In the first half of the twentieth century the great Tibetan Buddhist guru, Tomo Geshe Rimpoche, started preparing the space for the coming of the new Buddha – Maitreya. According to the Buddhist tradition, the enlightenment of the expected Maitreya-Buddha (whose human incarnation will reflect the qualities of the Dhyani-Buddha Amoghasiddhi) will reveal the new cosmic-spiritual order of the Universe.
Tomo Geshe Rimpoche had a very inspiring vision anticipating the coming of Maitreya. A disciple of Tomo Geshe, Lama Anagarika Govinda, in his book The Way of the White Clouds, compares his guru's vision of Maitreya to a similar vision, said to have taken place in the presence of Buddha Sakyamuni-Gautama, which is described in the Surangama Sutra:
The Blessed Lord, sitting upon the throne in the midst of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from all the ten quarters of the universe, manifested his transcendental glory, surpassing them all. From his hands and feet and body radiated supernal beams of light that rested upon the crown of each Buddha and Bodhisattva assembled here.
And equally from the hands and feet and bodies of all those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten quarters of the universe went forth rays of glorious brightness that converged upon the crown of the Lord Buddha, and upon the crowns of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Saints presents.
At the same time, the waters and waves of brooks and streams were singing the music of the Dharma, and all the intersecting rays of brightness were like a net of splendour, set with jewels and overarching them all.
Such a marvellous sight had never been imagined and held all who were present in silence and awe. Unwittingly they passed into the blissful state of Samädhi. And upon them all an unspeakable peace and happiness descended like a gentle rain of soft petals of many different-coloured lotus-blossoms, all blending together and being reflected into the open space of heaven in all the tints of the spectrum.
Moreover, all the differentiations of mountains and waters and rocks and plants, and all that makes up our common world, blended into one another and faded away, leaving only the indescribable experience of primordial unity – not dull and inert, but vibrant with rhythmic life and light, with celestial sounds of songs and harmonies, melodiously rising and falling and merging and then fading away into silence.
(Lama Anagarika Govinda,
The Way of the White Clouds,
Rider & Co. London, 1984)
Even from this indirect description of Tomo Geshe's vision it is possible to sense the great Divine power and the staggering mystery of his Enlightenment. When Maitreya-Buddha himself appears he will reveal the new cosmic-spiritual order of the Universe. In doing so, he will shape the enlightenment of human beings for thousands of years to come. Thus, Tomo Geshe, in anticipation of the rebirth of the Eternal Truths of the Dharma and of the Coming One, Maitreya-Buddha,
…erected statues of Maitreya in many other places and made the followers of the Buddha-Dharma conscious of the fact that it was not sufficient to bask in the glories of the past, but that one must take active part in the shaping of the future, and thus make it possible for the coming Buddha to appear in this world by preparing our minds for his reception.
(Lama Anagarika Govinda,
The Way of the White Clouds,
Rider & Co. London, 1984)
The coming of the new Buddha, Maitreya, will manifest the New Enlightenment in the form of a gigantic celestial Mandala as was predicted by Tomo Geshe Rimpoche.
The Mandala of the Heavenly Jerusalem described in the section The Holy City(#) is exactly the type of New Mandala expected to be created by the coming Maitreya Buddha. So we could consider it as an important step in meeting Maitreya-Buddha and receiving his Enlightenment.