After reaching enlightenment, the Buddha tried to teach what he had experienced. His first attempts were unsuccessful, since no one understood what he was saying. After seven weeks of meditation around Bodhgaya, Brahma and Indra, the worldly gods, begged Buddha to teach. At first, he taught mainly to five students: Kunshe, Kondeniya, Thathul, Lhangpa, Mingchen, and Zangden, as well as other beings of the 6 realms. When they experienced the teaching fully, he added a few more. Soon he had enough students so that when he taught a larger crowd, they could also experience what the Buddha was conveying. This process became the “Turning of the Dharma Wheel,” where all beings of all realms of existence were taught simultaneously in language understood in their realm. Understanding the merit of this accomplishment multiplies all activities on this day, whether positive or negative, 10 million times.
