The Buddha Forbade Supernatural Powers, Yet How Should We Understand the ‘Manifestation of a Thousand Buddhas’?

Feb 3, 2026. Day 11 of the India Pilgrimage, Shravasti

Hello. This is the 11th day of the India pilgrimage. After leaving Nepal and re-entering India, the pilgrimage group visited Piprahwa, the Thousand Buddha Stupa (천불화현탑), and Jetavana Monastery (동원정사) in succession.

Today was the day to cross the border from Nepal back into India. The pilgrimage group woke up early in the morning to prepare for departure. At 4 AM, they departed from Mahayana Shakyamuni Temple (대성석가사) and headed for the border. As soon as they boarded the buses, they offered morning prayers.

They arrived at the border at 5 AM and began immigration procedures. The Nepal exit procedures were relatively simple compared to entry, so they were completed fairly quickly. However, on the Indian side, border security had been strengthened since this year, making the procedures more complicated than last year.

At 7:50 AM, the first five buses that arrived completed the Indian entry procedures. Sunim headed to Piprahwa with the five buses that had completed the entry procedures.

They arrived at Piprahwa at 9:25 AM. The sacred site was neat and tidy, surrounded by thick fog. Police officers who would provide security for the Shravasti itinerary were waiting at Piprahwa.

“Thank you for guiding us.”

“Yes, Sunim. We will cooperate to ensure the pilgrimage schedule concludes well.”

Sunim thanked the police and checked the circumambulation route and seating arrangements for the pilgrimage group. He then led the group to a place away from the worship site to have breakfast with packed meals.

As they were finishing their meal, five more buses arrived. Sunim moved with the advance group to the worship site in front of the stupa.

The Piprahwa stupa stood low and solid in the middle of a wide plain. There were no other structures around the stupa. Only the stupa stood alone in the open space. It had a simple appearance, made only of rounded earth and bricks without any elaborate decorations or patterns.

The pilgrimage group all put on their kasayas and began circumambulating the stupa. As the circumambulation was coming to an end, the thick fog began to lift gradually. After completing the circumambulation, they offered prayers and meditated.

Sunim then spoke about the excavation process of the Piprahwa relic stupa and the history of relic enshrinement, explaining the significance of the Buddha’s authentic relics that we can directly encounter.

“The place where we have arrived is the Piprahwa authentic relic stupa. Among the eight authentic relic stupas, this is the one built by the Shakya clan. While most of the major ruins of Kapilavastu remain in the Nepal region, this ruin alone is located on the Indian side. That’s why Indians still call this place India Kapilavastu.

The Only Authentic Buddha Relics We Can Encounter, Confirmed Through Excavation

This ruin was excavated in the late 19th century during the British colonial period. The excavation was led by British archaeologist William Claxton Peppé. At that time, relic containers were discovered inside the stupa, and inscriptions found with the containers clearly confirmed that this was the relic stupa built by the Shakya clan. After India gained independence, the Archaeological Survey of India re-excavated this site in the 1970s. During this re-excavation, another relic container was discovered at a deeper layer than the initial excavation point. This shows that this relic stupa was not built all at once, but was gradually expanded over several periods. Initially, the foundation of the relic stupa was established during the time of King Ashoka, and it was later expanded once more during the Kushan dynasty. When it reached the Gupta dynasty period, the scale of the stupa was greatly expanded, and the relic stupa gradually grew to its current form. During this process, relics were initially enshrined in the lower part, and in later periods, relics were enshrined again in the upper part. Therefore, two relic containers were discovered in this relic stupa, and several relics were unearthed. Currently, the relics from Piprahwa are virtually the only ones that we can directly see and encounter with our own eyes.”

As Sunim was finishing the explanation of the sacred site, the last three buses arrived at Piprahwa. Sunim instructed the later arrivals to come to the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa (천불화현탑) after completing their meal and pilgrimage, then departed for Shravasti with the pilgrims who had finished their visit.

After traveling for about three and a half hours, they arrived at the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa at 3 PM. The pilgrims received their kasayas at the entrance of the stupa and slowly circled it while chanting with palms joined, ascending to the top.

From below, it appeared to be a modest hill. However, upon reaching the summit, traces of the stupa site with its distinctive form became visible. After completing the circumambulation, they stood in place for prostrations and brief meditation.

Sunim then explained the origin of the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa.

“We have arrived here at Shravasti. This is the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa of Shravasti. It is said that the Buddha planted a mango seed, which sprouted and grew into a tree that bore mangoes, and these mangoes manifested as a thousand Buddhas. From this story comes the name ‘Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa.’ After his enlightenment, the Buddha converted King Bimbisara of Magadha and stayed at the Bamboo Grove Monastery in Rajagriha for nearly three years. He then came to Shravasti (사위성

)

at the invitation of the merchant Sudatta (수닷타 장자

)

. Sudatta was a wealthy merchant from this region. The Buddha stayed here with a community of 1,250 disciples, continuing his practice and teaching. However, he did not receive the same enthusiastic response as in Rajagriha. Shravasti was an emerging powerful state at that time, with strong military and economic power. Shravasti is called Savatthi in Pali, which means ‘abundant.’ It was a region rich in resources and prosperous in life. In this environment, numerous emerging thinkers appeared competitively, making claims about what was right and what was wrong. As a result, it is said that to the people of that time, the Buddha appeared to be just one among many thinkers. Well-meaning individuals like the merchant Sudatta were deeply saddened that the people here could not properly understand the Buddha’s Dharma. The people of Shravasti reportedly preferred visible phenomena like supernatural powers and miracles over the depth of practice or teachings. So they pleaded with the Buddha, saying, ‘Since the people’s understanding is still lacking, you should show them something special.’

Why Did the Buddha Accept the Request to Perform a Miracle?

Generally speaking, it would seem that the Buddha would not have accepted such a request. However, the Buddha did accept it and gathered the public outside the city of Shravasti on a specific day and time. When many people gathered at this place on that day, the Buddha planted a mango seed in the ground. It soon sprouted and quickly grew into a large tree. The tree bore countless mangoes that ripened to yellow, and it is said that all those mangoes manifested as images of the Buddha. The assembly was deeply moved when they saw a thousand golden Buddhas appearing above the mango tree. After this, the number of people in Shravasti who were inspired by hearing the Buddha’s Dharma gradually increased. The king of Kosala was called Pasenadi in Pali and Prasenajit in Sanskrit. It is said that this king was initially arrogant and lacking in refinement, so his heart was not open to the Buddha’s teachings. However, at the urging of the merchant Sudatta, he listened to the Buddha’s Dharma and was deeply moved, leading him to take refuge. After taking refuge, King Prasenajit asked the Buddha various questions, many of which were rather worldly and simple in nature. These included questions like “What is the most precious thing in this world?” and “How can I become a good king?” These questions arose from practical concerns rather than inquiries about truth. However, regardless of the level of the questions, the Buddha expounded appropriate Dharma teachings in response, and these teachings remain precious guidance for us to this day. King Prasenajit was completely transformed after the miracle of the thousand Buddha manifestations, and it is said that he built this Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa in commemoration of that connection. This stupa is extremely large in scale, second only to the Kesaria Stupa, and was known as the largest stupa in the world until the Kesaria Stupa was discovered.”

After finishing the explanation and chanting sutras, the pilgrimage group moved to Pubbarama Monastery (동원정사). The path to Pubbarama Monastery passed through a village. Villagers and children came out of their houses to watch the long procession of pilgrims.

The group arrived at Pubbarama Monastery at 4:30 PM. In the center of Pubbarama Monastery, a low circular pile of bricks remained as a trace. Although located within the village, the surroundings were relatively quiet with trees scattered sparsely. This suggested that Pubbarama Monastery once stood here.

After a brief meditation, Sunim spoke about how the faith and choices of one woman transformed her family, society, and the Sangha through the life of Lady Visakha, who built Pubbarama Monastery.

“The place where we have now arrived is Pubbarama Monastery. In Pali, it is called Pubbārāma Vihāra, meaning the monastery built outside the eastern gate of Savatthi. Outside the western gate of Sravasti, or Savatthi, there is Jetavana Monastery (기원정사

)

. In comparison, this Pubbarama Monastery was built by Lady Visakha outside the eastern gate. Lady Visakha, who founded Pubbarama Monastery, was from a region called Bhaddiya. The kingdom of Anga, to which Bhaddiya belonged, was annexed by Magadha under King Bimbisara. Lady Visakha’s grandfather was a great wealthy man in the Bhaddiya region, and even after the annexation, he became one of the wealthiest people in all of Magadha. Due to her family’s influence, it is said that Lady Visakha attended to the Buddha when he came to their house for meals from the age of seven. She had seen the Buddha from a very young age and was a woman of deep faith. Lady Visakha married the son of a wealthy family in Savatthi at the age of sixteen. Although her husband’s family was wealthy, Lady Visakha’s family was incomparably richer. It is said that the dowry her grandfather sent with his granddaughter exceeded the entire wealth of her husband’s family. To ensure she would not face any disadvantages in her married life, he even sent along what would be equivalent to a legal advisory team today.

The Story of How a Father-in-Law Came to Call His Daughter-in-Law “Mother”

Lady Visakha’s in-laws were followers of the Nigantha sect. Since Lady Visakha was a Buddhist, religious conflicts were inevitable after she married into the family. One day, when monks came to their house for alms, her father-in-law refused to offer them food because they were not of his faith. In the culture of that time, it was customary to offer at least a spoonful of food to alms-seekers who arrived during mealtime, but the father-in-law turned his back and ignored them. This put Lady Visakha in a very difficult position. So she told the monks, “I apologize. My father-in-law is eating cold rice right now, so we cannot offer you alms,” and sent them away. When the father-in-law heard these words, he became furious. He considered it disrespectful that his daughter-in-law had said he was eating ‘cold rice’ (which sounded like leftovers) when he was actually eating milk porridge from a golden bowl. Eventually, he declared the marriage annulled.

If the annulment went through, the in-laws would keep all the dowry the daughter-in-law had brought. Conversely, if they expelled the daughter-in-law without valid reason, they would have to return the entire dowry. The in-laws claimed that Lady Visakha had insulted her father-in-law, while Lady Visakha’s side maintained that she had merely explained why they couldn’t offer alms to the monks. The matter went to trial, and with the help of the advisors who had accompanied Lady Visakha, the court ruled that there were no grounds for annulment. As a result, if the in-laws wanted a divorce, they would have to return all of Lady Visakha’s substantial dowry. Eventually, the in-laws gave up on the divorce and decided to live together. At this point, Lady Visakha presented her conditions. “If I am to live in this house, I have conditions. I am a follower of the Buddha. Please respect my freedom of religion. I will invite the Buddha to this house, and when monks come, I will offer them alms.” The in-laws had no choice but to accept these conditions. From then on, Lady Visakha was free to invite the Buddha and the Sangha to their home. However, her father-in-law Migara stubbornly refused to listen to the teachings. This was because a leader of the Nigantha sect resided in their house and was involved in all matters. One day, Visakha invited the Buddha, offered him alms, and listened to his teaching. Migara suddenly became curious. He wanted to know what kind of person Gotama Buddha was that his daughter-in-law followed him so devotedly. He hid behind a screen to listen to the Buddha’s teaching, and it is said that at that moment, his eye of wisdom opened. Afterward, he abandoned his former religion and took refuge in the Buddha. The ancients attained enlightenment immediately even while listening to the Dharma in hiding, but you haven’t awakened yet despite listening for years—what’s going on? Would you like to try listening to the Dharma while hiding? (laughter)

Migara called his daughter-in-law, Lady Visakha, the ‘Mother of Dharma.’ From this title, the monastery built by Lady Visakha came to be known as Migara-mata Hall (녹자모 강당

)

. Lady Visakha not only transformed her household but also generously offered alms and support to the Buddha and the Sangha. When the Buddha faced various slanders and disputes in this region, Lady Visakha, along with Sudatta, played a central role in resolving these issues. She contributed not only financial support but also played a significant role in resolving social conflicts.

“How Can I Bear the Grief of Losing My Granddaughter?” The Buddha’s Answer

Another story about Lady Visakha has been passed down. One day in her old age, Lady Visakha lost her beloved granddaughter and was deeply grieved. Unable to bear her sorrow, she went to the Buddha and poured out her heart. The Buddha then asked her:

‘Lady, is it better to have many loved ones or few?’ ‘It is better to have many loved ones.’ ‘Then what if you had as many loved ones as there are people in Savatthi (사위성 : Shravasti)?’ ‘That person would be the happiest person in the world.’ ‘How many people die in Savatthi each day?’ ‘At least one person dies every day.’ ‘Then the happiest person in the world would be immersed in sorrow and crying every day.’ It is said that upon hearing these words, Lady Visakha gained great enlightenment. Lady Visakha also made many other contributions to the Sangha, including establishing various systems for the health and hygiene of monks. Although the Eastern Monastery she founded is not as widely known as Jetavana, it is a sacred site worth visiting when in Savatthi. For female Buddhist practitioners in particular, Lady Visakha’s spiritual practice and dedication serve as a deeply inspiring example.”

After completing the explanation of the sacred site, the pilgrimage group chanted sutras together.

During the sutra chanting, four buses arrived. Sunim instructed the advance group to proceed to Cheonchuk Monastery (천축선원) first, then gave the sacred site explanation again to the later arrivals.

After completing the sacred site explanation, Sunim distributed snacks to about 150 children gathered in front of the village.

At 5:30 PM, Sunim walked with the pilgrimage group to their accommodation at Cheonchuk Monastery. The peaceful scenery of rural India unfolded along the road.

At 6 PM, upon arriving at Cheonchuk Monastery, the abbot Venerable Daein (대인스님) was preparing a meal. Sunim approached Venerable Daein and greeted him.

“Venerable Daein, have you been well and healthy?”

“Yes, Sunim. Welcome. I’ve been well. You must be hungry after your long journey. Please have your meal first.”

“Yes, thank you.”

After exchanging greetings, Sunim had dinner. The pilgrimage group also enjoyed a warm meal of soup and rice prepared by Cheonchuk Monastery.

After dinner, evening prayers were held in the courtyard of Cheonchuk Monastery starting at 7 PM.

This was followed by an evening Dharma assembly. Before opening the assembly, Venerable Daein, the abbot of Cheonchuk Monastery, gave welcoming remarks to the pilgrimage group.

“This year marks my 26th year of connection with this place. Except for the three years of COVID, I have been meeting Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and Jungto practitioners every year like this. This is where the Buddha’s Prajna Assembly was held. Many teachings in the sutras, including the Diamond Sutra, were delivered here. So it is a sacred site with deep connections to Korean Buddhism. Within the grounds, there is a school where 160 students study, and this year, 20 students will be advancing to high school for the second time. I will continue to do my best to make this place a gathering spot for sincere practitioners to brighten their minds.”

Next, Lay Buddhist Jeokjohaeng (적조행), who manages Cheonchuk Monastery together with Venerable Daein, welcomed the pilgrimage group with cheerful words.

“Those who came last year will remember. We have a manager named Wardan who works at our temple. His name is Wardan Shakya, and he belongs to the Shakya clan. Last year during the Jungto India Pilgrimage, his wife was due to give birth, but her water broke on the very day the practitioners arrived, so he had to rush to the hospital for surgery. When I heard the news that they had a daughter, I asked Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, ‘Please give her a name,’ and he immediately named her ‘Visakha.’ You visited the Eastern Monastery today, right? Visakha was the greatest among the Buddha’s female disciples, wasn’t she? When he gave that name, he even gave a monetary gift for the baby. Wardan’s wife is from the Moriya clan. The Moriya clan is the lineage of King Ashoka. So it’s a marriage between the Shakya clan and the Moriya clan.”

Everyone burst into laughter at this amusing anecdote. Today was the baby’s first birthday, and Wardan had taken the baby to his in-laws’ house for the birthday celebration and would return afterward, prompting loud applause from all the pilgrims.

Next, Sunim’s Dharma Q&A session began. Sunim said that anyone could ask any questions they had during the pilgrimage to the sacred sites. For about an hour, six people raised their hands and asked Sunim questions. The first questioner was a young person who was curious about why the Buddha, who usually forbade the use of supernatural powers, directly showed the miracle of a thousand Buddhas manifesting from a mango tree at the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa.

The Buddha Forbade the Use of Supernatural Powers, So How Should We Understand the Thousand Buddha Manifestation in Shravasti?

“I had a question after hearing the explanation at the Thousand Buddha Manifestation Stupa. The Buddha said not to use supernatural powers, but I’m curious how to interpret the sutra content about mango fruits becoming a thousand Buddhas. I think perhaps it was expressed as a mythical element that not only the Buddha but also the thousand bhikkhus who were with him each visited houses with mango trees to teach, given how difficult it was to educate people in this region. I’m curious what Sunim thinks about this.”

“When interpreting religious language, we need to look at it symbolically or consider the reasons behind it. The Buddha advised against using supernatural powers not only in the story with Maudgalyayana but in many other cases as well. This is because supernatural powers can easily confuse sentient beings. While enlightenment and wisdom clarify the minds of sentient beings, mysterious phenomena actually confuse them. Mystery originally stems from ignorance. We don’t find it mysterious that a large ship floats on water carrying heavy cargo. This is because we understand the principle of why ships float. On the other hand, we find it mysterious when a person walks on water. This is because we don’t understand the principle of why a person would float on water. We don’t find it mysterious when an airplane carries five hundred people through the air to America, but we say it’s mysterious when a person sits in lotus position, chants mantras, and floats fifty centimeters in the air. However, from a practical perspective, it has no meaning. They’re not carrying cargo or going anywhere, are they? (laughter)

Mystery arises from ignorance. This is where the saying that religion is based on human ‘not knowing,’ or ignorance, comes from. Fear also stems from ignorance. The difference is clear when you think about meeting a stranger versus meeting someone you know. People naturally feel fear when going to unfamiliar places or doing unfamiliar things. Religion uses this fear as a form of intimidation. To this is added the allure of mystery. Thus, religion controls people through these two elements: mystery and fear. It always speaks of both together, saying things like ‘If you do good, you go to heaven; if you do evil, you go to hell.’ In secular terms, this is called the carrot and stick approach, which is also based on ignorance. However, the Buddha’s teachings enable us to see through this ignorance, causing both mystery and fear to disappear. That’s why the Tathagata always said, ‘I have no fear.’ If Buddhism creates mystery, it goes against the Buddha’s fundamental teachings. What about in reality? While you may awaken from ignorance by listening to my Dharma talks, after I enter nirvana and the years go by, there’s a possibility that people will add mystical elements to the stories about me. This mysticism could become a focal point for gathering people. In the process of Buddhism spreading widely among the masses, such mysticism has played a significant role in forming faith. This phenomenon began to appear about 200 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana. That’s why four of the eight great pilgrimage sites we speak of contain mystical elements. In Rajgir, it’s said that an angry elephant bowed to the Buddha. In Vaishali, a monkey is said to have offered honey to the Buddha. In Shravasti, it’s said that a thousand Buddhas appeared. In Sankashya, it’s said that the Buddha returned from the heavenly realm. These are all stories with religious characteristics. This can be seen as a phenomenon that occurred as Buddhism spread and became more religious. However, it’s difficult to say they were created entirely without basis. There were likely some events or circumstances, and mystical elements were added on top of them. However, in the case of the appearance of a thousand Buddhas, I haven’t yet found clear evidence of what teaching example might have been transformed in this way over time.

On the other hand, among the three instances of mind-to-mind transmission (삼처전심 : 三處傳心) where the Buddha is said to have transmitted the Dharma to Mahakasyapa, the act of ‘sharing half a seat at the Bahuputraka Stupa (다자탑전분반좌 : 多子塔前分半座 ,the Stupa of Many Sons)’ holds a different significance. This is recorded in the Theravada scriptures, the Nikaya, and was an actual event that occurred at Jetavana in the Jeta Grove. During a Dharma talk, when Mahakasyapa arrived late and the assembly did not make room for him, the Buddha said, ‘Come here, Kasyapa,’ and shared his own seat with him. This event later became a koan in the Zen tradition. The story of ‘showing both feet from the coffin (곽시상부 : 槨示雙趺)’ can also be understood by examining actual Indian cremation practices. It originated from the custom of cremating with feet exposed, and over time, this story was transmitted symbolically. However, regarding the story of the thousand Buddhas appearing, it is still difficult to find clear clues as to how an ordinary event could have been described so mystically. What is noteworthy is that such mystical narratives began to appear not a thousand years after the Buddha’s passing, but around 200 years later, and the sculptures and descriptions of the eight great pilgrimage sites that we see today became prominent during the Gupta period, around the 4th to 6th centuries. Considering all this, we can also think about the possibility of influence from India’s religious flow from Brahmanism to Hinduism.”

Questions continued to follow.

When I came on pilgrimage three years ago, I only saw bricks, but coming for the second time, I can see a bit more. What can I do, and what can we do, to ensure that authentic Buddhism continues well into future generations?

It is said that during the Buddha’s time, 1,250 disciples were together with him. In an era without microphones or receivers, how could the Buddha’s words reach even the person at the very back?

Seeing Sujata Academy, I felt respect for such a dedicated life, and I want to live that way too. As a lay practitioner who has a main job and needs to make a living, from what perspective should I participate in such activities?

All the words describing the Buddha are noble and beautiful, but why does his son’s name, Rahula, mean ‘an obstacle’?

India is the birthplace of Buddhism, yet currently the Buddhist population is only 0.7 percent. How did this wonderful Buddhism almost disappear from India?

After answering all the questions, it was 8:40 PM. Sunim wrapped up the session, saying:

“I would like to continue our discussion, but as it’s getting colder, we’ll stop here for today. Also, some of you need to move to different accommodations.”

The pilgrims went to their respective lodgings to rest for the night.

The 11th day of the pilgrimage in Shravasti came to an end. Tomorrow, the group will visit Jetavana, where the Buddha stayed for the longest period after his enlightenment and delivered countless Dharma talks.