I am Maitreya, the buddha of the sun
I shine with equal love upon all
I am called the coming Buddha not because I will manifest in physical form
But because I come to those at advanced stages of the spiritual path
and say: "Be blessed friends, and give blessings". **
I am called the buddha of friendship
For I take all beings as equals
And do not accept the hierarchies of institutions.
My love shines equally upon persons, groups, cultures, and worlds
I call them to live in universal love and compassion
I am white and golden, harmonious and full of richness
Like a symphony, I unite the competing themes in the universe.
I am found in optimism, in hope, and in faith
And in those who look for a better tomorrow
I bless the discouraged and the lonely
The fearful and the mournful
I give them a way out of the prisons of their hearts
I liberate beings from confinement
And show a brilliant and infinite future.
There are many forms of liberation within the universe
In the vast galaxy of changing forms
Each moment of insight, each movement of growth
Each turning away from the past
Is a kind of liberation.
To turn away from identity entirely is a rare blessing
Those who do this do not look to me.
Those who seek me need strength and determination, in life and in
meditation
They need hope and encouragement, and this I give them.
Knowing that there is a more perfect world
Allows them to improve this one
Knowing that there are buddhas and bodhisattvas
Allows them to strive for more perfect awareness
Knowing that there is something to look forward to
Allows the bondage of the past to fall away.
I am the buddha of hope, and of striving
So that transient beings may improve the world for other transients
Though the universe grows and disintegrates and comes back again in glory
I shall stay to bless the crowds who strive towards truth.
** NOTE: This statement goes against buddhist doctrine in the
Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions which holds that Maitreya will
incarnate on earth as a bodhisattva at some future time,
and become an enlightened buddha during that incarnation.