Foreword (by Pramuan Pengchan)

For Areeya Metaya (Volume 2): “The Emperor with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Heads,” this is the contemporary legend of Phra Chao Liap Lok (The Buddha’s Journey Across the World) for those of us born in the post-half-Buddhist era. The history of Buddhism in Thai society reveals that over a thousand years after the Buddha’s passing into Parinirvana, a group of Buddhists established settlements and built cities upon the land known today as “Thailand.” Parallel to constructing these physical spaces for living, our ancestors also created city legends to serve as a spiritual home.

The meaning and value of these city legends lie in their storytelling, which recounts how the Buddha once journeyed to this very land and prophesied its future. He foretold that this place would become a prosperous realm, abundant in crops and vegetation, and flourishing with arts and sciences. This prosperity would bring peace and happiness to the citizens living under the reign of a righteous king who ruled with the Ten Kingly Virtues. Furthermore, the Buddha marked this land with various sacred signs—such as leaving his footprints or other testimonies—to confirm that he had indeed graced these places with his presence.

Local folklore connects the Buddha’s journey to the physical geography of each region. For instance, a massive boulder resembling a pillow would be interpreted as the very place where the Buddha rested, with the pillow he used transforming into the stone we see today.

The core essence of these local legends is to bind the hearts of the people to the Buddha. This connection inspires unshakeable faith in the path of generosity, morality, and meditation, ultimately guiding people to realize the ultimate state of being within themselves—referred to by various names such as Buddha-nature, the Awakened Mind, the Radiant Mind, the Original Mind, the Source Mind, or the Divine Mind. Over time, these local legends were compiled and beautifully refined into literary masterpieces under the title “Tamnan Phra Chao Liap Lok” (The Legend of the Buddha’s Journey Across the World).

The Legend of Phra Chao Liap Lok is a highly valuable piece of Buddhist literature. It serves as the origin and foundation of the beliefs and reverence surrounding the Holy Footprints, sacred stupas, and places of worship throughout Thailand.

In the past, The Legend of Phra Chao Liap Lok served as a spiritual sanctuary for Thai ancestors—a home that shielded them from the storms of greed, hatred, and delusion for generations. Today, however, this home has fallen into disrepair. It can no longer shelter us from the rain of greed, the scorching heat of hatred, or the bitter wind of delusion as it once did. The stories of the Buddha’s journeys are now dismissed by many as mere nonsense and fairy tales. The sacred stones are viewed as nothing more than rocks, no longer seen as holy footprints or the pillows where the Buddha once rested. This is the reality of the people living in the post-half-Buddhist era.

The legend created by our ancestors has faded from the consciousness of those born in this modern era. Areeya Metaya, therefore, emerges as a new mythical lore that tells the spiritual journey of the people in this post-half-Buddhist era. This is the spiritual legend of each and every one of us.

The true meaning of a spiritual legend lies not in external objects or historical events, but within the inner landscape of our own hearts.

The Legend of Phra Chao Liap Lok was a spiritual tale for people whose souls were deeply intertwined with the Buddha. When the Buddha shines as an inner light within a person’s heart, the meaning and value of life for those ancestors was to attain insight into the Noble Truths—the ultimate reality manifesting within their own minds.

Suffering, its Origin, its Cessation, and the Path to its Cessation are noble realities (The Four Noble Truths) within the mind; they are subjective truths (Subjective). However, in our current post-half-Buddhist era, the meaning of these Noble Truths has shifted toward the material world (Objective). We live our lives searching for meaning and value in the external, objective world. It is this very pursuit of the external that leaves us facing a world shrouded in darkness and blurriness.

This shift in meaning from the subjective to the objective can be seen clearly through our perception of “Time.” In traditional Buddhist thought, time exists in a subjective dimension. That is to say, time is a matter of the inner spirit. For instance, time in different realms of existence varies greatly; its duration is unequal. As the saying goes, a single day for celestial beings in heaven lasts longer than hundreds of years in the human world. This is because the mental states of celestial beings and humans are entirely different.

But in our modern era, time has been objectified. Its meaning is dictated by external objects—measured by the rotation of the physical world rather than the journey of the soul as in traditional Buddhist belief.

The meaning of time no longer resides in the transformation of the mind, but in the movement of external matter. The subjective meaning and value of time have faded from our awareness. Losing this awareness forces us to live strictly within an objective reality, creating conditions that make realizing our inner Buddha-nature incredibly difficult.

Buddhist legends are stories of subjective meaning. Therefore, when we study them looking only for objective, historical facts, we find nothing but what appears to be nonsense. Areeya Metaya is an invitation for readers to return to and reconnect with the subjective meaning within themselves—to return and study the legend of the Buddha’s journey within the heart during this post-half-Buddhist era.

Areeya Metaya will guide readers to touch the essence of Buddha-nature—the profound awareness that resides within you. Even if you do not yet see or perceive it, this Buddha-nature has been inside you from the very beginning. Its existence can be compared to the sun when you are inside a completely enclosed house with a tight roof and walls. Although you cannot see the sun, you know it shines from the distant sky. The light that allows your eyes to see things is the light of the sun. The warmth felt by your skin is the warmth from the sun. Buddha-nature is exactly the same.

Though this Buddha-nature or pure awareness may not yet be fully realized—shrouded as it is by the mists of doubt and skeptical thoughts—please know that all thoughts, memories, and perceptions occurring at this very moment originate from this Buddha-nature, just as light and warmth originate from the sun.

Areeya Metaya is a vessel that will take readers on a journey through the subjective world. Therefore, one should not read it to dissect objective facts or question who, what, where, when, and how. Instead, let the written words of this book guide you toward reading the profound meaning within your own heart.

This is our very own spiritual legend. We ourselves are the heroes and heroines taking action to protect this world from danger, transforming it into a peaceful home for all living beings, both sentient and insentient.

A home of true peace can only be built through the power of loving-kindness and compassion within each and every one of us. May Areeya Metaya serve as the source of loving-kindness and compassion for all readers.

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Pramuan Pengchan

October 13, 2022 (B.E. 2565)

https://youtu.be/WYYrc8mikcw

นี่คือบทแปลคำนิยมของคุณเมตตา อุทกะพันธุ์ เป็นภาษาอังกฤษ โดยปรับสำนวนให้มีความลื่นไหล เป็นธรรมชาติ และยังคงความหนักแน่นในเชิงสัจธรรมและวิสัยทัศน์แห่งยุคสมัยตามต้นฉบับ พร้อมทั้งเน้นตัวหนา (Bold) ในส่วนข้อความสำคัญเพื่อช่วยให้ผู้อ่านบนเว็บไซต์สามารถกวาดสายตาอ่านได้ง่ายและสะดุดตาครับ

Foreword (by Metta Utakapan)

This book, “Areeya Metaya 2,” is written by a Buddha we all know well: Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya (The Maitreya Buddha). Traditionally, it was believed that He would only manifest after the teachings of Gautama Buddha had completely vanished from the world, requiring us to wait until the world evolved to a point where human lifespans reached around 80,000 years—a duration so immense it is almost impossible to fathom.

However, “Areeya Metaya 2” brings extraordinary news: humanity does not have to wait that long. Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya has already manifested in this world, in our present era, and is the author of this very book.

Why was it necessary to manifest ahead of the predicted time? The critical reason is that our current world is in extreme peril, on the verge of collapsing in the near future. This is due to the massive accumulation of negative energy caused by the reckless and wasteful consumption of Earth’s resources, creating pollution far beyond what nature can bear. Furthermore, human spirituality has drastically declined, plagued by a severe degradation of virtue, morality, and ethics arising from wickedness within human hearts. Wars are raging across the globe, in every corner. The nature of warfare has shifted into economic battles and a fierce scramble for limited resources amidst an ever-growing global population. This causes worldwide suffering far worse than the threat of nuclear war during World War II, disrupting the Earth’s delicate balance and hastening an untimely global collapse.

For this reason, Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya had to manifest in this era to urgently resolve this global crisis. He comes to usher in what we have long heard of as the “Era of Phra Sri Arn” or the “Civilized Era”—a time where people will live natural, blissful, and deeply peaceful lives. Humanity will coexist as brothers and sisters, filled with mutual love and compassion. People will live interdependently, bartering goods without the need for money. There will be no divide between the rich and the poor; everyone will be completely equal. It will be a society free from exploitation, division, and competition. While this may sound like an unattainable utopian dream, this ideal society is actually about to manifest in the very near future. Our generation, along with our children and grandchildren, will undoubtedly witness it.

I read “Areeya Metaya 2” with absolute awe at its storytelling, which left me profoundly confident that the narrator is indeed Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya. This conviction comes from the vivid accounts of events during the Buddha’s lifetime around 2,500 years ago, including encounters with Gautama Buddha. Astonishingly, the text reveals that the history of Buddhism unfolded in Thailand, not India. This is supported by tangible evidence, such as the names of local sub-districts, districts, and ancient ruins that still remain today. These serve as proof that the places where Gautama Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, delivered his teachings, and entered Parinirvana are located right here in Thailand.

The key episodes of Buddhist history described by the author—detailing exactly how enlightenment was achieved and how Dhamma was taught through a “mind-to-mind” transmission—allowed countless people to attain enlightenment effortlessly. While it may sound unbelievable, the meticulous details shared by Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya feel entirely real, logical, and possible.

The vital mission of Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya in manifesting at this specific time is to resolve this global crisis by elevating human spirituality. This is the key to preventing the collapse of the world caused by the aforementioned imbalances, which will lead to destruction if not addressed with absolute urgency.

The question is: how can we transform the consciousness of at least 5 billion out of 7 billion people into the consciousness of a Buddha or the Divine? Most would consider this impossible. But for me, I say it is possible, and it absolutely must happen.

If you harbor doubts, you must read this book for yourself. You will be mystified by the profound insights written by a man who, outwardly, appears to be an ordinary person with no prior formal study of Buddhism. Yet, he writes these miraculous, realistic, and viable truths because he writes from the ultimate spiritual essence of Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya.

Imagine if you lived 2,500 years ago, and someone told you that in another 2,500 years, people would no longer travel by elephants, horses, or carts. Instead, they would travel in high-speed vehicles propelled by an invisible energy on beautifully constructed roads. They would fly through the air in vessels far faster than land vehicles. People would live in buildings over a hundred stories high, moving up and down in tiny boxes that stop at any floor. Most incredibly, people would be able to connect and see each other’s faces from opposite corners of the globe through a tiny rectangular piece of glass packed with endless information, allowing them to access knowledge, watch dramas, and listen to music all from a single device. You wouldn’t have believed it, right? Yet today, you see with your own eyes that it is an undeniable reality.

Therefore, at the pinnacle of modern technology, a specialized technology could be urgently developed to save the world by rapidly shifting coarse human consciousness into a refined “Buddha-Mind” on a massive scale. This might involve methods dealing with the human brain or mechanisms we cannot yet conceive. To restore global balance before it is too late, certain catalyst events may serve as a wake-up call, signaling to everyone that failure to act means global demise. The Earth has been continuously sending these warnings through various crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which arose from global imbalance, caused widespread loss of life, and ultimately drove the urgent, worldwide production of vaccines to protect humanity.

If you still do not believe that the Civilized Era of Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya is about to unfold, you must open “Areeya Metaya 2.” You will find answers that are astonishing, miraculous, and so profoundly logical that you will not be able to deny them.

It is my deepest hope that you will become a vital force in reshaping this world and safeguarding it from the rapidly approaching catastrophes. You can do this by accepting right here, right now, and immediately, that you are already a Buddha. Fill your own heart with boundless love and compassion until it overflows to all fellow human beings who share that exact same Buddha-heart. Be ready to give unconditional love and kindness to one another. Have absolute faith and conviction that “I am the Buddha, I am the Divine.”

If everyone unites in this unwavering faith in their own inner Buddha-nature, it will, at the very least, help slow down the impending global collapse, allowing us to work together to resolve this global crisis and build a sustainable, everlasting peace.

.

Metta Utakapan

Dhamma Speaker, Theravada in the Way of Zen

Former Chairperson of the Board of Directors,

Amarin Printing and Publishing Public Company Limited

Foreword (by White Lady)

A miraculous sense of deep gratitude for journeying back to find the “Original Soul” within myself through the book Areeya Metaya.

• I consider myself immensely blessed to have received this highest, most precious reward of life.

• Words cannot fully capture the depth of what I have experienced. The shift in my inner being from before discovering this book to who I am now is profound.

• Areeya Metaya sheds light on the true root cause of suffering and explicitly guides us on how to transcend it.

• Although religious teachings are abundant and I had acquired a fair share of knowledge, whenever suffering struck, I found it incredibly difficult to let go. This was because I kept relying on external anchors and became trapped in the theoretical knowledge I had learned.

• I used to rationalize my pain, thinking… ~ It is because of defilements, cravings, and attachments. ~ It is because of greed, hatred, and delusion. ~ It is because of this and that. But those were all externalized factors. I had never truly looked inward.

• Consequently, I failed to see that the Ultimate Truth resides nowhere else but within ourselves.

• The Buddha’s teachings are as vast as “all the leaves in the forest,” famously summarized as the 84,000 Dhamma sections. Yet, the moment you awaken to the ultimate truth, it condenses into just “a single handful of leaves”—which is simply the Five Aggregates dwelling right within this body of ours. That is all there is to it!

• This is the divine act of condensing the leaves of the forest (knowledge) into the leaves in our hand (knowing).

• This is the profound gift I received from Areeya Metaya—discovering the cosmic mechanism within myself. The moment we align and become one with our inner Original Mind, the core root of suffering, which is our own inner ignorance (Avidya), becomes crystal clear.

• Upon awakening to my inner potential—the sacred spark implanted by the Creator in all things on Earth—I finally realized who I am, where I came from, and what my purpose is. Now, whenever an emotion surfaces, I can discern exactly which mechanism is at play. We gain the power to choose truth: to acknowledge, detach, and let go of every emotional state with profound humility and a heart overflowing with gratitude.

• I can wholeheartedly say that today, I live in love and gratitude toward the divine presence within my own body, while holding deep respect for others. I no longer harbor grudges or anger easily as I once did, because I now perceive the equal, sacred essence residing within all living things.

• This realization is a treasure beyond any material wealth. It is infinitely grander than winning the first-prize lottery, because no amount of money can ever purchase the Path, its Fruits, or Nirvana—the ultimate oneness of Consciousness and the Buddha-Soul. “To witness the Ultimate Truth is to fulfill the ultimate spiritual task.”

• Thank you—my gratitude for the immeasurable value of the Buddha-Mind is boundless.

• You will be enriched with “Noble Wealth” (Ariya-dhana) far exceeding any lottery grand prize.

• If we consider the four spiritual journeys of humanity: ~ Coming from darkness, departing into darkness. ~ Coming from darkness, departing into light. ~ Coming from light, departing into darkness. ~ Coming from light, departing into light.

• I must declare that you are deeply blessed to have encountered Areeya Metaya. May each and every one of you discover your own true, pure Original Soul and Buddha-Mind by your own light.

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White Lady

February 6, 2023 (B.E. 2566)

At the Sanctuary of Energy

Foreword (by Phariwari)

The spiritual journey in the first volume of Areeya Metaya—where Tim travels to the parallel world known as Planet Thungra—filled me with absolute wonder. It ignited a deep aspiration to bring the essence of Planet Thungra into the world we currently inhabit. It shifted our consciousness away from the selfish desire of wanting to gain, possess, and be, turning it instead into the act of letting go: sharing unconditional love with a profound understanding of all existence, starting from loving oneself, loving all things, and loving the Divine. Since then, that consciousness has been nurtured and refined until it fully accepted the path of becoming Areeya Metaya.

Now is the beautiful moment for us to encounter the second volume: “The Emperor with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Heads.” Why did I initially feel a sense of audacity regarding this title? What kind of spiritual connection is Tim preparing to guide us toward? And what is the ultimate benefit we stand to receive from this book?

How does “The Emperor with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Heads” differ from the “Bodhisattva with a Thousand Hands”? When people think of a thousand-handed Bodhisattva, they immediately envision Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy), whose image represents the supreme sacrifice of working entirely alone to save countless beings from peril. But consider this: if an era arrives where a thousand of these Bodhisattvas unite to become a thousand Emperors, how bright and beautiful would this world be? And what if those Emperors were the very souls who once dedicated their practices to transcending suffering until they returned to the embrace of the Divine (the Home of Nirvana)?

The profound questions raised are:

1. If you were an Emperor who had achieved ultimate liberation and was ready to return to the cosmic home, would you sacrifice that peace to face suffering for at least 20 more lifetimes? Would you do it to aid all living beings, ensuring the world remains civilized to support the Golden Era of Phra Sri Arn?

2. What are the Buddha-nature qualities of these Emperors?

3. What is the urgent mission that these Emperors must come to fulfill?

4. Why must they sacrifice such immense, eternal bliss?

This awakening novel, “Areeya Metaya” (Volume 2: The Emperor with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Heads), holds every single answer to these questions. It is so profound that it is hard to believe it is mere fiction. It feels entirely real, actionable, and yields immediate results. This is because if you, the reader, discover that you are actually one of the souls chosen for this thousand-handed, thousand-headed Emperor mission, you will realize that you are an exalted mind, just like Buddho (the One Who Knows, the Awakened One, the Radiant One).

From that realization, you can naturally manifest the noble qualities of Dhammo (Nature) without forced effort. This will powerfully create a magnificent, high-value Sangho (Community, Society) for the world. I have come to understand the true essence within myself, allowing me to gradually grow into love and effortlessly break free from many restrictive conditions—all thanks to these two virtual-yet-profoundly-real awakening books:

1. Areeya Metaya (The Journey toward Becoming Areeya Metaya)

2. The very volume you are holding and experiencing at this exact moment.

If you feel that you share this divine mission with us, may we cross paths and reunite swiftly.

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Phariwari

September 20, 2022 (B.E. 2565)

Foreword (by Potjanakorn Kuljirawasuthorn)

“The Emperor with a Thousand Hands” explores historical truths and serves as a genuine Tipitaka—transmitted directly from the ultimate Buddha-Mind to the author. The content within this book reveals a direct, shortcut path to accessing the inner pool of knowledge, tapping into the Universal Wisdom that has already existed within everyone all along.

True knowledge does not arise simply from reading media or listening to the author’s words. Instead, this book guides readers to verify, investigate, and question for themselves—to see, understand, and experience the truth through their own direct action. The author has achieved full awareness of his own Buddha-nature because this knowledge does not stem from mere experiences beyond the five senses; rather, it flows from an unseen spiritual intuition (Pannya-nyan) that guides us whenever we rise into a higher state of awareness.

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Potjanakorn Kuljirawasuthorn