The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK EIGHT

 

8. The Four Holy Truths

 

 

THEN THE  GREAT  ENLIGHTENING  BEING  Manjushri  said  to  the  enlight­ ening beings, "Children of Buddhas, the holy truth of suffering, in this world Endurance, is sometimes called wrongdoing, or oppression, or change, or clinging to objects , or accumulation, or thorns stabbing, or dependence on the senses, or deceit, or the place of cancer, or ignorant action.

"The  holy  truth of the  (cause of) the  accumulation of suffering,   in this world Endurance, may be called bondage, or disintegration, or attachment to goods, or false consciousness,  or pursuit and involvement, or conviction, or the web, or fancified conceptualizing, or following, or awry faculties .

"The holy truth of the extinction of suffering, in this world Endurance, may   be   called noncontention,   or freedom from defilement,   or tranquil­ ity and dispassion, or signlessness, or deathlessness,  or absence of inherent nature,  or absence of hindrance, or extinction, or   essential reality, or abiding in one' s own essence.

"The holy truth  of the  path  to  the  extinction  of suffering,  in  this world Endurance, may be called the one vehicle, or progress  toward serenity, or guidance, or ultimate freedom from discrimination, or equanimity,  or putting down the burden, or having no object of pursuit, or following the intent of the saint, or the practice of sages, or ten treasuries.

"In this world there are  four quadrillion such names  to express the four holy   truths in accord with the mentalities of sentient beings,   to cause them all to be harmonized and pacified.

" What in this world is called the holy truth of suffering is,  in that world Secret Teaching, called the sense of striving and seeking, or not being emancipated, or the root of bondage, or doing what shouldn't be done, or contending and struggling in all manner of situations,  or total lack of power to analyze, or being depended on, or extreme pain, or hyperactivity, or things with form . What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is, in that world Secret Teaching,  called following birth and death, or habitual attachment, or burning, or

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continuous revolving,  or corrupt senses,  or continuing existences,  or evil behavior, or emotional attachment, or the source of illness, or categorization.   What is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffer­ ing is, in that world Secret Teaching, also called the ultimate truth, or emancipation, or praiseworthy, or peace, or the place good to enter, or docility, or singleness, or faultlessness, or freedom from greed, or resolution. What is called the holy truth of the path to extinction of suffering is,  in that world Secret Teaching, also called bold generalship, or superior action, or transcendence, or having  skill  in means,  or impartial eye, or detachment from extremes, or comprehensive under­ standing,  or inclusion,  or supreme eye, or   contemplating  the   four truths . In the world Secret Teaching, there are  four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths, to cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

" What is,  in this world Endurance, called the holy truth of sufferin g, is, in the world Abundance, also called fear, or individual mortality, or disgusting, or what should be worked  on, or change,  or ensnaring enemy, or deceptive usurper, or hard to work with, or false discrim­ ination, or possessor of power. What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering   is,   in that world Abundance,   called   corruption, or ignorance, or great enemy, or sharp blade, or taste of destruction,  or revenge, or not one's  own thing, or bad guidance, or increasing darkness, or ruining goodness. What is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffering is,  in that world Abundance,  called great meaning,  or benefit, or goal of goals,  or infinity, or what should  be seen,   or detachment from   discrimination,   or supreme pacification,   or   constant equanimity, or worthy of living together,  or nonfabrication. What is called the holy truth of the path to extinction of suffering is,  in that world Abundance, called able to burn up,  or the highest class,  or certitude, or unbreakable, or profound techniques, or emancipation, or not mean  or base,  or mastery,  or essence of liberation, or capable  of setting free. In that world Abundance there arc four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths, to cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

"What is,  in this world Endurance,  called the holy truth of suffering, is, in the world Undefiled, also called regret, or dependency,  or aggravation, or dwelling within  walls,  or one flavor, or untruth, or living at home, or abode of deluded attachment, or false views, or innumerable. What is called the holy truth  of the accumulation  of suffering is, in the world Undefiled, also called no real thing, or only having words,  or not pure,   or place of birth,   or grasping,  or baseness, or increase, or heavy burden, or producer, or roughness.  What is called the holy  truth of the extinction of suffering is,   in the world Undefiled, also called incomparable, or thoroughly cleared, or removal of defilement, or supreme faculties, or harmony, or independence, or extinction of confusion, or most excellent, or the ultimate, or breaking the seal.

 

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What  is called the holy truth of the path to the extinction of suffering is, in that world Undefiled, called something indestructible, or the part of appropriate  means,  or the basis of liberation,   or reality of basic nature, or the blameless, or the most pure, or the boundary of all existences, or maintaining what is   received complete,   or producing the  ultimate,  or pure  discernment.  In the world  Undefiled there arc four quadrillion such names to explain   the four holy truths,   to   cause all sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

"What is,  in this world Endurance, called the holy truth of sufferin g, is, in the world Rich Pleasure, also called the place of emotional attachment, or root of danger and harm, or the sectors of the ocean of existence, or made by accumulation, or discriminating senses, or aggravation, or origination and  destruction,  or  hindrance,  or  base  of sword blades, or made of sets . What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is, in the world Rich Pleasure, called detestable, or names, or endless, or different sets,  or  not  to  be  loved,  or  able  to grab  and  bite,  or  crude  things,  or emotional attachment,  or receptacle, or  stirring.  What  is   called  the  holy  truth  of the  extinction  of suffering is , in that world Rich Pleasure, called end of continuation, or revelation, or no label,  or nothing to practice, or no object of vision, or nondoing, or extinction, or already burnt out, or casting off the heavy burden, or purged. What is called the  holy  truth  of  the  path  to  extinction  of suffering is, in that world Rich Pleasure, called serene action, or emanci­ pating action,   or diligent practice and experience, or gone to tranquility, or infinite life, or comprehensive knowledge, or the ultimate path, or difficult to  practice,  or reaching the other shore, or invincible.  In the world Rich Pleasure  there  are  four  quadrillion  such  names  to  explain the four holy truths, to cause all sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

"What is in this world Endurance,   called the holy truth of suffering,

is, in the world Inclusion, also called able to plunder and usurp, or not a good friend, or full of fear, or various fancies, or the nature of hell, or untruth, or the burden of covetousness, or roots of deep  gravity,  or changing with moods, or fundamental vanity.  What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is called, in that world Inclusion, greedy attachment, or wrong accomplishment, or the evil of excess, or nothing that can be explained, or nothing that can be apprehended, or continuous revolving in circles . What is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffering is,   in the world Inclusion,  called nonregression, or beyond  speech, or formlessness, or enjoyable, or stability,  or su­ preme wonder, or freedo m   from   folly,   or extinction,   or   detachment from evil, or escape.  What is called the holy truth of the path to extinction of suffering is,   in the world Inclusion,   called beyond words, or noncontention, or   teaching   and   guidance,   or   good   dedication,   or great skill, or a variety of techniques, or spacclikc, or serene action, or supreme  knowledge,  or ability  to understand truth.  In  the  world  Inclu-

 

sion there arc four quadrillion  such names to explain the four holy truths,  to   cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

" What is , in this world Endurance, called the holy  truth of suffering, is,  in the world Beneficial, also called the heavy burden, or instability, or like a robber, or aging and death, or made of craving, or trans­ migration, or fatigue, or bad condition, or growth,  or the sharp blade. What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is,  in the world Beneficial, called decay, or confusion, or regression, or power­ lessness,  or loss,  or opposition,  or disharmony,  or doing,  or grasping, or wishing.  What  is called the  holy  truth of the  extinction of suffering is, in the world Beneficial, also called escape from prison,  or real truth, or freedo m from troubles, or protection, or detachment from ill,  or docility,   or the fundamental,   or abandoning the cause,   or nonstriving, or noncontinuation. What is called the holy truth of the path to the extinction of suffering is, in that world Beneficial, also called arriving at nonexistence,   or the seal of the totality,   or the treasury of meditation, or attainment of light,  or the   nonregressive state,   or ability to   put an end to being,  or the wide great road, or ability to tame, or having peace and security,   or nonroutinized   faculties.   In   the   world   Beneficial   there are four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths,  to cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

"What is,  in this world Endurance,  called the holy truth of suffering, is, in the world Rarefied, also called dangerous desires,  or place of bondage, or misguided  action,  or receptivity, or shamelessness,  or rooted in greed,   or   the   ever-flowing   river,   or   constant   disintegration, or of the nature of torch fire, or full of stress and anxiety.  What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is, in that world, called broad ground,  or tendency, or distance from wisdom,  or obstruction, or fear, or laxity,  or taking   in,   or   attachment,   or   ignorance being master of the house,  or continuous bonds.  What  is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffering is, in that world, also called ful fillment, or immortality, or selflessness, or absence of inherent nature, or end of discrimination,  or abode of peace and happiness,  or infinitude,   or cutting off transmigration, or cutting off compulsive mental activity, or nonduality. What is called the holy  truth of the path to extinction of suffering is, in that world, also called great light, or ocean of explanation, or analyzing meaning, or the way of harmony, or freedom from attachment,  or breaking the continuum, or the broad highway,  or the basis of impartiality,  or pure methods, or   supreme   insight.   In   that world Rarefied arc four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths, to   cause sentient beings to   be harmonized and pacified   according to their mentalities.

"What  is, in this  world Endurance, called the holy  truth of suffering, is, in the world Joy, called continuous revolving, or birth, or loss of

 

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benefit, or habitual attachment, or the heavy load, or discrimination, or inward  danger, or gathering, or wrong abode,   or   of the   nature   of misery  and affliction. What  is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is, in that world, also called the ground, or conveniences, or wrong timing,   or untruth, or bottomless,  or possessiveness,  or depar­ ture from morality, or afflictions, or narrow views, or accumulation of defilement.   What  is   called the holy truth   of the   extinction of suffering is,   in that world,  called destroying dependency,   or not indulging,   or truth, or equality,  or purity,  or freedom from sickness,  or undistorted, or formless,   or free, or birthless.  What  is called the holy truth of the path to extinction of suffering is, in that world, called   entering   the supreme realm,   or cutting off accumulation,   or transcending comparison, or vast nature, or end of discrimination,  or the path of spiritual  power, or multitude of appropriate techniques,  or practice of right mindfulness, or the ever quiet road,  or embracing liberation.  In that world Joy there are four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths, to cause beings to be harmonized and paci fied according to their mentalities.

" What is,  in this world Endurance, called the holy truth of suffering,

is, in the world Door Bolt, also called decaying form, or like a broken vessel, or the product of ego, or embodiment of various tendencies, or numerous  routines, or the gate of the multitude of ills,  or inherent pain, or that which should be abandoned, or flavorlessness,  or coming  and going.  What  is called the holy truth of the accumulation   of suffering is in that world called activity,  or the poison of anger,  or conglomeration, or sensation, or selfishness, or mixed poison, or empty names, or opposition, or imitation,  or astonishment.  What is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffering is in that world called no accumulation, or ungraspable,  or wonder medicine,   or incorruptible,  or nonattachment, or immeasurable, or vast, or the sphere of awakening, or freedom from addiction,  or absence of obstruction. What is called the holy truth of the path to extinction of suffering is in that world called peaceful action, or detachment from craving, or ultimate reality, or entry into truth, or the essential   ultimate,   or manifestation of purity,   or concentration,   or head­ ing for liberation,  or salvation,  or supreme action.  In that world Door Bolt there arc four quadrillion such names  to express the  four holy truths, to cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified according to their mentalities.

"What is,  in this world Endurance,  called the holy truth of suffering, is, in the world Shaking Sound, also called hidden sickness, or the mundane, or the dwelling place, or conceit, or the nature of habitual attachment, or the torrent, or unenjoyable, or hypocrisy,  or the evanescent, or difficult to control. What is called the holy truth of the accumulation of suffering is in that world called that which must  be controlled,   or mental tendencies,   or that which binds,  or arising  in every thought, or extending to the future, or combination, or discrim­ ination, or the gateway, or blown by the wind, or concealment. What

 

 

is called the holy truth of the extinction of suffering 1s m  that world called no reliance, or ungraspable, or returning, or freedom from conflict, or small,  or great, or pure, or inexhaustible,   or broad,   or priceless. What is called the holy truth of the path to  extinction of suffering is in that   world   called analytic observation,   or ability to   destroy the enemy, or seal of knowledge, or ability to enter the essence, or unopposable, or limitless meaning, or able to enter knowledge,  or the path of harmony, or eternal imperturbability,  or  the  highest  truth.  In  that  world  Shaking Sound there are four quadrillion such names to explain the four holy truths,   to   cause sentient beings to be harmonized and pacified   according to their mentalities.

"Just as in this world Endurance there are four quadrillion names  to express  the  four  holy  truths,  so  in  all  the  worlds  to  the  east-hundreds of thousands of billions, countlessly, innumerably, boundlessly, imcomparably, incalculably, unspeakably, inconceivably, immeasurably, inexplicably  many worlds,  in each there are an equal number of names to express  the  four  holy  truths,  to  cause  the sentient beings  there  to  all be harmonized and pacified in accordance with their mentalities . And just as this is so  of the worlds  to the cast,  so  it is  with all the infinite worlds in the ten directions."