Gautam Buddha Sannyasins – Manjushri and Samantabhadra Enlightenment
Osho : Such statements cannot be made anywhere else than in the world of Zen. Manjushri and Samantabhadra are two of the great disciples of Gautam Buddha, who became enlightened while he was alive. Just the story of Manjushri becoming enlightened will suffice you to understand that these people, Manjushri and Samantabhadra, were as valuable as Gautam Buddha himself. Manjushri used to sit under a tree to meditate, for years. And one day the night was over – suddenly, out of season, the tree blossomed and flowers started falling like rain.
In the East there are such beautiful trees which shower like rain. The one I have loved the most… I don’t know which tree Manjushri was sitting under, but most probably this must be the tree – I have loved it from my very childhood. The tree is called madhukamini. It blossoms in the rainy season; it blossoms in thousands of flowers all together, and in the night. And by the morning you will find almost a carpet of flowers underneath it, thousands of flowers of such beautiful fragrance. I have not come across another tree like it.
Perhaps Manjushri was sitting under a madhukamini, or it may have been another tree, it does not matter. What matters is, ten thousand disciples of Buddha looked at the tree, looked at Manjushri… could not believe it. It was not the time – what happened to the tree? Buddha said, ”You are seeing only the tree and its flowers. You should look at Manjushri, what has happened to Manjushri. The tree has simply heard it happening to Manjushri. The tree has simply synchronized. If Manjushri can blossom so suddenly, why cannot the tree do the same? Look at Manjushri.”
And Manjushri was sitting in silence for seven days continuously, until Buddha himself came to him and told him, ”Manjushri, seven days have passed. It is time to get up and tell your fellow travelers what has happened in your being.” Samantabhadra just became enlightened as he looked when Buddha said, ”Don’t look at the tree, look at Manjushri.” Out of ten thousand disciples only one, Samantabhadra, looked into Manjushri and became enlightened himself. Enlightenment can be a chain effect.