The History of Buddhist Thought c22.22

c22.22

Innumerable bodhisattvas come and offer to preach the sūtra and Maitreya in astonishment asks how Buddha could have taught so many beings in the forty years that have passed since his enlightenment (ch. 12–14). The answer shows the Mahāyāna position both with regard to Buddha doctrine and metaphysics. Buddha indeed began to teach forty years ago, but that was a device; in reality he is eternal. If people should think he was always here, they would become careless. As he explains: