Born in Gandhara in fourth century AD, Arya Asanga was taught the Eighteen Sciences by his mother who was an adept in Buddhist teachings. On entering manhood, he chose the life of a monk to serve humanity.

In five years at the monastery, Asanga learnt thousands of verses of Dharma. Inspired by learning about Maitreya Buddha who would come as the future deliverer of mankind, he went to the ‘Bird Mountain’ to meditate. But after three years of hard penance, he couldn’t feel any significant changes inside him. Discouraged, he began walking away. On his way down, he saw a crow flying to its nest through a small hole in a rocky outgrowth.

Noticing the marks on the rock that the crow had created by its wings, Asanga thought, “I must not call off my journey so easily. This crow has made an impression on stone with his feathers merely because he has been flying to and fro from his nest for a long time.” He returned to his cave to continue his meditation.

After three years, Asanga was still unhappy about his progress and again thought of quitting. On his way down, he heard the soft dripping sound of water drops falling. As he saw the deep holes on the rock, he thought, “If something as soft as water can make holes in this hard rock, then I must not give up on my penance yet.” So he went back to his cave.

Three years passed, then another three. The spiritual practices got harder and harder. Finally, the pain was such that Asanga walked away to a village far down on the plains. There he saw an old man making needles from iron pieces by rubbing the pieces with cloth. “I am just finishing this one. Look, I have already made all those over there,” the old man said, pointing to a small pile of needles.

“If it is possible to put in such painstaking effort on something as trivial as this, then I must endeavour tirelessly on something as worthwhile as enlightenment,” thought Asanga, and went back to his cave.

It was twelve years now since Asanga had begun his spiritual quest at the Bird Mountain. Yet he had reached nowhere. But once, while walking in the village, he heard a dog whimper. He looked for it and found it in great pain, its two hind legs gone and the rest of its body infested with maggots.

All of a sudden, Asanga felt the pain of the dog. He rushed with a stick to remove the maggots, but as the stick touched the gaping wounds, the dog began to yelp piteously. Asanga then tried to remove the worms with his fingers, but still the dog felt the pain when his fingers touched the rotting flesh.

Without even thinking, Asanga began licking the dog’s wounds because he felt only his tongue could give succor to the dying creature. And in a trice, it transformed into the radiant being of Maitreya. Elated to his core, Asanga asked in bewilderment: “O Great One, I had to go through so much pain, you did not come to me when I craved to see you, yet here you are when I have no more desires left.”

Smiling, Maitreya replied, “I was always near you, but you were unable to see me. Your compassion for the dog has removed the cloud of your karma, so you can see me now. If you wish to test my words, carry me on your shoulder and check if anyone else sees me!”

Asanga lifted Maitreya on his shoulders and walked into the village square crying, “Do you see what I am carrying on my shoulders?” Most people saw nothing and laughed at him, thinking he was a madman. But a kind old woman could see he was carrying a dead dog on his shoulder, while a good slave faithful to his master saw the feet of someone hanging from Asanga’s shoulder. Thus Asanga understood that people could not see Maitreya because of their karma. He heard Maitreya asking, “You are liberated now. What do you plan to do?”

“I want to spread the teachings of the Enlightened One for the liberation of others,” Asanga replied.

“Then come with me,” said Maitreya, ascending to Tushita heaven. Asanga held on to Maitreya’s robe and rose into that higher realm of existence, where he was blessed with realization. He then returned to Earth and devoted himself to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha.

— the harbinger