Dharma Wheel

-17-

It came about that Indra’s pride matured, found expression in his conduct, and lead to his rebirth in the animal kingdom in the form of a deer. He wandered in the forest and mountain slopes, and ate grass redolent of the aromas from the realm of Gods. He drank water from springs that sang with the voices of heavenly maidens until one day he met a hunter who wounded him with an arrow as sharp as a needle.

In dismay the wounded deer escaped his pursuer and found refuge in a cave high in the mountains. An old woman, who happened to be gathering medicinal herbs in that area, discovered him and took upon herself his care until he regained strength.

As the medicine restored his strength and memory, the divine deer recognized his healer as the goddess of medicine whom he had once before banished from his celestial banquet. Intense remorse overcame his heart and Indra the Deer bowed before the merciful old lady. At that moment radiant deities descended to her and invited her to ascend into the Heavenly Realms. However, she refused to abandon her forests and mountains and with one glance she embraced the Heavenly Realms.

Bowing their heads, the deities asked the healer to give them her name so that they could turn to her in their prayers of repetition (mantras). She uncovered for them the essence of contemplation that is self-recognition and gave them her name- Chittamani. (Mind Treasure)

After reaching a ripe old age, Indra left the body of the deer and reincarnated in the Heavenly Realms. He was born through an instantaneous transfer of his consciousness into an opening lotus flower amid a heavenly pond protected by fierce blood-drinking deities. There Indra single-mindedly concentrated in meditation on Chittamani’s qualities. In a short time his body manifested the signs of goodwill and compassion and acquired its awakened form of eleven faces and one thousand arms.

Ten of the faces pointed in the ten directions of the world^[37], and the eleventh remained absorbed in contemplation of his teacher, Chittamani. A thousand arms stretched out in support of those wavering between the extremes of worldly thinking. His hearing expanded itself and became identical with cosmic sound.^[38]

When they observed this miracle, wrathful and peaceful deities alike gathered in multitudes, to rest near the feet of the newly Awakened One. Faithful to the example set by his teacher, Indra decided to remain in the conditioned world under many wondrous and common disguises until the complete cessation of suffering of all sentient beings. He later became known as Avalokiteshwara (Listening Compassionate Creator).