The Tree of Enlightenment

transforming ordinary, base objects into gold. Here we have an
example of the symbolism of alchemy. is symbolism became
important in the Vajrayana tradition because just as the alchemist
transforms base objects into gold, so the Vajrayana adept
transforms the impure and defiled experience of ordinary human
beings into the experience of enlightenment.
If we look at the biographies of Asanga, we find very revealing
stories there as well. According to these texts, Asanga retired
to a cave to meditate on the future Buddha Maitreya, practicing
for three years without success. Discouraged, he left the cave at
the end of the third year and almost immediately came upon a
man rubbing a piece of iron with a feather. When Asanga asked
him what he was doing, the man said he was making a needle.
Asanga thought that if people had such patience even in worldly
tasks, perhaps he had been too hasty in abandoning his practice,
so he returned to the cave and continued with his meditation.
Asanga meditated for twelve years in all without having any
direct experience of Maitreya. At the end of the twelfth year, he
once again left the cave. is time he came upon a dog lying ill
by the side of the path, his body covered with festering wounds
in which maggots were feeding. Having meditated on Maitreya
for twelve years and thereby having developed great compassion,
Asanga immediately wished to ease the suffering of the dog. He
thought of removing the maggots but reflected that if he were
to use his fingers, he would injure them. In order not to injure
the maggots and yet relieve the dog, he bent down to remove the
maggots with his tongue. e moment he did so, the dog disappeared
into a burst of rainbow-colored light and the Bodhisattva
Maitreya appeared before him.
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