The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK TWENTY-SIX

 

26. The Ten Stages

 

 

THUS HAVE I HEARD. Once the Blessed One was sojourning in the heaven of control of others' emanations. Not long after his perfect enlightenment-the   second    week-he   was   in   the   palace   of   the   king of that heaven,  a shining,  radiantly  pure treasury of jewels,  together with a large group of enlightening  beings, all of them beyond regression and  bound to become  perfectly enlightened  in one lifetime, who had come from different   worlds.   Those   enlightening   beings   were   abiding in the sphere of knowledge of all enlightening beings; their sphere of action was that of ceaseless penetration into the entries of the realm of knowledge of all enlightened ones; they were skilled in showing all feats of power appropriately timed for the development and  liberating  guid­ ance of all sentient beings; in order to fulfill all the great vows of en­ lightening beings, in all worlds and times, all ages, and all lands they diligently cultivated practices unceasingly; they had ful filled the inex­ haustible stores of virtue, knowledge, and occult powers of all enlighten­ ing beings, for the benefit of all worldly  beings;  having  attained  the highest ultimate reaches of transcendental knowledge and expedient liberative means of enlightening  beings,  they showed entries into  mun­ dane existence and nirvana,  while not interrupting  the application  of means of practices of enlightening beings; sporting freely in the medi­ tations, liberations, concentrations, attainments, and mystic  knowl­ edges   of enlightening  beings,  they   were skilled   in   the   demonstration of all feats of mystic  knowledge;  having  attained  the occult  powers and command of enlightening beings, going without effort in a single mental instant to the circles of all buddhas, they acted as leading inter­ locutors; holding  the wheels of teachings  of all buddhas,  they had gone to make offerings to and wait on many buddhas; they had realized the manifestation of bodies in all worlds  engaged in the undertaking  of the deeds of all enlightening beings; their voices sounded in all realms with­ out  obstruction,  and  the sphere of knowledge of the mind   unobstructed in all places and times was revealed  to them;  they had thoroughly  ful­ filled the attainments of qualities of all enlightening beings, and their qualities  could never be exhaustively  explained even in untold eons. Their names were Diamond Matrix, Jewel Matrix, Lotus Matrix, Matrix

695

 

696  Tlze Flower Omtun c1lt  Scripture

 

of Glory, Matrix of Lotus like Splendor, Solar Matrix, Sun Matrix, Earth Matrix, Matrix of Lunar  Purity,  Matrix of Mani festation of All A rra ys of Adornments, Matrix of Illum ination of Knowledge, 1V1 atrix of Radi­ ance, Matrix of Blosso ming Glory , Matrix of  Blue  Lotus  Splendor, Matrix of Celestial Quali ties, Matrix of Splendor of Virtue, Matrix of Purity of Unobstructed Kno wledge, Matrix of Godlike M ajesty, Matri x of Purity, Matrix of Non de filement, Matrix of Ad ornment of Varied Eloquence, Matrix of Radiance of Grea t  Webs  of Light Beams,  Ma trix of Radiance of Power of Splen dor of Unde filed Light, Ma trix of Pure Radiance of Accumulated Gold , Ma trix of Pure Splendor Adorned  by All Characteri stics of Enligh ten ing Beings, Matrix of Glorious Adorn­ ments of Diam ond Fla me",  Matrix of Beauty of Flames of Light,  Matrix of Light of M ajesty of the Stars, Matrix of Unhindered Knowledge of the Treasury of the Sk y, Matrix of Sweet Sounds with Unobstructed Sph eres  of Resonan ce,  Matrix  of  Spells  Su pporting  the  Aspirations of All Beings, Matrix of Adornments of the Ocean,  Matrix of M ajesty of the Polar Moun tJin , Matrix of Purity of All Qualities, Ma trix of Splendor of Those Who Realize Thusness, Matrix of M ajesty of the Enlightened, and Moon of Liberation . The Buddha was with innumer­ able enlighten ing beings assembled from various buddha-lands, led by Diamond Matrix, these being the main ones.

At that time Diam ond Matri�. by the po wer of Buddha, en tered the concen tration called Light of the Great Vehicle, and as soon as he had done so there ap peared to him as many buddhas as atoms in ten bil lion buddha-lands from beyond as man y worlds as atoms in ten buddha-lan ds in each of the ten directiom, all of whom were alike named Diamond Matrix. Those buddhas said, "It is good that you have entered this con­ cen tration of enlightening beings' Light of the Great Vehicle. In this you are sup ported by the Buddhas numerous as atoms in ten billion buddha­ lands beyond worlds as numerous as atoms in ten bil lion buddha-lands in the ten directi ons , and by the power of the ancien t vow of Vairocana Buddha, and it is also due to the ex cellence of your vi rtue and knowl­ edge , so that all enligh tening  beings  may enter the stages  of knowledge of the ill uminating power of the inconceivable Huddha teachings, to attain all roots of goodness,  fo r skill in  analyzing all Buddha teach ings, for breadth of knowledge of things, for the exposition of well-constructed teachings, for the puri fication of holistic knowledge, so as to be  un­ stained by vv orldly things, for the puri fication of supram undane roots of goodness, fo r the disco very of particulars of the sphere of inconceivable knowledge, and for the realization of the sph ere of omniscien t knowl­ edge: that : :.; to sa y, it is fcJ r the sake of the undertak ing and attainment of the ten stages of enlighten ing bein gs, fo r the sake of correct explanation

of skill in setting up the stages of enligh tening beings, f()[ the sake of

proper focusing on the teachings of the buddhas, to distinguish un de filed phenomena, fo r skill with the ligh t of great wisdom with knowing dis­ cernment, for entry into com plete defmitiv e  adaptive knowledge, fo r

 

The Ten Stages        697

 

the light of eloquence to explain without hesitation or obstruction in accord  with  differences  in  capability  and  station ,  to  ful fill  the  stage  of great discursive knowledge, to never forget the determination for en­ lightenment, to develop all beings to perfection , and to attain skill in discernment in a ll situations . Furthermore, you should explain this teach­ ing, skill in differentiation of means of revealing truth,  by the  power of the Buddha, by the aid of the light of knowledge of the Buddha, for the perfect puritlcation of your own roots of goodness, for the thorough puritlcation of the cosmos, for the protection of sentient beings, for the body of knowledge of the body of reality, to receive  the anointment of all buddhas, for the manifestation of the most exalted being in all worlds, to completely transcend all worldly paths, to purify the path to the supramundane, to ful fill omniscience."

Then those buddhas gave the enlightening being Diamond Matrix physical invincibility , the ability to teach with unhindered presence of mind, pure knowledge of differen tiation , the power of un failing re­ collection, skill with certain intellect, un failing understanding in all situations, the invincible power of the perfectly enlightened, indomita­ bility of power and expertise of a buddha, attainment of discernment and teaching by the discursive knowledge of the omniscient, and gave him the well-arrayed physical , verbal, and mental adornments of all buddhas. Why? Because of his attainment of the reality of this concentration in accord with its name; because of the upshot of his past vows; because of his thoroughly pure determination; because of his purification of his sphere of knowlcdge; because of his having stored well the provisions for the Path; because of his having accomplished well what he had to do; because of his being an immeasurable vessel of remembrance; because of his having purified clear taith; because of his having mastered the method of concentration spells without corruption ; because of his being perfectly stamped with the seal of self-knowledge; and because of his being per­ fectly stamped with the seal  of knowledge of thc realm of reality.

Then those buddhas, by their occult power, extended their right hands from vvhcrc they were and rubbed the head of Diamond Matrix, at which point the enlightening being arose from that concentration and said to the other enlightening beings, "Perfectly sure, 0 blessed ofEpring of the Victorious, is the vow of enlightening beings, unadulterated, impossible to sec in its entirety, vast as the cosmos, including all space, eternal, res­ cuing all beings, wherein alone the blessed en lightening beings enter the stage of knowledge of the past buddhas, enter  the stage of knowledge of the future buddhas, and enter the stage of knowledge of the present buddhas. There arc ten stages of enlighten ing beings that enter into the stage of kn owledge of the buddhas. And what arc these ten stages of enlightening beings that have been , will be, and arc being explained by the buddhas of the past, future, and present? Having meditated on them , I will now tell you . They arc the en lightening beings' stage called Extreme Joy, th at called Purity, that called Reful gence, that called

 

 

B lazing, that called Difficult to Conquer, that called Presence, that called Far-Going, that called Immovable, that called Good Mind, and the stage of enlightening beings called Cloud of Teaching. These are the ten stages of enlightening beings that have been, will be, and are expounded by the buddhas of the past, future, and present. I have never seen any buddha­ land where the buddhas do not elucidate these ten stages of enlightening beings.  Why? This is the supreme light of teaching method to purify the path of enlightening  being-that   is   the   definition   of the   specifics of the ten stages. Inconceivable is this realm of knowledge of the ten stages."

Then Diamond Matrix, having mentioned the names  of these ten stages, fell silent and gave no further definitions.

Thereupon the assembly of enlightening beings became anxious, having heard only  the names  of the stages, their definition not having been explained. They wondered why Diamond  Matrix remained silent after mentioning only the names of the ten stages and did not analyze them further.

At  that time there was among  the assembly  of enlightening  beings an enlightening  being named Moon  of Liberation  who knew what was on the minds of the assembly of enlightening beings and who asked Diamond Matrix in verse,

 

0 ye of pure intent, mindfulness, knowledge, and virtue,

Having mentioned the supreme stages, why do you not explain them?

 

All these honored enlightening beings are sure in mind; Why, having mentioned the stages, do you not define them ?

 

These experienced offspring  of buddhas want  to  hear­ Please explain the meanings and ways of the correct stages.

 

This assembly is quiet, free from sloth, pure; Purified, steadfast, full of virtue and knowledge.

 

All stand there gazing respectfully,

Desirous, as bees for honey, for the ultimate ambrosia.

 

Having heard this, the wise, experienced Diamond Matrix spoke to please the assembly:

 

Difficult, supreme is this, rare, the revelation of enlightening beings' practice.

Supreme is the discernment of the practices of the stages whence buddhahood is attained.

 

Subtle, hard to see, beyond thought, beyond the ground of mind,

hard to approach,

 

The Ten Stages

 

It is the realm of the wise with untainted minds, hearing which confuses the worldly.

 

Keeping the mind as stable as diamond, believe in the supremacy of buddha-knowledge:

Knowing the mind-ground is selfless, then one can hear this subtle knowledge.

 

Like colors painted in the sky, like the wind in space-

So is this undeflled knowledge of Buddha hard to see, though it be defmed.

 

Such is my understanding of that-it's hard to find anyone in the world who knows it,

Or even believes in it-thus I cannot explain this ultimate.

 

This having been said,  the  enlightening being Moon  of Liberation said to Diamond Matrix, "Pure is this assembly that has gathered, en­ lightening beings with thoroughly purified aspiration, thoroughly puri­ fied will, who have done their work   well,   who have   attended hundreds of thousands of billions of buddhas, who have thoroughly gathered the provisions  for the Path,   who have attained immeasurable  knowledge and virtue, who are free from folly and confusion , free from affliction, impurity, and attachment,  who are firm in determination  and faith , whose undivided attention is on these buddhas' teachings. Speak, there­ fore, for the enlightening beings directly witness this realm. "

Diamond Matrix said, "What though this assembly of enlightening beings is pure, with thoroughly  purified aspirations  and will,  having done their work well, having well attended countless buddhas,  having attained immeasurable virtue and knowledge, free from folly and delu­ sion, undefiled, with well-established determination and zeal, with un­ divided attention on   these   teachings of buddhas,  yet because of the lack of benefit and the suffering in the long night of ignorance for those others who would give rise to dissent and doubt upon hearing of such incon­ ceivable states, it is out of compassion  for them that I want to remain silent. "

Then Moon of Liberation again asked Diamond Matrix for this doc­ trine: " Very well, explain by the power of the Enlightened-these inconceivable stations will be well protected and believed in.  Why? Because that naturally occurs when these stages are being explained: this is what all buddhas keep in mind, and all enlightening beings are intent on the protection of this knowledge. Why?  This  is  the  fundamental practice, and this is the fulfillment of the Buddha teachings. It is like the instruction of combinations of letters-it begins and ends with the basic characters; there is nothing expressed by combinations of letters without indication of the basic characters. In the same way all the Buddha teach­ ings are based on the stages and their practices arc fulfilled thereby. The

 

 

consummations of the stages lead to the attainment of the knowledge of the independent. Therefore speak; the realized ones, the saints, the per­ fectly enlightened ones will protect and support you."

At this point those enlightening  beings uttered verses in one voice asking Diamond Matrix for this teaching:

 

0 ye of supreme wisdom and boundless eloquence, Speak the finest words, in accord with ultimate truth.

 

With recollection, steadfastness , pure knowledge, pure resolve to attain the ten powers,

And discerning intellect, explain  these ten  supreme stages.

 

Tranquil, disciplined, with accumulated goodwill, free from afflictions, delusion, pride, and views,

Free from doubt, this assembly hopes for your explanation.

 

As the thirsty desire cool water, the hungry food, the sick medicine,

And bees honey, so does this assembly desire your words.

 

Therefore, ye of pure knowledge, speak of the exalted stages, free from taint,

Joined to the ten powers, unobstructed, producing all good states.

 

At that time a radiance called "light of power of enlightening beings" emanated from the circle of hair between the eyebrows of Shakyamuni Buddha, accompanied by innumerable rays of light, illuminating  all worlds in all ten directions,  stopping  all evils and suffering,   eclipsing all realms of demons, illuminating the circles of innumerable buddhas, revealing the features,   occult  powers,  and   mystic  transfigurations  in the inconceivable realm of the buddhas, illuminating the enlightening beings empowered to teach in the circles of all buddhas in all worlds in the ten directions;  having  shown the inconceivable  mystical  power  of the Buddha,  it formed a great tower   of networks of clouds  of light  up in the sky and remained there.

In the same way, lights called "light of power of enlightening beings" emanated from the circle of hair between the  eyebrows of the  other buddhas, accompanied by innumerable beams of light, illuminating all worlds in the ten directions, stopping all evils and suffering, eclipsing all realms of demons, illuminating the circles of innumerable  buddhas, revealing the features, occult powers, and mystic transfigurations in the inconceivable realm of buddhas, illuminating the enlightening beings empowered to teach in the circles of all buddhas in all worlds in the ten directions; having revealed this inconceivable mystic power of buddhas, and having illuminated the circle of Shakyamuni Buddha and the body

 

 

of the enlightening being Diamond Matrix, in the same way the beams formed a great tower of webs of clouds of light  up in the sky and re­ mained there.

Thus by means of the light beams emanated from the circle of hair between the eyebrows of Shakyamuni Buddha, those worlds and those circles of buddhas and the bodies and sitting places of their enlightening beings were clearly illumined. By the lights emanated by those other buddhas, this world system, the circle of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the body and sitting place of Diamond M atrix were seen clearly illumined.

Then, from  the  great tower  of webs  of clouds of light, by  the  power of the Buddha, this sound emerged:

 

By those with the ten powers, peerless, equal to space, with boundless virtues,

By the teachings of Shakyamuni, by those b�yond :111 men and gods, is this miraculous display made.

 

By the power of the buddhas, open the storehouse of the Kings of Truth

And reveal the supreme practice and stages of knowledge distinctly.

 

Those who hear this supreme teaching will also be

Empowered and supported by the buddhas and enlightening beings,

Who will cause them to attain buddhahood once they attain the ten powers,

After having gradually fulfilled the undefiled ten stages.

 

Even sunk in the ocean or thrown into the holocaust, They will be able to hear this teaching, without doubt.

 

But those stuck to folly , suspicious and unreceptive, Will never get to hear it.

 

The path of knowledge of the stages, supreme, from entry, station, and attainment,

Please explain in order, including the practice and sphere of action.

 

Then Diamond Matrix, looking over the ten directions, in order to increase the purity of this assembly, at  this juncture spoke these verses:

 

Subtle and hard to know is the path of the great sages, Nonconceptual, beyond conception, most difficult to contact. It is pure, known only to the wise,

 

 

Its nature is quiescent, without extinction or origination . Inherently empty, utterly tranquil, nondual, inexhaustible, Liberated from all states, impartially reaching nirvana,

Without extremes or mean, not expressed by words, Outside of time, like the sky,

Quiescent, ultimately silent, realized by the enlightened, Most difficult to express by any manner of speaking: Such are the stages and their practice-

Most difficult to speak o f, more difficult to hear.

 

Beyond thought and the path of mind,

Elicited by knowledge, realized by the highest sages, Not revealed by the elements of matter and sense, Unattainable by mind, intellectually inconceivable: Just as the tracks of a bird in the sky

Cannot be described or seen even by the enlightened, In the same way all the stages

Cannot be told o f, much less heard.

 

I will tell just the beginning, then,

Out of kindness, compassion, commitment:

I will tell of them in order; yet not by spheres of thought But by knowledge are they to be fulfilled as one wishes.

 

Such  a  realm is hard to see,  impossible to tell o f­ It just rests in one's own mind;

But  I  will speak out by  the  power of Buddha- It should be heard with concentration and respect.

 

This entry of knowledge, being as such, Cannot be explained even in eons:

I will now give a summary,

According to the meaning of the teaching as it is.

 

Attend respectfully, blessed ones;

I will speak by  the power of Buddha.

I will utter the voice of the highest teaching, In appropriate words, with examples.

 

Though it is difficult to express in speech , Yet mine is the power to do so,

By the immeasurable power of Buddha and the power of the

body of light

That have entered into me.

 

"Now then, in beings who have well-developed roots of goodness, who have done their tasks well, who have accumulated provisions for

 

 

the Path, who have attended buddhas in the world, who have consoli­ dated pure practices, who are in the care of spiritual friends, who h ave thoroughly purified their intentions, who have great determination,  who are endowed with supreme zeal, and who actualize pity and compassion, the aspiration for enlightenment is aroused, for the quest of enlightened knowledge, for the attainment of the ten powers, for the atttainment of great expertise, for the attainment of the enlightened quality of impar­ tiality, for the salvation of all beings, for the puri fication of great mercy and compassion, for the attainment of knowledge of all in the ten direc­ tions, for the unobstructed purification of all buddha-lands, for aware­ ness of past, present, and future in a single instant, and for expertise in turning the wheel of the great Teaching.

"This intention of enlightening beings, furthermore, is aroused and guided by great compassion , controlled by wisdom and knowledge, sustained by skill in means, stabilized by will and determination, im­ measurable as the power of buddhas, clearly distinguishing the power of sentient beings and the power of Buddha, focused on unfragmented knowledge, in accord with spontaneous knowledge, completely recep­ tive to the guidance of wisdom and knowledge of all Buddha teachings; it is as ultimate as the cosmos, as enduring as space, abiding forever.

"With this arousing of the mind the enlightening being is beyond the stage of m undane beings, has entered the rank of enlightening beings, is born in the family of the enlightened, cannot be slandered by any racial slur, has le ft all mundane paths and has entered the transmundane Path, is stationed in the reality of enlightened beings, is properly established in the abode of enlightening beings, has attained equanimity, is established in the lineage of buddhas of past, present, and future, certain to become perfectl y enlightened . Established in these things, the enlightening being is established in the first stage of enlightening beings, that of Extreme Joy, by attainment of imperturbability.

"Here, standing on the stage of Extreme Joy of enlightening beings, one is filled with extreme joy, filled with calm, filled with happiness, filled with ebullience, filled with exaltation, filled with delight, greatly invigorated, most uncontentious, most harmless, and free from anger.

"Thus is the enlightening being extremely joyful when stationed in the enlightening beings' stage of joy; one becomes extremely joyful thinking of the buddhas, of the Buddha teachings, of the enlightening beings, of the practices of enlightening beings, of the puri fication of the transcendent ways, of the eminence of the stages of enlightening beings, of the indestructibility of enlightening beings, of the teachings of the buddhas, and of the ability to benet!t beings; and, thinking of the means of entry into the knowledge of all buddhas, the enlightening being is imbued with extreme joy. 'Detached am I from all mundane objects; I have entered the vicinity of buddhahood; I have left behind the stage of infantile ignorance and drawn near to the stage of knowledge;  I am cut off from all evil and states of misery; I am a refuge for all beings; I am near to the vision of all buddhas; I am born in the realm of all buddhas;

 

704  The  Flo li'CY  Omarne11 t  Scripture

 

I have reached equality to all enlightening beings; gone from me are all fears  and  terrors' -thus  thinking,  the  enlightening  being  gives  rise  to extreme joy. Why? Because that is what happens to all fears with the enlightening  being's  attainment  of the  stage  of joy-fears  such  as  fear of not surviving, fear of ill repute, fear of death, fear of states of misery fear of intimidation by groups-all these fears leave. Why is that? Inas­ much as the very concept of self is gone, there is no self-love, much less any love for material things; therefore there is no fear of not surviving. One does not seek any honor from anyone, but rather thinks one should provide others with sufficient means of subsistence, therefore there is no fear  of ill  repute.  And  because one has  no  view  of self,  one has  no  con­ cept of self and therefore no fear of dying.  Thinking that when one is dead, one will certainly not be separated from the buddhas and enlight­ ening beings, one therefore has no fear of states of misery. Thinking that there is no aspiration in any world equal to, much less greater than, one's own aspiration for enlightenment, there is no fear of intimidation  by groups. Thus all fears and terrors are removed .

"Furthermore, the enlightening being, due to having made great compassion foremost, strives all the more with an indestructible, extra­ ordinary will, for the ful fillment of all roots of goodness, by mastery  of perfect faith , by   purity  of intention ,   by   wealth  of true understanding, by having developed mercy and compassion , by having attained great kindness,  by indefatigability of mind,   by   adornment  with   conscience, by attainment ofjoy in tolerance, by honor and respect for the teachings of the completely enlightened, by tireless collection of roots of goodness night and day, by service to good spiritual friends, by enjoyment of true teaching, by insatiable search for learning, by correct contemplation  of the teachings as they arc heard, by rncntal nonattachmcnt, by absence of craving for gain, honor, or fa me, by absence of desire for goods, by tire­ less production of a  jewel-like mind,  by seeking the stage of omniscience, by concentration  on the powers, expertise, and unique  buddha-qualities of all enlightened ones, by unattached seeking of the transcendent ways, by abandonment of all  deception and dishonesty,  by acting  in accord with one's words, by constant preservation of truthful speech, by not allowing the family of the enlightened  to die out, by not abandoning the teachings of enlightening  beings,  by mountainlike  imperturbability of mind, by discerning knowledge of all mundane doings,  by attain ment of the transmundane path of relinquishment, by constant seeking of the supreme ultimate.

"Imbued with these ways of purifying the stages, enlightening beings

are well established in the stage of Extreme Joy. Once established in this stage, enlightening beings undertake great vows, great resolutions, great undertakings such as the f() llowing: They undertake a fi rst great vow to make  offerin gs to each and every buddha,   in the best of forms, with the highest purity of faith, as extensively as the cosmos , to the furthest reaches of space,  throughout  all time.  They undertake a second great

 

 

vow to maintain the eye of the teachings spoken by all buddhas, to asso­ ciate with all buddhas and enlightening beings, to preserve the teachings of all complete buddhas, to take in all truths, to the extent of the cosmos, to the furthest reaches of space, throughout all  time,  without ceasing, in all cons for as many huddhas as appear  in the world. They undertake a third great vow to go to all places in all worlds where huddhas appear­ from their existence in the heaven of satisfaction, descending  into the human world, en try into the womb, abiding in the womb,  birth, youth­ ful enjo yments, married life, renunciation , practice of austerities, con­ quering demons, enlightenment, being requested to teach,  setting  the wheel of the great teaching in motion, and entry into great absolute nir­ vana-to go to all places at once, taking the lead in making offerings, receiving the teaching, and applying it in practice, to the extent of the cosmos, to the farthest reaches of space, throughout all time, without ceasing in all cons for as many buddhas as appear in the world, until the attainment of great absolute nirvana . They undertake a fourth vow to bring forth the determination to disseminate instruction in the accom­ plishment of means of purification of the ways of transcendence,  accu­ rate explanation of the path of the stages, the practices of all enlightening beings, bringing forth their total and particular aspects,  with considera­ tion of their common and distinctive features, as they are formed and dissolved, the many extensive immeasurable holistic practices of all bud­ dhas and enlightening beings contained in the ways of transcendence, purifying all the stages of enlightening beings, vowing to call forth this aspiration to the extent of the cosmos, to the furthest reaches of space, throughout all time. They undertake a fifth great vow to fully develop all beings, corporeal or immaterial, thinking, nonthinking, or neither, horn of eggs, wombs, moisture, or spontaneously, in all realms  con­ tained in the worlds of desire, forms, and formlessn ess, hound to the six paths of mundane existence in all places of birth, caught up in names and forms-to develop them to lead them into the Huddha  teaching,  to free them from all  mundane  groupings,  to establish  them in omniscience, to develop and matu re all beings forever, to the extent of the cosmos, throughout the reaches of space, for all time, f(Jr as many eons and beings as there be. They undertake a sixth  great  vow for direct knowledge  of the innumerable distinctions in all the worlds of the ten directions, vari­ ously reflecting one another,  subtle and gross,  upside-down,  inverted, and upright, their appearance and consolidation-they vow to com­ prehend the distinctions of worlds, to the extent of the cosmos, through­ out the reaches of space, for all  time.  They undertake  a seventh great vow, to show all beings the puritication of all lands in one land and one land in all lands, the adornment of innu merable buddha-lands with arrays of light, en tering into the supreme  realm of buddhas  from which all affli ctions arc rem oved , com pletely purified and ti lled with wise beings, showing this to all beings to please them in accord with their mentalities, vowing to thoroughly purify all buddha-lands, to the extent

 

 

of the cosmos, to the farthest reaches of space, throughout all time, un­ ceasing for as many eons and buddha-lands as there may be. They under­ take an  eighth  great  vow, to  work  with  the same one determination as all enlightening beings, to build up roots of goodness without opposi­ tion, to be equally focused on the same one object as all enlightening beings, to be in concert with all enlightening beings, to manifest appear­ ances of Buddha as desired, to attain the knowledge of the powers of the Enlightened at  will,  to  attain  ever-present mystic knowledge, to  travel to all worlds, to appear in the circles of all buddhas, to adapt to all situa­ tions , to attain realization of the inconceivable great vehicle, to continue to carry out  the  practices  of enlightening beings, vowing  to  enter  the great vehicle, to the extent of the cosmos, to the furthest reaches of space, throughout all time, unceasing for as many eons and practices as there may be. They undertake a ninth great vow to carry out the practice of enlightening beings, riding on the wheel that never rolls backward, by means of fruitful words, thoughts, and deeds, so that those who see them will surely realize buddhahood, those who hear what they say will attain knowledge, and so that those who have pure faith will be freed from afflictions-they vow to attain a state like a master physician, to attain embodiment of magical  ful fillment  of aspirations,  to  carry out  the prac­ tices of enlightening beings as extensively as the cosmos, to the farthest reaches of space, throughout all time, unceasing for as many eons and as many  practices  as there be,  that their deeds not be in  vain. They  under­ take a tenth great vow, to awaken completely to unexcelled perfect enlightenment in  all  worlds,  to show  at every  point-without leaving one place-birth, leaving home, transfiguration, austere practice, con­ quering demons, sitting at the pinnacle of enlightenment, turning the wheel of the teaching, and fi nal absolute nirvana,  to attain the knowl­ edge of power of the vast realm of buddhahood and in each instant show all sentient beings the emergence of a buddha in accordance with their mentalities so that they may attain enlightenment an d perfect peace, to universally realize the nirvana of all phenomena by one pefect en­ lightenment, to please all beings according to their mentalities with a single utterance, to show great ultimate nirvana without cutting off the power of practice, to show the construction  of all teachings of the stages of great knowledge, to pervade all worlds by the mystic power of the knowledge of truth and the mystic knowledge of illusoriness, vowing to bring forth great knowledge to the extent of the cosmos,  to  the farthest reaches of space, throughout all time, never ceasing for all eons,  for all true enlightenments.

"Thus, having brought to the tore such great aspirations, great pur­ poses, great undertakings, through ten great vows, enlightening beings stationed in the stage of Extreme Joy undertake coun tless consummate vows, which they undertake in ten ultimate term s: that is, to the ulti­ mate extent of living beings, to the ultimate extent of worlds, to the ulti­ mate extent of space, to the ultimate extent of the cosmos, to the ultimate

 

 

extent of the realm of nirvana,  to   the ultimate  extent of the emergence of buddhas, to the ultimate extent of enlightened knowledge, to the ulti­ mate extent of realms  of mental  objects, to the ultimate  extent of entries of knowledge into the sphere of buddhas, to the ultimate extent of the courses of worlds, the courses of teachings,  and the courses of knowl­ edge. Enlightening beings vow that their undertakings shall be coter­ minous with living beings, worlds, space, the cosmos, nirvana, the emergence  of buddhas,   enlightened  knowledge,   mental objects,   entries of knowledge into the sphere of buddhas,  the courses of worlds,  the courses of teachings,  and the courses of knowledge;  and that just  as all of these arc endless, so shall the enlightening beings'  roots of goodness be endless.

"In those who have taken such vows upon th emsel ves, the workable mind and the gentle  mind are incorruptibly  pure.  The enlightening beings have faith in the  perfectly en lightened  buddhas'  attainments of past practices, their realization of the transcendent ways,  their consum­ mate attainment of the stages, their consum mate attainment  of the powers, their complete ful fillment of expertise, the indestructibility of unique qualities  of buddhahood,  the inconceivability  of buddhahood, the attainment of the sphere of buddhas, which is infinitely various, the attainment of immeasurable knowledge,  the complete  entry into the realm   of those who arrive at Thusness.  Enlightening  beings   believe in the consummation of the fruits; in su m, they believe in the practice of enlightening beings, including all th at upon which is based the teaching of the stage of knowledge of enlightened ones.

"Furthermore, it occurs to the enlightening beings that these qualities of buddhahood are so profound, so detached, so peaceful, so empty, so signless, so desireless, so undefiled , so vast, so immeasurable, so supreme, so hard to approach.

"What is more, enlightening beings reflect, ignorant creatures,  be­ cause of continually slipping into erroneous views, because of minds shrouded by the darkness of ignorance, because of being puffed up with pride, because of conceptions, because of mental fi xations of desires caught in the net of craving, because of hopes pursued by actions in the tangle  of deceit and falsehood,  because of deeds connected   with envy and jealousy producing mundane states, because of accumulation of actions rife with passion, hatred, and folly, because of the flames of mind ignited by anger and resentment,  because of undertakings  of actions bound up with delusion , because of seeds in th e mind, intellect, and con­ sciousness bound to the flows of lust, existence, and ignorance, therefore produce sprouts of subsequent  life in the world.  That is to say, name and f(Jrm arc born together,  inseparable;  and by the development  of name and form , the assembly of six sense mediums takes place; once the mediums are formed, from their mutual  contact sensation comes to be; and that sensation being enjoyed and sought more and more, the opera­ tion of craving grows; craving being developed, existence comes to be;

 

once there is existence, birth, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, sad­ ness, and anxiety appear. Thus does the mass of suffering of sentient beings arise . Seeing these beings' inability to escape from this mass of suffering-not  realizing  it  is  without  self or  anything  pertaining  to  self, that it is unreal, insubstantial, void, inert, ineffective, insensate as wood and stone, like a reflection-the enlightening beings develop great com­ passion to rescue them and free them from their miseries, and develop great kindness to bring them to endless b liss and nirvana.

"Thus, abiding in the first stage, by sympathy and kindness and by supreme will the enlightening beings, relinquishing all things with an equanimous mind, cultivate great relinquishments in a spirit of most urgent quest for enlightened knowledge. These relinquishments are: relinquishment of goods,  food, stores,  houses, gold, jewels,  all kinds of treasure and money, jewelry and adornments, animals and vehicles, pleasant ponds, parks, forest retreats and monasteries, servants and em­ ployees, spouses and children, home, city, town, society, homeland, metropolis, and all parts of the body.  Thus,  having become indifferent to these, the intellect most ardently seeking enlightened knowledge relinquishes all things. Thus does the great relinquishment of those in the first stage of enlightening beings come to be.

"Thus, based on compassion, kindness, and relinquishment, the en­ lightening beings, for the sake of the salvation and liberation of all beings, more and more seek mundane and transcendental benefits for them, and while seeking arouse an unwearying mind. Thus do the enlightening beings become indefatigable and, being indefatigable, become expert in all learning. Thus in possession of learning, by intelligent consideration of what should and should not be done, the enlightening beings arrive at what is variously appropriate for inferior, mediocre, and superior beings, according  to their power and endowments,  thus attaining  knowledge of the world and humanity. And the enlightening beings, knowing the world, acting in accord with time and measure, adorned with constant modesty and conscience, strive for the benefit of self and others. Thus the enlightening beings become modest and conscientious. And in those efforts the enlightening beings become uninterested in mundane satisfac­ tions and attain nonreceding, undiminishing power; hence the arising of enlightening beings' stable support of power. Thus stably empowered, the enlightening beings work on service to buddhas and receive their instructions. Hence arise in the enlightening beings the elements that purify the ten stages-faith , compassion, kindness, relinquishment, indefatigability,  knowledge of the teachings, knowledge of the world and humanity, modesty and conscience, stable power, and attendance on buddhas.

"Enlightening beings in this stage ofJoy get to see many buddhas, by broad vision and by the power of vows seeing many hundreds of bud­ dhas, many thousands of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of bud­ dhas, many millions, many billions, many trillions of buddhas. Having

 

seen those buddhas, those saints, those completely enlightened ones, by broad vision and the power of vows, the enlightening beings honor and serve them with supreme zeal,  presenting  them with the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, drink, vessels, bedding, and medicines, and they also bring com forts for enlightening beings, and they also respect and support the religious com munity.  These supreme roots of goodness the enlightening beings dedicate to consummate enlightenment.

"From this service of buddhas arise means of development of beings, and the enlightening beings develop sentient beings to maturity by giving and by kind speech, the other two means of salvation helping out by the power of faith , though as yet without complete knowledge and attain­ ment. Of the ten transcendent ways, the transcendent way of giving is foremost; not that the others are not cultivated, but they are practiced according to the enlightening  beings'  power and endowment.  And  as the enlightening beings serve the buddhas and work  for the develop­ ment of sentient beings, practicing to accumulate  these elements  that purify the stages, thus do the enlightening beings' roots of goodness, dedicated to universal knowledge, become more and more purified and capable of application as desired. Just as when gold is plunged into fire over and over by a skilled smith,  it becomes  more  and more  purified and workable and can be made into various ornaments as desired, in the same way as the enlightening beings attend buddhas and work for the perfection of sentient beings and cultivate  the factors that purify the stages,  so do their roots of goodness  become  more and more  purified and useful .

"Then the enlightening beings in this stage should ask buddhas, en­ lightening beings, and spiritual frien ds about the characteristics and at­ tainments  of this first stage and should  be tireless in seeking fulfillment of the com ponents of this stage. In the same way, in order to ful fill the components of the stages of enlightening beings up to the tenth, the enlightening beings should become versed in the problems and solutions of the stages, in the formation and dissolution of the stages, in the forms and actions of the stages, in the attainments and cultivation of the stages, in the purification of the elements of the stages, in the progression from stage to stage, in the attainment of each stage without regression, in the purification of all stages of enlightening, and in the accession to the stage of enlightened knowledge.

"There is no cease in the ascent of the enlightening beings who are skilled in fostering the forms of practice of the stages up to accession to the tenth   stage;   by   unceasing progress  on the Path and by the light of knowledge of the stages, the enlightening beings attain the light of buddha-knowledge.  It  is  like  a  skilled  caravan  leader  who,  wanting  to lead a large caravan to a great city, first finds out about the qualities of the road to be traveled, the defects of the road, the best places to stop

along the way, the places not to stop, and what is to be done about pro­

,

visions for the trip, thus  knowing well how to get to the great city, from

 

710  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

the beginning to the end of the journey. Thus,  by fully preparing for the way by this intelligent  consideration,  the caravan leader finally  reaches the great city along with the caravan, without the  caravan  or himself being beset by difficulties in desolate places. In the same way the enlight­ ening beings,  as clever caravan leaders, when estatlished in the first stage of enlightening beings, become familiar with the issues and solutions of the stages, the formation and dissolution of the stages, the practical aspects of the stages, the attainments and cultivation of the stages, the purification of the elements of the stages,  the progression from one stage to another, the cons olidation of each stage, the special knowledge of each stage, attainment of each stage without regression, and accession to the stage  of buddha-knowledge by  means of the  quality  of purification of all the stages of enlightening beings. Then the enlightening beings, having gotten together provisions of great virtue and knowledge, and having well established a store of knowledge, wishing to lead the great caravan of sentient beings to the city  of omniscience,  first  inquire into and find out the qualities of the path of the  stages, deviations from  the path of the stages, errors on the path of the stages, the  best  of stations along the path of the stages, and what is to be done about the provisions of virtue and knowledge for the path of the stages, asking buddhas, en­ lightening beings, and spiritual friends about  this  to  become  versed  in how to reach the great city of omniscience. Thus, by intelligent con­ sideration of the way before proceeding and by thus  fully preparing  pro­ visions of virtue and knowledge, the enlightening beings lead the great caravan of sentient beings according to their maturity  across the waste­ land of the mundane whirl to the great city  of omniscience,  without either the caravan or the enlightening beings being beset by th e ills of the wasteland. Thus enlightening beings should work tirelessly on the cultivation of stages.

"This is a brief explanation of enlightening beings' entry into the first stage of Extreme Joy. Enlightening beings in this stage are mostly mon­ archs of a continent, having attained great power and sovereignty, guard­ ians of right, wise and capable, taking good care of beings with great generosity, undertaking unlimited  acts of charity to rid beings  of the taint of envy and discontent. And whatever acts the enlightening beings undertake, whether by giving, or by kind speech, or by beneficial action, or by cooperation,  those acts are never apart from thoughts  of Buddha, of the Teaching, of the Community,  of enlightening being, of the prac­ tices of enlightening beings, of the transcendent ways,  of the stages,  of the expertise and unique qualities of buddhas, of omniscience complete in all respects. To what purpose? To become the best of beings,  un­ excelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.

"Those who seek to be thus undertake the appropriate  effort , by which they give up all com forts and go forth in conformity with the teaching of Buddha. Having gone forth , en lightening  beings instantly attain a hundred concentrations and see a hundred buddhas and acknowl­ edge their power; they stir a hundred worlds, go to a hundred lands,

 

 

illumine a hundred worlds, mature a hundred beings, live for a hundred eons, penetrate a hundred eons past and future, contemplate a hundred teachings, and manifest a hundred bodies, each body manifesting a com­ pany of a hundred enlightening beings. Then enlightening beings with superior power of commitment, by the quality of excellence of vows, transform their bodies, auras, mystic powers, vision, spheres of operation, voices, conduct, adornments, power, resolutions, and performances in countless ways. "

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses explaining the meaning of this stage:

 

Having accumulated pure qualities and attained virtues,

Done service, following enlightened kindness and compassion, Embodying supreme faith and pure goodwill,

They produce an incomparable mind for enlightened knowledge.

 

Intent on the power, purification, and energy of the all-knowing buddhas,

To attain the state of the Victorious and save the world, The supreme will arises to develop great compassion,

Turn the wheel of the teaching, and purify the buddha-lands.

 

To know all times in an instant without discriminating thought, To clarify good timing in the world in its variety,

Seeking, in short, all the qualities of the Guides, This noble mind, immeasurable as space, is born.

 

Commanded by wisdom, led by compassion, endowed with skill 1n means,

Pure in resolution and intent, measureless in power, Unobstructed, direct, not relying on another's guidance, Knowledge of the supreme mind equal to the enlightened, With the birth of this mind-jewel of enlightening beings

One transcends the sphere of the ignorant  and reaches the sphere of buddhas,

Is born in the family of the enlightened, impeccable,

Gone to equality with buddhas, certain of highest enlightenment.

 

Once one produces this mind, one attains this stage, The will immovable as a mountain,

Joyful and happy, serene, resolute, and forceful , With a buoyant mind,

Nonviolent, harmless, free from anger,

Modest and respectful, with superior honesty, self-controlled;

One remembers the immeasurable knowledge that saves the world

And becomes joy ful in anticipation of that state.

 

712  The Flower Ornamerzt Scripture

 

When one attains this stage, five fears depart-

Not being able to make a living,  dying, reputation, misery, fear of groups-

Thus fear  is gone:  why?

Because there is no attachment to self

 

Those free from fear and full of compassion and kindness, With faith . respect, and modesty, rich in virtues,

Practicing good day and night, seek the teaching for the sake of truth

And not for enjoyment of mundane desires.

 

Considering well the teachings they have heard with unattached minds,

Their will for enlightenment directed without desire for gain,

Seeking kncnvledge and power, the  puri fying teachings of buddhas,

They work on the ways of transcendence. free from delusion and conceit .

 

Acting in accord with  their words, steadfast in truthful speech,

They do not sully the family of buddhas, carrying out the study of enlightenment;

Detached from mundane doings, wishing benefit for the world, Tireless in good works. they climb ever higher.

 

Thus seeking the truth , intent on the quest for virtue, They undertake the vow to behold the buddhas;

To preserve the true teaching and approach the seers,

They undertake the vows  of those whose acts are supreme.

 

To develop beings and purify the buddha-land, To populate their land with enlightening beings, With unity of purpose, not in vain,

They seck enlighten ment everywhere.

 

They undertake many such vows, which are infinitely extensive, Enduring  as ;;pace,  beings,  time,  the nature of things,  nirvana, The world, the emergence of buddhas,

And the ground of knowledge.

 

They vvill their vows to last as long as there are mental objects And access to knowledge, endless in the world as long as it

operates:

"When these end, may my undertakings end too-­

M a y I attain practice en during as these."

 

Tlze Ten Staxcs

 

Thus thoroughly dedicated, with harmonious, flexible minds,

They put faith in the virtues of buddhas and observe sentient beings:

K n owing beings are conditioned, out of com passion they feel

They should rescue suffering beings from a fflictions.

 

For that purpose they un dertake various kinds of giving-­ Of kingship,  all kinds  of treasures,  horses and  elephants, Their heads, hands.  feet,  eyes, even  their blood and flesh -­ All they give away, without becoming distressed in min d.

 

They seek out va rious teach ings,  in de Ltigabl e:

Learned . they accord with the ways of the world.

K no \vin g  the worl d,  modest and stead fast,

They serve innumera ble budd has with reverence an d respect .

 

Thus they practice co ns tan t l y , day and night,

Their virtue refined as gold in fi re;

Thus having made the preparations fo r the ten stages,

They attain  free dom  from hindrance,  having dest ro yed  the obsta cles .

 

J ust as a caravan leader, fo r the benefit of the great caravan, Asks about the  feat ures of the  road  and  then goes sa fel y, So do en lighten ing beings in the fi rst stage setting out Reach en lighten ment unhindered , by v; ay of the ten stages.

 

713

 

 

Stationed here. they become virtuous sovereigns,

Guiding ari ght . nonviolent and ben evolen t;

Leaders of the \v holc continen t, they bri n g all people

To relin quish ment ;11l d the highest bu ddha- knowledge.

Having boldl y a ba nd oned rulersh ip in search of truth ,

They betake th emsel ves to Buddha's teach ing an d b egin to practice it;

Attaining a  hundred concentra tions   and  seeing a hundred

buddh as ,

Th ey shake a hundred lands and travel as illuminators.

 

The y  purify a  hundred  bein gs,  seck out a hundred doors  of truth, And penetrate a h un dred com,  nu ni tl.• sting a hundred  bodies; They manifest a hun dred enligh ten in g beings, or even more,

The power of their su preme vow\ immeasurable.

 

"This is an explanation of the excel len t fi rst stage  of enli gh tening beings  seek in g  benefit  fo r  ,l ll  \V orlds.  Such  is  the  fi rst  stage  of enligh t­ enin g beings. which is called Extreme Joy ."

 

The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

Having heard about the supreme felicitous realm of this stage, the enlightening beings were delighted,  their minds and thoughts  pure: getting up from their seats  and rising into the air, they scattered flowers all around, uttering words of praise:

 

Excellent, Diamond Matrix, replete with great wisdom and expertise;

You have explained well this stage practiced by enlightening beings.

 

The assembly pure in mind,  Moon of Liberation asks To hear about the next highest, second stage.

 

How should the mind be directed to see the second stage?

Speak forth , 0 wise one-the enlightening beings desire to hear.

 

The enlightening being Diamond  Matrix  said,  "The enlightening beings who have successfully accomplished the requirements of the first stage and seek the second stage should activate ten mental dispositions: honesty, gentleness, capability, docility, tranquillity, goodness, non­ defilement, nonattachment, broad-mindedness, and magnanimity.  When these ten dispositions arc operative,  one is established  in the second stage of enlightening beings, the stage of Purity.

"Enlightening beings in the stage of Purity naturally become imbued with ten virtuous ways of acting: they avoid taking life, they abandon weapons and hostility, they have conscience and sympathy and are compassionate and kind to all living beings, wishing for their welfare. They do not harm living beings even in their fantasies, much less injure other beings by gross physical  harm with the conception of beings as such.

"The enlightening  beings also abandon  taking  what  is not given. They are satisfied with what they have and do not desire others'  posses­ sions.  Thinking of things that belong to others as belonging to others, they do not give rise to any intention to steal and do not take even so much as a blade of grass or a leaf that is not given to them, much less take the necessities of life from others.

"The enlightening beings also abandon sexual misconduct. They are satisfied with their own spouses and do not desire the spouses of others. They do not give rise to desire for others' spouses, much less have sexual intercourse with them .

"The enlightening beings also abandon false speech, speaking truth­ fully, according to what is so, in a manner appropriate to the time, and acting accordingly. Even in dreams they do not speak falsehood with the intention to deceive by concealing  what they see, believe, wish,  intend, or desire; they do not tell lies even in dreams, much less consciously.

"The enlightening  beings also abandon malicious  talk  and are not

 

The Ten Sta�es     715

 

divisive or annoying to sentient beings. They do not gossip or tell tales here and there to cause division;  they do not break up those who are together or increase the division of those already split. They do not enjoy disunion, do not delight in separation, and do not speak words that cause division, whether they are true or not.

"The enlightening beings also abandon coarse speech and  give up speech that is out of place, crude, dirty, harsh  to others,  openly  or covertly annoying to others, vulgar, worldly or impure, unpleasant to hear, provocative, irritating, outrageous, displeasing, disagreeable, un­ pleasant, destructive to self or others. Having given up such speech, the enlightening beings speak words that are unabrasive and gentle, agree­ able, sweet, causing pleasure, delightful, beneficial, pure, pleasant to the ears, congenial,  likable, elegant and clear, understandable, worth hearing, not mixed up, desirable to many people, liked by many people, pleasing to many people, agreeable to m any people, enlightening, beneficial and pleasurable to all beings, mentally upliftin g, purifying self and others.

"The enlightening beings also abandon useless speech; they speak prudently, in accord with time, truthfully, meaningfully,  rightly,  logi­ cally, instructively.  They speak words with content,  carefully consider­ ing and guarding their speech, in accord with the occasion,  in well­ regulated order, reflecting even before telling  a joke,  and never,  of course, chattering at random.

"The enlightening beings also become free from covetousness, not even conceiving any craving for others' wealth, pleasures, enjoyments, goods, and possessions, much less desiring to possess what belongs to others; they do not seek or hope for or desire gain.

"The enlightening beings also become free from malevolence  and anger; they are kind to all beings, desirous of their welfare, sympathetic, solicitous, loving, protective of all, attentive to what is good for them. Giving up everything of the nature of the blemish of anger, resentment, and unfriendliness, opposition, and attack inflamed by ill will and hos­ tility, the enlightening beings are to reflect on what is beneficial, con­ sidering what is called for by kindness for the welfare and happiness of all beings.

"The enlightening beings also come to have right insight and follow the right Path . They give up divination and various misguided views, see rightly, do not practice deception, and set their minds on the Buddha, Teaching, and Community.

"As the enlightening beings constantly preserve these ten virtuous ways, they evoke this intent:  'Whatever ills, states of woe, and pitfalls beset sentient beings, all are caused by practicing nonvirtuous action, so I myself will abide in right action and also lead others to right action . Why? It is impossible to get others to abide in right action as long as one docs not abide in right action oneself.'

"They also think thus: the realms of hells, animality, and ghosthood are established by the practice of bad ways of action, and the states from

 

716  The Flower Omammt Scripture

 

humanity up to the highest realm of existence are established by the practice of good ways of action. The ten ways of good action on a higher level practiced by vvisdo m, due to narrowness, fear of the world, lack of great compassion, and following the speech of another, develop the vehicle of hearers. Puritled on a yet higher leveL because of not being led by another, because of self-realization without following anyone, because of self-en lightenment without seeking from another, because of lack of great compassion and skill in means . and because of profound understanding of conditionality , they develop the vehicle of individual illuminates. Puritied on an even higher level, by immeasurable broad­ mindedness, sympathy and compassion , absorption of skill in means, undertaking of great vows, not abandoning sen til'nt bein gs, and focus on the vast knowledge of buddhahood , they make for the breadth of prac­ tice to purify the stagl's of enlightening beings and the wa ys of transcen­ dence. Purified on a yet higher leveL they are conducive to the perfection of all characteristics of enlightenment, up to endowment with the ten power'> and  the  full  realization  of all  qualities of buddha hood .  Therefore. by means of these ways of good action. having undertaken them all equally, effort sh ould be made to accomplish the com plete purification of all of their aspects.

"They also realize this: bad actions at their worst, when developed and done a lot, arc the cause of hell ; at a middling degree, they arc the cause of an imality; at their least they arc the cause of the underworld . Taking life leads to helL to animality, to the underworld, but if one is born human, it brings about two consequences: a short li fe and much sickness. Stealing k,lli-i to helL to animality . to the underworld, but if one is born human, it brings about two consequences: material poverty and common possession of property . Sexual misconduct leads to hell , to animality, to the underworld, but if one is born human, it brings about two consequences: an unruly society and an un faithful spouse. Lying leads to helL to animality, to the underworld, but if one is bo rn human it brings on two consequences: much slander and un reliability. Divisive talk leads to helL to anim ality , to the underworld, but if one is bo rn human it brings about t\VO consequences: a broken home and a wretched fa mily. Harsh talk leads to hell, to animality, to the underworld. but if one is born human it brings about two consequences: hearing what is displeasing,  and  argumentativeness.  Confused ,  senseless talk  leads  to  hell. to anim:dity. ro the undcnvorld, but ifone is bo rn human it brings about tvvo consequences: one's words will not be believed and one's speech will be unclear. Covetousness leach to helL to animality. to the underworld, but then if one is bo rn human it brings about two consequences: dissatis­ faction and am bitiousncss. Anger lc,H.l s to hell. to animality, to the under­ world, but then if one is born human it brings on two comcquences: falling into had views and hcconnng trick y an d deceitful . Thus these ten bad ways of action tend to the form:Hion of an immeasurably great mass of mi'iery -- so  let  us  leave  behind  these  ten  bad  ways  of action  and  enjoy the delights  of the  garden  of righteousness.

 

The Ten Sta,Res      717

"Having abandoned these ten bad ways of action, they live by the ten good ways of action and also lead others to them. Even more do the enlightening beings arouse toward all sentient beings  desire for their welfare and happiness, with kindness, sympathy, compassion,  and desire to care for them and protect them, thinking of all beings as equal to themselves, thinking of them as examples and teachers.

"This is what the enlightening beings think: 'Alas, these beings have fallen into wrong views; their thinking and disposition of mind is wrong: traveling on erroneous paths, in the midst of entanglements, they should be set by us on the true way, the road of right insight, in accord with reality. Alas, these beings are at odds, argumentative, involved in dis­ putes,  always burning with  anger  and  hatred-we should establish them in the exercise of unexcelled great kindness. Alas, these beings are insa­ tiable, coveting others' goods, following  bad ways  of making a living­ we should establish them in pure deed, word, thought, and livelihood. Unfortunately, these beings follow the motivations of lust, hatred, and delusion,  are burned by   the flames of various afflictions, and do not seek a means of final escape from  them-- we should lead  them  to  nirvana, where all afflictions cease and there are no ills. Regrettably, these beings are veiled by the darkness and obscurity of delusion and covered by the darkness of ignorance; they have entered a vast tangle of darkness, have become far estranged from the realm of wisdom and fallen into a great darkness,  entered  a  wilderness  of erroneous views-we  should  clarify their eye of unobstructed wisdom, so they will know all things as they really are without being directed by another. Alas, these  beings  are traveling in  the desert of routine existence;  they are in trouble, uneasy, fallen into a great pitfall, facing a fall into the realms of hells,  animality, or the underworld; they are ensnared in the dangerous net of false views, entangled in delusion; they have gone off on the wrong road, are blind, lack a guide, and think what is not salvation is salvation; bound by the rope of demons, they are taken in by  the  thieving  sense  objects,  are without a good guide, and have entered  a  thicket of demonic  disposi­ tions, becoming far estranged from the enlightened mentality: we should save them  from  such hardships of the  wasteland  of the mundane whirl and should settle them in the city of fearlessness,  the city of all knowl­ edge, where there  is  no  affliction  or  pain. These beings, unfortunately, are sunk in the waves of great torrents, plunged into the flows of desire, existence, ignorance, and views, swept along by the current of the mun­ dane whirl, fallen into the river of craving, into a great rapids,  unable to see objectively, going along the creepers of thoughts of lust, malice, and viciousness, caught by the den 1on of the view of real existence of the body, plunged into the swirling abyss of desire, into the midst of passion for enjoyment, cast up on the land of self-conceit, rotten inside with misconduct and bad behavior, unable to escape  the danger of the  village of the six senses, without anyone to rescue them, without a savior or protector, without a refuge: we should bring forth great compassion, virtue, and power, and set them on the jewel island of omniscience, free

 

718  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

from troubles, free from passion, peaceful, happy,  free from danger, beyond all fears. These beings are unfortunately locked  up in much suffering, sadness, and irritation,  in bonds  of love and hate, like and dislike, in sadness and grief, in the fetters of craving, in the tangles of illusion, deceit, and ignorance, in the prison  of the triple world:  we should lead them to nirvana, detached from the triple world, the city of fearlessness, where all suffering ceases, free from obstruction. Alas, these beings are attached to self and possessions,  unable to get out of clinging to the elements of body and mind,  acting according to delusions, dwell­ ing in the desolate village of the senses, attacked by the vipers of physical constituents, besieged by the murderous bandits of the body-mind clus­ ters, experiencing immeasurable pain: we should bring them to supreme bliss, free from all attachments-that is,  to nirvana void of all obstruc­ tions. It is a pity that the aspirations of these beings are base and narrow and they lack the will  for highest  omniscience;  even if they want to escape, they think of the vehicles of those aiming for individual  enlight­ enment and liberation  alone-we  should  set them in the   unexcelled Great Vehicle of universal salvation in accord with focus on the great resolution for supreme buddhahood and the perspicacity of omniscience.'

"Thus many buddhas come within the range of perception of the enlightening beings who are in accord with the sustaining power  of morality, who have skillfully activated sympathy,  compassion, and kind­ ness, who are unsolicited good friends to all beings, who have not abandoned sentient beings, who skillfully accomplish what is to be done, who are stationed in the enlightening beings' stage of purity, by the enlightening beings' great vision and willpower: the enlightening beings perceive enormously many buddhas, many hundreds, thousands, mil­ lions, billions, trillions of buddhas, by their tremendous vision and the power of their vows. Having seen those buddhas, they  honor  and  pay respect  and  homage to  them  with  lofty  intent, and  provide them  with the necessities-clothing, food and  drink,  bedding, and medicine; they also provide comforts for enlightening beings and pay respect  to  the religious community. They dedicate these roots of goodness to unexcelled perfect enlightenment. Also they attend those buddhas and respectfully learn  from  them the ten ways of virtuous  action  and never forget  them as they have learned them; over countless eons rid of the defilements of envy and bad behavior, they therefore attain purity of generosity and morality.

"Just as  gold becomes more and more free  from all impurities when

put in vitriol, so do enlightening beings in this stage of Purity, by virtue of riddance of the impurities of envy and bad behavior, accomplish purity  of generosity  and  morality.  Among  the  four  means  of salvation, kind speech is paramount in them; among the ten transcendent ways, morality is paramount. This does not mean they do not practice the rest-they do so as best they can, as is appropriate.

"This is a brief explanation of the second stage of enlightening beings,

 

 

the stage of Purity. Many of the enlightening beings in this stage are sovereigns, lords of four continents and masters of the law,  competent, powerful, able to rid beings of the impurities  of bad behavior,   to   set them on the ten paths of virtuous conduct. Whatever  acts the enlight­ ening beings undertake, whether by way of giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation,  all of it is done with no other thoughts in mind but thoughts of the Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practices of enlightening beings, the ways of transcendence, the stages, the powers,   the expertises,   the unique  qualities of buddhas, and all aspects of omniscience. Why? To become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges. "Those  who seek   to   be   thus   undertake   the   appropriate   effort,   by which  they give up all comforts and go forth into the teaching of Buddha. Having gone forth, in a single instant they suddenly attain a thousand concentrations, see a thousand buddhas  and recognize   their power, shake a thousand worlds, go to a thousand fields, illumine  a thousand worlds, mature a thousand beings,  live for a thousand eons, penetrate a thousand eons past and future, contemplate a thousand teach­ ings, and manifest a thousand bodies,  each body manifesting a company of a thousand enlightening beings.  Then enlightening beings  with supe­ rior power of commitment,  by the quality of excellence of vows, trans­ form their bodies, auras, mystic  powers, vision,  spheres of operation, voices, conduct, adornments, power, resolutions, and performances in

countless ways."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses explaining the meaning of this stage:

 

They are gentle, honest, mild, capable,

Of goodwill, docile, unalloyed, unattached, of lofty awareness; With breadth of mind they enter the second stage.

 

Here, they are bearers of virtue, imbued with good.

Avoiding the taking of life, their minds are free from viciousness.

 

They do not take what is not given or take others' spouses. They are truthful,   do not slander,   are not harsh in speech. They have no desire for others' possessions, are kind-hearted, Follow the right Path, and have no deceitful mind.

With phantom   bodies,   beautifully  adorned, They honor the Teacher and are always diligent.

 

The pains of hells and animal realms,

Punishment in the underworld, eternal burning and hunger, All are produced by evil doings;

Rejecting them, let us arrive at truth.

 

720  'fhe Flower Ornament Scripture

 

From birth in the human realm as desired,

Up to the peak of existence, free from strife, with the bliss of meditation,

The vehicle of solitary illuminates, the vehicles of disciples and buddhas,

All come to exist from the ten paths of virtue.

 

Knowing this, enlightening beings are always diligent, Firmly abiding by ethics and also inducing others to do so. Furthermore, imbued with compassion,

Knowing beings are suffering, they give rise to sympathy.

 

"Fallen into wrong views are these ignorant ones, With minds quick to anger, hate, and argue, Always unsatisfied, seeking objects ever more-

These beings motivated by desire, hatred, and delusion should be liberated.

 

"They are covered by a great darkness, plunged into  delusion, On a bad road in a wilderness, in a great net of views;

In the cage of mundane life,  enemies attack them-- We should liberate those in the cage of the devil.

 

"Taken by the waves of afflictions, sunk in the torrents,

They are tormented by a hundred miseries in the triple world, Wrapped up in the clusters, thinking of them as self-

For their sake we strive, to release them from pain.

 

"Having given up this supreme vehicle of buddhahood, Though they aim for escape, their aspiration is low;

We will establish them in the undefiled knowledge of the

enlightened."

Thus enlightening beings arouse incomparable  vigor  in  the cause of enlightenment.

 

In this stage the great sages, having gathered hundreds of virtues, See many buddhas and honor them with offerin gs.

Their virtue is burnished the more for countless eons, Like gold plunged into vitriol .

 

Here enlightening beings become monarchs, Leading sentient beings by the ten virtues:

By all the virtue they have amassed,

They will to become saviors of the world, rich in the ten powers .

 

 

Will fully giving up the pleasures of kingship, Gone forth into the supreme Teaching, steadfast, Full of vigor, they attain supreme concentration And instantly see a thousand buddhas.

 

The enlightening beings in this stage also display Many spiritual powers, of such worthy intentions;

Beyond this, im bued with the power of vows and knowledge, They guide beings with many kinds of miracles.

 

"Thus has been explained the second stage, exalted, of enlightening beings, who work for the weal of all worlds. "

Having thus heard of the supreme stages of practice in the sphere of enlightening beings, inconceivable, the enlightening beings in the audi­ ence, delighted, scattered multitudes of flowers from the sky, saying, "Excellent�  Well  have  you  explained,  out  of compassion  for  all  beings, the body of conduct of the wise, the sphere of the second of the highest stages.  Truthfully,  without  falsehood  or  change,  have  you  explained  the delightful practice of enlightening beings, with supreme clarity, for the welfare and happiness of all beings. Go on to speak of the third of the most excellent stages-let this superlative realm be told of as it is, linked with true knowledge and action . Tell of the path of the conduct of the Victorious, the practice of charity and morality of the sages, patience, energy, tranquillity, wisdom , skillfulness, supreme kindness, and com­ passion-�tell all , omitting naught. "

Moon of Liberation said, " () Diamond Matrix, tell of the disposition of those who approach the third stage."

Diamond Matrix said, "The enlightening beings who have thoroughly purified the mind in the second stage come to the third stage. One enters the third stage by ten conscious focusings of the mind: purity, stability, disillusion, dispassion, nonregression , stead fastn ess, ardor, tirelessness, high-mindedness, and magnanimity . By consciously focusing the mind on these ten things, one enters the third stage.

"Furthermore, the enlightening beings in this third stage examine the impermanence of all that is conditioned, as it truly is; and they examine the painfulness, impurity, unreliability, destructibility, instability, in­ stantaneous arising and passing away, not-coming-to-be-previously, not-reaching-the-past, and nonperdurance in the present of all that is conditioned. Seeing all conditioned things in this way, the enlightening beings,  seeing  themselves  without  refuge,  without  protection,  in  grief, sadness, distress, bound by likes and dislikes, with much suffering, de­ jection , and turmoil, without resources, burned by the fi res of lust, hatred, and delusion , fi lled with many diseases, cause their minds to be more and more liberated from all conditioned things and direct their minds toward enlightened knowledge. The enlightening beings also rec-

 

722  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

ognize the inconceivability of enlightened knowledge and recognize its incomparability, its immeasurability, its difficulty of access, its indepen­ dence, its freedom from afflictions, its freedom from distress, and how it arrives at the city of fearlessness and never comes back from it,   and how it saves many people.

"Thus observing the immeasurability of enlightened knowledge, and observing how full of ills all conditioned states  are, the enlightening beings  further develop   ten   feelings toward sentient beings:  the feeling that they are without a leader or a refuge; the feeling that they are always destitute; the feeling that they are burned by the fire of passion, hostility, and folly ; the feeling that they are locked in the prison of existence; the feeling that they are always veiled in sleep in the thickets of afflictions; the feeling that they are incapable  of viewing things objectively; the feeling that they have abandoned  the desire for good;  the feeling that they have lost the way to enlightenment;  the feeling that they go along with the flow of the mundane  whirl; the feeling that they have lost the means to liberation.

"Seeing the world of sentient beings so full of afflictions, the enlight­ ening beings arouse their energy,  thinking,  'I should rescue and liberate these beings; I should purify and emancipate them; I should lead them, direct them, make them happy, develop them, and cause them to reach perfect peace. '

"Thus disillusioned with all conditioned things, considerate toward all sentient beings, seeing the benefit in omniscience, taking refuge in en­ lightened knowledge, dedicated to the salvation of all beings,  the en­ lightening beings reflect thus: 'By what means can these beings,  fallen as they are into so much misery, be lifted out of it and established in the ultimate bliss of nirvana and be caused to attain freedom   from   doubt about all things?'  It occurs to these enlightening beings,  'The  means to do this is nowhere else but in the realm of knowledge of unobstructed liberation; and the knowledge of unobstructed liberation is nowhere else but in awareness of all things as they are; and awareness of all things as they are is nowhere else but in transcendent knowledge of the uncondi­ tioned and unproduced;  and that light of knowledge is nowhere else but in contemplation by the analytic intellect skilled in meditation; and that contemplation by the analytic intellect skilled in meditation is nowhere else but in skill in learning.'

"The enlightening beings thus apply this contemplative knowledge to

the quest of the Buddha  Way, day and night intent on hearing the Teaching, desirous of the Teaching, enjoying the Teaching,  delighted in the Teaching, relying on the Teaching, devoted to the Teaching,  con­ centrated on the Teaching, intent on the Teaching, taking refuge in the Teaching, dwelling on the Teaching, saved by the Teaching,  acting in accord with the Teaching .

"While the enlightening beings are thus focused on the quest for the Buddha Way, there is nothing they do not give up-goods, supplies,

 

dwelling, precious things, even their own bodies-and  because of their desire for truth they do not consider this difficult to do;  they only consider it difficult to find a person who utters the truth,  who teaches even a single phrase of truth. For the sake of the Buddha  Teaching there is no external thing whatsoever that they are attached to that they do not give up, and there is nothing whatsoever within themselves that they do not give up. There is no service to teachers they do not take on; there is no pride or conceit they do not abandon   and no   humility   of action they do not accept; there is no physical suffering they do not bear. They are more glad to hear a single verse of the Teaching that they have not heard than they would be to get a galaxy full ofjewels; they are more glad to hear a well-spoken verse than they would be to gain kingship; they are more glad to hear a new phrase of teaching spoken   by   a   complete buddha purifying enlightening practice than they would  be to attain godhood for many hundreds   of thousands of eons.   If someone   should declare to the enlightening  beings,  'I too have a phrase of teaching spoken by a perfectly enlightened buddha that purifies the practice of enlightening beings, which I will tell you if you throw yourself in a great blazing pit of fire and endure the agony,'  the enlightening beings think, 'For the sake of even a single phrase of teaching spoken by a completely enlightened buddha  I could even bear to hurl myself from the heavens into a   whole   galaxy  of fire,   to   say   nothing  of an   ordinary  pit   of fire. Indeed, we should seek the Buddha Teaching even through all the afflictions and pains of hells,  to say nothing  of the pains of life in the human world.'  They seek the teachings with such heroic  vigor as this; and they contemplate the teachings truthfully as they hear them. Furthermore,   having  heard   these   teachings,   with   profound   meditation in their own minds, alone in solitary places, they think,  'It is by reali­ zation and practice of the Teaching   through   appropriate  methods   that these doctrines of Buddha  are to   be followed-they   cannot  be clari fied just by talk.'

"Enlightening beings in this stage of Refulgence leave desires and evil and unwholesome  things  for the sake of realization of the Teaching and its  practical  application:  with  thought  and  reflection,  becoming  aloof, joyful and blissful, they attain   the   first stage   of meditation and abide there.   By cessation  of thought  and reflection, inner purity,  and mastery of single-mindedness, free from thought  and   cogitation,   concentrated, joyful and blissful,   they attain and abide in the second stage of medita­ tion. By freedom from desire for joy they abide in equanimity; with mindfulness and precise   knowledge,  they   experience physical  bliss:  as the sages say, those who are dispassionate,   mindful, blissful,   and   de­ tached from joy  attain to and abide in the third stage of meditation.  By the abandonment of pleasure and pain,  and  by the  disappearance of former joy and dejection, free from both pleasure and pain, equanimous, with pure mindfulness, they attain to and abide in the fourth stage of meditation.

 

724  The Flower Ornametzt Scripture

 

"By transcendence of all perceptions of form , by disappearance of all perceptions of objects, by not placing the attention on various percep­ tions, they attain to and abide in the realm of infinity of space, aware of infinite space. Totally transcending the realm of infinity of space, they attain to and abide in the realm of infinity of consciousness, aware of boundless consciousness. By  totally  transcending  the realm  of infinity of consciousness, they attain to and abide in the realm of nothingness, aware of the absence of anything  at all . Totally  trans cending  the realm of nothingness,  they attain to and  abide in the realm of neither percep­ tion nor nonperception. This is done on a basis not of enjoyment,  but only for the purpose of accomplishment of practical application of the Teaching.

" With minds imbued with kindness, broad-minded, magnanimous, nondualistic, immeasurable, free from hostility and enmity, unobstructed, unaffEcted, extending everywhere,  they travel to the farthest reaches of the cosmos, reaching all worlds throughout space. In the same way, with minds imbued with compassion, joy, and equanimity, broad-minded, magnanimous, nondualistic, without hostility or enmity, without ob­ struction or affliction, reaching everywhere, they roam throughout the cosmos, to all worlds in space. They experience many kinds of miraculous actions, even shaking the earth;  being one, they become multiple,  and having become multiple, they become one; they are able to appear and disappear; they go through walls and even through mountains, just as through space; they travel sitting through the sky like birds; they emerge from and sink into the earth unhindered as though in water, and walk on water as on earth;  they produce smoke and flames like a great bonfire and emit water from their bodies  like  great clouds,  by which torrents this world system, set ablaze, is annihilated; even the sun and moon here, powerful and mighty,  they take in hand,  and extend their power even up to the heaven of Brahma; by the divine ear, purified, beyond humans, they hear both celestial and human voices, whether soft or loud, far or near, hearing even the sounds of insects; they know the minds of other beings, other persons, as they really are�they know if they are covetous or desireless, if they are hateful or not, if they arc deluded or not, if they are afflicted or not,  if they are small-minded  or broad-minded,  if they are magnanimous, if they are beyond  measure,  if they are confused or not, if they are concentrated or not,  if they are liberated or not,  if they are defiled or not,  if their minds arc crude or not�all  this they know  as it really is; in this way they know the minds of other people as they really are. They remember many former abodes: they remember one lifeti me, two, three,  four, five, ten, one hundred,  two hundred,  three hundred, four hundred,  five hundred�they  remember  hundreds  of lifeti mes, many hundreds of lifetimes,   many  thousands of lifetimes,   many  hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, many hundreds of thousands of billions  of trillions of lifetimes; they remember the age of becoming, the age of disintegration, the age of becoming and disintegration, and remember

 

 

many ages of becoming and disintegration,  hundreds  of ages, thousands of ages, hundreds of thousands of  ages, hundreds of  millions of  ages, hundreds of billions of ages, up to hundreds of billions of  trillions of ages-they know,  'I  was in such and such a place named such and such, of such and such a family, of such and such a caste, with such and such a diet, with such and such a life span, abiding so long, experiencing such and such pleasures and pains;  I died there and was born here, died here and was born there'-they  know many kinds of former abodes, including their characteristics, appearances, and speech there. With the divine eye, purified, beyond that of humans, they see beings, dying, being born,  of good character, of bad character, in good states, in bad states, inferior, superior, following the force of  their deeds; they know   beings   as   they truly are : 'These beings are badly behaved   in   thought,   word,   and eed, they slander the sages, they entertain   false views;  owing  to   the pursuit of actions based on false views, by that cause, that condition, after the disintegration of the body and death they fall into states of woe and are born in hells. These other beings are virtuous in thought, word, and deed, they do not slander the sages, they see rightly; because of their deeds and undertaking of duty based on right views, after they die they are born in blissful states in heavens.' Thus, by the divine eye, purified, beyond that of humans, they see beings, their characteristics, appearances, and speech, dying, being born,  of good and bad appearance and character, in good or bad states, inferior and superior, according to   their   deeds-they   know them as they truly are. They enter and arise from these meditations, liber­ ations,   concentrations,   and   attainments,   without   being   born   by   their force.   If they   see   somewhere   where   the   elements   of enlightenment may be fulfilled, they are purposely born there by   willpower because   such   is the mental consistency of enlightening beings, having accomplished skill m means.

"The enlightening  beings  in  this stage  of Refulgence  see  many  bud­

dhas, by great vision and the power of will-they see many hundreds of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands, millions, billions, trillions of buddhas, by great vision and willpower. Having seen those buddhas, those completely enlightened ones,  they honor and  make  offerings  to them with great earnestness, providing  them with food, clothing, medi­ cines, and seats and beds. They also provide comforts for enlightening beings and honor the religious community. They dedicate these roots of goodness to consummate enlightenment. They also attend those buddhas, respectfully listen to their teachings, take up and maintain the teachings, cause them  to  be  repeated,  and  apply and  practice them according  to their ability . They observe the absence of process and nonextinction and conditionality of all things;   all their bonds of desire become  weaker, all their bonds to form, all their bonds to  existence,  all  their  bonds  of ignorance become weaker, and their bonds caused by views have already been  removed. Wrong  desires are gone  from  the enlightening  beings in the stage of Refulgence because of countless eons of nonaccumulation,

 

726  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

and so are wrong hatred and misguided delusions, because they do not produce or accumulate them. Their roots of goodness become clarified, purified, and useful. Just as gold in the hands of a skillful smith remains the same weight, in the same way the wrong desire, hatred, and delusion are gone from the enlightening beings in   the stage of Refulgence,   not being accumulated  for countless ages, while their roots of goodness become clarified and purified and useful.

"Furthermore,  their patience and gentleness are purified,   as well as their friendliness, freedom from anger, imperturbability, calmness, freedom from pride and self-abasement, freedom from desire to be honored, freedom from desire for reward for what they   do,   honesty,   and nonentanglement­ all these are purified. For them, among the four means of salvation, beneficial action is paramount, and among the ten transcendent ways, transcendent tolerance is paramount, while they practice the others ac­ cording to their power.

"This is a summary  of the third stage of enlightening beings, the stage of Refulgence. The majority of the enlightening beings in this stage are Indras, chiefs of the celestial beings of the thirty-three heavens, capable, powerful, providing means of detaching beings  from  lust  and  desire, skilled in extricating beings from the mud of desire. Whatever the en­ lightening  beings  do-whether  by  charity,  kind  speech,  beneficial  action, or cooperation-their thoughts are always  fixed  on  Buddha,  the  Teach­ ing, the Community, enlightening beings, the practices of enlightening beings, the transcendent ways, the  stages,  the  expertises  and  unique qualities ofbuddhas, including complete omniscience. To what purpose? To become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ulti­ mately omniscient refuges.

"Those who seek to be thus undertake the appropriate effort, by which they instantly attain a hundred thousand concentrations, see a hundred thousand buddhas and recognize their power, shake a hundred thousand worlds, go to a hundred thousand lands, illumine a  hundred  thousand worlds,  mature  a  hundred  thousand  beings,   live  for  a  hundred  thou­ sand eons,  penetrate a hundred thousand eons past  and  future,  contem­ plate a hundred thousand teachings, and manifest a  hundred  thousand bodies, each body accompanied by a hundred thousand enlightening beings.  Then  enlightening  beings  with  the  power  of vows  perform,  by the excellence of their vows, countless transformations  of their  bodies, auras, mystic powers, vision, spheres of operation, voices, conduct, adorn­ ments, power, resolutions, and performances."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses explaining  the meaning of this stage:

 

With pure minds, full of virtue, keen of mind, Dispassionate and unregressing,

Steadfast, ardent, firm, energetic, magnanimous, They enter the third stage.

 

 

In the   third   stage,   Refulgence,   they   contemplate The principle of suffering, impermanence, impurity,

Dissolution, evanescence, momentariness, inefficiency,

And absence of coming and going, of all that is conditioned.

 

They see the conditioned as sickness, accompanied by grief and lament,

Affliction, bound by attraction and aversion,

An abode of suffering and unhappiness,  like blazing fire, All this endlessly arising together.

 

Disillusioned with all states of being, unattached, Single-mindedly   seeking   enlightened    knowledge, They see the knowledge of buddhas as inconceivable, Unthinkable, incomparable, free from affliction.

 

Seeing buddha-knowledge free from all ills,

They pity those who are helpless, forever destitute, Burned by the fires of passion and folly,

Minds bound by a hundred miseries in hellish existences.

 

They undertake steadfast effort to save those veiled in afflictions, Those who are without insight, who have little will,

Who are deprived of the jewel of the way of enlightenment, Following the flow of the mundane whirl, afraid of liberation.

 

Seeking knowledge, unattached, acting for the sake  of the world, They consider how the liberation of the world may be caused­

It is nowhere but in the unobstructed knowledge of the enlightened,

And the endless knowledge of Buddhas is born of wisdom.

 

Reflecting that wisdom comes from learning, Enlightening beings strive diligently as learners;

Day and night, in the cause of learning, doing nothing else, They seek the truth as the ultimate goal.

 

Collections ofjewels and pearls, beloved relatives, Sovereignty, endless kinds of cities and fine abodes, Spouses and children, agreeable companions-

All they relinquish without attachment for the sake of truth.

 

Head, hands, feet, eyes, flesh, tongue, teeth, ears, Heart, blood, bones, marrow,

They gladly give away, not considering it hard, Only considering it hard to get to hear the truth.

 

728  The Flower Omametzt Scripture

If someone should tell them

He would give a jewel of the Buddha's teaching To anyone who would jump into a blazing fire, They would jump in without anxiety.

 

For a single phrase of the Teaching they 'vv ould leap From the heavens into a galaxy of fire:

How hard is this supreme enlightenment of buddhas to attain , That is gained by such human suffering?

 

They would endure the unremitting pains of hell

For as long as it takes to attain the knowledge of the seers, To say nothing of the mass of pain of the human  world--­ They will accept pain for the sake of the supreme Teaching.

 

And ha ving heard the Teaching, they think about it reasonahly And accomplish the four meditations, im measurable minds, Formless trances, and fi ve supreme mystic know ledges,

But. having mastered  them , arc not born under their sway.

 

Here the bearers of virtue pay honor to my riad buddhas And with doubt-free minds listen to the Teaching;

In this stage they become free from error, purified, Like gold freed from dross, undiminished.

 

Here the virtuous ones undertake celestial lordship, Powerful, free from lust,

Making mani fold groups of people virtuous and dispassionate, Intent on seeking the qualities of buddhahood.

 

Here enlightening beings undertake vigorous effort; Having attained a full hundred thousand concentrations, They see buddhas' bodies' various eminent characteristics, And infinitely more qualities, by superlative will.

 

"This has been an explanation of the third stage of enlightening beings, who seek benefit for all people."

Thus having heard of this far-reaching practice, this lo fty, eminent stage, the enlightening beings were delighted and showered the Buddha with flowers. When this teaching was spoken, the oceans and earth trembled; beautiful devoted goddesses reveled in the Teaching in song, while the gods, overjoyed, showered heavenly jewels on the Buddha and said, "A victor who speaks beneficially has arisen , having reached the ultimate weal and virtue. We have now heard of the superlative way, the supreme conduct of enlightening beings, the stage of the wise, which is

 

           729

 

hard to get to hear of even in a hundred eons. Speak further, 0 sage, for the benefit of heaven and earth , of the excellent practice of enlightening beings. This crowd of cdestials wants to hear the defi nitive, exhaustive truth."

Moon of Liberation said to Diamond Matrix, "Heroic speaker,  tell the enlightening beings of the exalted state of those who enter the fourth stage."

Diamond  Matnx  said,  "Whoever  has thoroughly  puritled  vision in the third stage enters the fourth stage. One attains this stage by ten entries into the light of the Teaching: by entry into the light through con­ templation of the realms of beings; by entry into the light through con­ templation of the realms of the world; by entry into the light through contemplation of the realms of phenomena and principles; by entry into the light through con tem plation of the realm of space; by entry into the light through contemplation of the realm of cons ciousness; by entry into the light through cont<:mplation of the realm of desire; by entry into the light  through contemplation of the realm  of form: by entry into the light through con tem pla tion of the realm of t(J nnkssness: by entry into the light through con templation of the realm of high-minded devotion ; and by entry into the light through contem plation of the realm of inclinations of the magnanimous mind.

'' Here, in this fourth stage, called Blazing, simultaneous with the attain ment of this stag<: the enlightening beings are born in the family of buddhas, so as to attain the qualities proper to it by means of ten things that develop and mature knowledge: by nonregressing will; by ultimate unbreakable faith in the three treasures; by contem plation of the origina­ tion and extinction of conditioned things; by contemplation of the non­ origination of inheren t nature; by contemplation of the form ation and disintegration of worlds; by contemplation of coming into existence due to actions; by contemplation of the mundane whirl and nirvana; by contemplation of actions of beings and lands; by contemplation of past and future; and by contemplation of nonbeing and nonannihilation . Having embodied these ten things that mature knowledge, enlightening beings are born in the family of buddhas by attainment of the principles that are proper to it.

"Furthermore, the <:nlightening beings in this Blazing stage carry on

examination of the inner body vigorously, with precise awareness and mind fulness,  getting  rid  of worldly  desire  and  dt:j.  ection.  They  carry  on examination of the external body vigorously, with precise awareness and mind fulness, getting rid of worldly desire and dejection . They do the same to internal sensation , external sensation , and internal and external sensation , to the internal mind, the exte rnal mind, and the internal and external mind. They carry on examination of internal phenomena, precisely aware and mind ful, getting rid of worldly desire and dejection. They carry on examination of external phenomena, precisely aware and

 

730  The Flower Ornametzt Scripture

 

mindful, getting rid of worldly desire and dejection. They carry on examination of internal and external phenomena, precisely aware and mindful, getting rid of worldly desire and dejection .

"The enlightening beings will and strive for the nonarising of bad and unwholesome states that have not yet arisen; they initiate vigorous effort, commanding the mind  and directing it properly.  They will  and strive for the destruction of bad and unwholesome  states that have arisen, initiating vigorous effort, commanding the mind and directing it prop­ erly. They will and strive for the arising of good states that have not yet arisen, initiating vigorous effort, commanding the mind and directing it properly. They will and strive for the stabilization, prevention of loss, augmentation, increased production and cultivation, and complete ful­ fillment of good states that have already arisen, initiating vigorous effort, commanding the mind and directing it properly.

"They develop the basis of mystical power of will combined with concentration and exertion, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the basis of mystical power of energy combined  with  concentration  and exertion , based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the basis of mystical power of attention combined with concentration and exertion,  based on detachment,  based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They de­ velop the basis of mystical power of contemplation combined with con­ centration and exertion, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment.

"They develop the faculty of faith , based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction,  given to relinquishment. They develop the faculty of energy,  based on detachment,  based on dispassion,  based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the faculty of recollection, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinc­ tion, given to relinquishment. They develop the faculty of concentration, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the faculty of wisdom, based on detach­ ment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. "They develop the power of faith, based on detachment, based  on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the power of energy, based on detachment, based on dispassion , based on extinction,  given to relinquishment.  They develop the power of recol­

lection, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the power  of concentration, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the power of wisdom , based on detach­ ment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. "They develop the branch of enlightenment of mindfulness, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relin­ quishment.  They develop the branch of enlightenment of investigation

 

of things, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given  to  relinquishment.  They  develop  the  branch  of enlightenment  of energy, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the branch of enlightenment of joy, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction , given to relinquishment. They develop the branch of enlightenment of tranquillity, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinc­ tion, given to relinquishment. They develop  the branch  of enlighten­ ment of concentration, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop the limb of en­ lightenment of equanimity, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment.

"They develop right thought, based on detachment, based on dispas­ sion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right seeing, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right speech, based on detach­ ment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right action, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right liveli­ hood, based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop  right effort, based on detach­ ment, based on dispassion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right mindfulness, based on detachment, based on dispas­ sion, based on extinction, given to relinquishment. They develop right concentration , based on detachment, based on dispassion, based on ex­ tinction, given to relinquishment.

"Furthermore, all this is due to concern for all beings,  due to the support of carrying out past vows, due to being led by great compassion, due to realization of great kindness, due to being principally focused on omniscience, due to being engaged in the full accomplishment of the powers, expertise, unique qualities, marks, embellishments, and voice of all enlightened ones, due to being in quest of the final supreme truth, due to following what is learned of the liberation of the profound teaching of buddhas, and due to reflection on the great power of skill in liberative means.

"Moreover, the enlightening beings in the stage of Blazing are freed

from all points of attachment-to what is considered wealth, what is considered one's own possessions, what is guarded and kept, what  is thought  of,  what  is  ruminated  on,  what  is  conceived  of,  appearing  and disappearing,  aroused  by  attachment  to  the  ideas  of a  real  body,  self, being, life, growth, person , personality, mental and physical clusters, elements, and sense mediums. Whatever acts should not be done, are disapproved by perfect buddhas, and  provoke affliction,  the  enlight­ ening beings get rid of; whatever acts should be done, are approved by perfect buddhas, and are appropriate for provisions for the Path of enlightenment, these the enlightening beings take on.

 

"As  the enlightening beings increasingly develop  the clements of the Path accomplished by skill in means and wisdom for the attainment  of the Path, their minds accordingly become gentle, mild, workable, and altruistic, unaffiicted, seeking the tlnal ultimate excellence, seeking higher knowledge, liberating all beings, obeying and respecting their teachers, practicing the teachings as they have learned.  They also become grateful and appreciative of what has been done for them, and  they become extremely courageous, easy to live with, honest, gentle, uncomplicated, undeluded, free from conceit, easy to talk to, skillfull in grasping the speaker's meaning. Thus the enlightening beings attain patience, self­ control, and tranquillity.

"Thus patient, controlled, and calm, they contemplate the elements of the Path to purify the higher stages with unremitting vigor,  unaffiicted vigor, unregressing vigor, immense vigor, endless vigor, blazing vigor, unequaled vigor, invincible vigor, vigor in developing all beings to maturity,  vigor in discerning what is instructive and what is not.  And their mentality becomes more and more purified, their prevailing will doesn't die out, and their clement of zeal blazes;  great roots of goodness are produced,  and they accomplish  destruction of worldly defilements. All their doubts and uncertainties are cut off, and they accomplish  pre­ sence of mind free from doubt.  They also attain joy  and serenity. They come into the presence of the power of the enlightened and attain immeasurable will.

"To the enlightening beings in this stage of Blazing,  many buddhas become   visible,   by   great   vision   and   willpower:   many   hundreds   of buddhas, many thousands of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, many millions of buddhas, many hundreds of millions  of buddhas, many billions of buddhas, many trillions of buddhas become visible  to the enlightening beings   by   great   vision   and   willpower. Having   seen   those   enlightened   ones,    they   honor   and    make   offerings to them with great zeal,  providing useful items  such as clothing,  food and drink, bedding, seat cushions, and medicines; they also provide comforts for enlightening beings and pay honor to the religious com­ munity. These roots of goodness they dedicate to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.

"Also they attend those buddhas and respectfully listen to their teach­ ings,   taking them up,   remembering them,   and putting   them into practice to the best of their ability. In many cases the enlightening beings go forth from home into the tutelage of those buddhas.  Their will, purpose, devotion, and equanimity are further purified. In this stage ofblazing the enlightening beings abide in purity of will, purpose, devotion , and equa­ nimity for many eons, many hundreds and thousands and millions  and billions and trillions of eons, and their roots of goodness become radiant with extreme clarity. Just as gold fashioned by a skilled goldsmith into ornaments cannot be outshone by gold that has not been worked,  in the same way the roots of goodness of enlightening beings  in the stage of Blazing cannot be outshone by the roots of goodness in the lower stages.

 

And just as the   light produced from a jewel,  light emanating from a sphere of completely  pure radiance, cannot be outshone by other pure lights produced from jewels,  and the light cannot be destroyed by any wind,  water,   or rain, in the same way the enlightening   beings in this stage of Blazing cannot be outshone by enlightening beings in the lower stages, and their knowledge cannot be destroyed  by the actions of any demons or afflictions.

"Of the four means of salvation, cooperation is predominant in these enlightening beings, and among the ten transcendent ways, energy is predominant-nonetheless they do practice the others as best they can.

"This is a summary  of the fourth stage of enlightening beings,  the stage called Blazing . Most of the enlightening beings in this stage are celestial sovereigns of the heaven of timely portion,  powerful, able to remove beings' view of a really existent body and establish them in right insight. Whatever actions the enlightening beings in this stage undertake, whether by giving, by kind speech, by beneficial action, or by coopera­ tion, it is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching,  the Community,  enlightening   beings,   the   practices   of enlightening   beings, the ways of transcendence, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas, up to omniscience consummate in all respects. Why? To be­ come the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.

"Those  who seek to be thus undertake the appropriate   effort,   by which they instantly attain a billion concentrations, see a billion buddhas and recognize their power, shake a billion worlds, go to a billion lands, illumine a billion worlds, mature  a billion beings, abide for a billion eons, penetrate a billion eons past and future, contemplate a billion teachings, and manifest a billion bodies, each surrounded by a billion enlightening   beings.  Then   enlightening beings with   the power of vows, by the excellence of their vows, perform countless transformations of the body, aura, mystic powers, sphere of operation, voice, conduct, adorn­ ment, power, resolution, and performances. "

Then Diamond  Matrix spoke  these verses describing the meaning of this stage:

 

Those who have accomplished the third stage, Refulgence, Contemplating the deeds of beings, the world, and phenomena, With purity of resolution and will, they enter

The realm of space, the realm of mind, and the triple realm.

 

As soon as those of great power attain the stage of Blazing, They are born in the family of the Teacher, never to regress,

Inseparable from the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community, Viewing the inertness of the continuum of birth and death.

 

Reflecting on the coming into existence of action that causes the world to develop,

 

On cyclic existence, nirvana, lands, and beings,

As well as phenomena, past and future, nonextinction and nonorigination,

They grow in the family of the Teacher, acting in accord.

Having realized these principles, kind and compassionate, They contemplate the phenomena of their bodies and minds; They contemplate the inner, outer, and both,

Reflecting on the four points of mindfulness, free from attachment.

From the destruction of evil, having developed good qualities, They actualize the four right efforts:

They develop the four bases of mystic powers, the powers and faculties ,

The light of the jewels of the limbs  of enlightenment,  and thus the supreme Path.

They develop these for the benefit of beings, focusing their minds on this,

Their vow supporting them, with compassion foremost, Seeking omniscient knowledge, the field of buddhas, Thinking of supreme power and the highest path.

Steadfast in seeking also the unshakable state of wisdom And the supreme buddha-voice of the Teacher,

The jewel of the profound path and the abode of liberation, They develop great means.

Free from the view of a real body and from all erroneous views, Free from ego and possession, from living and gaining,

In this fourth stage the defilement of attachment

To the  clusters, sense mediums, and elements is removed.

Whatever actions are condemned by buddhas

As being conducive to affliction and not beneficial

These enlightening beings abandon and with purified intent Undertake good deeds for the benefit of the world.

They become gentle in mind,

Careful, mild, genial,  honest,  kind, easy to live with;

Unaffiicted, they seek the highest path in quest of supreme knowledge,

Acting for the benefit of the world.

Respectfully approaching the worthy, wishing to learn, They are grateful , easy to teach, not hypocritical.

Free from pride and guile, equanimous and courageous, They arouse nonregressing vigor in cultivation.

 

Those established in the splendor of this stage Have their minds set on pure truth;

Their zeal blazes,  they increase good qualities-

All defilement, impurity, heedlessness, and doubt vanish.

The enlightening beings here, the best of people,

Pay respect to billions of buddhas, hear their teaching, And detach from the world to enter it,

Impossible to spoil, like ornaments of gold.

The virtuous state of mind, knowledge, expedient practice, And the path   of purification of the sages in   this stage Cannot be turned back even by billions of demons,

Just as the radiance ofjewels cannot be leached away by rainwater.

Those in this stage, worthy of human and celestial respect,

Become lords of the heaven of timely portion, carrying out celestial justice;

They withdraw beings from the tangle of views and accumulate good

For the sake of enlightened knowledge.

Full of vigor, they see a billion buddhas, Due to concentration, single-minded:

After that for many eons they carry out beneficial actions, Supreme undertakings characterized by knowledge.

 

"Children of Buddha, I have explained this fourth stage of enlight­ ening beings, called Blazing, which is pure and involves the immaculate conduct of those with virtue and knowledge."

Having thus heard the practice of this excellent stage of the wise, the enlightening beings were   pleased,   delighted   by   the   teaching.   Uplifted, they showered a rain of flowers in the sky,  saying, " Well have you spoken, great enlightening one!" The king of gods,  with a group of celestials, stood in the sky to honor the Buddha, their minds elevated: delighted,  happy,  they made clouds of various glows for the Buddha, with pleasing lights.  Goddesses in concert sang and played music to offer to the Teacher; manifesting such   power   of   enlightening   beings,   they spoke these words:

 

At long last is the will of the Sage fulfilled ;

At long last has the Victor attained the emancipation of enlightenment.

At long last is Shakyamuni seen in the celestial city, Having accomplished human and divine weal.

 

At long last are the waters of the ocean stirred,

At long last is the pure light of the Victor released;

 

At long last do suffering beings become happy,

At long last is the Teaching of the Compassionate One heard.

 

At long last is the great Sage met

Who has attained   the  consummation  of all  virtues, Having destroyed the darkness of conceit and heedlessness, The great mendicant, worthy, respected.

 

Those who have honored him are gone to heaven, Enjoying many kinds of happiness;

Those who have honored him put an end to all suffering And gain supreme knowledge.

 

The Victor is pure as space,

Undefiled by the world, like a lotus in water, Like the polar mountain rising from the sea� So honor the Buddha glad in mind.

 

Then the wise one Moon  of Liberation said to Diamond  Matrix, "Please tell us the characteristics of the fifth stage."

Diamond Matrix said,  "Whoever has fulfilled the path of the fourth stage enters the fifth stage; one enters the fifth stage by tenfold impar­ tiality with purity as the focus of the mind:  by im partiality of focus on the purity  of the teachings of past buddhas,  by impartiality  of focus on the purity  of the teachings of future buddhas,  by impartiality  of f(xus on the purity  of the teachings of present buddhas,  by impartiality  of focus on purity of conduct,  by impartiality  of focus on purity of mind, by impartiality of focus on purity of removal of views and doubt and uncertainty and perplexity,  by impartiality  of focus on purity of knowl­ edge of right and wrong paths, by impartiality  of focus on purity of knowledge of application   and   relinquishment,  by impartiality  of focus on purity of the final ultimate discernment and realization of all the elements of enlightenment, and by impartiality of focus on purity of perfecting all beings.

"Furthermore,  the enlightening beings  who have reached the   fifth stage, from having  cultivated these elements   of   enlightenment   and branches of the path, and from having thoroughly purified their intent­ practicing what is needed for the quest for a higher path in the future, being supported by the power of vows, compassionately and kindly not abandoning beings, accumulating provisions of virtue and knowledge, never ceasing, putting skill in means into operation, seeing the light of the later stages,  seeking the power of the Buddha,  being supported by the power of intellect and action and awareness and rccollection�attain unwavering attention; and doing so, they accurately know as it really is what the truth of suffering recognized by sages is, what the truth of the cause of suffering is, what the extinction of suffering is, and what the

 

The Toz Stages        73 7

 

truth of its attainment is. They become well versed in con ventional truth, in ultimate truth, in the truth of characteristics, the truth of dis­ tinctions, the truth of structure, the truth of substance, the truth of becoming, the truth of knowledge of extinction and nonorigination, the truth of entry into knowledge of the path; and by having accomplished the continuity of accession to the stages of enlightening beings, they become well versed in the truth of the accumulation of the knowledge of the enlightened.

"They know the con ventional truth from satisfying other beings according to their inclinations. They know the ultimate truth by com­ prehending all in one principle. They know the truth of characteristics from awareness of individual and common characteristics. They know the truth of differen tiation from learning the definitions of differen tia­ tions in the Teaching. They know the truth  of structure from learning the definitions of the clusters, elements, and sense mediums. They know the truth of substance from realizing the pressure of the body and mind. They know the truth of becoming from the continuity of realm s of existence. They know the truth of knowledge of extinction and non­ origination from the ultimate extinction of all burning torments. They know the truth of entry into the knowledge of the path from the accomplishment of nonduality. By accomplishment of continuity of accession to the stages of enlightening beings from perfect awareness of all their features, ultimately they know the truth of accumulation of the knowledge of the enlightened. This is, however, on the basis of the power of knowledge in the process of application, not by ultimate exhaustive knowledge.

"By means of the awareness effected by this knowledge of truths, they know in truth that all that is conditional is void, unreal, delusive, deceptive, fooling the ignorant. They become all the more compassionate toward beings, and the light of great goodwill shines forth . Supported by the power of knowledge, with concern for all beings, seeking en­ lightened knowledge, they examine all conditioned activities, past and future. They know for a fact how the mass of suffering of beings, sprung from ignorance and craving for existence from the past, borne along in the stream of cyclic existence, never having gotten free from the dwell­ ing  of the  physical  and  mental  clusters,  increases,  and  that  it  has  no  self, no being, no li fe, no soul, no personality, no self or personal possessions. They also know in truth whether or not there is an end, limit, or escape from their deluded wishing for the nonexistent future.

"It occurs to the enlightening beings, 'How strange and pitiful these ignorant, deluded creatures, whose countless bodies have perished, will perish, and arc perishing, yet even while they are passing away they do not give rise to disaffection with the body; they increase the fetters of sufferin g, flowin g along in the stream of the mundane whirl, not turning back from great danger and trouble, not letting go of the dwelling of the body-mind clusters; they do not reject the vipers of the elements, they

 

738  The Flower Omammt Scripture

 

are unaware of the prison of greed for happiness; they do not pull out the arrows of pride and views, they do not extinguish the flames of desire, hatred, and delusion; they do not disperse the darkness of ignorance; they do not evaporate the flood of craving;  they do not seek an enlightened guide; going along with maniacs, they swim around in the sea of the mundane whirl, in the confusion of grasping of various bad thoughts. Being without refuge, they fall into intense distress and individually experience many pains, such as birth, old age, sickness,  death,  grief, lament, dejection , mental disturbance.  For the sake of these beings, who are suffering distress, without a leader, without  a savior,  without  a refuge, without a reliance, without an island of safety , without direction, in the dark, wrapped up in the shell of ignorance, overcome by darkness, we alone will gather such stores of virtue and knowledge as will enable these beings to be ultimately purified, and finally that they may arrive at the state of unimpeded knowledge of those with the ten powers.'

"Whatever  goodness the   enlightening   beings   undertake   with   this mind  which  has realized well-considered   knowledge,  they   undertake it all for the salvation of all beings, for the benefit of all beings, for the happiness of all beings, out of compassion for all beings, so that all beings will be free from trouble,  for the liberation of all beings,  to take care of all beings, for the purification of all beings, to lead all beings to freedom, for the ultimate nirvana of all beings.

"The enlightening beings in this fifth stage, the stage Diffi cult to Conquer, become all the more mindful, by not forgetting the nature of things;   they become wise,   by   certain knowledge; they become wayfarers, by realizing the hidden meanings intended by the scriptures; they become conscientious  because of protecting self and others; they become  stead­ fast, by maintaining disciplined behavior; they become awake because of careful consideration of what is true and what is not;  they become followers of knowledge because of not being led by others; they become followers of wisdom because of skill in expression distinguishing the meaningful and meaningless; they become skilled in maturing  beings because of skill in effecting higher knowledge; they become accomplished in mystic knowledge because of skill in accomplishing meditation; they become skilled in expedients because of adaptation  to the world;  they become tireless because of accumulation  of virtues; they become cease­ lessly energetic because   of seeking knowledge;  they become  unflagging in determination because of having accumulated great kindness and compassion; they become devoted to tireless seeking because of being in quest of the ten powers,  infallible expertise,  and unique qualities of buddhas;   they   become imbued   with   well-accomplished   attention   because of having   accomplished  buddha-land   adornment;    they   become   engaged in various good works because   of having   accumulated   the   distinctive marks and embellishments of buddhahood;  they become  constantly en­ gaged in right effort because of seeking the physical, verbal, and mental adornments of the enlightened; they become most respectful in conduct

 

           739

 

because of listening to all enlightening beings and expounders of truth; they become unhindered in mind because of continually traveling through the world by the great skill in means of enlightening beings; they be­ come undistracted at all times because of application of effort to the full development of all beings.

''Thus engaged, the enlightening beings develop people by means of charity, kind speech, beneficial action, and cooperation; they develop people by showing forms, by revelation of enlightening action, by mak­ ing clear the greatness of the enlightened, by showing the ills of the mundane whirl, by lauding the knowledge of buddhas, and by produc­ tion of great spiritual manifestations and application to various practices and works.

"The enlightening beings, thus engaged in the development of sentient beings, with minds continually following buddha-knowledge, engaged in unregressing goodness, intent on the search for supreme truth, practice whatever in the world would benefit sentient beings, such as writing, teaching, mathematics, sciences of various realms or elements; medical sciences; prevention of consumption, epilepsy, and possession ; warding off poison, zombies, and witchcraft; song and dance, drama, music, storytelling, and entertainment; the construction of villages, cities, parks, canals, reservoirs, ponds abounding in lotuses, groves producing flowers, fruits, and medicines; the discovery of gold, jewels, and other precious substances; methods of pointing out the signs of the sun, moon, planets, stars, constellations, movements of the earth, omens, dreams, and the characteristics of coordination of general and specific actions and forms of limbs and parts of the body; points of cultivation of discipline, medi­ tation, mystic knowledge, the immeasurables and formless states-and whatever else is not harm ful or i njurious, that which is conducive to the benefit and well-being of all creatures, that the enlightening beings undertake, guided by compassion, to establish them in the way of buddhas.

"To the enlightening beings in this stage, Difficult to Conquer, there appear many buddhas, by great vision  and willpower-many hundreds of buddhas, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands, many mil­ lions, many billions, many trillions of buddhas. Having seen those bud­ dhas, the enlightening beings honor and serve them with great resolution, providing the necessities of life, also providing com forts for enlightening beings and honoring the religious com munity, and dedicate these roots of goodness to unexcelled, complete, perfect enlightenment. The en­ lightening beings also attend those buddhas and with greatest respect and reverence listen to, take up, and remember their teachings and, having heard them, apply them as much as possible.

"Many enlightening beings go forth from society into the tutelage of those buddhas and, having gone forth , become holders of learning and preachers of the Teaching. Moreover, they become preachers who have attained command of the practices they have learned, because of not

 

 

forgetting what they have learned from billions   of buddhas  over billions of eons.

"The roots   of goodness of many   eons of the enlightening   beings  in this stage are refined, purified thoroughly,  and become  more radiant, over hundreds and thousands and   millions and billions of eons, just  as gold adorned with jewels  becomes brighter, purer, and more radiant. Because of accomplishment of the virtues of application  of knowledge, they also become impeccable in conduct. Just  as the light of the sun, moon, planets, and stars cannot be diverted by the winds and is not of a class with the winds, in the same way the roots of goodness of the enlightening beings in the Difficult to Conquer stage, in accord with the thought of the skillful, wise, knowing mind, cannot be surpassed by any who learn or attain individual liberation, and are not of the same cbss as the worldly.

"For enlightening beings in this stage the transcendent way of medi­ tation is paramount, while they practice the rest as best they can. This is the stage of enlightening beings called Difficult to Conquer. Most of the enlightening beings in this stage become celestial sovereigns of the heaven of complete  satisfaction,   capable,   powerful,   able to   detach beings from all false teachers and to establish them in the truth. Whatever acts they undertake, whether by giving, kind speech, beneficial action, or cooper­ ation, it is all never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community,  enlightening   beings,   the   conduct   of enlightening   beings, the ways of transcendence, the stages, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas,  including omniscience complete  in all respects. Why? Because they want to be the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.

"Those who seek to be thus undertake the appropriate effort, by the energy of which they instantly  attain  a trillion  concentrations, see a trillion buddhas and perceive their power, shake a trillion worlds, go to a trillion lands, illumine a trillion realms, mature a trillion beings, abide for a trillion eons, penetrate a trillion eons past and future, contemplate  a trillion doctrines, and manifest a trillion bodies,  each appearing  sur­ rounded by a trillion enlightening beings.

"Beyond that, enlightening beings with the power of vows, by the excellence  of their  vows,  perform  countless  transformations  of body, aura, mystic powers, vision, sphere of operation, voice, conduct,  adorn­ ments, power, resolution, and performances ."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke  these  verses describing this  stage:

 

Thus purified in the excellent   practices of the   fourth stage, They contemplate the equality of the buddhas of past, present,

and future-

In conduct,   mental   attainment,   purity of the   Path, And freedom from doubt-and enter the fifth stage.

 

 

Their bow is recollection, their arrows the spiritual faculties, undeflected;

Their horses the right efforts, the bases of mystic power their chariot,

The five powers their armor, which no bandits can break through;

Heroic, never retreating, they enter the fifth stage.

Clothed in conscience and modesty, wise, with the fragrance of pure conduct,

With the garland of the elements of enlightenment,  the unguent of high meditation,

With excellent methods adorned by wisdom  and reflection,

Entering the garden of mental command, they come to this fifth stage.

The four bases of mystic power their feet, pure mindfulness their necks,

Noblest kindness and compassion their eyes, lofty wisdom their teeth,

The roar of selflessness overcoming  the thieving afflictions, The human lions, equanimous, wise, enter this fifth stage.

Having attained this excellent fifth stage,

They further cultivate the luster of the pure path: With a pure intent, to attain buddhahood,

They think of compassion and k indness, without distress.

By gathering stores of virtue and higher knowledge, By many means they observe the range of the stages.

Mindful of the power of the Buddha,  imbued  with intelligence and reason,

They contemplate the four truths completely.

They delve into the ultimate truth, the conventional truth, The truth of characteristics,   of distinctions,  and structure, The   truth   of substance,   of the   tainted   and   annihilation, The truth of the Path, up to the truth of the unobstructed.

Yet though their subtle discernment  seeks the truth They do not attain highest unobstructed liberation; Still, by great knowledge and application they surpass All virtues of which worldlings are capable.

 

Thus having  developed veritable discernment of truth,

They know the conditioned is unreal by nature and valueless.

 

 

They gain the light of compassion and kindness of buddhas yet more,

Seeking enlightened knowledge for the benefit of sentient beings.

 

They observe the past and future of the conditioned,

Those shrouded in the darkness of delusion, caught up in suffering,

And rescue worldlings bound to this mass of suffering,

Though they are without self or soul and equal to grass and trees.

 

"Because of two simultaneous afflictions are you reborn, Past, present, and future; you find no end to suffering ." They see these people are lost, not turning back

From the mundane whirl, though it has no being of its own.

 

Dwelling in the  clusters, with the serpents of the  senses,

Infested with errant views, hearts burning with fire, shrouded in darkness,

Sunk in a flood of craving through lack of insight,

Without the guidance of Buddha, they are stranded in the sea of suffering.

 

Knowing this, enlightening beings strive yet more diligently, Undertaking the liberation of all sentient beings:

They become mindful, discerning, intent, steadfast;

They become conscientious, hence awake and full of wisdom.

 

They do not cease their accumulation of virtue and higher knowledge;

Without weariness or laxity seeking power,

They develop lands, features, and voices of buddhas Unceasing, all  their deeds being for the weal of the living.

 

In order to mature people, they establish arts and skills­ Writing, printing, mathematics, medical sciences, Exorcism, antidotes, curing,

Establishing excellent education, compassionate, kind, intelligent.

 

Witty in the finest song and dance, they build delightful places­ Canals, parks with flowers and fruits, places to sit,

Doing many things for the pleasure of beings, Even revealing many kinds of treasure troves.

 

Mastering observation of the movements  of celestial bodies and earth

 

 

As well as physiognomy,

They accomplish formless meditations, mystic knowledges, and the immeasurables,

Desiring well-being and happiness for the world.

 

Arriving in the Difficult to Conquer stage, practitioners of higher wisdom

Serve billions of buddhas and hear their teaching: Their goodness and heart become  more radiant, Like gold sprinkled with jewels.

 

As the jewel palaces of the constellations

Are not swept away by the wind, so are enlightening beings Unaffected   while working in   the world   for beings'   sake, Like lotuses to which water does not cling.

 

In this   stage,  those   experienced   lords   of contentment Destroy the actions of false teachers, the abodes of manifold

v1ews.

All the good they do is in the cause of enlightened knowledge, Wishing to become saviors of beings, rich in the ten powers.

 

Arousing superior energy, unflagging, They serve a trillion buddhas;

Having attained concentration, they shake a trillion worlds, Bearing the undertakings of the virtuous.

 

"Thus  have enlightening beings,  excellent   guardians   of the   living, told of the fifth stage, called Difficult to Conquer,  in myriad  different ways. "

Having heard of the superior practice of this exalted stage of the wise, the host of enlightening beings, delighted, showered flowers and sprinkled the Buddha with sublime jewels radiating pure light, uttering praise. A hundred thousand celestial beings in the sky, pleased, scattered exquisite varicolored celestial jewel dust on the Buddha,  presenting incense, gar­ lands, perfumes, parasols, decorative banners and pennants, and   orna­ mental crescents. The commanding lord of the celestials, along with all heavenly hosts, hovering in the empyrean,  well pleased and serene, showered clouds ofjewels  in offering to the Victor, urging the enlight­ ening beings to speak.  A thousand goddesses in the sky sang pleasantly and played music, singing as with one voice in praise of the Buddha, destroyer of the fire of afflictions:

 

Empty nature quiescent, all things are signless,

Equal to space, beyond discriminating thought,  totally pure;

 

744  The Flower Ornament Scripture

Beyond motion or stillness, beyond philosophy, all equal in suchness,

Hy their suchness, the essence of things is beyond thought.

 

Those who un derstand all things thus

Are unmoved by existence or nonexistence:

With compassion f()r the world, striving for liberation, They are offspring of l3 uddha, born from the Teaching.

 

They practice generosity without concern for appearances,

With well-disciplined minds, funda mentally tranquil, extremely calm :

They tolerate what is made in the world, knowing the imperi­ shable truth;

They are endowed with vigor and strength, detached from all th ings.

 

Having full y entered into meditation, exhausted afflictions, they are puri fied;

Knowing all things, they arc centered in primordial emptiness.

Rich in knowledge and practical power, they are always devoted to the welfare of the world,

For they are great beings, offspring of Buddha, having extingu­ ished all evil.

 

Having uttered a thousand such songs, those beautiful goddesses hovered in the sky silently gazing at the Buddha, serene, enraptured with admira­ tion for the Teaching. Moon of Liberation said, continuing, to Diamond Matrix, "What are the characteristices of attainment of the next stage after this fifth one?"

The enlightening being Diamond Matrix said, "Those who have thoroughly ful filled the path of the fifth stage of enlightening beings enter into the sixth stage. They enter by way of ten equalities of things: by the equality of signlessness of all things; by the equality of nonorigi­ nation of all  things; by the equality of absence of characteristic marks of all things; by the equality of nonbirth of all things; by the equality of detachment of all things; by the equality of primordial purity of all things; by the equality of nonconceptuality of all things; by the equality of all things in neither coming nor going; by the equality of all things in being like illusions, dreams, reflections, echoes, the moon's image in the water, or apparitions ; and by the equality of nonduality of existence and nonexistence of all things. Thus observing all things in terms of their intrinsic nature and according with it without opposition, they attain the sixth stage of enlightening beings, the stage of Presence. But this is only by penetrating conformative tolerance; they have not yet attained the tolerance of the nonorigination of things.

 

Th e Tc11 Stages    745

 

"Thus understan ding all th ings in their intrins ic rldture, enlightening beings, all the more gu ided by com passion , comma11lied by great com­ passion , in order to completely fu l tl.ll great com passion , observe the formation and disintegration of the world. While observing the for­ mation and disintegration of the world, it occurs to them, 'The origins of \v orldly ways are all due to attachment to self In those who have no attachment to self the development of worldly ways docs not take place.' "It also occurs to them. 'These beings, intellectually in fantile, attached

to their selves, covered by the blinders of nescience, seeking existence

and nonexistence, thinking illogically, gone on a wrong path , acting perversel y. accumu la te conditioned states of good, bad , and immobility. The mental seed concei ved and planted by those conditioned states, im bued with Llint ;m d grasping. leads to fu ture birth . old age, and death, coming into being as a result of rennved existence. In the t!cld of action, in the darkness of ign orance, with the moisture of craving and the flow of egotism , the net of vinvs grown , the sprouts of name and torm appear. Having appeared, they grow , and, name and form having de­

\•cloped . the tivc sen ses become operative. F;rom the intercou rse of the operative senses comes contact. From the intercourse of con tacts con1es sensation . A fter semation there is desi re; thence craving and grasping grow . Once grasping is developed, becoming comes into existence. Once becoming has come mtu existence, the tl ve dusters emerge. The five clusters having emerged , they progressively deteriorate 111  the fi ve courses of existen ce. Having deteriorated, they disintegrate. From deterioration and disintegration there is anguish . Caused by anguish, all troubles of sadness. lament, pain. and dejection arise together. And yet there is no one who collects these. Of their own nature, spontaneous ly they dis­ integrate; there is no one who disintegrates them .•

"In this way enlightening beings exam ine interdependent origination in order of progression . They think: 'Not knowing the truth in the highest sense is called ignorance. The fruit of action fashioned by igno­ rance is conditioning. The initial mentation based on conditioning is consciousness.   The   four   grasping   clusters   arising   together   with   con­ sciousness are name and fc)rm. The development of name and form is the six sense mediums. The conjunction of the sense tacultie '>, objects, and consciousnesses is tain ted contact. Born together with contact is sen­ sation. Clinging to sensation is craving. Craving develops into grasping. Tainted action issuing from grasping is becoming. The  outcome  of action is birth , the emergence of the clusters. The development of the cluster-, is old age. The disin tegration of the aged clusters is death . The mental anguish of the dying, the disintegrating, who are deluded and attached, is grie( crying out in grief IS lament; in the t! ve senses it is pain; in the vision of the mind it IS dejection. The cornmg into being of much pain and dejection IS torment. Thus this whole mass of suffering, this tree of suftt.,ring, grows, without any agent or knower. '

"They also think. 'From attachment to an agent, actiom are cognized-

 

 

where there is no doer, doing cannot, in the ultimate  sense, be found either. ' They also think, 'All that is in the world is only mind. These twelve elements of becoming analyzed and explained by the Buddha are also all based on one mind. Why? Whenever the mind is aroused with desire for a thing, that is consciousness, and the "thing" is conditioning. The delusion of conditionings is ignorance. Name and form arc born together with the ignorant mind . The development  of name and form is the six sense mediums. Connected with the six mediums is contact. Born together with contact is sensation.   Obsession with sensation is craving. The unrelenting seizing of what is picked up by craving is grasping. The conjunction of these elements of existence is becoming.  The emergence of becoming is birth.  The full development  of birth is old age. The end of old age is death.'

"The ignorance there tends to produce two kinds of effects : as  an object, it confuses beings, and it provides a cause for the development of conditioning. Conditionings  also tend to produce two kinds of effects: they manifest future development and provide  a cause  for the emergence of consciousness.  Consciousness also tends to produce  two  kinds of effects: it makes the continuity of existence and also provides cause for the development of name and form . Name and form also tend to produce two kinds of effects: they make mutual support  and also provide  cause for the development of the six sense mediums. The six sense mediums also tend to produce  two kinds of effects: they   show   the differen tiation of their own spheres and provide cause for the emergence of contact. Contact also tends to produce two kinds of effects : it contacts objects and provides cause for the emergence of sensation . Sensation also occasions two kinds of effects: it effects reception of the desired, of that which is not desired, and of that which is neither, and it also provides cause for the emergence of craving.  Craving  also occasions two kinds of effects: it creates intense desire for desirable things and provides  cause for the emergence of grasping. Grasping also occasions two kinds of effects: it creates bondage by afflictions and provides cause for the emergence of becoming. Becoming also occasions two effects: it creates a tendency toward other courses of existence and provides cause for the emergence of birth . Birth also occasions two effects: it produces the emergence of the clusters and provides cause for old age. Old  age also occasions two effects: it produces changes in the faculties and provides the cause for meeting in death. Death also occasions two effects: it destroys the com­ pounded and causes continuation through lack of perfect knowledge.

"Therein, 'conditionings grounded on ignorance' means the con­ tinuation and support  of conditionings  by ignorance as a cooperating cause. 'Consciousness grounded on conditionings'   means the continuation and support of consciousness by conditioning  as a cooperating cause. 'Name  and form grounded   on   consciousness'  means the continuation and support of name and form by consciousness as a cooperating cause. 'The six sense mediums grounded on name and form ' means the con-

 

The Ten Stages        747

 

tinuation and support of the six sense mediums by name and form as a cooperating  cause.  'Contact grounded on  the  six sense mediums' means the continuation and support of contact by the six sense mediums as a cooperating cause.  'Sensation grounded on  contact'  means the continua­ tion and support of sensation by contact as a cooperating cause. 'Craving grounded on  sensation'  means  the  continuation and  support  of craving by sensation as a cooperating cause.  'Grasping  grounded on  craving' means the continuation and support of grasping by craving as a  co­ operating cause.  'Becoming grounded on grasping' means  the continua­ tion and support of becoming by grasping as a cooperating cause. 'Birth grounded on becoming' means the continuation and support of birth by becoming as a cooperating cause. 'Old age and death grounded on birth' means the continuation and support of old age and death by birth as a cooperating cause.

"The extinction of conditionings  due to the extinction of ignorance means the stilling and nonestablishment of conditionings due to the nonexistence of ignorance as a cooperating cause. The extinction of consciousness due to the extinction of conditionings means that without conditionings as a cooperating cause, consciousness is stilled, unsupported. The extinction of name and form due to the extinction of consciousness means that without consciousness as a cooperating cause, name and form are stilled, unsupported. The extinction of the six sense mediums due to the extinction of name and form means that without name and form as a cooperating cause, the six sense mediums are stilled, unsupported. The extinction of contact due to the extinction of the six   sense   mediums means that without the six sense mediums as a cooperating cause,  contact is stilled,   unsupported.  The extinction of sensation due to the extinction of contact means that without contact as a cooperating cause, sensation is stilled, unsupported. The extinction of craving due to the extinction of sensation means that without sensation as a cooperating cause, craving is stilled, unsupported. The extinction of grasping due to the extinction of craving means that without craving as a cooperating cause, grasping is stilled, unsupported.  The extinction   of becoming   due   to   the extinction of grasping means that without grasping as a cooperating cause, becoming is stilled, unsupported. The extinction of birth due to the extinction of becoming  means  that without the  cooperating cause of becoming,  birth is stilled, unsupported. The extinction of old age and death due to the extinction   of birth   means   that   without   the cooperating   cause   of birth, old age and death are stilled, unsupported.

"Ignorance,  craving,  and grasping are the continuation of the course of affiiction. Conditioning and becoming arc  the  continuation  of the course of action.  The rest  are the continuation of the course of suffering. The  preceding and the succeeding annihilated  by analysis, these courses are  cut off.  Thus  these  three  courses-affliction,  action,  and  suffering­ have no self and have nothing to do with anything pertaining to  self; becoming and decaying, it is all in essence like a hollow reed.

 

 

"Also, what arc called conditionings grounded on ignorance are con­ nected to the past; consciousness up to sensation are connected to the present; craving up to becoming are connected to the future. Henceforth there is continuation of this. The extinction of conditionings due to the extinction of ignorance is  the  cutting otf of their  connection-the same is true of the rest.

"Furthermore, the state of triplex suffering is due to these twelve elements of becoming. Therein , ignorance, conditioning, up to the six sense mediums are the suffering that is due to conditionality; contact and sensation arc the suffering that is due to pain; the rest of the elements of becoming are the suffering that is due to disintegration.  The extinction of conditionings due to the extinction  of ignorance is the cutting off of the triplex suffering. The same is so of the rest. 'Conditionings grounded on ignorance' means the nature  of conditioning  being  produced  by causal relations; the same is so of the rest. The extinction of conditioning due to the extinction of ignorance means the nonexistence of condition­ ing; this is so of the rest too. 'Conditionings grounded  on ignorance' means attachment to origination;  'the extinction of conditioning due to the extinction of ignorance' means attachment to annihilation. This is so of the rest too . 'Conditionings grounded on ignorance' is viewing it according to existence, and this is so of the rest too . The 'extinction of conditionings due to the extinction of ignorance' is viewing it according to annihilation, and this is so of the rest too.

"Enlightening beings contemplate interdependent origination in these

ten patterns,  forward and backward:  that is,  in  terms of the interconnec­ tion of the elements of becoming, in terms of being  all together in one mind, in terms of differentiation of one's own action, in terms of in­ separability, in terms of the procession of the three courses of affliction, action, and suffering, in terms of the connection  of past,  present,  and future, in terms  of accumulation  of the three kinds of suffering, in terms of production by causes, in terms of attachment to origination and annihilation, and in terms of contemplation ofbecoming and annihilation. "Enlightening  beings  thus contemplate interdependent origination  in ten patterns;  because  of contemplating  it  in  terms  of being without  self, without being, without soul, without person, inherently empty, without doer or subject, the door of emptiness  and liberation  becomes  manifest to them. Because of the nullity of own-being of these elements of be­ coming, being in the presence of ultimate liberation, no sign of any thing occurs to them. In those who have thus entered into emptiness and sign­ lessness, no desire whatsoever arises, except, led by great compassion, for the full development of sentient beings: thus the door of liberation of wishlessness becomes manifest to them . Causing these three doors of liberation to become manifest, they leave behind  the ideas  of self and other, of agent and perceiver, of being and nonbeing. All the more, filled with compassion, they work to perfectly attain the elements of en­

lightenment which they have not yet attained.

 

           749

 

"The enlightening beings think, 'That which is fabricated goes on because  of linkage-without  linkage  it  does  not  proceed;  the  fabrica ted goes on because of assemblage-without assemblage it does not go on. Having recognized the many ills and bad effects of the fabricated states of conditioning, we should cut off this linkage, this assemblage. But we should not go to the ultimate cessation of the created, for the sake of the full development of sentient beings.' This abode of transcendent wis­ dom, encountered by enlightening beings examining the many ills of fabricated conditioned states, by nature without inherent existence, un­ born and not annihilated, is called the presence of unattached knowl­ edge; it is realized by undertaking great com passion and not abandoning duty to living beings, by merging with its light. Endowed with such knowledge, illumined by transcendent wisdom, they bring together the cooperating causes conducive to the elements of enlighten ment, but they do not abide in the created state. They also observe the essential nullity of conditioned states, but they do not settle down in that, because they have not yet completely fulfilled the elements of enlightenm l'nt.

"The l'nlightening bt'ings in this stage, the stage of Presence, realize the concentration of enlightening beings called 'entry into emptiness. ' They attain absorption in emptiness of inherent na tu re, emptiness of ultimate reality, supreme emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness ofunion , emptiness of production, nonconceptual emptiness according to reality, emptiness of concern , emptiness of disconnection and nondisconnection . With these ten doors of concentration on emptiness in the forefront, a hundred thousand doors of concentration on emptiness become mani fest to them, and so do a hundred thousand doors of concentration on sign­ lessness and a hundred thousand doors of concentration on wishlessness.

"Furthermore, the enlightening beings in this stage of Presence fully develop unbreakable intent, certain intent, good intent, profound intent, unretreating intent, unrelenting intent, pure intent, endless intent, intent to seek knowledge, intent to perfectly unite means and wisdom . These ten intents of enlightening beings lead to the enlightenment of buddhas; the enlightening beings become courageous and do not retreat before verbal opposition; they enter the stage of knowledge; they give up the stages of listeners and individual illuminates, being wholly directed toward buddha-knowledge. They also become immune to the doings of demons and afflictions, and become firmly established in the light of enlightening beings. They also become fully imbued with the practices of the principles of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, and they become one with the contemplations of means and wisdom, and they become filled with the clements of enlightenment.

"In the enlightening beings in this stage of Presence, the abode of

transcendent wisdom becomes paramount, and they attain the third acceptance of these principles, that of keen accord, by following them without opposition.

"To the enlightening beings in this stage many buddhas become

 

750  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

visible, by   great   vision   and   willpower-many  hundreds   of buddhas, many thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions, trillions of buddhas. Having  seen these buddhas,  with great zeal   they   pay   honor and respect to them, providing them with offerings of food, clothing, bedding, medicines, and other furnishings, and also bring comforts for enlightening beings,  and also honor the religious community.  They dedicate all these roots of goodness to perfect enlightenment.  They also attend those buddhas  and listen to their teachings in person with great respect and appreciation of their rarity, taking up the teachings and remembering them. Having heard the teachings, they practice them by means of true application, wisdom, knowledge, and illumination, and effectively preserve them in action. They reach further into the store of teachings of the enlightened.

"The roots of goodness of the enlightening beings  in this stage of Presence become  more and more   radiant over many   eons,   over hun­ dreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions of eons. Just as gold covered with jewels becomes even more radiant, so do the roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this stage, cultivated by expedient  means and wisdom, become all the more radiant. They also become more and more tranquil and imperturbable.  Just as moonlight  refreshes and delights people and cannot be diverted by the four winds, in the same way those roots of goodness of enlightening beings in   the stage of Presence quench the fires of afflictions of countless beings and make them refreshed and happy,  and those roots of goodness cannot be diverted by the four demons.

"Among the ten transcendent ways,  transcendent wisdom  is para­ mount in these enlightening beings,   but they also   practice the others as best they can. This is a brief summary of the sixth stage of enlightening beings,    called   the   stage   of Presence,    most   of the   enlightening   beings in which are masters of emanation,  expert and powerful in stopping people's  conceit, skilled  in drawing   people   away   from   the conditions of pride and arrogance.   They   cannot   be   distracted   by   the interrogations of all listeners.   They are skilled in introducing  beings  into interdepen­ dent   origination.  Whatever actions   they undertake,   whether by   giving, or by kind speech, or by beneficial action, or by cooperation, all of it is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practice of enlightening beings,  the transcendent ways, the stages, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas, including omniscience complete in all   respects.   Why?   To   become  the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.

"Those who seek to be thus undertake  the appropriate  effort, by which  exertion   they  instantly   attain   a   hundred   trillion   concentrations, see a hundred trillion buddhas and recognize their power,  shake a hun­ dred trillion worlds, go to a hundred trillion lands, illumine a hundred trillion worlds, mature a hundred trillion beings, remain for a hundred

 

 

trillion eons,   penetrate a hundred trillion eons past and future, contem­ plate a hundred  trillion doctrines,   manifest a hundred   trillion   bodies, each body manifesting a company  of a hundred trillion  enlightening beings.  Beyond  that, enlightening beings with the power of vows per­ form, by the excellence of their vows,  countless transfigurations ofbody, aura, mystic powers, vision, sphere of operation, voice, conduct, adorn­ ment, power, resolution, and performance."

Then the great enlightening being   Diamond  Matrix  uttered   these verses describing this stage:

 

Having fulfilled the practice of the path of the fifth stage,

Realizing knowledge of the signlessness, formlessness, and birthlessness of things,

Knowledge of their nonorigination, primordial purity, and inexpressibility,

Thus enlightening beings enter the sixth stage.

 

The objective eye tracing phenomena consistently Without rejection or attachment, without false ideas,

Knowing them to be of the nature  of illusion,  apart  from  being and nonbeing,

Enlightening beings enter the higher sixth stage.

 

Stable in keen accord, full of knowledge and power, They observe becoming and decay in all worlds.

The becoming of the world is in essence the becoming  of the dark of delusion;

When that delusion is destroyed, becoming is nonexistent.

 

They contemplate conditional  creation, ultimately empty,

Without contradicting the causal relations of action or the function of names;

Knowing in truth action has no agent,

They look upon the fabricated as like dense clouds, without will.

 

Not knowing the truth in the highest sense is ignorance; Action and consciousness are the results thereof;

Then, born together based on consciousness are name and form; Thus all come into being, the whole mass of suffering .

 

They realize the three realms are only mind-

And the twelve elements of becoming are in one mind, Born of desire and produced by the mind;

Thus extinction and becoming,  too, are distinctions of the mind.

 

752  Tlzc  Flo wer Omamc�zt Scripture

 

The function of ignorance is dual; it creatcs delusion, And in delusion also providcs a cause for sensations ; And  so  on ,  up  to  old  age.  degeneration ,  and  death�­ The production of all suffering from this has no end.

 

It cannot be cut off under conditions of ignorance,

But having stopped this continuous production, all ceases completely --

Delusion . cra ving, and grasping are the courses of affliction; Action and becoming arc conditionings, the rest are suffering.

 

From delusion to the sense mediums is suffering dul' to conditionality,

Contact and the development of sensation are suffering due to pain fulness,

The rest of the elements are sufferin g due to degeneration; If their development is stopped , that suffering has no self

 

The forerunners arc ignorance and conditioning; Consciousness and sensation operate in the present; Craving, becoming, and suffering take place in the future:

Those who observe unattached cut off their inception and progress.

 

The condition of delusion creates bondage;

The end of bondage is the extinction of conditions .

The production of result by cause does not happen without cause: Enlightened knowledge sees it as void of inherent existence.

 

Following delusion is the cause and force of becoming;

Opposing it, all becoming is cut off by the annulment of the cause.

Those with unattached minds observe in ten ways The profound interrelation of one thing and another.

 

Intention , the elements of becoming, and the locus of action Are inseparable in the forefront of the three courses: Unoriginated and unperishing is the procession of conditions,

The cause and destruction of the three forms of suffering, origin and extinction.

 

Thus do enlightening beings comprehend interdependent origination-

Like illusion, unreal,  without knowing or  doing, Like a dream, like a reflection, void of intrinsic being, Like  the  mirage  of the  ignorant  and  deluded.

 

Whoever meditates thus rests in the emptiness of the wise; They realize this signlessness of conditions:

Knowing they're completely unreal, they have no wishes, But they go on living out of compassion for beings.

Thus having accomplished this door of liberation, the great beings Are even more compassionate in mind and seek the qualities of

buddhahood.

Observing the  fabricated  is  a  matter  of conjunction, They become more diligent, replete with many virtues.

 

Having fulfilled myriad concentrations in emptiness, As well as signless and wishless liberation,

Their wisdom and conformative acceptance increase, And their freedom and knowledge mature.

 

They also serve many buddhas resolutely

And practice the Way in the buddhas' tutelage.

Attaining the   treasury of Buddha  teachings,   they propagate  roots of goodness

Like gold encrusted with jewels.

 

As moonlight refreshes the minds of people in the world Undeftected by the four winds,

The light of enlightening beings, overcoming the path of demons, Quenches the burning of afflictions of those suffering from pain.

 

Having reached this stage, they become celestial monarchs, Adept at emanation, destroyers of conceit.

Whatever they do on the path of knowledge

Is insuperable, steadfast, beyond the path of listeners.

 

Seeking,  the enlightening beings, imbued with vigor,

Having attained a hundred trillion consummate  concentrations, See in an instant the buddhas in the ten directions

Blazing like the sun in the midsummer sky.

 

"Here I have told of the sixth stage of great beings, the stage of Presence, which ,�s profound,  hard  to  see,  hard  for listeners  and  self-conquerors  to know.

Now the crowd of celestials, exhilarated,  showered clouds of various lights and uttered sweet words full of supreme pure joy, praising the supremely acute mind, master of knowledge,  imbued  with a hundred virtues,   excellent in   conduct,  blissful,   benefactor of the world,  one of the lotuses of humanity.  The great gods traversing the sky showered sublime immeasurable light on the best of humans, and clouds of fra-

 

grance of supreme beauty,  to destroy afflictions.   The host of celestials spoke in sweet, pleasing,  beautiful voices of how they had gained su­ preme benefit on hearing the explanation of this stage. The goddesses, delighted, playing sweet music, spoke in praise of this eminent practice, by the power of Buddha:

 

Best in conduct among the wise,

Tamers of the tamed, benefactors of the world, Having transcended the world,

They act in the world, showing the subtle.

 

They manifest various bodies,

All the bodies one with the essence of things; Peaceful, uncontentious,

They speak without the idea of having said even a syllable.

 

They go to a hundred lands and pay respect to the Guides, Those who are most worthy of honor,

Having given up their concept of a land, Being masters of knowledge.

 

They fully develop beings,

Yet have no concept of self or other, They accumulate highest goodness,

Yet have no attachment to accumulation of good.

 

Having seen the world burning With desire, hatred, and delusion, They get rid of all concepts

And out of compassion undertake higher efforts.

 

The gods and goddesses, having offered their splendid song, became silent, enraptured, all gazing at Buddha. "This assembly is calm," they said to the enlightening being; "tell us the features of the seventh stage, abode of virtues."

The enlightening being Diamond  Matrix  sairl, "Any  enlightening beings who have thoroughly fulfilled the course of the sixth stage come to the seventh stage.   They gain access to the seventh stage by means of ten kinds of special undertaking in the Path which are accomplished  by skill in   means,   transcendent wisdom,  and knowledge.  What   are these ten? They develop a mind well trained in focus on emptiness,  signless­ ness, and wishlessness, yet they collect great provisions of virtue and knowledge.  They enter into   the selflessness,   absence   of being,  absence of soul, absence of individuality, and absence of personality in all things, yet they do not give up the production of the four immeasurables­ immeasurable kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. They perform

 

transcendent practices to increase virtuous ways, yet they do not cling to anything. They become detached from everything in the world, yet they produce arrays of adornments for  the  world.  They  become  ultimately calm and tranquil due to removal from the fires of afflictions, yet they undertake to accomplish the extinction of the flames of afflictions of lust, hatred, and delusion of all beings.  They realize the nonduality of essence of being and nonbeing, all things being like illusions, mirages, dreams, reflections, echoes, apparitions, yet they put into effect resolution in in­ numerable different deeds and works. They have  cultivated the percep­ tion that all lands and paths are equal to space, yet they undertake the adornment of buddha-lands. They arrive at the nature of all buddhas as being  fundamentally  and  essentially the reality-body,  yet  they  undertake the production of the adornments of the marks of distinction and em­ bellishments of the physical body of a buddha.  They grant that the voice of the buddha is unutterable, free from sound,  and by nature ultimately silent, yet they undertake  the  production  of pure  arrays  of all  different tones to communicate with all beings. In a single instant they enter buddhas' awareness of past, present, and future, yet they enter into dis­ tinctions of various appearances, ages, and reckonings by discernment of beings' minds. By these ten kinds of special undertaking on the Path, accomplished by skill in means, wisdom, and knowledge, enlightening beings enter the seventh stage; and they  are said  to  be in  this  stage  by virtue of the manifestation of the practice of these undertakings.

"Enlightening beings in this seventh stage penetrate infinite realms of beings, unlimited acts of guidance by which buddhas  develop beings, infinite networks of worlds, infinite purification of buddha-lands by the enlightened   ones,   the infinite variety of phenomena,   the infinite realiza­ tion of knowledge of buddhas,  the unlimited  methods  of calculating ages, the buddhas'  immeasurable  awareness of past, present,   and future, the infinite differences in beings' interests, the infinite variety of mani­ festations of the material body of buddhas, the infinite variety of mental dispositions and faculties of beings,  the infinite gladdening of the stream of beings by the utterances of the buddhas, the infinite variety of mental actions of beings, the buddhas' infinite following of the progress of knowledge,  the infinite variety of application  to the way of emancipa­ tion   of the vehicle of listeners,   the infinite manifestations of teachings of the Path of the buddhas, the infinite consummation  of the  attainment of the vehicle of individual illuminates, the infinite teachings of ways  of ingress into the profound knowledge of the buddhas,  the infinite appli­ cation of enlightening beings to the conduct of enlightening beings,  and the buddhas' infinite teachings of entry into the assembly  of the Great Vehicle.

"It occurs to the enlightening beings that the spheres of the buddhas, those who have realized  Thusness, the perfectly enlightened ones, are infinite and could not be counted even in hundreds of millions of billions of trillions of eons, and that they themselves should develop these spheres

 

 

of buddhas and fulfill them,  effortlessly, without vain thought, without false discrimination.

"Thus with perspicacious mystic knowledge, continuous application, replete with skill in means and wisdom, they become well established in these special undertakings on the Path, by unshakable application. While undertaking  the accomplishment  of the   Path,  they   do not leave   it   for a moment; even while walking, standing, sitting, reclining,  and even sleeping they are devoted to   the accomplishment  of knowledge.  They are free from all obstruction,  they maintain proper conduct,  and they keep in mind such thoughts,  by the inspiration of which they   collec­ tively fulfill   the   ten transcendent ways of enlightening beings.  How  so? In that way do the enlightening beings  dedicate each thought,  led by great compassion, to the fulfillment of buddhahood and enlightened knowledge.

"The giving to beings of their own roots of goodness by those at­ tending to living beings compassionately while seeking enlightened knowledge is their transcendent generosity.  The  extinguishing of  the burning of  all afflictions is their transcendent discipline. Tolerance toward all beings out of kindness and compassion is their transcendent forbearance. Strength in   tireless undertaking   of ultimately   good   practices is their transcendent vigor. Proceeding toward omniscient  knowledge without distraction is transcendent meditation. Tolerance in face of the essential nonorigination of all things is their transcendent wisdom. The accomplishment of unlimited knowledge is their transcendent skill in means. The realization of the penetration of knowledge of the ultimate undertaking  is  their  transcendent  vowing.  Not  suffering   their  path  to be cut off by any opponents or gangs of demons  is  their  transcendent power.  The  accomplishment  of  knowledge of  all   things   as   they   are is their  transcendent  knowledge.  Thus  are  the  ten  transcendent  ways of enlightening beings fulfilled in every instant in this stage, which is called Far-Going. In the same way the four means of salvation, the four powers,   the  thirty-seven  elements  of  enlightenment,  the  three  doors of  liberation-in  sum,  all aspects of  enlightenment-are  fulfilled mo­ ment to moment. "

When  Diamond Matrix had  said  this,  the  enlightening  being  Moon of Liberation said to him, "Are  all  the elements of enlightenment ful­ filled moment to moment only by enlightening  beings  in  the  seventh stage, or in all ten stages?"

Diamond Matrix said, "All the elements  of enlightenment are  ful­ filled moment to moment by enlightening beings in all ten stages, but especially in this seventh stage. Why? This stage of enlightening beings fulfills practice that involves appropriate efforts and  accedes  to  the practice of knowledge and mystic knowledge. Now in the first stage of enlightening beings the elements of enlightenment are fulfilled in the enlightening beings moment to moment by focus on all vows;  in  the second, by removal of mental defilements; in the third, by increase in

 

The  Ten  Sta,t,zes 757

 

commitment and attainment of the illumination of the Teaching;  in the fourth, by entry into the Path; in the fifth , by going along with worldly occupations; in the sixth, by entry into the door of the teaching of pro­ fundity; and in this seventh stage all elements of enlightenment are ful­ filled moment to moment by the establishment of all qualities of bud­ dhahood. What is the reason for this? All the elements of effort to evoke knowledge that are accomplished by enlightening  beings  in the first through seventh   stages   are   accomplished  without  effort beginning  in the eighth stage, and on until the final end.

"It is as if there are two worlds, one defiled and impure, and one thoroughly pure; it is difficult to cross over the gap between these two worlds, except by the great power of higher  knowledge:  in   the same way it is hard to cross over the gap between alloyed and pure practice of enlightening beings, and it is impossible to do so except by the em­ powerment of great vows, skill in means, and higher mystic knowledge."

Moon of Liberation said, "Then  is  the practice of enlightening beings in this seventh stage to be considered alloyed with afflictions, or pure?"

Diamond Matrix said, "From the first stage of enlightening, all en­ lightening beings'  practices should be considered free from the blemishes of afflictions, due to the dominance of dedication to enlightenment,  but because of being even with the path that accords to their station,  up to the seventh stage it cannot be called practice which has completely tran­ scended afflictions. It is like a king riding around on an elephant, recog­ nizing people's afflictions of suffering and poverty without himself being affected thereby-yet he has not thus far totally gone beyond the human condition. Then if he is born in the Brahma heaven, having relinquished the human body, and ascends to the Brahma palace, with little effort he goes around looking   at the universe and shows the radiance of Brahma, he then cannot be called human. In the same way, from the first stage enlightening beings, mounted on the vehicle of the transcendent ways, course through all worlds, recognizing the ills of afflictions, but are not affected by them because of being on the right Path,  but thus far cannot be said to have completely gone beyond the ills afflicting all beings. Having given up the practices of the seventh stage, they enter the eighth, and then, mounted  on the completely  pure vehicle of enlightening beings, traveling around all worlds, they recognize the ills afflicting all worldly beings, but they are not affected by those ills, having totally transcended worldly actions.

"Yet the enlightening  beings in this seventh stage have mostly tran­

scended the mass of all afflictions, beginning with greed; enlightening beings practicing this seventh  stage, Far-Going,  cannot  be  said  either  to be defiled with affliction or to be free of affliction.   Why?  Because they do not act out any afflictions, they  cannot be said to be afflicted;  because they are seeking buddha-knowledge and have not  yet completely ful­ filled their aspiration, they cannot be said to be without affliction.

"Enlightening  beings   in   this   seventh   stage become  endowed   with

 

 

physical, verbal, and mental action that is pure in intent; and they get beyond all bad courses of action that are disapproved  of by the en­ lightened, and continually act in accord   with the virtuous   paths of con­ duct recognized by the enlightened.  Also, whatever worldly   arts   and crafts and businesses they do in the fifth stage all operate without effort in the seventh stage. They become  universally   accepted   as   teachers, except of perfect buddhas  and   enlightening beings from the eighth stage on, who have no peer, whether in terms of will or practice.  All their meditations, concentrations, attainments, mystic knowledges, and lib­ erations become  present to them,  in terms of cultivation,  but not as yet as mature accomplishments, just as in the eighth stage the power of cul­ tivation of wisdom  and means in every thought  by   enlightening beings in the seventh stage is fulfilled . They attain all the elements of enlighten­ ment to an even greater degree than before.

"In this seventh stage enlightening beings attain an enlightening con­

centration called perfect conscious ascertainment, one called careful con­ sideration   of meaning,   one   called   preeminent   intellect,   one   called store of differentiation   of meanings,   one   called ascertainment of all   meanings, one called ascertainment of meanings of things as  they  are,  one  called firmly established root, one called door ofknowledge and mystic power, one called purification and  adornment of the  phenomenal  realm,  one called praise of the enlightened, and a concentration called door of exis­ tence and  nirvana concealing various meanings. In  this way, beginning with these, fulfilling the  ways  of ingress into  great  mystic knowledge, they attain a hundred thousand sets of ten concentrations that purify the stages. By attainment of these  concentrations  in  which  means  and  wis­ dom are purified, and by the power of great compassion, they go beyond the stages of listeners and individual illuminates, and encounter the stage of contemplation with  wisdom  and  knowledge.  The  unlimited  actions of enlightening beings in the seventh stage are carried on without specific marks, as are their unlimited speech and thought. Thoroughly purified is the manifestation of acceptance of the nonorigination of all things."

Moon of Liberation said, "Are not the unlimited physical, verbal, and mental actions of enlightening beings in the first stage beyond  the prac­ tice of listeners and individual illuminates?"

Diamond Matrix said, "They are, but that is because of the magnitude of their intense focus on the Buddha Way, not by their own conscious contemplation. But in this seventh stage of enlightening beings they become  insuperable  because  of  realization through contemplation in their own sphere of awareness. It  is  like  a  prince  born  of a  king  and queen, who has the marks of kingship and as soon as he is born is superior to the ministers-that is because of the lordship of the king, not  due  to thought by his own intellectual power. Then when he grows up, he goes beyond the works of all the  ministers  because  of his  own  intellectual power. In the same way, enlightening beings excel all listeners and in­ dividual illuminates as soon as they are inspired, because of the greatness

 

of their determination, not because of contemplation by their own in­ telligence. But enlightening beings in this seventh stage go beyond all listeners and individual illuminates by establishment in greatness and preeminence of their own experiential knowledge.  Furthermore, en­ lightening beings in this seventh stage attain profound, unattached, in­ conspicuous physical, verbal, and mental action, yet they do not give up intense effort seeking greater excellence, by which questing effort   they reach extinction but do not make it their final realization."

Moon of Liberation said, "From  what stage do enlightening beings arrive at extinction?"

Diamond  Matrix said, "They  arrive at extinction from the sixth stage. In the seventh stage they enter and emerge   from   extinction   in   each mental instant, but they may   not be said   to   actually experience extinc­ tion. Because of that they are said to have inconceivable physical, verbal, and mental action. It is a marvel how enlightening beings abide in ul­ timate reality without actually experiencing extinction. Just as a person with good knowledge of the characteristics of the waters of the ocean, educated, wise, and   intelligent,   with   consideration   relevant   to   every point,  when   on board a ship in the ocean becomes familiar with the winds and the currents and is unscathed by the ocean waters, in the same way enlightening beings in the seventh  stage,   having entered  the ocean of omniscience of the great vehicle on board the vessel   of the   transcen­ dent ways,  abide in the sphere of ultimate reality, the limit of existence, yet do not experience extinction, and are not affected by the ills of thoughts of complete ultimate extinction of the compounded.

"Having attained this power and support of knowledge, by means of great awareness in which concentration, knowledge, and power are de­ veloped, by the power of skill in means and wisdom, they also show the face of mundane existence,  while their minds  are  gone  to  nirvana.  They are also surrounded by a great company,  yet  they have  attained  to  con­ stant detachment of mind. They  undertake  birth  in  the  world  by  will­ power for the sake of development of beings, but they are not stained by the ills of the world. They also become tranquil, extremely calm  and serene, yet by expedient means they  'burn,' without, however,  being burned by burning. They  are  born  in  the  knowledge of buddhas and leave the stages of listeners and individual illuminates.  While   they come to reach the storehouse of the realm of buddha-knowledge, yet  they appear to have entered the realm of demons. Though they have com­ pletely transcended the paths  of the  four  demons,  yet  they  show  the sphere of operation of the demons. They appear to practice the ways of non-Buddhists, yet their minds have not abandoned Buddhism.  They appear to follow all worldly occupations, yet they attain the way to transcendence  of  the  world.  They  acquire  adornments  surpassing  those of all creatures, human, celestial, or fabulous, but they do not take their attention off delight in the way of the enlightened.

"To the enlightening beings in this seventh stage of Far-Going, many

 

760  Tlze Flower Ornament Scripture

 

buddhas become visible,  by great vision and  willpower-many  hun­ dreds of buddhas, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands, many hundreds of thousands of millions, many hundreds  of thousands  of bil­ lions, many hundreds of thousands of trillions of buddhas. Having seen those buddhas,   they honor and serve them with great zeal,  providing them with food and drink,  clothing, bedding,  medicines,  and furnish­ ings, and also providing comforts for enlightening  beings and paying respect to the religious community. Those roots of goodness they dedi­ cate to perfect enlightenment.  They attend those buddhas and listen to their teachings, take them up and remember them. Having heard the teachings, they put them into practice by means of the light of true at­ tainment, wisdom, and knowledge, and protect them by accomplishing them, and become preservers of the teachings of the buddhas,  unfazed by the intelligent questions of all listeners and individual illuminates. Their acceptance of the profound teaching, for the salvation of beings,   becomes yet more purified.

"The roots of goodness of enlightening  beings in this stage of Far­ Going arc forged over many eons, arc purified, and become workable; they become immaculately pure over hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of trillions of eons. Just as gold studded with all kinds ofjewels becomes yet more radiant, more luminous, and all the more outclasses all other ornaments, in the same way the roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this seventh stage of Far-Going, produced by skill in means, wisdom, and knowledge, become all the more radiant, luminous, and immaculate, and cannot be outshone by listeners and individual illu­ minates. Just as the light of the sun cannot be outshone by the lights of the stars and moon, and dries up most of the swamps and ripens  the crops, in the same way those roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this stage of Far-Going cannot be outshone by listeners and individual illuminates, and mostly dry up delusions and their swamps of afflictions, and cause bodies defiled by afflictions to become wholesome.

"For these enlightening beings, among the ten transcendent ways, transcendent skill in means becomes paramount, while they practice the rest as best they can.

"This is a summary exposition of the seventh stage of enlightening beings, called Far-Going, most of the enlightening beings in which be­ come celestial sovereigns with command of others'  emanations,  com­ petent and powerful, inexhaustible in evoking  clear understanding  in beings, and in answering the questions of listeners and individual  illu­ minates, skilled at leading beings into certainty. Whatever acts they undertake, whether by giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, all of it is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teach­ ing, the Community, enlightening beings, the practice of enlightening beings, the transcendent ways, the stages, the powers,  expertise,  and unique qualities of buddhas, including omniscience complete in all

 

respects. Why? Because they want to become  the best of beings, un­ excelled leaders and guides,  and ultimately omniscient refuges.

" Wishing to be thus, they undertake  appropriate  effort, by whose energy  they instantly attain  a quadrillion concentrations,   see a quadril­ lion buddhas  and   recognize their power,  shake a quadrillion worlds,  go to a quadrillion lands,  illumine a quadrillion worlds,  develop a quadril­ lion beings to maturity,  live for a quadrillion eons,   penetrate a quadril­ lion eons past and future, contemplate a quadrillion means of teaching, manifest a quadrillion bodies,  manifesting each body  with a company  of a quadrillion enlightening beings.  Beyond  that,  enlightening beings with the power of vows  can, by the excellence of their   vows,   perform count­ less transformations, of body,  aura, mystic  powers,  vision, sphere of action, voice, conduct, adornment, empowerment, resolution, and per­ formances."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses describing this stage:

 

With profound knowledge following the trail  of ultimate  truth, Mind stabilized in the sixth stage, perfectly concentrated, Accomplishing the union of wisdom and means,

They enter the seventh stage of superior practice.

 

Empty, signless, wishless, yet with compassion and kindness, Gone to the state of felicity, yet honoring the buddhas,

Tireless in virtue and power, while knowing them to be empty, They enter the realm of the seventh stage.

 

In the world, with great forbearance, they've acquired detachment,

Extinguished the flames of afflictions and stilled worldly cravings, Coursing in the nonduality of things as like reflections, illusions,

dreams,

Yet they show compassion, and enter the seventh stage.

 

They purify the land, while their own minds, equanimous, are without discriminatory thought;

They're endowed with the marks of a buddha,  while immovable in the essence of truth.

They speak for the benefit of the world, while detached from sound;

And in an instant enter the mind of knowledge of buddhas.

 

Illumined, they contemplate these teachings.

Entering the higher stage desiring to benefit the  world. In this stage they do endless works for living beings, Doing the deeds of buddhas, immeasurable.

 

They understand lands, their various orders and ages, Inclinations, intentions, various states of mind,

And teach without end, faithfully, To develop all to maturity.

 

Those who have reached the supreme Path by this mind of knowledge,

Combining wisdom and means in all their actions,

Having attained in each moment  of thought  herein the virtues of the Path,

Fulfill the ten transcendent states.

 

The seeking of good for all beings is giving;

Discipline is the cessation of afflictions, tolerance is noninjury; Energy is ever-greater vigor in their undertakings;

Imperturbability on the Path is the meditation of the virtuous.

 

Acceptance of nonorigination, dispassionate, is supreme wisdom; Dedication is skill in means, vowing is seeking greater success; Indestructibility hence is power, knowledge is joy in guidance:

Thus they attain the qualities of enlightenment moment to moment.

 

In the first stage virtues are fulfilled by focus of mind  on  them;

In the second, removal of defilement; in the third, cutting of bonds;

In the fourth, the Path;  in the fifth, impartial action; In the sixth , knowledge of nonorigination operates.

 

Hence, as soon as they reach the seventh stage,

They commence virtuous undertakings of many kinds; Why? The knowledge and deeds they achieve hence Purify all that develops into the eighth stage.

 

Far-Going is hard to cross; by many developmental practices They cross, as one would cross a path between two lands.

Coursing in the seventh stage, they are undefiled, like kings;

While established in the Path, yet they have not definitely transcended all .

 

When they reach the eighth stage of knowledge,  further,

They transcend mental objects, established in the action of knowledge.

Just as a god does not look on the world as a human does, So do they act, like lotuses unstained.

 

In this stage  they  get beyond various afflictions-

Their afflictions are neither active nor completely destroyed. Being on the Path, they do not act on afflictions,

Yet, filled with zeal for supreme knowledge,  their affliction is not yet ended.

 

They know various worldly arts and crafts, the use of medicines and spells,

And are well versed and grounded in all sciences.

They attain meditation, mystic knowledge, and powers, by cultivation,

And further  accomplish various concentrations.

 

Having transcended the practices of listeners and the self- awakened,

They are established in the infinite practice of enlightening beings, Before by determination, from now on by knowledge;

They are like children of kings,  full of power when grown.

 

Having reached profundity,  they proceed yet  further;

Reaching extinction of mind, still they do not make it their expenence,

Like having  gone into   the ocean on   a steady-faring ship, Seeing all the water before them yet not being destroyed by it.

 

Further endowed with the best of means, wisdom, and power,

Rich in virtues of knowledge and action, hard for the world to know,

They serve millions of buddhas, becoming more pure, Like gold adorned with jewels.

 

The light of the eminent wisdom of the sages in this stage Evaporates the wetness of craving, like the light of the sun. Having attained this stage, they become commanders, Capable, skilled in teaching the fruit of knowledge.

 

Seeking, imbued with stability, vigor, and strength, They see a quadrillion buddhas

In all directions, by concentration,

And even more, those of immeasurable, superior will.

 

"This is the seventh stage, called Far-Going, purifying means and wis­ dom,  hard for all   worldings and those who   practice only for themselves to know."

Having heard about this excellent practice of the wise,  the gods and

 

celestial hosts were joyful and made offerings to the Buddha and the multitude of enlightening beings, benefactors  of the  world-they gave flower garlands, banners  and pennants, aromatic powders,  precious cloth,  many splendid parasols studded with jewels,  and exquisite clouds of pearl necklaces. The goddesses produced many kinds of music, with pleasing, sweet sounds and superb rhythm, in  offering  to  the  Buddha and enlightening beings, sages of eminent character; they said,

 

All-seer, mighty, foremost and best, who shows the realm of buddhas for the benefit of the world,

It is you who evoke this music, with the strumming of various instruments.

 

On a hairtip more buddhas than grains of sand in trillions of Ganges rivers

Peaceful, peerless, teach the pure doctrine,  preeminent, supreme.

 

In a single pore are infinite lands, each with four continents and seas,

As well as polar and peripheral mountains, all seen therein, uncrowded.

 

On a point the size of a hairtip are all realms of being­ Ghosts, beasts, fiends, humans and gods, goblins and serpents,

experiencing the various realms of action.

 

In all the spheres of the lands the supreme wheel of the Purifiers is turned,

As the buddhas teach while adapting to the minds and thoughts of beings.

 

In the body of each being are various lands, in the lands, beings; Those of higher development are humans and celestials­ Knowing them in their variety, the Buddha teaches them.

 

A great land comes to seem to be minute, a mote of dust comes to seem huge-

These and more are the spiritual powers of Buddha,  of which  all beings could not exhaustively tell.

 

When such words of grandeur had been spoken, the assembly, silent, gazed happily at the Best of Speakers. Seing  the assembly had grown silent, Moon of Liberation spoke again: "Please tell us the way into the practice of the eighth stage. "

Diamond Matrix said, "Those who have well accomplished  investi­ gation of the seventh stage of enlightening beings, who have purified the

 

path by wisdom and skill in means,  have accumulated ample provisions of virtue and knowledge,  have thoroughly committed  themselves to the great vow, are surely supported  by the empowerment  of the Buddha, have acquired the support  of the power of their own roots of goodness, have their attention on the powers, expertise, and unique  qualities of buddhas,  have purified their intent and thought,  have attained the power of virtue and knowledge, strive compassionately and follow the Path of infinite knowledge,  realize the primordial nonorigination  of all things as it really is, and also realize the nonbirth, signlessness, absence of becom­ ing or annihilation, nonconsummation, nonprogression, nonregression, essential nonexistence, equality of beginning, middle, and end, and non­ conceptuality of all things, accessible to nonconceptual universal knowl­ edge, equal to thusness-they realize these qualities of all things as they really are. They are wholly detached from mind, intellect, consciousness, thought, and ideation. Unattached, not grasping, equal to space, having entered into the nature of openness-this is called having  attained accep­ tance of the nonorigination of things.

"Then, imbued with this acceptance, as soon as enlightening beings

attain the eighth stage, Immovability, they attain the profound abode of enlightening beings,  which is hard to know,  unadulterated,   ungraspable by any notion, unoriginated,   measureless,   unconquerable   by   any listeners or individual illuminates, aloof, facing total detachment. Just as when a monk with spiritual powers and ultimate control of mind has, through successive stages, reached the ninth level of attainment, extinction,  he becomes free of all stirring cogitation and flowing thoughts, in the same way enlightening beings, as soon as they attain the eighth stage, Immov­ ability, become freed from all efforts and attain the state of effortlessness, freed from physical, verbal, and mental striving,  freed from stirring cogitation and flowing thoughts, and become stabilized in a natural state of development.

"It is as if a person in a dream saw himself in a great torrent, he then would make great effort, eagerly striving to get out, and because of that great effort and striving he would wake up, and as soon as he woke up he would be freed from all that effort and striving. In the same way the en­ lightening beings,  seeing   the mortal  being   in the four torrents,   desiring to come to the rescue, exert great efforts and striving for awakening of all-knowledge, acting with great vigor; as soon as they reach the stage of Immovability, they become free from all efforts.

"In these enlightening  beings no  actions based  on  views, passions, or  intentions  are  manifest.  Just  as  in  the  Brahma heaven no  afflictions of the realm of desire are acted on,  in the same way enlightening   beings in this stage  of Immovability do  not  carry  on  action  of mind,  intellect, or consciousness. They  do  not  even  carry on  the conduct of Buddhas, of enlightenment, of enlightening beings, of nirvana, or of learners and self-illuminates-how much less would they carry on the conduct of worldlings.

 

"Furthermore,  to   the enlightening beings who have reached this stage of Immovability,  who   are stabilized by   the supporting   power of their past vows, the buddhas, in the course of that means of access to the Teaching,  miraculously  effect the bestowal of knowledge of reality and say, 'Good,  good! This is acceptance of the ultimate truth, in accord with the teaching of buddhas. However, you do not yet have our ten powers, expertise,   and unique qualities of buddhahood  fully developed.  There­ fore, work vigorously  in quest of the full development  of buddhahood. Do not let  this  acceptance go;  nevertheless, though   you   have   attained this abode of peace and liberation,  you should care for these restless, agitated ignorant beings acting on various afflictions and   ravaged   by various thoughts. Also, always remember your past vows, the benefit of beings, and the inconceivability   of the   source   of knowledge.   Further­ more, the essence of all phenomena remains the same whether or not buddhas  emerge;  the realm of reality  of the essence is permanent, for it is the emptiness and ungraspability of all things.  It is not only by this that buddhas  are revealed as such-even listeners to   the Buddhist  teach­ ing and individual illuminates also attain this nonconceptual essence. Yet you should  observe the infinity   of the   body of us buddhas,  the infinity of our knowledge, the infinity of the lands of buddhas, the infinity of accomplishments of knowledge, the infinity of spheres of light, and the infinity of purity of voice,  and strive to achieve the same.  Furthermore, you have only this one illumination, which is the illumination of absence of false ideas about things.  But such illuminations of buddhas are endless in extent, endless in action, endless in manifestation , their number being incalculable and immeasurable; you should strive to attain them.  Also, observe the infinity of lands  in the ten directions, the infinity of beings, and the infinite differentiations of phenomena, and undertake to com­ prehend them as they actually are. ' Thus do the buddhas present to the enlightening beings immeasurable, incalculable ways of accomplishing knowledge, beginning with these. By these ways of  accomplishing knowledge, the enlightening beings, by infinite differentiations of knowledge, cause works productive of knowledge to be consummated.

"I tell you, if the buddhas did not introduce the enlightening beings

this way into ways of effecting omniscient knowledge, the enlightening beings would   become   completely extinct in parinirvana and   would cease all work for sentient beings.  Therefore, the buddhas  give the enlighten­ ing beings such infinite tasks to develop knowledge,  the knowledge­ producing deeds effected in a single instant of which are immeasurably, incalculably  greater than all former undertakings from   the first inspira­ tion up to the attainment of stability in the seventh stage. Why? Because previously it was practice undertaken with one body,  whereas having climbed to this stage the power of practice of enlightening beings is realized by infinite different bodies, by production of infinite voices, by accomplishment of infinite knowledge, by accomplishment of infinite manifestations,   by purification   of infinite lands,   by development  of in-

 

finite beings, by service of infinite buddhas,  by realization of infinite principles of buddhahood,  by accomplishment  of infinite powers of mystic knowledge, by realization of infinite differences of circles of as­ semblies; by infinite accomplishments of physical,  verbal, and mental actions, the power of enlightening beings' practice is fully realized by immovable application.

"It is like a boat going to the ocean-before it reaches the ocean, it is dragged with much effort, but once it reaches the ocean it is propelled without effort by the wind. The  distance  it  travels  on  the  ocean  in  one day is farther than  it  could  be  dragged by  force in  even  a hundred  years. In the same way, enlightening   beings,   having   stored provisions  of roots of goodness  and  boarded  the  ship  of the  Great  Vehicle,  reaching  the great ocean of practice of enlightening beings,  arrive at omniscience in a moment by effortless knowledge, which could not be reached even in countless eons by their former practices involving effort.

"Then when enlightening   beings have   attained   the   eighth   stage,   by the effortless awareness produced by skill in means and knowledge, they contemplate the sphere of omniscience, contemplate the becoming and dissolution of the world. As the world forms, they know it,  and as the world disintegrates they know it. They know by what accumulation  of actions the  world forms, and they know by what ending of actions the world disintegrates. They know how   long   the   world   forms   and   they know how   long   the   world   disintegrates.   They   know   how   long   the world subsists once it has formed, and they know how long the world remains disintegrated. Everywhere, without exception, they know the limitation of the earth element,   they know its extensiveness,   its infinity, and its differentiation . They know the limitation  of the water element, they know the extensiveness, infinity, and differentiation of the  water element. They know the limitation, the extensiveness, infinity, and differentiation of the fire element.  They know  the limitation,  exten­ siveness, infinity,   and differentiation   of the   wind   element.   They   know the minuteness of atomic particles, they know their grossness, their measurelessness, and differentiation. They also know the skill of differ­ entiation of measureless atomic particles. They know how many atomic particles of each element there are in this world; they know how many varieties of precious substances there are and how  many  atomic  particles of precious substances there are. They   know   how   many   atomic  particles of beings'   bodies there are. They know the total number  of particles of land masses. They know the grossness of beings' bodies,  the fineness of their bodies,  and the  differentiation of their bodies.  They know  how many particles are formed into bodies of beings in hell, how many into bodies of animals, of ghosts, of titans, of celestial beings, and of human beings.

"Having penetrated this knowledge of differentiation of atomic par­ ticles, they know the formation of the realm of desire as it really is; they know the formation of the realm of form as it really is, and they know

 

the formation of the formless realm as it really is. They know truly the dissolution  of the realm of desire, the dissolution of the realm of form , and   the dissolution of the formless realm. They know truly   the   limita­ tion, the extension, the infinity, and the differen tiation of the realm of desire, of the realm of form, and of the formless realm.  They know truly what is of these three realms. Furthermore, illumined by well-developed knowledge,  versed   in   knowledge of varieties of bodies   of beings,  versed in knowledge   of differences in bodies of beings,   and versed in knowl­ edge of differentiations of land   masses,   they   apply   their intelligence   to the production of mediums of manifestation as beings; in whatever form beings are born and attain their desires, enlightening beings adopt  these forms themselves for the purpose of developing beings to maturity .

"Permeating  a billion-world universe, enlightening beings undertake

manifestation according to the form   of the   beings   there,   according   to their various different inclinations,  doing so by following knowledge of how to appear as reflections, according to how beings may   become   ripe for perfect enlightenment and liberation . In the same way they pervade two, three, four, fi ve, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, up to an unspeak­ able number  of universes and undertake manifestations in   the   forms   of the beings there according to their various inclinations, by means of knowledge of how to appear as a reflection.

"Imbued with such knowledge, well established in this stage,  while not moving  from one buddha-land, they  appear  as reflections in the circles of buddhas  in untold   buddha-lands.   According   to   the   differences in beings' physical characteristics, their colors, appearances, statuses, physical sizes, inclinations, and dispositions, in various circles in various buddha-lands, in each the enlightening beings manifest the appropriate forms. In circles of mendicants they appear as mendicants;  in circles of priests they appear as priests;   in circles of warriors and   administrators they appear as warriors and administrators;  in circles of peasants they appear as peasants; in circles of servants they appear as servants; in circles of householders they appear as householders;  in circles of various classes of celestial beings they appear as those particular types of celestial beings; and in circles of demons they appear as demons.   To   beings who should be taught by Buddhist followers, they appear as Buddhist followers. To those who should be taught by individual illuminates, they appear as individual illuminates. To those who should be taught by enlightening beings, they appear as enlightening beings.  To those who should  be taught by buddhas, they appear as buddhas.  Thus, to the extent of the realms of beings'  forms of existence, senses, and inclinations,  in the realms   of   untold   buddha-lands,   enlightening    beings   appear   differently in accord with each of them . They are free from all discriminatory con­ ceptions of bodies and have realized the equality of bodies;  their mani­ festation of bodies, endless and not in vain, is for the development and education of all.

"They  know  the  body  of sentient  beings,  they  know  the  body  of

 

lands, they know the body of fruition of action, they know the body of Buddhist followers , they know the body of individual illuminates,  they know the body of enlightening beings, the body ofbuddhas, the body of knowledge, the body of reality, and the  body of space.  Knowing  the wishes of beings, according to time,   development,  education,   progress, and desire, the enlightening beings make   the body  of beings into   their own body. In the same way they make the body  of lands,  the body  of fruition of action, the body of Buddhist followers, the body of individual illuminates, the body of enlightening beings,  the body of buddhas,  the body of knowledge,  the body of reality, and the body of space into their own body.  Knowing the heart's  desire of beings,  according to their desire, the enlightening beings make  their own body into the body of sentient beings. In the same way they make the body of beings into the body of lands,  the body of fruition of the Teaching,  the body of fruition of action, the body of Buddhist  followers, the body of individual  illu­ minates, the body   of enlightening beings,   the body of buddhas,  the body of knowledge, the body of reality, the body of space. Knowing the in­ clination of sentient beings,  the enlightening beings put their own bodies into whatever body they wish.

"The  enlightening  beings  know  the  embodiments  of the  bodies  of

beings as a mass of action, as a mass of consequences, as a mass of afflic­ tions, as a mass of form, and they know formless embodiment.  They know the smallness and greatness of bodies  of lands, their measureless­ ness, their defilement and purity, their confusion, their inversion,  their evenness, their interaction,  and their differentiation of place and   time. They know  conventional distinctions   of bodies  of fruition   of action;  in the same way they know the conventions of distinctions of realization of bodies of Buddhist followers, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings. They know the bodies of buddhas as the embodiment of perfect enlightenment, as the embodiment  of vows,  as the emanation  body, as the embodiment of empowerment, as the body arrayed with marks and embellishments of greatness, as the body of light,  as the mentally pro­ duced body, as the embodiment  of virtue,  as the body of reality, and as the body of knowledge.  They know the well-considered nature of the bodies of knowledge, their derivation from   truth,   their inclusion in   frui­ tion and effort, their division into mundane and supramundane, their establishment  of the Three Vehicles, their   generality   and   uniqueness, their liberative or   nonliberative   qualities,   whether   they   are   proper   to those undergoing training or to those beyond   it.   They know the equality of reality bodies, their indestructibility, their conventional definitions according to situation and agreed usage, their definition in terms of animate and inanimate, and their definition in terms of the realities of Buddha  and the  realities of the holy community.  They know the infinity of bodies of space,  their all-pervasiveness, their incorporality,   their absence of falsity, and their revelation of bodies of form .

"Having realized such knowledge of bodies,  the enlightening beings

 

become  powerful; they acquire control over life span among   all beings, by virtue of the power to live endlessly, for untold eons. They acquire control of mind, by virtue of immersion in knowledge of measureless, countless concentrations and contemplations. They acquire control over implements, in terms of demonstration of the creation of many magni­ ficently adorned sites in all worlds. They acquire control over action, in terms of showing  the power of fruition of deeds according to   the time. They acquire power over birth,  in terms  of manifesting birth in all worlds. They acquire control over inclination,  in terms of showing  all worlds filled with buddhas.  They   acquire control   over   vows,  in   terms of manifesting perfect enlightenment in any buddha-land in any time desired. They acquire control over mystic powers, in terms of showing miracles by mystic powers in all buddha-lands.  They acquire control of the Teaching, in terms of showing the light of the Teaching in its infinite aspects. They acquire control of knowledge,  in terms of showing the power,  expertise, unique  qualities,   special   marks and embellishments, and actualization of perfect enlightenment of buddhas.  With the attain­ ment of these ten controlling powers of enlightening  beings,  they are imbued with inconceivable knowledge, incomparable knowledge, im­ measurable knowledge, vast knowledge, insuperable knowledge.

"In the enlightening beings who have attained this stage and are im­ bued with such knowledge, ultimately impeccable conduct of physical, verbal, and mental action operates, led by knowledge, following knowl­ edge, ruled by the ten transcendent ways, with great compassion in the forefront, skill in means well articulated, determination well developed, completely stabilized by the empowerment of  Buddha,  ceaselessly working  for  knowledge  to  benefit beings, aware of the  endless  distinc­ tion in realms of worlds. In sum, the physical, verbal, and mental actions of the enlightening beings who have attained this stage of Immovability operate for the concerted  development of all aspects of buddhahood.

"Thus having attained this stage of Immovability,  the enlightening beings become well established in willpower, through freedom from the activity of all afflictions; they become firmly established in the power of determination, never deviating from the Path; they become well estab­ lished in the power of great compassion,  not giving up the benefit of sentient beings; they become well established in the power of great kind­ ness, being saviors of sentient beings; they become well established in the power of mnemonic  control, not forgetting the teachings;  they become well established in the power of elocution,  through skill in examination of the distinctions of all the Buddha teachings; they become well estab­ lished in the power of mystic knowledge,  through familiarity with the actions in endless worldly realms; they become well established in   the power of vows, never giving up all enlightening practices; they become well established in the power of the transcendent   ways,   through   con­ certed cultivation of all the Buddha teachings; they become  well estab­ lished in the power of the support of buddhas, confrontin g omniscient

 

knowledge in all its aspects. Having attained the support of these powers of knowledge, they show all activities,  impeccable and undefiled in all acts.

"This eighth stage of enlightening beings is called Immovable because the enlightening beings cannot be deflected from their course; it is called the   stage   of nonregression   because of the nonregression   of knowledge;  it is called the stage difficult to reach because of being difficult for any worldlings to know; it is called the stage of youth, because of innocence; it is called the stage of birth,  because of power to effect whatever is wished; it is called the stage of perfection, there being nothing further to do; it is called the stage of completion because of having thoroughly accomplished  ascertainment by knowledge;  it is called the stage of nirvana because of having  thoroughly  accomplished  vows; it is called the stage of empowerment because of being invulnerable to others; it is called the stage of effortlessness because of having been effected by what went before.

"Furthermore, having developed such knowledge, the enlightening beings enter the family of buddhas, are illumined  by  the  light  of the virtues of buddhas, accord with  the  conduct  of buddhas, come  face  to face with the realm of buddhahood,  and are constantly sustained by the power of buddhas. They are welcomed by Indra, Brahma, and the world guardians, constantly attended by the thunderbolt bearers; they are never without the power of concentration, able to produce infinite different embodiments, imbued with the power of action in all bodies, consum­ mate in development of great mystic knowledge, in control of endless concentration, receivers of infinite indications of enlightenment, and demonstrators of attainment of perfect enlightenment according to the maturity of sentient beings.

"Having  attained such  knowledge of this stage and entered the  circle of the Great Vehicle, with well-considered wisdom and mystic  knowl­ edge, constantly emanating the light of wisdom, having entered the un­ obstructed path of the realm of reality,  able to distinguish many paths in the world, showing all aspects of virtue, in control of their own resolu­ tions,   with   perspicacious knowledge  of past and future,   endowed with the knowledge to turn back all demons,  having entered the realm and sphere of all enlightened ones, they carry out the conduct of enlightening beings in endless places in the realms of the world, with nonregressing application; thus are they said to have attained the eighth stage of en­ lightening beings, Immovable.

"Then, having attained the Immovable stage of enlightening beings, they are never without the constant vision of endless buddhas, because of accomplishment of the power of concentration. Yet they never give up extensive meeting and attendance on buddhas:  in every age, in every world, they honor, respect, serve, and provide in all ways for many buddhas, many hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadril­ lions of buddhas; they attend those buddhas and receive from them pro-

 

visions of illumination  through  their teachings, beginning   with light on the differentiations of worldly realms.  They further acquire the treasury of teachings of the buddhas,  and become invincible in answering ques­ tions in the world.

"Those roots  of goodness of theirs, forged and purified over many eons, become more radiant; over many hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions of eons their roots of goodness are further forged, purified, and become  more radiant.  Just as well-refined   gold made by a good goldsmith  into an ornament  and  fastened on the neck or head of an emperor cannot be outshone by  the ornaments of all the people in the realm , in the same way the roots of goodness of enlighten­ ing beings in this Immovable stage cannot be outshone by all listeners, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings up to the seventh stage.

"The  light of wisdom  and knowledge  of enlightening beings   who have reached this stage annihilates the darkness of afflictions of sentient beings,   through   accomplishment  of accurate   discernment of the   means of knowledge. Just as a great Brahma god of a thousand worlds, pervad­ ing the thousand worlds with benevolence, illumines them   with light,  in the same way enlightening beings in this Immovable  stage, pervading up to as many worlds as atoms in a million buddha-lands with the light of goodwill, progressively extinguish the fires ofbeings' afflictions and cool them off.

"Among the ten transcendent ways, transcendent vowing becomes predominant  in these enlightening beings,   while they practice the others as best they can.

"This is a summary of the eighth stage of enlightening beings, called Immovable, the details of which would take forever to explain.  Most of the enlightening beings in this stage become great Brahmas,  lords of a thousand worlds, supreme, invincible,  seeing what is beneficial, imbued with controlling power, capable, mighty, skilled in the presentation of explanation of the transcendent  ways of all listeners, individual  illu­ minates, and enlightening beings,  insuperable  in   answering   questions about the   differentiations of worldly  realms.   Whatever they   do,  whether by way of giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practices of enlightening beings, the ways of transcendence, the stages, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas,  and ultimately of omniscience in all its aspects.   Why?  That they may become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately all-knowing refuges.

"Accordingly, they bring forth such energy,  by which they instantly attain as many  concentrations as atoms in a   million billion-world sys­ tems, see as many buddhas as atoms in a million billion-world systems and acknowledge their power, shake as many lands as atoms in a million billion-world systems, illumine as many worlds as atoms in a million

 

billion-world systems, mature as many beings as atoms m a million billion-world systems, abide for as many eons as atoms in a million billion-world  systems,  penetrate as many eons past and future as atoms in a million billion-world systems, ascertain as many ways into the Teaching as atoms in a million billion-world  systems,  and manifest as many bodies as atoms in a million billion-world  systems,  manifesting each body with a company of as many enlightening beings as atoms in a million billion-world  systems;  beyond  that, enlightening beings with the power of vowing produce, by the excellence of their vows, countless transformations of the body, aura, light, mystic powers, vision, sphere of action , voice, activity, adornment, power, resolution, or performances."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses describing this stage:

 

Having purified wisdom and means in the seventh stage, Well provided for the Way, com mitted to great vows,

Firmly established, the best of humans, imbued with goodness, Seeking knowledge, they enter the eighth stage.

 

With   virtue   and   knowledge,   compassion   and   benevolence, Going on infinite paths of knowledge, with awareness like space,

With the power of certain understanding of the teachings they hear,

The great sages attain acceptance of nonorigination, tranquil and subtle.

 

Primordially unborn , unoriginated, signless, all is Imperishable, not having become,  unproduced, Void of essence of being, thus, beyond conception;

So they arc freed from thought and mentation, just like space.

 

Accepting all things as such, free from idle fancy, Profoundly immovable, they arrive at peace of mind.

It can hardly be known by worldlings, by their analytic reasoning,

Because it is beyond concepts grasping mental images.

 

Thus stabilized, there is no thinking in their minds,

Like a monk who has reached extinction and attained nonthought,

Like one dreaming of being in a river freed from concern on awakening,

Like being in pure heaven, aloof of attachment to pleasure.

 

On the basis of their previous resolution, the buddhas further exhort them :

 

"This tolerance is higher than coronation by the  buddhas, But our vast knowledge and supreme buddhahood

Is not yet yours, so begin heroic effort.

 

"Though you have extinguished the burninu of the fire of affliction,

Having seen the world still afflicted, remember your past vows; Having thought of the welfare of the world, work in quest

Of the cause of knowledge, for the liberation of the world.

 

"The real essence of things is permanent, suchness, beyond thought,

In all buddhas, buddhas' disciples, and individual illuminates­

It is not by this that the buddhas appear in the world with ten powers,

But only by vast knowledge, unattached to past, present, or future."

 

Thus do the incomparable ones, worthy  of the honor of humans and gods,

Provoke in the enlightening beings thoughts of many aspects of knowledge,

Endless entry into consummation of the Buddha teachings, Of which past enlightening practice was not even a fraction .

 

Having thereby reached this stage of knowledge, these m ajestic people

Pervade everywhere in an instant, having gained entry into knowledge

And having reached higher mystic knowledge,

Like a ship on the ocean being borne along by the wind.

 

Free from mental effort, established in the work of knowledge, They discern the becoming, decay, and subsistence of lands And penetrate the differentiations of the elements,

Their fineness, grossness,  and distinctions.

 

They go  into  every  atom in  the billion-world  system, The differentiation of the elements and bodies of beings,

The distinctions and particles of precious substances in the realms

of bliss:

Knowing these, by their range of knowledge they calculate them

all .

 

Their minds developed in knowledge, they bring all bodies Into their own body, for the benefit of the beings;

 

Pervading the billion worlds with various forms, They manifest various bodies in endless worlds.

Just as the sun and moon, while in the sky, Appear as reflections in water,

Remaining in the highest knowledge of the unmoving essence of Thusness,

Enlightening beings appear, as reflections, intending to purify the world.

According to beings' dispositions, and the differences in their forms,

Enlightening beings appear in all groups, in all worlds:

They appear as disciples, as self-enlightened, as enlightening beings,

And in the glorified form of buddhas.

Beings, lands, as well as bodies of fruition of deeds,

The various bodies-of reality, of knowledge-the bodies of sages,

The body of space, majestic, all equal,

They manifest, with various mystic powers, to satisfy the world.

With tenfold control and reflection based on pure knowledge,

Acting in accord with knowledge, following kindness and compassion,

Doing whatever produces the qualities of all buddhas, Physically, verbally, mentally, they are stable as a mountain.

 

All the ten powers of enlightening beings, unshakable, They attain to, invulnerable to all demons.

Empowered by buddhas, they are honored by the gods And always attended by thunderbolt-bearers.

The virtues of those who have attained this stage are endless And could not be exhausted in a billion eons.

Furthermore, they associate with millions of buddhas And become radiant as regal crowns.

The enlightening beings who have attained this stage

Become great Brahmas, lords of a thousand worlds, rich in virtue. Able to expound the three vehicles inexhaustibly,

Their pure light of benevolence destroys the afflictions of the world.

In a single instant they attain concentrations

Numerous as atoms in a million world systems, steadfast,

 

And see that many abodes of beings in the ten directions; And those with superior will go even beyond this .

 

"This has been a summary of the eighth stage of enlightening beings, the details of which would take forever to tell."

When this stage had been explained, the Buddha's power shook mil­ lions of lands, incalculable, unthinkable. Shining  light emanated  from the body of the All-Seer; the lands illumined by the light, the beings therein were enraptured.  A thousand enlightening beings  hovering  in the sky presented the Buddha  with gifts surpassing  those of the gods. The gods of the higher heavens,  ecstatic, honored the Ocean of Virtue with a variety of offerings. Then a thousand goddesses,  thrilled,  their senses all delighted, honored the Teacher with celestial song:

 

These enlightening beings are all free from defects and defilement, Impeccably practicing whatever stage they are in;

Considering the weal of the world, they go to all regions, Showing the way of the Victor, their minds equal to space.

 

In the realms of humans, celestials, and dragon kings,

The adornments in the ten directions are stamped with higher blessings;

Greater still, incomparable, is what the enlightening beings show-

They produce the jewels of the path of knowledge.

 

In one land unmoving, detached in all lands, Reaching all worlds like the cool light of the moon, Their minds have ceased all thought of sound;

Their utterances are like echoes from the mountains.

 

To those who are weak-minded and prone to dejection They teach the practice of listeners.

Those of keen mind inclined to analyze conditions

They show the knowledge of the way of individual illuminates.

 

Those who incline to benevolence, for the good of all, They show the practice of enlightening beings.

To those of foremost wisdom

They show the peerless body of Buddha.

 

Like magicians performing magic, they show millions of different bodies

For the benefit of sentient beings, all of them without real existence.

Thus do enlightening beings, involved in the magic of knowledge, Show all practices, all without real existence.

 

Having uttered these sweet words of what they'd  heard,  the god­ desses, seeing the Buddha, became silent.

"This assembly is calm and clear," said Moon of Liberation; "speak of the practice beyond the eighth stage, of the kings of the true teaching."

Diamond Matrix said, "Enlightening  beings who,  by means of the mind which has thus reflected on the infinite possibilities  of knowledge, are intent upon yet higher tranquillities and liberations, thinking of con­ summate attainment of yet higher enlightened knowledge,  entering into the secret of the buddhas, ascertaining the greatness of inconceivable knowledge, purifying   the   ascertainment   of spell-concentration,   extend­ ing mystic knowledge, acting in accord with the differences in worlds, cultivating the insuperability of the powers, expertise, and unique  quali­ ties of buddhas, following the might  of the turning of the wheel of Teaching of buddhas,   not   abandoning  the   attainment  of empowerment of great compassion, thus come to the ninth stage of enlightening beings. "Enlightening  beings  in this stage  of the Good Mind  accurately know the performance of good, bad, and neutral things, the performance of mundane and transmundane things, the performance of conceivable and inconceivable things,  the   performance   of tainted   and   untainted   things, the performance of regular  and irregular things,  the   performance   of things listeners and individual illuminates do, the performance of things enlightening beings do, the performance of things pertaining to buddha­ hood, and the performance of fabricated and unfabricated things-all

these they know as they really are.

"By means of this knowing awareness, they know accurately how all beings   get into entanglement  of mind,  how they get into entanglement in afflictions, entanglement in acts, entanglement in senses, entanglement in resolutions, entanglement in dispositions, entanglement in inclinations and propensities,  entanglement in birth, entanglement in the continua­ tion of habit energies, and how they get into entanglement in the defini­ tion of what is beneficial, what is not beneficial, and what is neither beneficial nor unbeneficial-all this they know as it really is.

"They also know the compartmentalization of mind of sentient beings-they   accurately know their complexity  of mind,  the dissolution and nondissolution in instantaneous action of mind, the incorporeality of mind,   the endless,   ubiquitous  all-pervasiveness of mind,  the luminosity of mind, the defilement or nondefilement of mind,  the bondage or lib­ eration of mind, the creation by illusion of mind,  the manifestation of mind according to the state of being; they accurately know hundreds of thousands of differences of mind.

"They also know accurately how far-reach ing afflictions arc, the end­ lessness of their applications,  their inseparable simultaneity,  their being the sole cause of the appearance of propensities, their interconnection and disconnection with the mind,  their appearance according  to the state of being in the continuity ofbirths, their distinction of being in the realm of desire, torm,  or formlessn ess, the great blameworthiness of pride stuck with craving ignorance and views, the continuity of the causality of

 

778  Tlze Flower Ornament Scripture

 

physical, verbal, and mental actions; in sum, they accurately know the pervasiveness of activities of up to eighty-four thousand afflictions.

"They also accurately know the goodness, badness, or neutrality of

actions; whether they are evident or not;  their inextricable  coexistence with mind; their continuity of fruition through accumulation  in spite of their own essence instantly disintegrating; whether or not they have de­ velopments; the variety of differences in rewards of pure, impure,  and mixed actions; the infinity of the field of action; the difference in holiness and mundanity; how what is produced in the present state is experienced another time around; whether or not actions are a means of release; and whether or not they are sure-in sum, they accurately know as many as eighty-four thousand different aspects of action,  as well as how to skill­ fully ascertain their differences.

"They  also  know  accurately  the  weakness,  mediocrity, and  strength of faculties; their disjunction or continuity past  to  future;  their  superi­ ority, mediocrity, and inferiority; their inextricable coexistence with afflictions; whether or not they are vehicles of liberation, sure or unsure; their suitability for guidance, according to maturity or immaturity; their nature as grasping   of appearances in   the rapid disintegration   repeated in the net of faculties; the invincibility of the overlordship of faculties; the difference in regressing and nonregressing faculties;  their various differ­ ences of extent  and  concurrence-in  sum, they  accurately  know  as  many as eighty-four thousand different aspects of faculties .

"They  also know the weakness, mediocrity,  and strength of inten­ tions; their disjunction or continuity past to future; their superiority, mediocrity,  and inferiority; their coexistence   with   afflictions;   whether they are vehicles of liberation, sure or not; their nature as grasping of appearances in the rapid disintegration repeated in the net of intentions; the invincibility of the overlordship of intent; the difference in regressing and nonregressing intent; differences in extent and   concurrence-in   sum, they know as many as eighty-four thousand various aspects of intent.

"They also accurately know the weakness, mediocrity, or strength of dispositions; their disjunction or continuity past and future; their superi­ ority, mediocrity, or inferiority; their concurrence with afflictions; their qualities of being vehicles of liberation   or   not,   sure or not;   the   certainty or uncertainty of their maturation; their nature of being grasping of appearances in the  swift  dissolution repeated in  the net  of dispositions; the invincibility of overlordship of disposition; their persistence and differentiation ; differences in extent and   concurrence-in   sum,  they know accurately as many as eighty-four thousand different aspects of inclinations and thousands of various aspects of dispositions.

"They also accurately know the weakness, mediocrity, or strength of wills; their disjunction or continuity past to future ; their superiority, mediocrity,   or inferiority;   their concurrence   with   afflictions;   their quality of being vehicles of liberation or not, sure or not; their certainty or un­ certainty of maturity; their being grasping of appearances in the swift

 

 

dissolution repeated in the net of wills; the invincibility of the overlord­ ship of will;  their persistence and variety; their extent and concurrence­ they accurat�ly know   as many as eighty-four   thousand   different aspects of will as well as thousands of ways of thinking.

"They know accurately how propensities  are  born together  with  in­ tent and mind; their connection with  mind;  their  disconnection,  division, and extent; their never having been uprooted and cast out since begin­ ningless time; their being incompatible with all meditations, liberations, concentrations, trances, and mystic knowledges; their binding of the continuity of existence in the world; their activity of binding  the mind since beginningless time; their  nature  of  manifestation  of  accretions  in the realms of sense;  their being something  to be quelled;  their  presence or absence in the states of the stages of enlightening; their being extracted only by the path of sages-all this enlightening beings know accurately. "They also accurately know the variety of births; birth  according  to actions; the differentiation of hells, animal, ghost, and titan realms, humans and celestials; birth in the realms of form and formlessness; birth in realms with thought and without thought; the sprouting of future be­ coming from the field of action, the moisture of craving, the darkness of ignorance, and the seeds of consciousness; the concurrence of name and form; continuity due to ignorant craving for becoming; the beginning­ lessness and endlessness of desire for enjoyment, desire for existence, and the likes of sentient beings; and how birth is brought forth by grasping

for things  of the world-all this they know as it really is.

"They also know whether or not habit energies are active; infusion by impressions according to   involvements;   habituation according   to   activi­ ties of beings; habituation according to acts, afflictions, and customs; habituation to good, bad, and neutral customs;  habituation dominating future courses of existence; habituation gradually becoming dominant; habituation in which  there persist aberrations producing long-lasting affliction; substantial and insubstantial habituation; and permeation by impressions of seeing and hearing Buddhist practitioners, individual illu­ minates, enlightening beings, and buddhas-all  these they know as they are.

"They also know accurately the correct stabilization, incorrect stabi­ lization,  and correct and   incorrect   stabilization   of groups   of people; their correct stabilization  by   correct views,   their incorrect stabilization by incorrect views, their nonstabilization without either, their incorrect stabilization by one of the flve hellish deeds that bring immediate  con­ sequence, their correct stabilization by the five religious faculties , their lack of stability without either, their incorrect stabilization in the eight deviations,  their correct stabilization in the eightfold   right   path,  their lack of further involvement  with either, their indeterminacy   without either, their incorrect stabilization  on unrelenting  envy, jealousy,  and lack of sympathy, their stabilization in correctness of practice of the supreme Path of sages, and the indeterminacy of groups apart from both

 

of these-they  know  all  these  as  they  really  are.  Enlightening  beings who have attained such knowledge are said to be established in the ninth stage, Good Mind.

"Enlightening beings in this stage of Good Mind, knowing the dif­ ferences in   sentient   beings'   conduct,  undertake   to   effect   their   libera­ tion accordingly.  They truly   know   the maturity  of sentient beings as well as their discipline; they truly know the teachings of the vehicle of listeners, the teachings of the vehicle of individual illuminates,  the teach­ ings of the vehicle of enlightening beings, and the teachings of the stage of buddhahood.

"Knowing all this, they expound  teachings to beings so they may realize Thusness. They expound  teachings according to differences   in mental dispositions,  according   to   differences in   propensities,   according to differences in faculties, according to differences in inclinations, through approaching knowledge according to differences in spheres of action, through proceeding according to knowledge of all spheres of action, through proceeding according   to   tendencies   toward   entanglement according to   disposition,   through adaptation   to the   afflictions,   actions, and habits of the various states of being, through going along with the structures of groups, according to the application of whatever means by which liberation may be attained, by appearing in endless forms, by ap­ pearing in all worlds in ways congenial to the beings there, by knowing how to say everything, and by skill in ascertainment of all specific knowledge necessary for elucidation of the teachings.

"Enlightening beings established in the stage of Good Mind act as preachers of the Teaching and preserve the treasury of teaching of the Enlightened. In these enlightening beings the unadulterated four special knowledges of enlightening beings are always  operative.  What are the four? They are the special knowledge of principles, of meanings,  of ex­ pression,   and of elocution.   By  the   knowledge of principles   they   know the specific characteristics of principles;  by knowledge of meanings they know the differentiations of principles; by knowledge of expression they know the unconfused teaching of principles;   by   knowledge of elocution they know the interrelated continuity of principles.

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles they know the nonexistent body of things. By specific knowledge of meanings, they know the be­ ginning and end of things. By specific knowledge of expression  they expound the Teaching by means of interconnected representations of all things.   By specific knowledge of elocution they can expound   the Teach­ ing boundlessly without destroying representations as they are.

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles they know the present dif­ ferentiation of things.   By specific knowledge of meanings they know the past and future differentiation of things. By specific knowledge of ex­ pression they expound the Teaching without mixup of past, future, and present.   By   specific knowledge of elocution   they expound  the Teaching in each of the past, future, and present by the beginningless and endless light of truth.

 

The  Ten  Sta��es        781

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles they know the variety of phenomena and principles. By specific knowledge  of meanings  they know the variety of meanings. By specific knowledge of expression they expound the Teaching according to the local language.  By specific knowledge of elocution they expound the Teaching according to mental dispositions and knowledge.

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles they know the skill of dif­ ferentiation of direct knowledge of things without mixup. By specific knowledge of meanings they know the arrangement of suchness by inductive  knowledge.  By specific knowledge  of expression they  teach by demonstration of conventional knowledge without mixup.  By knowledge of elocution they expound the Teaching by familiarity with knowledge of ultimate truth.

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles, they know one indestruc­ tible principle in all things.  By specific knowledge  of meanings,  they enter   into   realization   of familiarity   with    the   interdependent   origination of matter and mind, senses, sense data, and sense consciousnesses, and the truths. By specific knowledge of expression they teach in words pleasing and easy to understand for all beings.  By specific knowledge of elocution they teach by more and more endless illumination of the Teaching.

"Also, by specific knowledge of principles they know the variety of entries into the One Vehicle. By specific knowledge  of meanings  they know the distinctions of different vehicles. By the specific knowledge of expression they teach without confusing all vehicles. By specific knowl­ edge of elocution they teach each vehicle with endless illumination of principles.

"Also,  by the specific knowledge  of principles they enter  into action in accord with all practices of enlightening beings, practice of knowledge and practice of principles. By the specific knowledge of meanings they comprehend  the differentiations of the teaching  of the arrangement  of the ten stages. By the specific knowledge of expressions they teach by presenting the path without confusion according to the stage. By specific knowledge of elocution they teach each stage in terms of its endless aspects.

"Also, by the specific knowledge of principles they comprehend all buddhas'   attaining enlightenment  in an instant.   By specitlc knowledge of meaning they know accord with various differences in times,  phe­ nomena, and characteristics. By knowledge of expression they teach by different   utterances according   to   attainment  of correct   enlightenment. By knowledge of elocution they expound each phrase of the Teaching continuously for endless eons.

"Also, by knowledge of principle they know action in accord with all buddhas' speech, powers, expertises, qualities of buddhahood, great compassion, analytic knowledge, application, teaching, and omniscient knowledge. By knowledge  of meaning they know the   eighty-four thousand utterances of buddhas according to sentient beings' mental dispositions, faculties, and different inclinations. By knowledge of ex-

 

 

pression they   teach   the   buddhas'   sayings   according   to   the   differences in actions of all beings. By knowledge of elocution they expound  the Teaching by focus on   the sphere of practice reflecting the knowledge   of the enlightened.

"The enlightening beings who are thus skillful in effectuation of the science of these specific analytic knowledges, having reached the ninth stage,  having  attained the treasury of teachings of the enlightened,  acting as great preachers of the Teaching, come to attain the concentration spell containing meanings, the concentration spell containing principles, the concentration  spell containing   evocation   of knowledge,   the   concentra­ tion spell containing illumination,  the concentration spell of good   intel­ lect, the concentration spell containing treasures, the concentration spell containing   vital energy,   the concentration spell leading into nonattach­ ment and nonobstruction, the concentration spell of infinity, and the concentration spell containing a store of various meanings.  They attain countless millions of kinds of concentration spells filled by such spell formulae as these. They expound the Teaching by countless millions  of skillfully adapted utterances and unlimited adaptive means of eloquent analysis. By  means of these countless millions of concentration spells as doors of access, they listen to the Teaching directly from innumerable buddhas of the ten directions and, having heard the Teaching,  do not forget it, and also expound it, with innumerable differentiations, as they have heard it.   They completely learn teachings from one buddha through the mediums  of countless   millions of concentration   spells,   and as from one, so too  from endless buddhas,  by measure of their will,  to a yet greater extent do they receive the light of the means of access to the Teaching, such as cannot be attained by the retentive power of greatly learned disciples who take up and hold what they learn, even in a hun­ dred thousand eons.

"Thus having attained mental command through concentration spells, having attained eloquence, sitting on the seat of teaching, they pervade a  billion  worlds  and  expound  the Teaching  to  beings according to the differences in the mentalities of the beings.  As they sit on the seat of teaching, their seat  of teaching  has  immeasurably  greater  splendor than any except those of the buddhas and the enlightening beings who have reached the stage of coronation. Sitting on  the seat of teaching, at will they make one utterance causing all congregations to perceive it as various different utterances. At will they convey knowledge by various different utterances and nuances. At will they  draw  forth  ways of entry into the Teaching by emanating beams of light.  At will they emit  voices from all their pores . At will  they bring forth voices of teaching from all forms manifest in the universe. At will they convey knowledge of all phenomena by means of one utterance. At will they make all sounds into the sound of the Teaching. At will they bring forth  the  voice  of the Teaching from the song  and  music  of all  worldly  realms. At will  they draw forth all the different expressions of the Teaching from a single

 

 

syllable. At will they draw forth untold ways of entry into the Teaching from each and every atom in the clusters of elements of earth, water, fire, and wind in untold worlds.

"Even if the beings of a billion  worlds were to come up, all at the same moment, and ask questions, each of them asking questions with countless nuances, each one asking a different question, the enlightening beings would take in every tone and nuance, and with a single utterance would satisfy all those beings' minds. Even if the beings of untold worlds all came up in the same moment and asked questions, each with innu­ merable nuances,   each   different,   the   enlightening   beings   would   take them all on instantly and edify them all with a single utterance.   Pervad­ ing untold worlds, they expound the Teaching according to beings' dispositions, faculties , and inclinations. Sitting in discourse on the Teach­ ing,   receiving the empowerment  of the buddhas,  they simultaneously face all beings, doing the work of buddhahood.

"All the more do they undertake the absorption of the light of knowl­ edge in this way:  'Even if on a single point there be buddhas as numerous as atoms in untold worlds teaching in the same immeasurable number of assemblies, each buddha teaching according to the differences of all those innumerable beings, presenting to each being's disposition of mind an equally immeasurable number of teachings,  and as one buddha  does in one assembly, so also all buddhas, and as in one point so in all universes, there we should  produce a memory of such enormous extent and receive the revelation of the Tcaching at once from all the buddhas  without missing a single word.  We should purify the ability to express with certainty such revelation of wisdom  as will instantly satisfy all the beings in the aforementioned assemblies, with their various groups, ways, and tendencies, as well as the beings in so many worlds.'

"Enlightening beings who have reached this stage of Good Mind, becoming all the more single-minded in their focus of attention, day and night, entering the sphere of buddhas, joining the company of buddhas, reach the profound liberation of enlightening beings.  Enlightening beings acting in accord with such knowledge  never stop the   vision   of buddhas in concentration-in each age seeing countless buddhas,  they honor, respect, and venerate them. With immense vision of buddhas they cease­ lessly attend them   respectfully and ask   the buddhas  questions.  They attain mental command of the Teaching and can expound it.

"Those purified roots  of goodness  of enlightening beings become  all the more beyond compare. Just  as gold fashioned into ornaments,  per­ fected by a skilled goldsmith and put on the head or neck of a universal monarch, cannot be outshone by the adornments of all minor kings and people of the four continents, in the same way the roots of goodness of enlightening beings in the stage of Good Mind,  well arrayed by the light of great knowledge, are so purified that they cannot be outshone by all listeners, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings in lower stages. The light of their roots of goodness, shining on the mental tangles of

 

 

afflictions of sentient beings, put an end to them. Just as great Brahmas of million-world systems illumine the thickets and lowlands in all worlds of the million-world system , in the same way does the light of roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this stage of Good Mind shine on the mental thickets  of afflictions of sentient  beings and put an end to them. Of the ten transcendent  ways,  transcendent power  is predominant  in these enlightening beings, while they practice the others as best they can.

"This is a summary explanation of the ninth stage of enlightening beings, called Good Mind, the full details of which would take forever to tell. Most of the enlightening beings in this stage become great Brahmas of enormous power, lords of a million worlds, eminent,  unsurpassed, seers of what is benetl.cial, masterful, able and strong in the exposition of the ways of transcendence of all listeners, individual illuminates, and en­ lightening beings, invincible in answering questions according to beings' dispositions. Whatever actions they undertake, whether by giving, kind speech, beneficial action, or cooperation, it is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practices of enlightening beings, the ways of transcendence, the stages, the powers, expertises, and unique qualities of Buddhas, and ultimately omniscience in all its aspects. Why? Because they want to become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges .

" With this desire they exert their energy,  by   which  exertion of en­ ergy they attain in one instant as many concentrations as atoms in count­ less millions of buddha-lands, see as many buddhas as atoms in countless millions   of buddha-lands   and   become   aware   of their   power,    shake as many worlds as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, go to as many buddha-lands as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, illu­ mine as many lands as atoms in countless millions of buddh a-lands, ma­ ture as many beings as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, abide for as many eons as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, pene­ trate as many eons past and future as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, ascertain as many  ways  of entry into the Teaching  as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, and manifest as many bodies as atoms in countless millions of buddha-lands, manifestin g each body accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in countless mil­ lions of buddha-lands. Beyond that,  enlightening beings with the power of vows perform, by the excellence of their vows, countless transfor­ mations, of the body, aura, mystic powers,  vision,  sphere  of action, voice, conduct, adornment, power, resolution, and performances ."

Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses describing this stage:

 

Contemplating with im measurably powerful intellect, With very subtle knowledge, atom-splitting  knowledge, Thus entering into the abode  of the secret of buddhas, They reach the ninth stage, benefactors of the world.

 

Their mental command and concentration are great, Their far-reaching mystic knowledge enters all lands.

With certainty of knowledge and power, this is the abode of steadfastness of the conquerers-

The wise with commitment and compassion enter this ninth stage.

Those who have reached this stage, holders of buddhas' treasury, Know what is good, what is bad, and what is neutral,

What is tainted and worldly, and what is transcendent, What is conceivable and what is inconceivable.

 

They examine what is certain and what is uncertain,

And foster the practices accomplishing the Three Vehicles. Teachings of the stages, according to inclinations and conduct, They prepare and enter the world accordingly.

 

With superior subtle intellect following such knowledge, They search out the mental tangles of sentient beings: They search out the various tangles of mind

And comprehend who can be taught, what the end and the beginning are.

 

They comprehend beginningless afflictions, in their interrelatedness of application,

As well as the continuity of their courses through compulsive propensities,

And in terms of the various differences in process of action, And the vanishing of effect with extinction of cause.

 

They comprehend which faculties are weak, middling, and strong,

And continuity between  past and future:

Inclinations of various kinds, and whether or not they are pure, They comprehend, all, eighty-four thousand.

 

Worldly beings are developed into different  dispositions, Gone into the tangles of afflictions  and views, beginningless,

endless, never cut off,

Continually bound  up  with  the  mind

Born together with and stuck to inclinations and propensities.

 

Those  inclinations  and  propensities  are not real things, They  have  no  location  and  are  not  apart  from  mind; Hard to know, unconquerable by the states of meditation,

They can  be cut off only by  the diamond thunderbolt of the Path.

 

Entering the variety of six courses of migration of life,

Craving being the moisture, ignorance the shade, action the field,

Consciousness the seeds, name and form the simultaneous sprouts-

Thus do they see beings in the world, beginningless and endless.

 

Those beings' minds are full of the action of afflictions, according to patterns of habit-

Apart from this they have no desire for further continuation of transmigration.

The enlightening beings know who are stabilized in truth, in error, and indeterminate,

Who are those sunk in views, and who are those with knowledge.

 

With   these reflections,   stationed  in   this   stage, Enlightening beings reveal the Teaching in different ways

According to people's dispositions, faculties, and inclinations,

Versed in analytic knowledge, meanings, elocution, and expression.

 

They are in the position of preachers of the Teaching, Like lions, like bulls, like majestic mountains;

They shower the sweet rain of the elixir of immortality, Just as the water spirits fill the sea.

 

Skilled in seeking out meanings, as well as the essence of things, Comprehending all expressions, they have mastered elocution;

Having attained countless millions of decades of concentration spells,

They hold the Teachings as the ocean holds the rain.

 

Thus having attained concentration by purification through spells, They see thousands of buddhas in one instant;

And having gained the treasure of the Teaching, they expound it, Reaching each and every sphere with its purifying sound.

 

They set the various beings of the billion worlds Free by means of the three treasures,

Satisfying all according to their faculties and dispositions, Like water spirits filling the ocean.

 

With even greater virtue they exert their energy And think how there are, in a minute point,

Unthinkable numbers of buddhas teaching, and various beings; Hearing the teachings, they hold them as the earth holds seeds.

 

As many beings as there are in the ten directions, All sit in a single circle of assembly:

Appearing to them all in a single instant, enlightening beings Will satisfy them all with a single utterance.

 

Stationed here, masters of the Teaching, highest of humans and gods,

They become children of buddhas, moving by the teachings: Day and night they are in the company of the buddhas,

Established in profound tranquillity, firm in knowledge and liberation.

 

They attend millions of buddhas

And become purified, like the adornments of a monarch; Their light overcomes the obscurities of afflictions

Like the light of Brahma illumining a million worlds.

 

In this stage they become B rahma gods,  imbued with virtue, And satisfy beings with the teachings of the Three Vehicles. What they undertake is for the benefit of all beings;

Following enlightened knowledge, they attain virtue and knowledge.

 

In a single instant they attain as many concentrations As atoms in immeasurable lands, steadfast:

Seeing the buddhas of the ten directions, they hear the Teaching,

And beyond that, by willpower, they work innumerable miracles.

 

"Thus has been told the ninth stage of those contemplating  great knowledge, profound, hard to see, subtle, the ninth stage of enlightening beings, called Good Mind."

Thus having heard of unsurpassed practice, millions of celestials of the Pure Abodes were delighted;  they stood in the sky, their senses enrap­ tured, and paid honor to the Buddha.  Endless millions of enlightening beings hovering in the sky were gladdened; they burnt clouds of incense, incomparably  delightful, destroying the   afflictions   of the   world.  The king of the heaven of power, pleased, was in the sky with a retinue of trillions, all respectfully showering vestments, beautiful, excellent, by the hundreds. Many goddesses, their senses delighted, honored the Buddha respectfully,   playing trillions   of musical   instruments,   uttering   such words as these:

 

The Buddha, sitting in one land, Appears reflected in all lands;

 

Bodies of millions of varieties, pleasing, Pervade the reaches of the cosmos.

 

From one hair of the Buddha  light beams Emerge, annihilating the afflictions of the world;

The elemental particles   of the land   may be counted, But the number of those light beams cannot be known.

 

Sometimes they show buddhas imbued with supreme characteristics

Turning the wheel of the highest teaching;

Sometimes there appears the lord of humans, pure and calm, With his most excellent, unsurpassed conduct, in other lands.

 

The Guide is seen in the abode of happiness, Dying there and so coming to earth,

In the womb, thus in millions of lands, Or seen being born there in the land.

 

The Guide, going forth for the sake of the  world And becoming supremely enlightened,

So turning the wheel of the Teaching, Is seen in millions of lands.

 

Just as a magician versed in the arts of magic Shows many objects for people,

So does the Teacher, versed in supreme knowledge, Show all bodies to people.

 

Empty, quiescent, essentially signless, The nature of things is equal to space­

The enlightened Teacher, by ultimate truth, Shows the exalted sphere of buddhas.

 

As is the essence of the buddhas,

So is that of sentient beings-found in the nature of things. Signs and signlessness are equal in that way-

All things are ultimately signless.

 

Those who seek enlightened knowledge Abandon assumptions, notions, imaginations;

Aware that being and nonbeing are the same in essence, They will quickly become supreme human leaders.

 

Having spoken thousands of such sweet words, the goddesses,   looking at the Buddha, became silent and remained quiet. Knowing the assembly

 

was settled, the fearless Moon of Liberation asked Diamond Matrix, the dauntless enlightening being, "Tell us, in order, all the characteristics, qualities, and sphere of those who come to the tenth stage, as well as their marks and miracles."

Diamond Matrix said, "Those enlightening beings who, having wisely reflected on the possibilities  of knowledge  up to the ninth stage, have made a thorough and discerning investigation,  have thoroughly fulfilled pure practices, have gathered inexhaustible  provisions,  have acquired great stores of virtue and knowledge, have attained great, far-reaching compassion, are familiar with the distinctions  and differentiations of worldly realms, have gone into the thickets of the realms of sentient beings,  focus their perception   and attention on   approaching  entry into the sphere of buddhas, and   are   intent on   the powers,  expertises,   and other qualities of buddhahood, are said to have reached the stage of coronation with omniscience in all its aspects.

"Furthermore,  enlightening beings  who accord with this knowledge and have reached the stage of coronation realize a concentration called undefiled, one called entry into the analysis of differentiations of the cosmos,  one called array of adornments of the   pinnacle   of enlighten­ ment, one called flower of lights of all appearances, one called oceanic container, one called oceanic plenitude,  one called vast as space, once called ascertainment of the intrinsic essence of all things,  one called adjusting to the mental behavior  of all beings,  and one called appearing in the presence of all buddhas. Beginning with these, they realize incal­ culable millions of concentrations.

"They enter and emerge from all these  concentrations, and, having attained skill in concentration, they experience all the effects of concen­ tration. At the end of the incalculable  millions  of concentrations, one realizes a concentration of enlightening  beings  called bearing coronation by the special property of omniscient  knowledge. At the moment  one realizes this concentration, there appears an immeasurable lotus made of the finest jewels, as large as ten billion-world universes, inlaid with all kinds ofjewels, beyond the range of all worlds, arisen from transmundane roots of goodness, existing in the realm of the essence of illusoriness, appearing based on the cosmos, beyond the range of the heavens, with a jewel stem, a pericarp of incomparable sandalwood, a fringe of huge emeralds,  leaves of shining gold,  its body  flowering with innumerable rays of light, its interior filled with all the finest jewels, covered with a boundlessly  vast net ofjewels, surrounded by   as many  great jewel lotuses as atoms in ten billion-world universes.

"The enlightening being, in a corresponding form, stands by and, immediately  upon attainment of the concentration   bearing   coronation wi-th  the  special  qualities  of  omniscience,  appears  seated  on  the  great jewel lotus. As soon as the enlightening being is seated on this great jewel lotus, as many enlightening beings as there are surrounding jewel lotuses come from the ten directions, circle that enlightening being, and sit on

 

those great surrounding jewel lotuses, and each of them enter a million concentrations, while gazing on the central enlightening being.  Immedi­ ately upon everyone's entry into concentration, all worlds quake,  all ills cease, all universes are pervaded with revealing light,  all worlds  are purified, the names of all buddha-lands are voiced,   all enlightening beings of the same practice gather, all celestial and human music and song sound forth, all beings become blissful, the inconceivable  honoring and atten­ dance of all the perfectly enlightened ones commence,  and the circles   of all the buddhas are made known.

"What is the reason  for  that? As soon as the enlightening being sits on this great jewel lotus, from the  soles  of the  enlightening  being's  feet emerge  countless millions oflight rays,  which illumine the uninterrupted great hells in the ten   directions and extinguish the torments of the beings in the hells. From the circles on  the  knees  of the  enlightening  being emerge countless millions of light  rays  which  illumine  all  the  animal realms in the ten  directions  and  extinguish  the  sufferings  of  all  the animals.   From   the sphere of the navel emerge countless   millions   of rays of light which illumine all the ghost realms in the ten  directions  and extinguish all the pains of all the beings in the ghost realms.  From the left and right sides  of the  enlightening  being  emerge  countless  millions of rays of light which illumine the humans in the ten directions and extin­ guish human sufferings. From  both  hands  emerge  countless  millions  of light rays which illumine the abodes of celestials and titans, extinguishing their pains. From the shoulders emerge countless millions of rays of light which illumine all those in the vehicle of listeners,  followers  of the elementary teachings in the ten directions,  and present to  them a way of entry into the light of the Teaching. From the back of the neck emerge countless millions of rays of light which illumine all the individually awakened ones in the ten directions and present to them a method  for quiescent concentration.  From the face emerge countless millions oflight rays which illumine  all  the  enlightening  beings  in  the  ten  directions, from those who have just been inspired for the first time up to those who have reached the ninth stage, and present to them the principle of wisdom and skill in means. From the circle of hair between the brows of the enlightening being emerge countless   millions   of rays oflight  which shine on the abodes of demons in the ten directions and eclipse them, and then illumine the enlightening   beings   who   have reached the stage of corona­ tion and disappear into their bodies.  From the top of the head emerge as many rays of light as atoms in countless  millions  of billion-world  uni­ verses, illumining the sites ofcongregation of all buddhas throughout the reaches of the space of the cosmos, then circling the world to the right in ten  ways, then stopping  in  the sky  and  forming  a  great  circular network of lights, and then proceeding to  make a great offering  called  'blazing light' to all buddhas. That offering is such that the offerings of all enlightening beings from  the  first inspiration  up  to  the  ninth  stage  can­ not compare even to the smallest fraction of it.

 

 

"Furthermore,  from that great circular network oflights  there rain, in all universes in the ten directions, manifestations of flowers, incenses, garlands, perfumes, aromatic powders,  robes, parasols,  banners,  pen­ nants, clothing, ornaments, jewels, and more, all beyond the scope of all worlds, produced by the influence of stores of transmundane roots of goodness, complete in all their features and qualities, sustained by the inconceivable  power of nirvana-rains   of various   arrays   of great   riches pour as from a great cloud on the places of assembly of each and every buddha.  And whoever perceives those offerings becomes assured of per­ fect enlightenment.

"Then the lights, having made these offerings, again  illumine  the circles of assembly of all buddhas, then circle the world to the right in ten ways, and disappear into the soles of the feet of those buddhas. Thence it is known to those buddhas  and those  enlightening beings that in this world, this realm, this place,  the enlightening being  following such a practice has reached the time of coronation.  Then, from incalculable lands in the ten directions, enlightening beings up   to   the ninth   stage come to that enlightening being,  encircle the enlightening being, make great offerings, and, while gazing on that enlightening being,  enter  a million concentrations.

"From  the gloriously adorned thunderbolt  symbols  of well-being on the bodies of enlightening beings who have attained   the stage of corona­ tion emerges a great light ray called demon-conqueror, each ray accom­ panied by countless millions of light rays; having illumined  the  ten directions and shown countless miracles,  the light  rays  again  disappear into  the  enlightening  beings'  thunderbolt  symbols  of  well-being.   As soon as those light rays of a hundred thousand higher qualities disappear, there appears an increase in the power and strength of the enlightening being.

"Then there emerges from the circle ofhair between the  eyebrows of the buddhas  beams of light called possessors of omniscient superknowl­ edge, accompanied by countless light beams; illumining all worlds in the ten directions, circling   the worlds in ten ways to   the right,  inspiring many hundreds of quadrillions of enlightening beings, causing all buddha­ lands to quake in six ways, stopping all death and rebirth in bad condi­ tions, eclipsing all abodes of demons,  showing the settings of enlighten­ ment of all buddhas, and illuminating all worlds throughout the cosmos to the furthest reaches of space, then returning again, circling all assem­ blies of enlightening beings to the right   and   manifesting   an immense array, those beams of light disappear into the top of the enlightening being's head. The accompanying light beams in the same way enter into the heads of the enlightening beings assembled around that enlightening being who has reached the tenth stage, whereupon they attain a million concentrations that they have never attained before.

"At the same time as those light beams enter the enlightening being's head, the enlightening being is said to be coronated; in the realm of

 

792  The Flower Omament Scripture

 

perfectly completely  enlightened ones, having  fulfilled the   ten powers, the enlightening being enters the ranks of the perfect buddhas.  It is like the son of a universal ruler, the crown prince,  borne by the principal wife, becoming imbued with the characteristics of a universal ruler: the universal ruler seats him on a magnificent golden elephant throne and, bringing water from the four seas, setting over the palace great arrays of flowers, incenses, lamps, garlands, perfumes, aromatic powders, cloths, parasols, banners, pennants, music and song, he takes the golden pitcher containing  water from the four oceans and anoints the head of his son with the \Vater,   whereupon the son joins  the ranks of the consecrated rulers. Then,  when he has fulfilled the tenfold path of good action, he gains the name   of universal   ruler,   the one who turns the wheel of the law. In the same way, as soon as the enlightening being is coronated by those blessed buddhas, the enlightening being is said to be anointed with great knowledge.  And having fulfilled the ten powers by the anointment of complete buddhas, the enlightening being enters the ranks of the truly consummately enlightened ones. This is the enlightening being's anoint­ ment, or coronation, with great knowledge, in quest of which the en­ lightening being undertakes many hundreds of thousands of difficult practices. Thus coronated, matured in immeasurable virtue and knowl­ edge, the enlightening being is said to be established in the tenth stage, which is called Cloud of Teachmg.

"Enlightening beings in this stage have accurate knowledge  of the totality of the realm of reality, the realm of desire, the realm of form, the formless realm, the realm of worlds, the realm of all beings, the realm of consciousness, the realms of the created and the uncreated, the realm of space, and the teaching of being and nonbeing; they have accurate knowl­ edge of the totality of the realm of nirvana,  and of afflictions created by views; they have accurate knowledge of the totality of the becoming and decay of worlds, of the practice of followers of the elementary Buddhist teachings, of the practice of individual illuminates, of the practice of enlightening beings, of the buddhas' powers, expertises, unique qualities of buddhahood,  and material and spiritual bodies,   of omniscience  in   all its aspects,  of demonstration  of attainment of enlightenment  and turning the wheel of teaching-in sum, they have accurate knowledge of ac­ complishment of all the different ways of access to truth. They also have accurate knowledge of the projection of the world, the projection of the cosmos, the projection of Buddhist  followers,  the  projection  of indi­ vidual illuminates,  the projection of enlightening  beings,  the projection of buddhas, and the feasibility or unfeasibility of all projections.

"They also know the basis of all buddhas as it really is;  they know, too, the basis of the Teaching, the basis of the Community, the basis of action, the basis of affliction, the basis of time, the basis of commitment, the basis of reverence, the basis of conduct, the basis of ages, and the basis of knowledge, all as they truly are.

"Also,  all  knowledge   of  the   buddhas  entering   into   subtleties-

 

knowledge of details of practice,   of death in heaven   and   rebirth on earth, of birth, of leaving home, of attaining enlightenment, of  miracles, of setting the wheel of the Teaching in motion, of preaching the truth, of the full details of the Teaching, of the support of the life span, of the manifestation  of the  body of  glorified  form,  of the  orderly guidance   of all beings, of manifestation in all worlds, of observing the  mental  be­ havior of all beings, of observing past, present, and future in a  single instant, of the entire past and future, of the totality of mental actions of beings in all their variety, of the inconceivable powers, expertises, and special qualities of the enlightened, of the ultimate  nirvana  of the  bud­ dhas, of the lasting of  the  true  Teaching  based  on  instruction-beginning with these, they accurately know all the  incalculable knowledges of buddhas entering into subtleties.

"They know all the secret matters of the buddhas, such as the secret of the body, the secret of speech, the secret of mind, the secret of considera­ tion of right and wrong timing, the secret of giving enlightening beings predictions of enlightenment,  the secret of taking care of sentient beings, the secret of encouragement  and censure as means of guidance, the secret of impartiality in timely admonition and instruction, the secret of estab­ lishing a variety of vehicles of liberation, the secret of distinction   of beings' conduct and faculties, the secret of penetrating beings' acts and deeds, the secret of distinction of enlightening beings'  practices and faculties , the secret of enlightenment through practice and realization of inherent power,  the secret of the basis of realization of intrinsic essence, the secret of manifestation and liberation, the secret of attraction and expulsion,  the secret of showing the attitudes of standing,  walking, sitting, and reclining, the secret of provision of food and physical neces­ sities, the secret of showing speech, silence, meditation, liberation, con­ centration, and attainment;  they know all such secret matters of the buddhas as they really are.

"They also accurately realize all the buddhas' knowledges of the interpenetration of ages, such as one age as containing incalculable ages, incalculable ages as containing one age, calculable ages as containing in­ calculable ages, incalculable ages as containing calculable ages, a moment of thought as containing ages,  ages as containing moments  of thought, ages as containing nonages, nonages as containing ages, ages with   bud­ dhas as containing ages without buddhas, ages without buddhas  as con­ taining ages with buddhas,  past ages as   containing   future and present ages, present ages as containing past and future ages, future ages as containing past and present ages, long ages as containing short ages, short ages as containing long ages, the containment  of what is made of per­ ceptions in all ages, the containment of ages in all that is made of perceptions.

"They also accurately know all the complete buddhas' penetrating knowledges, such as knowledge penetrating a point the size of a hairtip, knowledge penetrating atomic particles, knowledge penetrating reali-

 

zation of enlightenment in the body and land of a buddha, knowledge penetrating realization of enlightenment with the body and  mind  of a sentient being,  knowledge penetrating  the  realization  of enlightenment in all places, knowledge penetrating demonstration of preposterous  ac­ tions, knowledge penetrating demonstration of conformist behavior, knowledge penetrating demonstration of unconventional behavior, knowledge penetrating demonstration of conceivable   and   inconceivable acts, acts that can be recognized by the world and acts that cannot be recognized, knowledge penetrating demonstration of acts that can be understood by buddhas' disciples, acts that can be understood by self­ enlightened people,  acts that  can  be understood  by  enlightening beings, and acts that can be understood by buddhas. Just as such vast extent of knowledge of the buddhas is immeasurable, so also the penetrating knowledge of enlightening beings in this stage is infinite.

"Furthermore, the enlightening beings following this stage attain the liberation of enlightening beings that is called inconceivable, and the liberations called unobstructed, pure discernment, all-sided illumination, treasury of realization of thusness, following the unhindered wheel, comprehending  past, present, and future, matrix of the cosmos,  radiance of the circle of liberation, and attainment of the realm of totality.  Begin­ ning with these, enlightening beings in the tenth stage attain countless hundreds of thousands of doors of liberation, and in  the same way  they attain hundreds of thousands of concentrations, mental controls, super­ knowledges, and spiritual powers; they attain hundreds of thousands of lights of knowledge,   mystical transformations, accomplishments  of ana­ lytic knowledge, masteries of means and wisdom, floods of great com­ passion, and entries into the controlling powers of enlightening beings.

"By means of intellect in accord with such knowledge, they become imbued with infinite ability to  recollect  anything.  They  are  able  to receive, take in , and hold infinite great revelations, clarifications, and clouds of teachings from the buddhas of the ten directions in a sing�p instant. Just as no place on earth except the ocean  can bear,  can  receive, can  take  in,  can  hold  the  great mass  of water showered  by  the  clouds of the oceanic water spirit, in the same way the entries into the mysteries of the buddhas-great revelations, great clarifications, great clouds of teachings-cannot be born, received,  taken  in,  or  held  by  all  sentient beings, listeners, or self-enlightened ones, or even by enlightening beings from the first to the ninth stages.  It is the enlightening beings in the tenth stage, cloud of teaching, who bear, receive, take in, and hold it all. It is as the ocean bears, receives,  takes  in,  and  holds  the  great  clouds  of one water spirit, or two, or three, up to the innumerable great clouds of innumerable water spirits in a single moment,  because of the immeasur­ able vast breadth of the ocean . In the same way, enlightening beings in this tenth stage, Cloud of Teaching, bear, receive, take in, and hold, in a single instant,  immeasurable  great revelations, clarifications,   and clouds of great teachings from two, three, up to infinitely many buddhas.  Thus this stage is called Cloud of Teaching."

 

The enlightening being Moon of Liberation  said, "Is  it possible to count how many buddhas  the enlightening beings receive and hold the great revelations, clarifications, and clouds of teachings from in a single instant?"

Diamond Matrix said, "It is not possible to give a numerical account of how many buddhas enlightening beings receive teachings from  in  a single instant. I will, however, make a simile.  Suppose that in each of the ten directions, in worlds as numerous as atoms in untold quintillions of buddha-lands, and all the realms of beings found therein, there were one being with the mental command  to retain whatever he heard , an atten­ dant of budd has, a great disciple, foremost of the holders of learning,  and that being were endowed with such power of skill in learning. Now suppose all the beings in all  those worlds were similarly endowed, and what was learned by each one was not learned by another. What do you think-would the learning ability of all those beings be immeasurable?" Moon of Liberation said, "Great, immeasurable would be the learning ability of those beings. " Diamond Matrix said, "I tell you, in an instant the enlightening beings in this stage of Cloud of Teaching bear, receive, take in, and hold from a buddha a great cloud of lights of revelation of teaching called 'treasury of past, present, and future of the cosmos' -the aforementioned ability in learning  cannot  compare  to  the  minutest  frac­ tion of this ability to hold the cloud of light of revelation of the teaching. And just as they receive this from one buddha, so  also do  they receive and hold the cloud   of lights of revelation of great teaching called   'treasury of the past, present, and future of the cosmos' from as many buddhas as atoms in all the worlds of the ten directions, and from yet more, from infinite buddhas, all in a single instant. Hence this stage is called Cloud of Teaching.

"Furthermore, enlightening beings in this stage, by the power of their own vows, cause great clouds of compassion to arise, manifesting the thunder of the great Teaching, flashing the lightning of mystic knowl­ edge, science, and expertise, whipping up a great wind  of radiance, covering all with  a  dense  cloud  of virtue  and  knowledge,  showing  a dense swirl of various bodies, uttering the proclamation of the great Teaching,  routing the horde of demons;  and, in one instant, throughout as many quadrillions of worlds as atoms in  the  worlds in  the  ten  direc­ tions mentioned above, and throughout yet more worlds, incalculable hundreds of quadrillions of worlds, they show great rains of goodness­ bearing elixir of immortality and settle and extinguish all the dust and flames of afflictions of beings produced by ignorance. Hence this stage is called Cloud of Teaching.

"Furthermore, the enlightening beings in this stage of Cloud of Tcaching manifest all  the  works of buddhas  in one  world,  beginning with abiding in the heaven  of satisfaction , then descending to earth, abiding  in the womb,  birth,  leaving home,  attaining enlightenment, being requested to teach, setting  in motion  the wheel of the Teaching, and the stage of great ultimate nirvana, manifesting these to beings

 

according to their dispositions   and   capacities for being guided.  As   they do this in one world, so also do they do the same in two worlds, up to unspeakable, untold numbers of worlds. Having attained such control of knowledge, with absolutely certain great knowledge and mystic  knowl­ edge, at will they show a defiled world as pure, show a pure world as defiled, show a narrow   world as broad,  show a broad world as narrow; in this way, by mystic power, they show magical transformations of all worlds-vast,  measureless, minute,  erroneous, deranged,   inverted,   up­ right, and so on. If they want they can put a whole world, including its peripheral mountains and seas, into a single atom, yet without expanding the   atom   or shrinking the world,  displaying all functions therein.   They put two, three, four,   five,   up   to untold numbers  of worlds into one atom, yet without expanding the atom, and still displaying all the func­ tions in the worlds.  At will they show in one world the arrays of two worlds or, as they wish, show the arrays of up to an untold number of worlds.  As they wish,   they show the array of one world in two worlds, or in up to an unspeakable number of worlds. As they wish they show in one world the beings in up to an unspeakable number  of worlds yet without injuring or troubling those beings. As they wish they show the beings of one world in an unspeakable   number  of worlds,   without injuring or disturbing the beings.   As they   wish they show   the full array of a buddha-realm in a point the size of a hairtip; if they wish they show the full arrays of untold buddha-realms in one point. As they wish they instantly emanate as many bodies as   atoms in   untold   worlds,  manifest that many hands on each individual body,  and make offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions with those hands; with each hand they sprinkle as many baskets of flowers on those buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, and do likewise with fragrances , garlands, perfumes, aromatic  powders,  robes,  parasols, banners,   and   pennants. They also manifest that   many heads on each body,  and   manifest that many tongues in each head, telling of the glory of the buddhas.

"In the arising of a thought they go throughout the ten directions, in each moment of thought causing the appearance of infinite sets of the process of  attainment  of  enlightenment  up to great  ultimate  nirvana. They also manifest infinite embodiments in all times, and also cause to appear in their   own   bodies   the immeasurable arrays of qualities   of lands of infinite buddhas. They also cause the appearance of all  worlds  be­ coming and disintegrating in their own bodies. They also emit all whirl­ winds from a  single  pore, yet  without  hurting  or  troubling  sentient beings. And, if they wish, they can make endless worlds a single body of water and set a great lotus thereon; the array of lights of that great lotus pervades endless worlds, showing therein the branches of the trees of enlightenment and all aspects of omniscience.

"In their own bodies they manifest the lights of the ten directions, in­ cluding the lusters of jewels, lightning,  the lights of the sun and moon, and the lights of all deities of light. With each breath they shake endless

 

worlds, yet without frightening the sentient beings therein. They  also manifest the destruction by gales,  fires,  and floods in the ten  directions. Also they cause the appearance of physical adornments according to the wishes of beings: they manifest the body of Buddha in their own body; they manifest their own body in the body of Buddha; they manifest their own buddha-land in the body of Buddha; they manifest the body  of Buddha in their own buddha-land.

"Thus do enlightening beings in this stage of Cloud of Teaching show these and infinitely more magical transformations. "

At that point it occurred to the enlightening beings in the assembly,  as well as to the spirits, goblins, nymphs, titans, and various gods, "If the range of performances of mystical powers of enlightening beings is thus measureless, what must that of the buddhas be like?"

Then Moon of Liberation,  knowing  what was going on in the minds of the congregation,  said to Diamond  Matrix,  "This assembly is in doubt;  show something  of the miracles of enlightening beings  to stop their doubts."

Then Diamond  Matrix  entered the concentration of  enlightening beings called "revelation of the essence of the body of all buddha-lands," whereupon all the  beings in the  assembly perceived themselves being within the body   of the enlightening being Diamond  Matrix,  and there they perceived the formation of a buddha-land,  the array   of features within which   could not be all told of in millions of eons.   There the tree of enlightenment was as broad as a million billion-world universes, the lofty tops of its innumerable branches wide enough to fill ten million billion-world universes. On the terrace of enlightenment  there   was   a broad lion seat, with characteristics corresponding to the tree, on which was seen a buddha named King with a Mind Endowed with All Mystic Knowledges,  on the supreme place of enlightenment.  Thus they   saw such magnificent arrays of adornments as could not be all told   in   a million eons. Then, having displayed this great miracle, Diamond Matrix put all the enlightening beings, gods, dragons, goblins, nymphs, titans, fairies, and other creatures back in their respective places. At that point they all fell silent in unprecedented wonder and stood there looking  at Diamond Matrix.

Then Moon of Liberation said to Diamond Matrix, "The range of

production of magnificent arrays of this well-nigh inconceivable concen­ tration is most extraordinary-what. is the name of this concentration?"

Diamond Matrix said,  "It is called 'revelation of the essence of the body of all buddha-lands.' "

Moon of Liberation said, "What  is the arrangement of the sphere of action of this concentration?"

Diamond Matrix  said,  "By  successful cultivation of this concentra­ tion, enlightening beings can, at will, show in their own bodies as many buddha-lands as atoms in as many worlds as grains of sand in the Ganges River, and even more. You know, enlightening beings in the stage of

 

Cloud of Teaching attain many hundreds of thousands of enlightening concentrations like this. Because of this, enlightening beings who have reached even the stage of 'crown  prince of the teaching'  and are estab­ lished in the ninth stage, Good Mind, cannot know the body or physical action of enlightening beings in   the   tenth   stage,   cannot   know   their speech or verbal action,  cannot know their   mind   or   mental   action, cannot know their spiritual powers,  cannot know   their   observation   of past, present, and future, cannot know their entry into the state of concentration, cannot   know   their   sphere   of knowledge,   cannot   know their liberation and freedom, cannot  know their  acts of emanation, mystical power, and radiance, cannot even know,  to sum up,  even the raising and lowering of their feet as they walk. This is how infinite the enlightening beings' stage of Cloud  of Teaching is. This is a brief sum­ mary explanation; the full details could never be all told."

Moon of Liberation said, "What is the entrance into the range of the sphere of buddhas like, if the realm and power of the practice of enlight­ ening beings is so infinite?"

Diamond Matrix said, " Your question seems to me like that of a man who picks up a few pebbles and says, 'Which is bigger, the endless realms of the earth or these pebbles?' How can you compare the state of enlight­ ening beings to that  of the  buddhas, the  completely enlightened, who have measureless knowledge? That  which  can  be  picked  up  off the ground  by  hand  is  small,  while  the  rest  of the  earth  is  immeasurable: in the  same  way,  even  this  Cloud  of Teaching  stage  of enlightening beings would only  be told to a small extent  even   if  it   were  ex­ plained for countless eons-how much the more so of the stage of buddhahood!

"I will now tell you about buddhahood, so you will know; and the buddhas stand before me to bear me witness. Suppose in each of the ten directions as many buddha-lands as   atoms in infinite worlds were filled with enlightening beings who had reached this stage:  the accomplish­ ments of those enlightening beings effected over endless eons do not amount to the minutest fraction , do not compare at all,   to the scope of one moment of knowledge of Buddha. Following this knowledge, en­ lightening beings, with body, speech, and mind not other than those of Buddha, do not abandon the   power   of concentration   of enlightening beings, yet they visit and attend buddhas, and pay each one honor in all kinds of undertakings for endless eons. Because of their extensive service they receive from the buddhas the illumination of empowerment,  and become all the more unfazed in answering questions as variegated as the cosmos, for millions and millions of eons.

"Just as a great ornament,  inlaid with great jewels, fashioned by a celestial craftsman , fastened on the head or neck of the king of the gods of controlling power,  cannot be outshone   by   the   ornaments   of other gods or humans, in the same way the ornament of knowledge gained by enlightening beings in this tenth stage of Cloud of Teaching cannot be

 

outshone by all sentient beings,  Buddhist followers, solitary illuminates, or enlightening beings from the first to the ninth stages. The light of knowledge of the enlightening beings in this stage is conducive to the introduction ofsentient beings into omniscience, and cannot be outshone by other lights of knowledge. Just as the light of the great lord god is beyond all realms of birth and delights the bodies of living beings, in the same way the light of enlightening beings in the stage of Cloud   of Teaching cannot be eclipsed by all followers , solitary illuminates, and enlightening beings from the first to the ninth stages, and even ultimately leads beings to the state of omniscience.

"Furthermore, enlightening beings following this knowledge  are told by the buddhas knowledge of past, present, and future, knowledge of the differentiations of the cosmos, knowledge of pervasion of all worlds, knowledge of the power of the illumination of all worlds, thorough knowledge of all beings, lands, and phenomena, knowledge of the mental behaviors of all beings, knowledge of how to develop all beings to maturity according to the time, with impeccable discipline and skill in analytic knowledge of all things; in sum they are told infinite revelations of omniscient  knowledge. In these enlightening   beings the   transcendent way of knowledge is paramount,  while they practice the other transcen­ dent ways according to their power and their lot.

"This is a summary of the tenth stage of enlightening beings, called Cloud of Teaching; it would take forever to tell the full details. Most of the enlightening beings in this stage are great lord gods, capable,  mighty in teaching beings the ways of transcendence of disciples, solitary illu­ minates, and enlightening beings, unfazed in answering questions on the differentiations of the cosmos. Whatever  acts they undertake, whether through giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, it is all never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practice of enlightening beings, the transcendent ways, the stages, the powers, expertises, and unique qualities of buddha­ hood, and ultimately of omniscience in all its aspects. Why? Because they would become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides,  and ultimately omniscient refuges.

Accordingly, they initiate such  effort, by which burst of energy they

instantly attain as many concentrations as atoms in ten quintillion un­ speakable numbers of buddha-lands, see that many buddhas and realize their power, shake that many worlds, go to that many buddha-lands, illumine that many worlds, mature that many  beings,  abide  for  that many eons,  penetrate  that  many  eons  past  and  future,  ascertain  that many ways of access to truth, and show that many bodies, each body surrounded by that many enlightening beings. Beyond that, enlightening beings with the power of vows perform, by the excellence of their vows, countless transformations of their bodies, auras, mystic powers,  vision, spheres of action, voices, conduct, adornments, powers, resolutions, and performances ."

 

Bequest

 

These, in sum, are the stages of enlightening beings, the details of which would take forever to tell . These are the stages which have been, will be, and are expounded by the buddhas of past, future, and present.

Furthermore,  these ten stages   of enlightening beings  are   to   be   seen in accord with omniscience in all its aspects, as it gradually becomes manifest.

It is like the water flowing from the lake Heatless; by four great river currents it suffices the continent, inexhaustible, ever increasing, benefiting infinite beings,  and finally pours  into the great ocean:  that water from the very beginning is headed for the ocean. In the same way, the water of roots of goodness flowing from the great lake of the will for enlighten­ ment, by the currents of four great vows and integrative  methods  of salvation, suffices all realms of beings, inexhaustible, ever increasing, benefiting infinite beings, and finally pours into the great ocean of com­ plete omniscience:  that water of roots of goodness from the very begin­ ning is headed for the ocean of omniscience.

Furthermore,  those ten stages of enlightening beings are manifested based on enlightened knowledge. It is as the ten great mountains  are manifested based on the earth. They are like the Snowy Mountains, Intoxicating with Fragrance Mountain, Crystal Mountain,  Wizard Mountain, Yoke-Bearing Mountain, Horse Ear Mountain, Fish-Holding Mountain, the Circular Enclosure Mountains, Endowed with Brightness Mountain, and the polar   mountain   Wonderfully   High.   Just   as   the Snowy Mountains   are mines of all kinds of medicinal   plants,   which   may be collected   without exhausting them, in the same way an enlightening being in the stage of Joy becomes a mine of all worldly  poetry, writing, and the science of magic spells, which may be applied endlessly. Just as the mountain Intoxicating with Fragrance is a mine of all kinds  of fragrances, whence all kinds of fragrances may be collected inexhaustibly, an enlightening being in the stage of Purity  becomes a mine of the fragrance of all the ethical conduct of enlightening beings,  whence the fragrance of all ethical conduct of enlightening beings may be collected inexhaustibly. Just as Crystal Mountain is a mine composed  of pure jewels, from which all kinds ofjewels may be taken inexhaustibly, in the same way an enlightening being in   the stage of Refulgence becomes   a mine of all worldly meditations, mystic knowledgcs, liberations, con­ centrations,   and attainments,  inexhaustible   in answering questions   about all meditations, mystic knowledges, liberations, concentrations, and attainments in the world. Just as Wizard Mountain is a pure jewel abode of wizards with five mystic knowledges, where there are countless such wizards, in the same way an enlightening being in the stage of Blazing becomes a   mine of higher knowledges   of penetration   and   explanation   of all paths to liberation and paths that do not lead to liberation, inexhaust­ ible in answering questions with higher knowledge of the disparity

 

between liberative paths and nonliberative paths. Just as Yoke-Bearing Mountain is a pure jewel abode of spirits of great magical powers, where there are countless such spirits, in the same way an enlightening being in the stage Difficult to Conquer becomes a mine of mystic  knowledges, spiritual powers, occult transformations, and miraculous effects , able to answer questions about these phenomena inexhaustibly. Just as Horse Ear Mountain is a pure jewel mine of all kinds of fruits, from which all kinds of fruits may be gathered inexhaustibly,  an enlightening being in   the stage of Presence becomes a mine of penetration and explanation of interdependent origination, inexhaustible in answering questions about realization of the fruits of Buddhist discipleship. Just as Fish-Holding Mountain is a pure jewel abode  of all water spirits of great magical powers, where there are countless water spirits,  similarly an enlightening being in the stage of Far-Going   becomes a   mine of teaching   of means and wisdom,  inexhaustible in   answering   questions   about   the   realization of the fruits of individual illumination. Just as the Circular Enclosure Mountains are a pure jewel  abode of those imbued  with power,  where there are countless powerful beings,   similarly   an   enlightenin g   being   in the stage of Immovability becomes a mine of effects of powers of en­ lightening beings, inexhaustible in answering questions about the differ­ entiations of worlds. Just as the mountain Endowed with Brightness is a pure jewel home of titans with great magical powers,  where there are countless titans, similarly an enlightening being in   the   stage   of Good Mind becomes a mine of application of knowledge of the becoming and passing away of all beings,  inexhaustible in   answering   questions   about the formation and disintegration of all worlds. Just as the mountain Wonderfully High is the pure jewel home of divinities of great power, where the divinities are countless, similarly an enlightening being in the stage of Cloud of Teaching  becomes a mine   of the   powers,   expertises, and unique  qualities of buddhas,  inexhaustible in answering questions about the manifestation of the works of buddhas. Just as these ten great mountains exist in the ocean and appear from the ocean, in the same way these ten stages of enlightening beings exist in omniscience and appear from omniscience.

Just   as   an   ocean   undeniably   counts   as   an   ocean   becaus�   of  ten characteristics-that is, because of progressively  becoming deeper,  be­ cause of not lodging  a corpse, because other waters lose their identity in the ocean, because of uniform flavor, because of containing  many valu­ ables, because its depths are  hard to reach,  because  it  is  immeasurably vast, because it is the abode of giant creatures, because the tides do not exceed their bounds, and because it receives all the rains of the clouds without  being filled-in the  same way the practice  of  enlightening beings is undeniably counted  as  such because of ten  characteristics:  be­ cause of gradual  deepening  of accomplishment of vows, in  the stage of Joy; because of not lodging the corpse of bad conduct, in  the  stage  of Purity; because of relinquishment of worldly designations, in the stage

 

of Refulgence;  because  of the  uniform  flavor of unbreakable pure  faith in Buddha, in the stage of Blazing;  because of innumerably many valu­ able accomplishments of works in the world by higher knowledge and expedient means, in the stage Difficult to Conquer; because of the hard­ to-fathom  profundity  of examination  of interdependent  origination,  in the stage of Presence; because of immeasurable vastness of skill in dis­ cernment, in the stage of Far-Going;  because  of being  the  abode  of colossal displays of production of supernal manifestations, in the stage of Immovability;  because of accurate comprehension of profound   liberation and worldly actions without going  over  the boundary, in  the  stage  of Good Mind; because of receiving the water of the great clouds of revela­ tions of teachings of all buddhas without being sated, in the  stage  of Cloud of Teaching.

When a great jewel, surpassing the ten classes ofjewels, is picked up, fired by a skillful craftsman, well rounded, purified, well polished, skill­ fully pierced, strung on a precious thread, mounted above a banner on a jewel pole, emanates all kinds of light and becomes recognized by a king, then it serves as a basis for the gathering of all precious things by all beings. In the same way, when enlightening beings' determination for omniscience, surpassing the ten religious groups, is aroused, fired by austerity, frugality, discipline, and training, well rounded by meditation and concentrat'ion and absorption, purified by the practices of the Path, polished by expedient means and higher knowledge, pierced by inter­ dependent   origination,   strung on the variegated precious thread   of means and wisdom, mounted atop a banner on a great jewel  pole of spiritual power, emanates the light ofknowledge of observation of the conduct of living beings,  and arrives at coronation with enlightened knowledge by the Buddha; then it becomes a basis for all beings' collection of the jewels of all Buddha works.

Furthermore, this book  on the way into the teaching of assembly of the practices of enlightening beings and accumulation of the qualities of omniscience cannot be heard by those who have not planted roots of goodness.

The enlightening being Moon  of Liberation said,  "With  how  much virtue do they become imbued who hear the book on the way into the teaching of accumulation of the qualities of omniscience?"

The enlightening being Diamond Matrix said,  "As much  as  derives from omniscience,   that much would the quantity  of virtue be,   owing to the objective embraced by the determination for omniscience. As much virtue as accrues from the objective embraced by determination for omniscience, that much virtue would be attained by turning  to  this teaching.  Why?  None but enlightening beings can hear this book on the way into the teaching of accumulation of the qualities of omniscience, or devote themselves to it, or  take to  it,  or take it  up,  or hold  it,  or  preserve it, much less cultivate it, act on it, apply it, foster it, or attain it. Thus it is those who follow the way to omniscience that can preserve it, those who

 

hear this book  on the way to accumulate the qualities of omniscience, and, having heard it, devote themselves to it, preserve it, and apply it in practice. "

Then, by the spiritual power of Buddha, and as a result of the natural order, the worlds of the ten directions,  as many worlds as atoms in a hundred million buddha-lands, quaked in six ways, with eighteen char­ acteristics- they trembled,  trembled intensely,   trembled   everywhere intensely, shook, shook intensely, shook everywhere intensely, quaked, quaked intensely, quaked everywhere intensely, resounded, resounded intensely, resounded   everywhere   intensely,   stirred,   stirred   intensely, stirred everywhere intensely,   roared,   roared   intensely,   roared   every­ where intensely. By the power of Buddha,  and by the natural order, celestial clouds of flowers and garlands, robes, parasols, jewels,  orna­ ments, banners, and pennants showered.  Also magnificent high celestial clouds of solar orb jewels rained, and magniflcent high clouds of musical jewels and clouds of pure gold orbs showered, and celestial music and singing was heard. Also clouds of songs of praise of the stage of omni­ science, surpassing the celestials, were heard.

As in this world, in  the heaven of control of others'  emanations, in the

palace of the chief god,  on the jewel mine seat this teaching was spoken, so it was also throughout all worlds in the ten directions.  By the power of Buddha,  and by the natural order, from the ten directions,   from beyond as many worlds as atoms in a hundred million buddha-lands, there came and assembled as many enlightening beings  as atoms in a hundred million buddha-lands; having arrived,  pervading the ten direc­ tions, they said, "It is very good, Offspring of Buddha, how well you express the true nature of enlightening beings.  We also have the same name, Diamond Matrix, and have come here from worlds  called Dia­ mond Splendor,  from the presence of buddhas  called Diamond Banner; in all of those worlds this teaching is also carried on, by the empower­ ment of the buddhas, in assemblies like this, with the same phrasing and expression   driving   at the same meaning,   with   no   decrease or increase. We have come here as your witnesses by the power of the buddhas. Just as we have arrived in this world,  so have we arrived at the jewel mine throne in the palace of the god king in the heaven of control of others' emanations in the four continents of each and every world in the ten directions."

Then  the  enlightening  being  Diamond Matrix, having looked over the ten directions and the congregations everywhere, observing the cosmos,   by way of praising   the determination for omniscience, revealing the sphere of enlightening beings, purifying the power of practice, ex­ pounding  the  absorption  of  omniscience,  removing  all  the  defilements of the world, presenting omniscient knowledge, showing the crest of inconceivable knowledge, and revealing the qualities  of  enlightening beings, spoke these verses by the power of Buddha,  describing the mean­ ing of the stages:

 

Listen to the excellent practices of enlightening beings,

Who practice calmness and self-control, are tranquil and peaceful in mind,

Who are like the sky, similar to space,

Who have shed all defilement and abide in knowledge of the Way.

 

Having cultivated   good   for  countless  eons And served hundreds of thousands of buddhas And honored many self-conquerors and saints,

The will for enlightenment is born for the good of the world.

 

Born is the will for enlightenment, equal to the Enlightened,

In those refined by discipline and austerity, who have reached ultimate patience,

Who act with modesty and dignity, born of virtue and knowledge,

Who  are broad-minded and intent on enlightened knowledge.

 

To honor all the buddhas of past, present, and future, Purify all lands throughout space,

Truly comprehend all truths and liberate beings, The will for enlightenment is born.

 

To do good for all is the will for enlightenment born In the joyful and benevolent who   practice giving, Who are always determined to benefit all beings,

Who apply the virtues of buddhas and pledge to protect the living.

 

Born is the will for enlightenment, for the weal of all beings, In those divorced from evil, whose conduct is pure,

Who practice self-control, whose senses are calm and cool,

Who have taken refuge in Buddha, intent on enlightening practice.

 

Born is the will for  enlightenment, for the benefit of all,

In those who practice good, vessels of patience and coolness,

Who know the flavor of virtue, have abandoned arrogance and insolence,

With minds detached and pure, calm and cool.

 

Initiating pure action, enduring with firmness and vigor, Human lions striving  for the welfare of all people, Having conquered afflictions by persistence in virtue,

In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born.

 

With well-concentrated minds, the darkness of delusion dissolved, Arrogance gone, they have abandoned defiled paths;

Enjoying the bliss of peace, they have given up attachments to routine life-

In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born.

 

With minds clear as the sky, with knowledge, abstract and applied,

Having killed the demons, dropped afflictions and conceit, Abiding in the refuge of Buddha,  finding the  truth, their desire, In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born.

 

Firm in means and intelligence to achieve liberation from the realms of being,

Endowed with technique, science, and spiritual power to escape the force of evil,

Seeking the qualities of buddhas, desirous of virtue,

In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born.

 

Wishing all beings well, having fulfilled the provisions for enlightenment,

With determined minds, they do even what may be difficult, Enlightening beings never giving up their intent to  do  good; In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born.

 

Thus they should carry out enlightenment practices of multifold virtues;

Vowing to follow Buddha's  footsteps, they should attain truth and spiritual power;

Having purified the three realms of being, they should attain the will for enlightenment;

Having purified the three refuges, they should become enlightening beings.

 

This will be reiterated in sum, so listen;

When the will for enlightenment is attained, those who practice gtvmg

Then, having reached Extreme Joy, will  become lords of the land.

 

There,  protecting  beings by  providing what they requ ire,

Having established their own giving, they can get others to de so .

 

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected gtvmg;

By following this principle they will arrive at discipline.

 

Having achieved right conduct, they will become well behaved;

Thence having reached Purity, they will become lords of four continents.

 

Stationed there, protecting beings by stopping evil,

Abiding in their own moral conduct, they can get  others  to  do  so too.

 

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected morality;

By maturation of this practice, they will come to the practice of forbearance.

 

Maintaining the practice of right  forbearance, they will become good bearers of patience;

Thence having reached Refulgence, they will become lords of the thirty-three heavens.

 

There, protecting beings by stopping the courses of afflictions,

Abiding  in their own practice of forbearance, they can   get others to do so too.

 

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected patience;

By maturation of this virtue, they will come to the practice of vigor.

 

Having concentrated right energy, they will become good at maintaining vigor;

Thence having reached Blazing, they will become lords of the heaven of timely portion.

 

There protecting beings by stopping wrong views,

They will establish right insight and foster enlightenment by effort.

 

Stable in their own practice of vigor, they can exhort others as well;

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected vigor.

 

By the results of this virtue they will come to the practice of meditation;

Having conquered all afflictions they will become stabilized in concentration.

 

Having concentrated on right meditation, they will become skilled in concentration;

Thence having reached the Difficult to Conquer, they will become lords of the heaven of the satisfied,

 

There protecting beings by stopping wrong paths,

Having established right teaching and fostered enlightenment by effort.

 

Abiding in their own practice of meditation, they can urge others to do so too;

Having established all in enlightenment, they will have perfected meditation.

 

By the results of this virtue they will come to the practice of wisdom;

Having conquered all demons, they will possess wisdom, higher knowledge, and spiritual power.

 

Having accomplished true wisdom, they will become skilled in mystic knowledge;

Having thence attained Presence, they will become lords of the heaven of pleasant emanations,

 

There protecting beings by stopping conceit,

Having settled them in emptiness and fostered enlightenment diligently.

 

Abiding in their own  practice of wisdom,  they can  induce others to do so too;

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected wisdom.

 

By the results  of this  virtue  they  will  practice  right  means; Having conquered all views, they will be skilled in right teaching.

 

By the exercise of right means they will lead beings into enlightenment;

Thence having reached Far-Going, they will become lords of the heaven of control,

 

There protecting beings by awakening realization,

Enlightening them after having set them in the way of enlightening beings.

 

Abiding in their own skill in means, they will also exhort others;

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected means.

 

By the powers of this virtue they will come to good vows;

Having conquered false views, they will be wise, having attained right insight.

 

Settled in true enlightenment by a rightly resolved mind,

Thence having attained Immovability, they will become Brahma lords of a thousand worlds,

 

There protecting beings by teaching  the Three Vehicles,

Enlightening them by establishing them in comprehension of the world.

 

Abiding by their own vows, they can also induce others;

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected commitment.

 

By the power of this virtue, they will come to the practice of power,

Certain of perfect enlightenment, once all views are conquered.

 

By the combined exertions of right power, they will overcome all those in error;

Thence having attained Good Mind, they will become Great Brahmas, powerful.

 

There they will protect beings by teaching the Buddha Vehicle,

Enlightening them by establishing them in the knowledge of beings' minds.

 

Steadfast in their own power, they can also induce others;

Having settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected power.

 

By the results of this virtue they will come to the practice of knowledge,

Enlightening beings, mines of virtue, having conquered the four demons.

 

Having attained right knowledge, they will be skilled in true teaching;

Having thence reached Cloud of Teaching, they will  become great lords, adept.

 

There they will protect beings by enlightening them in all ways, Enlightening them by establishing them in highest omniscience.

 

Stable in  their own knowledge, they will  also guide others;

When they have settled all in enlightenment, they will have perfected knowledge.

 

By the powers of this virtue, they will be victors, lords of the ten powers,

Imbued with all virtues, omniscient, in the course of nature.

 

Having contemplated this, the noble should practice with concentrated minds,

To attain the state of perfect enlightenment, having fulfilled the ten ways of transcendence.

 

Thus having attained enlightenment and liberation, and conquered the four demons,

Having settled all in enlightenment, you will attain perfect peace.

 

Having heard this and thoroughly known the means and accomplishment of enlightening beings,

You will attain unobstructed enlightenment, the  state of the Felicitous.

 

"This has been a summary exposition of the ten stages of enlightening beings, to be seen in accord with omniscience complete in all aspects."

At that point the billion-world universe quaked in six ways,  all kinds of flowers rained steadily, celestial and human music played, and the intoxicating sound was heard to the very summit of existence.

Then the Buddha said, addressing Moon  of Liberation   and   all   the other enlightening beings, "Good people, this complete  perfect enlight­ enment,   developed over countless eons,   I commend to you,  entrusting it to you, with the ultimate charge that you will yourselves hold this teach­ ing and also fully elucidate it for others.  To  put it succinctly, if the Bud­ dha were to remain alive for an eon expounding the glories of this teach­ ing day and night, neither would the glory of this teaching be ended nor would the eloquence of the Buddha be exhausted. Just as the Buddha's conduct, concentration, wisdom, liberation, knowledge, and vision are measureless and endless, likewise is the case of those who will take   up this teaching, preserve it, recite it, write it down,  cause it to be written down, master it, put it into action,  and fully expound  it in the com­ munity, who will tell it to people faithfully and respectfully with con­ sideration of how these people might attain the lofty teaching,  and get them to reflect on it reasonably,  who will write it down in a book and have it kept, respected, taken seriously, and honored in the home, who

 

will tell the glories of this teaching without envy and speak it so it may be written, told,   recited,   honored,  and   revealed:   their  virtue also  has no end. "

Then the Buddha,  to again make the bequest of this teaching, spoke these verses:

 

If the beings I see by my enlightened vision Were saints equal to Shariputra,

And one should honor them for millions of ages, As many as the sands of the Ganges River;

And if someone honored an individual illuminate Day and night, cheerful,

With the finest   garlands   and such, And thereby created excellent virtue; And if all were individual illuminates, If one honored them diligently

With flowers and incense, food and drink, For many eons,

Still if one made even one bow to one buddha And with   a   pure   mind   declared   obeisance, The virtue would be greater than all that.

 

If all beings were to become buddhas,

And someone would honor them as mentioned before,

With celestial and human flowers of many  kinds for many eons, One who, at the time of the extinction of the true teaching,

Having relinquished body and life, would give this scripture, day and night,

Would be superior in virtue.

 

Whoever wants to honor the buddhas,

Or individual illuminates or Buddhist disciples, Should rouse firm determination for enlightenment And always give this lofty scripture.

 

For this is the king of all good messages; It has emerged from all the buddhas.

The Buddha is in the house

Where this scripture-jewel is placed.

 

Who passes on even one line from this  scripture Will attain pure and endless light;

One who gives this scripture to others

Will not be deprived of a syllable, of a meaning.

 

 

Supreme is that one among guides of humanity; No being can be found like this one;

Having heard and accomplished this teaching, One will be inexhaustible as the ocean.

 

When the Buddha said this, Moon of Liberation and  all  the  enlight­ ening beings, the celestials, the disciples and other people, and the whole assembly were all transported with joy at the Buddha approving what Diamond Matrix said.