Land. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is a future Buddha who will succeed Amitabha Buddha. When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva will become the next future Buddha, waiting to succeed Avalokiteshvara. Additionally, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva is one of the twenty-five “shadow-protectors of those practicing mindfulness of the Buddha” and one of the eight great bodhisattvas.
The Power of Wisdom and Compassion
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva possesses the light of wisdom, which can free beings from the three lower realms of existence—the hells, the hungry ghost realm, and the animal realm—helping them escape their current suffering and attain supreme joy. The precious vase on top of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva’s head stores the light of wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings, releasing them from the calamities of war and violence, and giving them supreme power.
The Practice of Mindfulness of the Buddha
In Buddhist belief, lay practitioners typically focus less on Buddhist doctrines and more on Buddhist ethics, caring about the efficacy of the teachings. Consequently, folk Buddhist practices tend to be simple. The practice of mindfulness of the Buddha advocated by Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, which involves repeatedly reciting simple Buddha names, can eliminate karmic obstacles and grant wishes, making it convenient to practice in daily life. This is why the practice of mindfulness of the Buddha has become a common practice in folk Buddhist beliefs.
The 13th day of the seventh lunar month is the birthday of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. At this time, various temples will hold Dharma assemblies, praying that the light of wisdom from Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva shines upon all sentient beings in the world.
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