The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK THIRTY-THREE

 

33. Inconceivable Qualities of Buddhas

 

 

AT THAT TIME there were in the assembly enlightening beings who were thinking, "How are the buddhas' lands inconceivable? How are the bud­ dhas' original vows inconceivable? How are th e families of buddhas in­ conceivable?  How are the manifestations   of buddhas  inconceivable? How are the bodies of buddhas inconceivable? How are the voices of buddhas inconceivable? How are the knowledge and wisdom ofbuddhas inconceivable? How are the freedoms of buddhas inconceivable? How is the nonobstruction of buddhas inconceivable? How is the liberation of buddhas inconceivable?"

The Buddha, knowing what the enlightening beings were thinking, used the support of spiritual power, the  embrace of knowledge,  the radiance of light, and the fulfillment of occult force to cause the en­ lightening being Blue Lotus Blossom Trove to abide in the nonhesitation of buddhas, enter the reality realm of buddhas, acquire the mystic power and psychic  freedom of buddhas,  attain the unimpeded,  immensely broad insight of buddhas, know the succession of all lineages of buddhas, and abide by the untold means of buddhas' teachings. Thereupon that enlightening being was able to commune with the unobstructed realm of reality, thus was able calmly to sustain pro found practice free from im­ pediments, thus was able to ful fill the great vow of universal good, thus was able to know and perceive all aspects of buddhahood. With great compassion  he observed sentient beings,   wishing to cause them   to be pure and diligent in self-cultivation, to accept and apply all the principles of enlightening beings. In a single mental instant he produced enlightened knowledge  and understood all the inexhaustible  means  of knowledge, his mnemonic command and intellectual powers complete.

By the power of Buddha he said to the enlightening being Lotus Blos­ som Calyx, "The buddhas, World Honored Ones, have innumerable abodes-the abode of eternity, the abode  of great compassion,  the abode of various bodies performing buddha-work, the abode of cquanimously turning the wheel of the pure Teaching, the abode of explaining innu-

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Inconceivab le Qualities of Buddhas

 

merable principles by means of analytic knowledge, the abode of the inconceivable qualities of all buddhas, the abode of the sound of purity pervading  infinite lands, the abode of the inexpressibly  profound realm of reality,  the  abode of manifesting  all  supreme spiritual  powers-and are able to reveal the ultimate truth that has no barrier.

"The buddhas have ten things that pervade the infinite cosmos.  What are these ten? All buddhas have unbounded bodies,  with  pure forms, entering into all states of being without defilement or attachment.  All buddhas have unbounded, unobstructed  eyes that can clearly see all things. All buddhas have unbounded,  unobstructed ears that can under­ stand all sounds and utterances. All buddhas  have  unbounded,  unob­ structed noses that can reach the other shore of freedom of the buddhas. All buddhas have universal tongues that utter sublime sounds pervading the cosmos. All buddhas have unbounded bodies that appear to sentient beings in accord with their minds.  All buddhas have unbounded minds that dwell on the unobstructed impartial body of reality.  All buddhas have unbounded,  unobstructed liberation,   manifesting   inexhaustible great spiritual powers. All buddhas have unbounded pure worlds, mani­ festing buddha-lands according   to   the   pleasures   of sentient   beings, replete with infinite adornments,  yet without giving  rise to any obses­ sion or attachment to them. All buddhas have unbounded practical un­ dertakings of enlightening beings, having complete knowledge, spiritual freedom, and ability to master all elements ofbuddhahood. These are the ten phenomena ofbuddhahood that pervade the cosmos without bound, which are in  the perfectly enlightened ones.

"The buddhas have ten kinds  of instantly creative knowledge.  What are these ten? All buddhas can, in a single instant, appear to descend from heaven in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest birth as enlightening  beings in infinite worlds.  All buddhas can, in a single instant,  manifest renunciation of the mundane  and study  of the way to liberation in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest attainment of true enlightenment under enlightenment trees in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest turning the wheel of the Teaching in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest education of sentient beings and service of the en­ lightened in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest untold variety of buddha-bodies in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, manifest all kinds of adornments in infinite worlds, innu­ merable adornments,  the freedoms of the enlightened,  and the treasury of omniscience. All buddhas can, in a single instant,  manifest countless pure beings in infinite worlds. All buddhas can, in a single instant, mani­ fest the buddhas of past, present,  and future in infinite worlds,  with various faculties and characters, various energies, and various practical understandings, attaining true enlightenment in the past, present, and future.

"The buddhas have ten kinds of proper timing.  What are these ten?

 

All buddhas develop and mature those with affinity at the appropriate time. All buddhas  give enlightening  beings  instructions  for the future at the proper time. All buddhas show spiritual powers in accord  with sentient beings' minds at the proper time. All buddhas show buddha­ bodies in accord with sentient beings' understandings at the proper time. All buddhas persist in great relinquishment at the proper time. All bud­ dhas go into inhabited places at the appropriate time. All buddhas receive the pure and faith ful at the proper time. All buddhas tame evil sentient beings at the appropriate  time. All buddhas reveal the inconceivable occult powers of the enlightened at the proper time.

"The buddhas have ten peerless inconceivable realms. What are they?

All buddhas, once sitting,  pervade infinite worlds in the ten directions. All buddhas, uttering one logical statement, can express all Buddha teachings. All buddhas, emanating one light, can illumine all worlds. All buddhas, in one body, can manifest all bodies. All buddhas can show all worlds in one place. All buddhas can ascertain all things within one knowledge without any impediment. All buddhas  can travel to all worlds in the ten directions in a single moment of thought.  All buddhas can manifest the infinite spiritual powers of the enlightened in a single instant. All buddhas can focus on all the buddhas  and sentient beings of past,  present,  and future in a single instant without confusion of mind. All buddhas are in one instant essentially the same as all buddhas of past, future, and present.

"The buddhas can produce ten kinds of knowledge.  What are they? All buddhas know all things have no aim, yet they can produce knowl­ edge of dedicated undertaking. All buddhas know  all things have  no body,  yet they can produce knowledge of pure bodies. All buddhas know all things are fundamentally nondual, yet they can produce knowledge capable of awareness and understanding.  All buddhas know  all things have no self and no being, yet they can produce knowledge to civilize beings. All buddhas know all things fundamentally have no marks,  yet they can produce knowledge of all marks. All buddhas know all worlds have no becoming or decay, yet they can produce knowledge of becom­ ing and decay. All buddhas know all things have no creation, yet they can produce knowledge of the effects of action. All buddhas know all things have no verbal explanation , yet they can produce knowledge of verbal explanation. All buddhas know all things have no defilement or purity, yet they can produce  knowledge of defilement and purity.  All buddhas know all things have no birth or extinction,  yet they can p ro­ duce knowledge of birth and extinction.

"The buddhas have ten kinds of ways of entry into universality.  What are they? All buddhas have immaculate bodies that penetrate past, pre­ sent, and future . All buddhas are endowed with three kinds of mastery­ of diagnosis,  prescription,  and occult powers-by  which they edify beings everywhere. All  buddhas  are endowed with mnemonic  powers able to receive and hold all Buddha teachings. All buddhas are endowed

 

with four special knowledges-of principles, meanings, expressions, and elocution-and operate all cycles of pure teaching everywhere. All bud­ dhas have impartial great compassion and never abandon all sentient beings. All buddhas have profound meditation concentration and always observe all sentient beings everywhere.  All buddhas have roots of good­ ness beneficial to others, and civilize sentient beings unceasingly. All buddhas have unobstructed minds, able to abide calmly in all universes. All  buddhas have  unimpeded spiritual powers  and are able to manifest the buddhas of past, present, and future in one instant. All buddhas have unobstructed intellect, in a single instant defining sets of ages of past, present, and future.

"Buddhas have ten great qualities that are hard to believe in. What are they? All buddhas can destroy all demons. All buddhas can overcome all false teachers. All buddhas can tame all sentient beings and make them all happy. All buddhas can go to all worlds and guide the myriad types  of beings there. All buddhas can knowingly experience the most  profound realm of reality. All buddhas can, by means of a nondual body, manifest various bodies, filling the world. All buddhas can, with pure voices, pro­ duce the special knowledges of principle, meaning, expression, and elo­ cution, and expound truths endlessly,  to the unfailing benefit of those who accept. All buddhas can manifest buddhas as numerous  as atoms in all worlds in a single pore, without end. All buddhas  can manifest in a single atom as many lands as atoms in all worlds, replete with all kinds of fine adornments, and continuously  turn the wheel of the sublime Teach­ ing therein for the edification of sentient beings-yet the atom is not enlarged and the worlds are not small; they always abide in the realm of reality by realizational knowledge.  All buddhas  arrive at the pure realm of reality, shatter the darkness of ignorance of the world by means of the light of knowledge, cause all to gain understanding of the Buddha teach­ ings, follow the enlightened, and dwell in the ten powers.

"The buddhas have ten kinds of great virtue that are impeccably pure.

What are they? All buddhas are endowed with great spiritual power, impeccably pure. All buddhas are born in the families of the enlightened ones of past, present, and future, of people harmonious and good, im­ peccably pure. All buddhas' minds are free from obsession forever, impeccably  pure.   All buddhas are free from   attachment to   anything in the past, present, or future, impeccably pure. All buddhas know all kinds of natures are one nature, coming from nowhere, i mpeccably pure. All buddhas' virtues, past, present, and future, are inexhaustible, equal to the cosmos, impeccably pure. All buddhas'  boundless physical forms per­ vade all lands of the ten directions, teaching all sentient beings at the appropriate times, with impeccable purity. All buddhas acquire the four­ fold fearlessness, are freed from all fears, and roar the great lion 's roar among the masses, clearly discerning all things, impeccably pure. All the buddhas enter final nirvana in untold ages, and when sentient beings hear their names they gain immeasurable benefit, same as if the buddhas were

 

presently existing, impeccably pure. All buddhas, though in untold dis­ tant worlds,  can be seen by sentient beings who correctly meditate on them single-mindedly, impeccably pure.

"The buddhas have ten kinds of ultimate purity. What are they? All buddhas' past great vows are ultimately pure. The religious conduct maintained by all buddhas is ultimately pure. All buddhas' separation from the confusions of worldly beings is ultimately pure.  All buddhas' adorned lands are ultimately pure.  All buddhas'  followings are ulti­ mately pure. All buddhas' families are ultimately pure. All buddhas' physical characteristics and refinements are ultimately pure. The non­ defilement of the reality-body of all buddhas is ultimately  pure.  All buddhas' omniscient knowledge,  without  obstruction,  is ultimately pure. All buddhas' liberation,  freedom, accomplishment of their tasks, and arrival at completion are ultimately pure.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of buddha-work in all worlds in all times. What are they? If there are sentient beings who think of them single­ mindedly, the buddhas appear before them. If there are sentient beings whose minds arc unruly, they explain the Teaching to them. If there are sentient beings able to develop pure faith , they will surely cause them to acquire immeasurable roots of goodness.  If there are sentient beings able to enter the ranks of truth, they will appear to testify to it, so that they know all . They teach and influence sentient beings tirelessly. They travel to all buddha-lands, coming and going without impediment. With great compassion they do not abandon sentient beings. They manifest trans­ figured emanation bodies, continuing forever. Their exercise of spiritual powers is ceaseless. They abide in the cosmos of reality, able to observe everywhere.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of virtues of inexhaustible oceans of knowl­ edge. What are  they?  The  virtue  of the inexhaustible ocean  of knowl­ edge of the boundless body of reality of all buddhas; the virtue of the inexhaustible ocean of knowledge of the infinite buddha-works of all buddhas; the  virtue  of  the  inexhaustible  ocean of  knowledge  of  the sphere of the enlightened eye of all buddhas;  the virtue of the inexhaus­ tible ocean of knowledge of the infinite, inconceivable roots of goodness of all buddhas; the virtue of the inexhaustible ocean of knowledge of all buddhas showering all l iberating teachings everywhere; the virtue of the inexhaustible ocean of knowledge  of all buddhas  extolling  the qualities of enlightenment;  the  virtue  of the  inexhaustible ocean  of knowledge of the various undertakings and practices carried  out  by  all  buddhas in the past; the virtue of the inexhaustible  ocean  of knowledge  of the eternal performance of buddha-work by all buddhas; the virtue of the inexhaustible ocean of knowledge of all buddhas comprehending the mental patterns of all sentient beings; the  virtue  of the  inexhaustible ocean of knowledge of the unsurpassable adornments of virtue and knowledge of all buddhas.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of eternal law. What are they? All buddhas

 

always carry out all the transcendent ways. All buddhas are always free from confusion in regard to all things. All buddhas always have univer­ sal  compassion.  All  buddhas  always  have  the  ten  powers.  All  buddhas always turn the wheel of the Teaching. All buddhas always demonstrate the accomplishment of true awakening for the benefit of sentient beings. All buddhas always gladly lead all sentient beings. All buddhas always correctly remember the truth of nonduality. All buddhas,  after having caught sentient beings, always show entry into nirvana  without  re­ mainder, because the realm of the buddhas has no bounds.

"Buddhas have ten kinds  of exposition  of the innumerable facets of the Teaching of the buddhas. What are they? All buddhas expound in­ numerable facets of the realms of sentient beings. All buddhas expound innumerable facets of the activities of sentient beings.  All buddhas expound innumerable facets of effects of acts of sentient beings. All bud­ dhas expound innumerable facets of teaching sentient beings. All buddhas expound innumerable facets of purifying sentient beings. All buddhas expound innumerable  facets of vows of enlightening  beings.  All bud­ dhas expound innumerable  facets of practices  of enlightening  beings. All buddhas expound innumerable facets of the ages of becoming and decay of all worlds. All buddhas expound innumerable facets of en­ lightening beings devotedly puri fying buddha-lands.  All buddhas expound  innumerable  facets of the successive emergence  in   each   age of the past, present, and future buddhas in innumerable worlds.  All buddhas expound the ways of knowledge of all buddhas.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of performance of buddha-work for sentient beings. What are they? All buddhas manifest physical forms to do buddha-work  for sentient beings.  All  buddhas  make subtle   utterances to do buddha-work  for sentient beings.  All   buddhas  accept   things  to do buddha-work for sentient beings. All buddhas accept nothing to do buddha-work for sentient beings. All buddhas do buddha-work for sen­ tient beings by means of earth, water, fire, and air. All buddhas magically show all realms of objects to da buddha-work for sentient beings.  All buddhas do buddha-work for sentient beings by various  names  and epithets.  All buddhas  do buddha-work for sentient beings by means of the realms of objects of buddha-lands. All buddhas adorn and purify buddha-lands to do buddha-work for sentient beings. All buddhas do buddha-work for sentient beings silently, without words.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of supreme qualities. What are they? All buddhas' great vows are firm and steadfast and cannot be broken;  they do what they say without fail, and there is no duplicity in their words. All buddhas tirelessly practice the deeds of enlightening beings through­ out all future ages,   in order to perfect and  fulfill all virtues.   All bud­ dhas will go to untold worlds in order to guide a single sentient being, and do the same for all sentient beings, endlessly. All buddhas universally regard both faithful and scornful beings with great compassion, impar­ tially, without any discrimination. All buddhas, from their initial aspira-

 

tion to their attainment of buddhahood, never lose the determination for perfect enlightenment. All buddhas  accumulate  immeasurable  virtues and dedicate them all to omniscience, with never any attachment to the world or its creatures. All buddhas learn physical, verbal, and mental practices from buddhas, only  carrying out buddha-practice,  not the practice of the vehicles of individual liberation, all to be dedicated to omniscience, to attain unexcelled true enlightenment.  All buddhas emanate great light, that light impartially illumining all places, and illu­ minating all the buddhas' teachings, enabling enlightening beings' minds to become purified and to fulfill universal knowledge. All buddhas give up worldly pleasures, without craving or attachment, and wish that all worldlings would be free from suffering and attain bliss,  and have no false ideas. All buddhas, out of compassion for sentient beings, undergo all kinds of hardship, preserving the seed of buddhahood,  course in the sphere of buddhahood,  leave birth and death,   and arrive at the stage of the ten powers.

"Buddhas remain unhindered in ten ways.  What are they? All bud­ dhas can travel to all worlds,  remaining  unhindered. All buddhas can walk, stand, sit, and recline in all worlds, remaining unhindered. All buddhas  can abide in all worlds,  remaining unhindered.  All buddhas can expound  the truth in all worlds, remaining unhindered.  All bud­ dhas can abide in the heaven of contentment in all worlds, remaining unhindered. All buddhas are able to enter all the pasts, presents, and futures of the cosmos,  remaining unhindered.  All  buddhas  are able to sit at all enlightenment sites in the cosmos, remaining unhindered. All buddhas are able to observe the mental patterns of all sentient beings in each moment of thought, and use their powers of diagnosis, prescrip­ tion, and occult effects to teach and tune them,  remaining unhindered. All buddhas  are able to sojourn at the places of innumerable buddhas with one body, and in all places, benefiting living beings, remaining unhindered. All buddhas are able to expound true teachings spoken by infinite buddhas, remaining unhindered.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of supreme adornment. What are they? A ll buddhas  have  all the marks  and refinements of greatness-this  is the first, buddhas'  supreme physical  adornment. All buddhas have  sixty kinds of vocal sound,  each with five hundred  elements,  each element with countless hundreds  of thousands  of pure,  clear tones adorning  it, and they are able, in the midst of all groups in the cosmos, without any qualms  or fears, to roar the great lion's  roar,  expounding the meaning of the extremely profound teaching of the enlightened,  so that all who hear are delighted and are edified according to their faculties and inclina­ tions-this is the second, buddhas' supreme adornment of speech . All buddhas are endowed with the ten powers, the great concentrations, and the eighteen unique qualities, adorning their mental activity;  in their sphere of operation, they comprehend and master all enlightening  prin­ ciples without obstruction, and all attain the adornments of the all-

 

inclusive cosmos of reality as their adornment; they are able to clearly perceive in a single instant the mental patterns, past, present, and future, each different, of the beings of the cosmos-this is the third, the supreme mental adorn ment ofbuddhas. All buddhas are able to emanate countless beams of light, each beam of light accompanied by untold webs of light, illumining all buddha-lands, destroying the darkness in all worlds, re­ vealing the emergence of innumerable buddhas, their bodies equal, all pure,  their buddha-works all effective,  able to cause sentient beings to reach nonregression-this  is   the   fourth ,   buddhas'  supreme  adornment of light.  When the buddhas smile, zillions of rays of light  radiate from their  faces,  each  light having innumerable, inconceivably many hues of all kinds, lighting up all the worlds in the ten directions; among the masses they utter truthful words, giving innumerable, countless, incon­ ceivably many sentient beings directions for supreme complete perfect enlightenment-this  is the fifth, buddhas' supreme adornment of a smile, free from the delusion and confusion of the world. All buddhas have the reality-body, pure, unobstructed, with ultimate comprehension of all truths, abiding  in the cosmos  of reality,  without bounds,  though  being in the world, not getting mixed up in the world, understanding the true nature of the world, acting on  transmundane  principles,  beyond  the power  of speech,  transcending  the  realms  of matter  and  sense-this  is the sixth , the buddhas' supreme adornment of the reality-body. All bud­ dhas have infinite constant subtle lights with untold colors of all kinds adorning them, forming a treasury  of light  producing infinite  orbs of light illuminating the ten directions without  obstruction-this  is  the seventh , buddhas' supreme adornment of constant subtle light. All buddhas have boundless sublime forms, delightful sublime forms, pure sublime forms, sublime forms that appear in accordance with the mind, forms that outshine all in the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, unexcelled sublime forms arriving at the other shore-this is the eighth, buddhas' supreme adornment of sublime forms.  All buddhas are  born in the family of the buddhas of past, present, and future, accumulate myriad treasures of virtue, ultimately pure, without fault, impeccable, being adorned by the most pure, refined acts among all things, fully accomplishing  total  knowledge  and  character  beyond  reproach-this is the ninth, buddhas' supreme adornment of human character. All bud­ dhas array themselves with the power  of g reat compassion,  ultimately pure, without any cravings, their physical actions forever at rest, their minds well liberated, so that none tire of seeing them, saving all worldly beings, the foremost fields of blessing, the most worthy recipients, mer­ cifully helping all sentient  beings  to  develop  stores  of unlimited virtue and knowledge-this is the tenth, buddhas' supreme adornment of the qualities of great kindness and compassion.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of mastery.  What are they? All  buddhas have command of all the teachings,  clearly comprehend  all kinds  of bodies of expression and nuance, and explain all things with unhindered

 

intellect-this is the first mastery of buddhas. All buddhas  teach sentient beings without ever missing the appropriate timing, endlessly explaining the right teaching to them in  accord  with  their  states  of  mind, causing them all to become receptive to truth-this is the second mastery of buddhas. All buddhas are able to cause all worlds throughout space, arrayed in countless different ways, to quake in six ways, causing those worlds to rise or fall, to expand or  contract, to combine  or  dissolve, without ever harming a single living being, the creatures in those  worlds being unaware, not  cognizant  of this  happening,  not  even  suspecting  it­ this is the third mastery of buddhas. All buddhas are able to beautify and purify all worlds by means of spiritual powers,  in the space of an instant m anifesting the adornments of all worlds, these adornments beyond recounting even in countless  eons, all free  from  defilement, incompa­ rably pure; all the adornments and purities of all buddha-fields they cause to  equally  enter  one  field-this  is  the  fourth  mastery  of buddhas.  All buddhas, seeing a single sentient being capable of being taught,  extend their lives indefinitely for that being, sitting without fatigue of body  or mind, concentrating single-mindedly on that being, without ever be­ coming heedless or forgetful, guiding that being by appropriate means, with appropriate timing, and also do the same for all living  beings  as they do for one-this  is  the fifth  mastery  of buddhas.  All  buddhas  can go to all worlds, to the realms of action of all  enlightened ones, without ever leaving behind any phenomenal realms, the ten directions each dif­ ferent, there being in each direction incalculable  oceans of worlds,  there being in each ocean of worlds incalculable world systems; by spiritual powers buddhas  reach all of them in a single instant, and turn the wheel of  the unobstructed pure  Teaching-this  is the sixth mastery  of  bud­ dhas. All buddhas, in order to civilize all sentient beings, attain unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment  in  each  mental  instant,  yet  in  regard  to all elements of buddhahood,  they  have  not  already  cognized  them,  do not cognize them, and are not yet to cognize them, and also do not dwell in the stage of learning, yet they know them all, see them all, mastering them without  hindrance; with  immeasurable  knowledge and freedom they teach and tame all sentient beings-this is  buddhas'  seventh  mas­ tery. All buddhas can  do  the  buddha-work  of the  ears  with  their  eyes, can do the buddha-wo rk of the nose with the ears, can do  the buddha­ work of the tongue with the nose, can do  the  buddha-work of the  body with the  tongue,  can  do  the  buddha-work  of the  mind  with the  body, and with the mind can sojourn in all kinds of realms, mundane and tran­ scendental, in all worlds, able to perform immeasurable great buddha­ works in each realm-this is buddhas' eighth mastery. All buddhas can contain all sentient beings in each pore of their bodies, each sentient being's body equal to untold buddha-lands,  yet  there  is  no  crowding; each sentient being can pass countless worlds  with every step  and go  on for countless eons, seeing all the buddhas emerging in the world  and edifying beings, turning the wheel of the pure Teaching, showing untold

 

phenomena of past, future, and present, the embodiments  of sentient beings in various realms of existence throughout  space,  their comings and goings and deportment, their needs all fully supplied,  yet without any obstruction therein-this is buddhas'  ninth mastery.  All buddhas,  in the space of an instant, manifest as many buddhas as atoms in all worlds, each buddha attaining enlightenment in all universes, sitting on a lotus lion throne in a world of vast arrays of exquisite lotus blossoms, showing the miraculous powers of buddhas, and as in the world of vast arrays of exquisite lotus blossoms, so in untold worlds in all universes, variously arrayed, with various realms of objects, various shapes and forms, various manifestations , various numbers of ages, and as in one instant so in each instant of immeasurable, boundless,  incalculable eons, all appearing  in one instant, with infinite abodes in one instant,  yet without using the slightest power of expedient means-this is buddhas' tenth mastery.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of measureless, inconceivable ways of fulfill­ ment of buddhahood.  What are they? The pure features of all buddhas each contain a hundred blessings. All buddhas accomplish all Buddha teachings. All buddhas perfect all roots of goodness. All buddhas perfect all virtuous qualities. All buddhas can teach all sentient beings. All bud­ dhas can be leaders of sentient beings. All buddhas perfect pure buddha­ lands. All buddhas achieve omniscient knowledge. All buddhas develop the physical marks and refinements of greatness; all who see them bene­ fit, this effort is not in vain. All buddhas are imbued with the impartial reality of enlightened ones. All buddhas, after having done their buddha­ work, manifest entry into nirvana.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of skill in means. What are they? All bud­

dhas know all things are beyond  idle philosophizing,  yet can demon­ strate the roots of goodness of all buddhas. All buddhas know all things have no vision and are unknown to each other, have  no bondage  or release, no reception or assembly, and no consummation, and indepen­ dently ultimately reach the other shore; meanwhile they know the true reality of all things is unvarying, not different, and they attain freedom, selflessly, without grasping, not destroying ultimate truth; having already reached the state of great freedom, they always observe all realms of reality.  All buddhas are forever aloof from all appearances; their minds do not dwell on anything, yet they know all appearances without con­ fusion or error; while they know all appearances have no intrinsic nature of their own, yet they are able to perceive them all in accord with their essence and also manifest the infinite appearances of the various adorn­ ments of innumerable physical bodies and pure buddha-lands,  gather lamps of knowledge and wisdom, and destroy the delusions of sentient beings. All buddhas abide in the realm of reality; they do not dwell in the past, future, or present, because in Thusness as such there are no marks of the three time frames of past, future, or present; yet they can speak about the emergence in the world of the innumerable buddhas  of past,  future, and present, causing those who hear to see the realms of all the buddhas.

 

All buddhas, in their physical, verbal, and mental actions, do not create anything, have no coming or going,  and no abiding;  beyond all cate­ gories, they reach the other shore of all things,  yet are treasuries of all truths, imbued with immeasurable  knowledge,  comprehending  all kinds of mundane and transmundane things, their knowledge and wisdom unhindered, manifesting immeasurable autonomous spiritual powers, edifying the sentient beings  of all realms.  All buddhas know  that all things cannot be seen, are neither one nor different, are neither finite nor infinite, are not  coming or going,  all being without inherent  nature of their own, yet they do not contravene the phenomena of the world; the all-knowers   see   all   things   in   the   midst   of nonexistence   of own-being or inherent nature; being independent of things, they extensively explain things while always abiding steadily in the real nature of True Thusness. All  buddhas  know  all times in one time;   endowed with   pure virtues, they enter the absolute state,   yet without any attachment  to it;   in regard to time frames such as day, month, year,  eon, becoming,  and decompo­ sition, they neither remain within them nor  abandon  them,  yet they are able to show day  or night, beginning,  middle, and end, one day, one week, a fortnight, a month, a year, a century, an eon, many eons, incon­ ceivable eons, inexpressible eons, as far as all the eons throughout  the future, always turning the wheel  of the sublime Teaching for the sake of sentient beings,   without interruption,   without   retreating,   without   pause. All buddhas always remain in the realm of reality, develop the infinite fearlessness of the buddhas, as well as their countless, measureless, in­ exhaustible, ceaseless, boundless, unique, endless, and true intellectual powers, appropriately demonstrating explanation of all expressions and explanation  of all principles, delivering   untold   millions   of discourses using various doctrines adapted to faculties and natures, inclinations and understandings, all ultimately good  in the beginning,  the middle,  and the end.  All buddhas, abiding in the pure realm of reality,  know  all things originally  have no names,  there being no name  of past,  present, or future, no name of sentient beings, no  name  of inanimate  beings, no name of country or land, no name of noncountry, no name of law or nonlaw, no name  of virtue or nonvirtue, no name  of  enlightening being, no name of Buddha, no names of sets, no names  of nonsets,  no name of birth, no name of extinction, no name of existence, no name of nonexistence, no name of unity, no name of variety, because the essential nature of things is inexpressible-all things are without location  or posi­ tion, cannot be explained as assembling or dispersing, as one or as many, no verbalization can reach them,  all words fail;   though   the  buddhas speak in various ways according to conventional usage,  they do not cling to anything as mental objects , do not make anything up,   and avoid all false conceptual attachments: in this way they ultimately reach the other shore. All buddhas know the fundamental nature of all things is null: because it has no birth, it is not form; because it has no manifestation it is not sensation; because it has no names or categories it is not conception;

 

because it has no action it is not conditioning; because it has no grasping it is not consciousness; because it has no access it is not sense mediums; because it apprehends nothing it is not sense elements-yet it does not destroy things, because the original nature has no origination,  is like space. All phenomena are empty and quiescent; there is no action or effect, no cultivation, no accomplishment,  no production.  They are not in sets, yet not out of order; not existent or nonexistent; not born or annihilated, not  defiled or pure;  not entering or existing; not abiding, not transitory; not edifying, not  unedifying; not beings,  not not  beings; not living, not lifeless; not caused, not  causeless. While  knowing  this, the buddhas know all sentient beings, whether they are rightly stabilized, wrongly stabilized, or not stabilized, and teach them the subtle truth to enable them to reach the other shore, attain the ten powers and four fear­ lessnesses, be able to roar the lion's roar, be imbued with universal knowledge, and abide in the realm of buddhahood.  These are the ten kinds of skill in means achieved by buddhas.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of great buddha-work, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable, unknowable to all celestial and human world­ lings, unknowable even to the past, future, and present Buddhist disciples

and self-enlightened ones, except by the spiritual power of the buddhas. What are they? All buddhas appear to be born in the heavens of content­ ment in all worlds throughout the cosmos, carry out enlightening prac­ tices, and perform great buddha-works in the spheres   of operation   of infinite forms, infinite powers,  infinite lights,  infinite sounds,  infinite verbal expressions, infinite concentrations,   and   infinite   knowledge, taking in all humans, celestials, demons, monks, priests, titans, and so on, their great kindness uninhibited, their great compassion ultimate, impar­ tially aiding and benefiting all living beings, enabling them to be born in heaven or in the human realm, or purifying their senses, or tuning their minds, sometimes explaining three   different   vehicles   of salvation  for them, sometimes explaining the complete, full unitary vehicle for them, saving and liberating all,  enabling them to get out of birth and death­ this is the first great buddha-work.

"All buddhas descend spiritually from the heaven of contentment into the mother's  womb; by   means   of ultimate   concentration   they   observe the phenomenon of taking on life as like an illusion, like a phantom, like a reflection, like space, like a mirage, and they take on life however they wish, without bound, without hindrance. Entering the state of noncon­ tention, they develop knowledge without attachment;  free from desire, clear and   pure,   they develop a vast treasury of wondrous adornments, take on their final embodiment,  live in a   great jewel-adorned mansion and perform buddha-work. They may  do buddha-work  by spiritual powers, or by right recollection, or by showing  miracles, or by mani­ festing the sun of knowledge, or by revealing the enormous spheres of buddhahood, or by showing the immeasurable lights of the buddhas, or by entering countless great concentrations, or by manifesting emergence

 

from concentration. The buddhas, at that time, in the mother's womb, wishing to benefit all worldlings, show all kinds of appearances to do buddha-work . They may appear to be born, or appear as children,  or appear as princes, or appear as leaving home, or they may show the appearance of atttaining true enlightenment, or show the appearance of turning the wheel of the Teaching,  or show the appearance  of entering final extinction. In this way all of them, by various means, perform buddha-work in all regions, all networks, all circles, all systems, in all worlds.  This is the second great buddha-work.

"All good works of all buddhas are already pure, and their knowledge of all life is clear and immaculate: so by birth they lead and guide the deluded, causing them to open up in understanding  and practice  all that is good . For the sake of sentient beings they appear to be born in a royal palace. All buddhas have already abandoned all materialistic desires for palaces and pleasure; they have  no craving  or obsession,  and always reflect upon the emptiness and essencelessness of all existents, that all comforts and delights are not truly real. Keeping the pure precepts of buddhas, ultimately fulfilling them, observing the palace ladies and attendants, they develop great compassion;  observing  that all sentient beings are unreal, they develop great kindness; observing that there is nothing enjoyable in the world, they develop great joy; their  minds gaining freedom in the midst of all things, they develop great relinquish­ ment. Imbued with the qualities of buddhahood,  they manifest birth in the phenomenal realm, their physical  features perfect, their associates pure, yet they have no attachment to anything. With voices adapting to types, they explain the truth to the masses, causing them to become dis­ illusioned with worldly  things;  they point  out to them the results   of what they are doing. Also they  use expedient means to teach in accord with needs, causing the immature  to develop  maturity,  causing   the mature to attain liberation,  doing buddha-work for them   to cause them not to regress. Also, by virtue of a heart of universal love  and compas­ sion they continually explain all kinds of principles to sentient beings and also manifest the powers of diagnosis,  prescription,  and occult influence for them, to enable them to awaken and attain  purity  of mind.  Though the buddhas be in the inner palace, seen by all the people, yet they are performing buddha-work in all worlds.  By  means   of great knowledge and great energy they manifest the various spiritual powers of buddhas, unhindered, inexhaustible. They always continue three kinds of skillfull, expedient action-that is, their physical activity is ultimately pure, their verbal activity is always carried out in accord with knowledge, and their mental activity is exceedingly profound and has no blockage  or inhibi­ tion; by these means they benefit living beings. This is the third great buddha-work.

"All buddhas show analytic examination and disenchantment while living in a palace of all kinds of adornments, thereupon giving it up and leaving home, wishing to let  sentient beings realize that things of the

 

world are all illusions, impermanent, and perishable, and become deeply disillusioned, avoid creating attachments, forever cut off the affliction of worldly craving, cultivate purifying practices, and benefit living beings. When the buddhas  leave home,  they give  up conventional m anners, abide in noncontention, and ful fill the immeasurable virtues of their fundamental  vow.  By  the  light  of great  knowledge  they  destroy  the darkness of delusion of the world and become  unexcelled fields of bless­ ings for all beings.  They always  extol the virtues of buddhas  for the benefit of sentient beings,  causing them to   plant roots of goodness  with the buddhas. They see truth with the eye of wisdom. They also extol renunciation for the benefit of sentient beings,  its purity and blameless­ ness. They are eternally emancipated and are forever lofty paragons  of wisdom for the world. This is the fourth great buddha-work.

"All buddhas have o mniscience and already know and see infinite realities. Attaining perfect true enlightenment under the tree of enlight­ enment, vanquishing all demons, their m ajesty supreme, their bodies fill all worlds. Their deeds of spiritual  power are  boundless  and  inexhaus­ tible. They attain mastery of all meanings in the sphere of omniscience. They have cultivated virtues to consum mation.  Their seats of enlighten­ ment are fully adorned and pervade all worlds in the ten directions; the buddhas sit on them and turn the wheel of the sublime Teaching, ex­ plaining all the undertakings of enlightening beings, revealing the infinite realms of the buddhas, causing the enlightening beings to awaken to and enter into them. They carry out all kinds of pure practices and are able to direct and guide all living beings,  cause them to plant roots of goodness, be born in the ground of equality of the enlightened, continue in  the boundless good  practices  of enlightening  beings,  and  develop  all  the most excellent qualities. The buddhas know perfectly all worlds,  all beings, all buddha-lands, all phenomena, all enlightening beings, all teachings, all pasts, presents, and futures, all disciplines, all mystic trans­ formations, and  the inclinations  of all  sentient beings'  minds, and based on this knowledge perform buddha-work. This is the fifth great buddha­ work.

"All buddhas turn the irreversible wheel of the Teaching, to cause the

enlightening beings not  to  backslide; they  turn  the immeasurable wheel of the Teaching, to cause all worldlings to know; they turn the wheel of Teaching, awakening all, because they can fearlessly roar the lion's  roar; they turn the wheel of Teaching, which is a treasury  ofknowledge  of all truths, to open the door of the treasury  of truth and remove  the obstacle of obscurity; they turn the unobstructed wheel of the  Teaching,  being equal to space; they turn the wheel of Teaching of  nonattachment, because they see that all things are neither existent  nor nonexistent;  they turn the world-illuminating wheel of  Teaching, to cause all sentient beings to purify their vision of reality; they turn the wheel of Teaching revealing all knowledge, pervading all things in all times; they  turn  the wheel  of Teaching,  which  is  the  same  one  of all  buddhas, because  all

 

Buddha teachings are not mutually opposed or contradictory. All bud­ dhas, by means of measureless, countless hundreds of thousands of mil­ lions of billions of such wheels of Teaching, perform buddha-work inconceivably according to the differences in mental patterns of sentient beings.  This is the sixth great buddha-work.

"All buddhas enter into all  capital cities  and perform  buddha-work for the beings. That is, they enter human capitals, celestial capitals, capi­ tals of water spirits, monsters, cherubim, titans, birds, hobgoblins, ser­ pents, goblins, demons, and so on. When they enter the gates of the city, the earth trembles, light shines everywhere, the blind gain vision, the deaf are able to hear, the insane regain their sanity, the naked are clothed, the troubled and suffering all gain peace and happiness; all musical in­ struments spontaneously play, all adornments, used or not, emit mar­ velous sounds that delight all hearers. The buddhas' physical forms are pure and clean, fully endowed with the marks and refinements of great­ ness, so that none ever tire of seeing them. They are able to do buddha­ work for the benefit of sentient beings-whether looking, examining, moving, stretching, walking or standing still, sitting or reclining, silent or speaking, whether manifesting occult powers,   or explaining principles, or  giving instructions-in  all these they  are  performing  buddha-work for the benefit of sentient beings. All buddhas, in all the countless worlds, in the midst of the oceans of mental inclinations of all kinds of sentient beings, urge them to remembrance the buddhas, always diligently con­ sidering and planting roots of goodness, cultivating the practices of en­ lightening beings, lauding the subtlety and supremacy of the buddhas' appearance, which is hard for any living being to get to meet; if beings see buddhas and are inspired with faith , then they produce all the im­ measurable good qualities and amass the virtues of buddhas, all pure. Thus, having extolled  the virtues of buddhas,  they multiply their bodies to go to all worlds in the ten directions to let the sentient  beings  behold them , meditate on them and contemplate them, attend and serve them, plant roots of goodness, gain the good graces of the buddhas, and increase the family of buddhas, all being certain to attain buddhahood. By these actions they perform buddha-work, sometimes manifesting  physical bodies for sentient beings, sometimes  making sublime utterances, some­ times just smiling, causing them to believe, honor, praise, and behave courteously. A ll buddhas, by means of innumerable, untold, incon­ ceivable such buddha-works of all kinds, in all worlds, according to the inclinations of sentient beings' minds, teach them expediently, by the power of their original vows,   the power of great love and   compassion , and the power of omniscience, causing them all to be civilized . This is the seventh great buddha-work.

"All  buddhas may  do buddha-work while dwelling in forest retreats, or in quiet places, or in desolate places, or in buddhas' dwelling places; or they may do buddha-work while in trance, or while alone in a grove, or while concealing themselves from view, or while abiding in knowledge

 

of the ultimate  profundity, or while dwelling in the incomparable  realm of the buddhas; or they rnay do buddha-work while carrying on various imperceptible physical actions, adapting to sentient beings' mentalities, predilections, and understandings to teach them as is expedient,  without cease. Or they may do buddha-work seeking omniscience in the form of celestial beings, or they may do buddha-work seeking omniscience in the form of water spirits, goblins, cherubim, titans, birds, serpents, humans, subhumans, and so on. They may also do buddha-work by seeking om­ niscience in the form of listeners, solitary illuminates, or  enlightening beings. Sometimes they preach, sometimes they are silent in doing buddha-work.   Sometimes  they  do  buddha-work  saying  there  is  one Buddha, sometimes saying there are many buddhas. Sometimes they do buddha-work  saying all practices and   all   vows   of enlightening   beings are one practice and vow; sometimes they do buddha-work saying one practice and  one vow of enlightening beings  are infinite practices and vows. Sometimes  they do buddha-work  saying the realm  of buddha­ hood is the world, sometimes they do buddha-work saying  the world is the realm of buddhahood. Sometimes they do buddha-work saying  the realm of buddhahood is not the world.  Sometimes  they remain  for a day, or a night, or a fortnight, or a month, or a year, up to untold eons, to do buddha-work for the benefit of sentient  beings.  This is the eighth great buddha-work.

"All buddhas are mines that produce pure roots of goodness, causing sentient beings to engender pure faith and resolution in the buddha­ teachings, so their faculties are tamed and they forever detach from the world. They cause enlightening beings to be full ofknowledge, wisdom, and clarity in regard to the way of enlightenment  and not depend on another  for understanding . Sometimes  they do buddha-work  manifest­ ing nirvana,  sometimes they   do   buddha-work   showing   the   evanescence of all in the world, sometimes they do buddha-work explaining the buddha-bodies, sometimes they do buddha-work explaining the accom­ plishment of all that is to be done, sometimes they do buddha-work explaining  the flawless fulfillment of virtuous qualities, sometimes  they do buddha-work explaining the extirpation of the root of all existences. Sometimes they do buddha-work  causing sentient beings to turn away from th e world to follow the buddha-mind; sometimes they do buddha­ work explaining the inevitable ending of life; sometimes they do buddha­ work explaining that there is nothing enjoyable in the world.  Sometimes they do buddha-work  preaching   the   eternal   service  of buddhas;  some­ ti mes they do buddha-work  explaining the   buddhas'  turning   of the wheel of pure Teaching, causing the hearers to become very joy ful. Sometimes they do buddha-work  expounding  the sphere of buddha­ hood, inspiring  people to cultivate spiritual practices.  Sometimes  they do   buddha-work  expounding  concentration   on remembrance  of Bud­ dha, inspiring people to always delight in visions of Buddha. Sometimes they do buddha-work expounding the purification of the senses, diligent

 

search for the Buddha Way with unflagging spirit. Sometimes they do buddha-work visiting all buddha-lands and  observing  the  various  causes and conditions of their environments. Sometimes they do buddha-work uniting all bodies  of living  beings into  a buddha-body, causing  all lazy and self-indulgent sentient beings to abide by the pure precepts of the en­ lightened. This is the ninth great buddha-work.

"When buddhas enter extinction, countless sentient beings mourn and weep; looking at each other in great grief and distress, they say, 'The buddha had great sympathy  and  compassion,  mercifully aiding all worldly beings, a savior and a refuge for all living creatures. The emer­ gence of a buddha is difficult to encounter, an unexcelled field of bless­ ings,   and   now   the buddha has passed away forever. ' Thus they use this to cause sentient beings to mourn and miss the buddha, thereby doing buddha-work.   Also,   in  order  to  transform  and  liberate  all  celestials, humans, spirits, goblins, titans, cherubim, and so on, according to their desires, they pulverize their own bodies to make countless relics, to cause sentient beings to develop faith, honor,  respect, and joy fully reverence them, and cultivate virtues to complete ful fillment. They also build monuments,  variously adorned,   in   the abodes   of all kinds of creatures, for religious services; their teeth, nails, and hair are all used to make monuments, to cause those who see them to remember the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community,  to believe with unswerving faith , sin­ cerely respect and honor  them, and   make offerings   to   them   wherever they are, and   cultivate virtues,   so   that by this   merit they   may be   born in heaven or among  humans,  of noble  and prosperous families with ample property and   pure retinues,   not enter into   evil   ways,   always   get to see buddhas, ful fill pure ways, quickly attain emancipation from the three realms of existence, each attain the fruit of their own vehicle according  to their aspiration, recognize and requite their debt to bud­ dhas, and forever be a reliance for the world.  Though  the buddhas be extinct, they are still inconceivable  pure fields of blessings for living beings, with inexhaustible virtues, supreme  fields of blessings, causing sentient beings'   roots of goodness to be complete and their virtue to be fully developed. This is the tenth great buddha-work.

"These buddha-works  are immeasurably  great,   inconceivable:  no

beings of the world , celestials or humans, and none of the listeners or individual illuminates of past, future, or present can know them,  unless they are empowered by Buddha.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of mastery of nondual  action.  What  are they? All buddhas can speak words of prediction of enlightenment, definitively, without duality. All buddhas can satisfy sentient beings according to their wishes, definitely, without duality. All buddhas can mani festly be awake to all truths and  expound their meanings,  defini­ tively, without duality.  All buddhas have all the wisdom and knowledge of the  buddhas  of past,  future,  and  present,  definitive,  without  duality. All buddhas know that all instants, past, future, and present, are one

 

 

instant, definitely, without  duality.  All buddhas  know that all past, future, and present buddha-lands inhere in one buddha-land,  definitely, without duality. All buddhas know the words of all buddhas of all times are the words of one buddha, definitely, without duality.  All buddhas know that all buddhas of all times and all the beings they teach  are essentially equal, definitely, without duality. All buddhas know  that worldly phenomena and Buddhist principles are essentially not different, definitely, without duality. All buddhas know that the roots of goodness of all buddhas of all times are the same one root of goodness, definitely, without duality. These are the ten.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of abode, abiding therein in all things. What are they? All buddhas abide in awareness of all realms of reality. All bud­ dhas abide in compassionate speech. All  buddhas  abide in the funda­ mental great vow. All buddhas abide in persistence in civilizing sentient beings. All buddhas abide in the principle of absence of selfhood. All buddhas abide in impartial  salvation.  All buddhas  abide in recollection of truth.  All buddhas abide in the unobstructed mind.  All buddhas abide in the constantly rightly concentrated mind. All buddhas abide in equal comprehension of all things without violating the character of ultimate reality.

"All buddhas have ten exhaustive knowledges. What are they? They know all things of the past  exhaustively. They know all  things  of the future exhaustively. They know all things of the p resent exhaustively. They know all principles of language exhaustively. The know all sen­ tient beings' minds exhaustively. They know all the various ranks, high, middling, and low, of the  roots  of goodness  of enlightening beings. They know all  buddhas' complete knowledge and  virtues do not increase or decrease. They know all phenomena come from interdependent ori­ gination. They know all world systems exhaustively. They know all the different phenomena in all worlds, interrelated in Indra's net.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of might with enormous power, supreme power,  measureless power,  grandiose,  awesome power,  power difficult to acquire, undiminishing  power, stable power, indestructible power, power inconceivable to any worldlings, power that all living beings can­ not shake.  What are they? All buddhas have indestructible bodies and life that cannot be cut off-no worldly poisons can affect them; the floods, fires, and gales of all worlds cannot harm the buddhas' body. Even if all demons, gods, sprites, goblins, angels,  titans, and sundry other creatures were to rain thunderbolts as big as mountains  with all their strength, hurling them down all at once throughout the universe, they could not cause the buddhas' mind to be startled or frightened and could not even move a single hair of the buddhas. Walking, standing still, sitting, or reclining, the buddhas never change. That rain cannot fall where the buddhas are unless they let it,  and even if they do not prevent it,  and let it rain, it does not harm them. If there are any beings sustained by the buddhas or in the service of the buddhas, that rain of thunderbolts can-

 

 

not even harm them, much less the buddhas. This is the buddhas' first mighty quality.

"All buddhas put the mountains, oceans, forests, and buildings in all worlds in all universes into a single pore for all  future  ages,  yet  the sen­ tient beings are not aware, do not know, unless they are empowered by the Buddha. Then the buddhas, holding all those worlds in a pore throughout the ages  to  come,  whether  walking, standing  still,  sitting, or reclining, do not conceive a single thought  of fatigue. Just  as  space holds all the worlds in the cosmos  without  fatigue,  so  do  all  buddhas hold all worlds in a single pore. This is buddhas' second mighty quality. " All buddhas can take as many steps as atoms  in untold worlds in a single moment, passing as many lands as atoms in untold buddha-lands with each step, and travel thus for as many eons as atoms in all worlds: if there were a great adamantine mountain equal in measure to all those buddha-lands, the buddhas could place as many such mountains as atoms in untold buddha-lands in a single pore; the pores on a  buddha's body being equal in number to all beings in the cosmos, they place the same number of great adamantine mountains in each pore, and,  holding  all those mountains, walk in the ten directions, entering all worlds in space, from the past throughout the future,  through all ages,  without resting­ yet the buddhas' bodies are not injured and they do not get tired; their minds are always in concentration, without distraction. This is the bud­

dhas' third mighty quality.

"Buddhas, a fter a meal, sit in the lotus posture through the untold eons of past and future, and enter the inconceivable bliss experienced by buddhas;  their  bodies remain stable,   still and   unmoving,  yet they do not abandon the work of teaching sentient beings. Suppose someone measured each world throughout space one after another with a hairtip; the buddhas are able to sit cross-legged forever on a point the size of the hairtip, and likewise on all points. Suppose the size and weight of each being in all worlds in the ten directions were equal to those of worlds as numerous as atoms  in untold buddha-lands; the buddhas  could put all those beings on a fingertip forever and could do the same with all their fingertips, and enter each world in all of space carrying all those beings, exhausting the whole cosmos, yet the buddhas would never be weary in body or mind. This is buddhas' fourth mighty quality.

"Buddhas can cause to appear on one body as many heads as atoms in untold buddha-lands,  manifesting as many tongues in each head as atoms in untold buddha-lands, each tongue producing  as many different voices as atoms in untold buddha-lands, which all beings in the cosmos hear, each voice delivering as many troves of discourses as atoms in untold buddha-lands, each trove of discourses expounding as many principles as atoms in untold buddha-lands, each principle having as many terms, statements, and meanings as atoms in untold buddha-lands. They p reach this way for as many eons as atoms in untold buddha-lands, and when they finish these eons, they again p reach for as many eons as atoms in

 

 

untold buddha-lands, going on like this successively until they exhaust eons as numerous as atoms in all worlds, as numerous as the thoughts of all living beings.  The eons of the future may be exhausted, but the cycles of teaching operated by the emanated  bodies of buddhas have  no end. This means the cycle of teaching expounded by knowledge, the cycle of teaching cutting off doubts,  the  cycle of teaching illumining all  things, the cycle of teaching  opening   the treasury   of nonobstruction,  the   cycle of teaching causing sentient beings to be joy ful and docile, the cycle of teaching revealing all the practices of enlightening beings,  the cycle of teaching of the high-rising, perfectly round sun of knowledge,   the cycle of teaching of the bright lamp  of wisdom illumining all the world,  the cycle of teaching of various adornments of intellectual powers and con­ fidence: just as one buddha-body,  by spiritual power, operates different cycles of teaching such as these, to which no comparison in the world may be drawn, in the same way throughout space, in every single point, there are as many worlds as atoms in untold buddha-lands, and in each world the buddhas manifest in each mental instant as many emanation bodies as atoms in untold buddha-lands, each emanation body also pro­ ducing voices and teachings like these, each filling all realms, so all beings therein can understand-yet  the voice of the buddhas does not change or die out; it is inexhaustible. This is the fifth mighty quality of buddhas.

"All buddhas  adorn  their chests with the sign  of virtue, indestructible as adamant, and sit at the foot of a tree of enlightenment: hordes of demons, boundless in number, with various forms so terrifying that all sentient beings who see them become crazed with fear, or even drop dead-such hordes of demons fill the sky, but when the  buddhas  see them, they are not frightened,  they do  not pale, not even one  hair  stands on end, they are not moved or disturbed, they do not think of anything­ aloof from emotions, they are tranquil and clear, abiding in the abode of buddhas, imbued with the power of love and compassion, their senses under control, their hearts without fear, impossible for the  hordes of demons to upset. In fact, it is they who can subdue the demons, cause them to change their minds and take refuge in the buddhas, after which the buddhas teach them by means of correct diagnosis, prescription, and mystic influence, so that all now develop the aspiration for unexcelled, complete perfect enlightenment, never to regress. This is the sixth mighty quality of buddhas.

"All buddhas have unobstructed voices that pervade all worlds in the ten directions, and all sentient beings who hear them spontaneously  be­ come docile. The sounds  of the voices of the buddhas cannot be blocked by any mountains, any habitations of any creatures, or any sounds of any world,  no matter how loud.  According to the ways in which  they need to be influenced, all sentient beings hear articulated statements and doc­ trines and all attain understanding. This is the seventh mighty quality of buddhas.

"All buddhas' minds are unobstructed, eternally pure; all buddhas of

 

 

past, future, and present are of the same one essence, unpolluted,  un­ blinkered, without egoism or possessiveness, either internally  or exter­ nally;  they realize objects are void, they do not conceive arbitrary ideas, do not depend on anything, do not fab ricate anything, do not dwell on appearances, forever end false imaginings, give up all thoughts clinging to objects, are pure in their fundamental nature,  are forever free from conflict while in the midst of all things, abiding in ultimate reality, free from desire, thoroughly  pure; entering the cosmos of reality, their teach­ ing is inexhaustible, beyond all illusory ideas of assessment and wrong assessment, totally beyond all talk of the compounded and the uncom­ pounded.  Having  comprehended untold,  boundless   realms   of objects, with unimpeded,  inexhaustible knowledge and method they accomplish the ten powers, and their embellishments of all virtues are thoroughly pure. They expound innumerable various principles,  all without contra­ dicting the character of reality, impartial  with respect to the phenomena of past, present, and future of the cosmos, without variance,  ultimately free, entering into the supreme treasury of all truths,  correctly remem­ bering all facets of truth without confusion, abiding unperturbed in   the fields of all buddhas  in the ten directions. Attaining  unbroken knowl­ edge, they know all things ultimately,  without exception; putting an end to contamination , their minds are liberated and their intellects are liber­ ated.   Abiding  in ultimate reality,   their perceptivity is unimpeded,   and their minds are always correctly stabilized. In a single thought  they comprehend the things of past, present, and future as well as the mental activities of all sentient beings, without any hindrance.  This is the eighth mighty quality of buddhas.

"All buddhas have the same  one reality-body,  a body  of infinite range, a body of boundless qualities, a body with no limit in the world,  a body undefiled by the realms of desire, form, or formlessness, a body manifested at will, an impartial , pure body that is neither real nor unreal, an indestructible   body   with   no   coming   or   going,   no   compounding, a body of the inherent essence of phenomena,  of one  form which is formless, an omnipresent body without position or location, a body of boundless forms produced by free psychic  transformations, a body of all kinds of manifestations entering universally into everything,  a body of skillful employment of subtle truth, a body of a treasury of knowledge illumining everywhere, a body showing the equality  of phenomena,  a body pervading  the cosmos,  a body of eternal purity without movement or discrimination, neither existent nor nonexistent,  a body manifest in accord with the various interests and understandings of all beings capable of being edified, which is not an expedient yet not inexpedient, neither perishes nor does not perish, a body born of the treasury of all virtues, a body of True Thusness, containing all the teachings of the buddhas,  a body  free from obstruction,  its fundamental nature absolutely  still , a body in which all qualities of nonobstruction are developed, a body omnipresent in all realms of pure principle, a body omnipresent in all worlds in multiple forms,  a body of universal comprehension, free from

 

 

clinging to objects, free from regression, forever liberated, imbued with omniscience. This is the ninth mighty quality of buddhas .

"All buddhas equally understand all the teachings of buddhas and equally cultivate all the practices of enlightening beings; whether under­ takings or knowledge, they are purely impartial, like the great ocean, all reaching fulfillmen t. Their power of action is supreme,  and they never shrink back. Abiding in the measureless realms of the various concentra­ tions, they show all paths, encourage good, and warn against evil. Their power of knowledge is foremost;  they  expound the  truth  without fear and are able to answer any question well.  Their  knowledge,  wisdom, and teaching are equally pure; their physical, verbal,  and mental actions are all unalloyed . They abide in the abode of buddhahood, the family of buddhas, doing buddha-work by means of enlightened knowledge and wisdom. Abiding in omniscience, they explain innumerable things as having no basis and no boundaries. Their psychic powers and knowledge are inconceivable, incomprehensible to any worldlings. Their knowledge profoundly penetrating, they see all things. The subtle, far-reaching, measureless, boundless gates of truth of past, present, and future, they thoroughly comprehend. In all worlds they are able to awaken under­ standing by means of transmundane knowledge.  In all worlds they per­ form untold buddha-works   of all kinds,  attain unregressing   knowledge, and enter the ranks of the buddhas. Though they have already realized untold truths that are beyond verbal expression, yet they can explain all verbal expressions. By means of Universally Good knowledge, they accumulate good qualities.  Achieving instantaneous subtle knowledge, they comprehend all things and  give out teachings to  beings in  accord with whatever courses of action are appropriate for them as individuals. All things, all worlds, all sentient beings, all times in the cosmos, the range of these phenomena unlimited, they are able to know and see by means of unobstructed knowledge. All  buddhas appear  in  the  world  in the time of a single thought, according to  the  possibilities  for  enlight­ ening, abide in a pure land, attain true awakening, manifest spiritual powers, and open up and enlighten the mind, intellect, and consciousness of all sentient beings of past, present, and  future, according to appro­ priate timing.  Sentient beings are boundless, worlds are boundless, realms of natural law are boundless, past, present, and future are boundless,  and the supremacy of the buddhas is also boundless; they appear in the midst of them all , attain true awareness, and skillfully enlighten them by means of buddha-knowledge, never ceasing. All buddhas manifest the most wondrous incarnation  by means of spiritual power,  abide in boundless­ ness, with great compassion and skill in means, their minds without obstruction, at all times explaining the wondrous teaching for the benefit of all living beings. This is the tenth mighty quality of buddhas. These mighty qualities of all buddhas are infinite, boundless, inconceivable, incomprehensible to any sentient beings or followers of individual liber­ ation in any time, unless spiritually empowered by Buddha.

"All buddhas have ten definite principles. What are they? All buddhas

 

930  The Flower Ornammt Scripture

 

definitely come down from the heaven of happiness to be born on earth. All buddhas definitely appear to be born,  spending ten lunar months in the womb.  All buddhas definitely tire of social convention  and gladly seek to leave the world.  All buddhas definitely sit at the foot of the tree of enlightenment, achieve true awakening, and realize all elements of enlightenment. All buddhas definitely realize all truths instantly  and manifest spiritual power in all worlds. All buddhas definitely can teach in accord with the time. All buddhas definitely can teach people at the appropriate times in accordance with the bases of goodness they have developed, and give them directions for enlightenment. All buddhas definitely can do buddha-work in accord with the time. All buddhas definitely predict the enlightenment of all fully developed enlightening beings. All buddhas definitely can answer all sentient beings' questions in a single instant.

"All  buddhas  have  ten kinds of speed. What  are they?  Any  who see any buddha are speedily able to avoid bad dispositions. Any who see any buddha are speedily able to fulfill superior virtues. Any who see any buddha are speedily able to develop extensive bases of goodness.  Any who see any buddha  speedily attain rebirth in an immaculate heaven. Any who see any buddha can speedily get rid of all doubts and confusion . Any who have already aroused the aspiration for enlightenment who see any buddha can soon develop immense resolve, never to turn back, and can be able to teach people according to their needs; if they have not yet aroused the aspiration for enlightenment,  they will quickly  be able to arouse the   determination   for   unexcelled,   complete  perfect   enlighten­ ment.   Any who see any buddha before having entered the absolute state will speedily enter the absolute state.  Any who see any buddha  will speedily be able to purify all roots of goodness, mundane and supra­ mundane. Any who see any buddha will speedily manage to destroy all obstruction. Any who see any buddha will speedily be able to acquire fearless intellectual powers.

"All  buddhas have  ten kinds  of pure things that should always be

remembered. What are they? All buddhas' past events should be always remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas'  pure superior actions should be always remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas' ful­ fillment of the ways of transcendence should be always remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas' accomplishment of great undertakings should always be remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas' accumulation of virtues should always be remembered by enlightening beings. A ll buddhas' embodiment of spiritual practice should always be remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas' actualization of true enlightenment should always  be   remembered   by   enlightening   beings. The infinity of all buddhas' physical forms should always be remembered by enlightening beings.  The infinity of all buddhas'  spiritual powers should always be remembered by enlightening beings. All buddhas'  ten powers and confidences should always be remembered by enlightening beings.

 

"All buddhas have ten stations of omniscience. What are they? All buddhas instantly know the minds and mental patterns of all sentient beings of past, present, and future. All buddhas instantly  know the acts and the resulting consequences of those acts amassed   by  all   sentient beings in past, present, and future . All buddhas instantly know the needs of all sentient beings and teach and civilize them by means of correct diagnosis, prescription, and occult influence. All buddhas instantly know the  mental   characteristics of all sentient beings in   the cosmos,  manifest the emergence of Buddha in all places, and take those beings  into their care by expedient means. All buddhas instantly manifest expositions of teaching according to   the mental inclinations,   desires,   and understandings of all sentient beings  in the cosmos, causing them to become  civilized. All buddhas instantly know th e inclinations of the minds of all sentient beings in the cosmos and manifest spiritual powers for them. All buddhas instantly manifest appearance in all places according to all the sentient beings who may be taught, and explain to them that the embodiment of Buddha is not graspable. All buddhas instantly reach all places in the cosmos, all sentient beings, and their particular paths. All buddhas in­ stantly go in response to any beings who think of them, wherever they may be.  All buddhas instantly  know the understandings and desires of all sentient beings and manifest immeasurable physical forms for their benefit.

"All buddhas have ten kinds of immeasurable inconceivable buddha­ concentrations. What are they? All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly reach   all places to expound the sublime Teaching for sentient beings everywhere. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly reach all places to teach all sentient beings ulti­ mate selflessness. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, in­ stantly enter the past, present, and future in all places. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration,  instantly enter the immense  buddha­ lands in the ten directions, pervading  all places.  All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly manifest innumerable various buddha-bodies in all places. All buddhas, while always in correct con­ centration, instantly in all places manifest body,  speech, and mind in accord with the various understandings of sentient beings. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly, in all places, explain the ultimate reality of all things, beyond desire. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly, in all places, expound  the inherent nature of interdependent origination  of everything . All buddhas,  while  always in correct concentration, instantly, in all places, manifest immeasurable worldly and transcendental great adornments, causing sentient beings always to get to see Buddha. All buddhas, while always in correct concentration, instantly, in all places, enable sentient beings to master all enlightened teachings, attain infinite liberation, and ultimately reach unsurpassed transcendence.

"Buddhas have ten kinds of unimpeded liberation. What are they? All buddhas can cause the emergence in the world of untold buddhas in a

 

single atom. All buddhas can cause untold buddhas actively teaching to appear in a single atom.  All buddhas  can cause untold sentient beings being taught and guided  to appear in a single atom.  All buddhas can cause untold buddha-lands to appear in a single atom. All buddhas can cause untold enlightening beings receiving p redictions ofbuddhahood to appear in a single atom. All buddhas can cause all buddhas of past, future, and present to appear in a single atom. All buddhas can cause all past, present, and future miracles to appear in a single atom. All buddhas can cause all sentient beings of past, present, and future to appear in a single atom.  All buddhas can cause all past, present, and future buddha-works to appear in a single atom."