The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK  TWENTY-SEVEN

 

27. The Ten Concentrations

 

 

AT THAT TIME the World  Honored One was at the site of enlightenment in a forest in the country of Magadha, having just attained perfect enlightenment; in the hall of universal light he entered the buddhas' con­ centration on the absolute instant, and by the inherent spiritual power of universal knowledge manifested the body of a realized buddha, pure and untrammeled, not relying on anything, with no clinging to objects, abiding in the ultimate tranquillity of cessation, endowed with great power, without any attachments, able to cause all beholders to gain awakening, appearing as appropriate, in accord with the time, always abiding in one form, which is no form.

He was with as many great enlightening beings as atoms in ten

buddha-lands, all of whom were of the rank of coronation , had ful filled enlightening practices as measureless and boundless as the cosmos, and had attained the enlightening beings' concentration state of universal vision. With great compassion they brought peace and calm to all sen­ tient beings. Their powers and mastery were the same :1s those of bud­ dhas. By their wisdom they pro foundly penetrated and expounded the truth and were endowed with universal knowledge. They had con­ quered all demons, and though they entered into the world their minds were always calm; they dwelled in the nondwelling liberation of en­ lightening beings. Their names were In destructible Knowedge, Peer­ less Knowledge, Knowledge of Meanings and Expressions, Supreme Knowledge, Eternally Equanimous Knowledge, Dragon Knowledge, Consummate Knowledge, Well-Tuned Knowledge, Im mensely Power­ ful Knowledge, Inconceivable Knowledge, Unhindered Knowledge, Masterful Knowledge, Knowledge of Universal Service, Rational Knowledge, Adaptable Knowledge, Knowledge Mastering  All Teach­ ings, Knowledge of Truth , Dispassionate Knowledge, Spacclike Knowl­ edge, Knowledge of Unity, Good Knowledge,  Knowledge of Illusori­ ness, Vast Knowledge, Forceful Knowledge, Worldly Knowledge, Knowledge of Buddhahood, True Knowledge, Holy Knowledge, Illu­ minate Knowledge, Boundless Knowledge, Adorned with Mindfulness, Arrived at the Limit of Space,  Natural Adornments,  Most Profound

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Realm, Comprehending What Is So and  What Is Not,  Great Light, Eternal Light,  Understanding the   Seed   of Buddhahood,  Mind   King, One Practice, Always Manifesting Spiritual Powers, Sprouts of Wisdom, Abode of Virtues, Lamp of Truth, Illumining the World, Sustaining the World, Most Serene, Supreme, Unexcelled, Incomparable, Peerless, Unhindered Action, Flames of Light, Moonlight, One Atom, Steadfast Practice, Showering the Rain of True Teaching, Supreme  Banner, Uni­ versal Adornment, Eye of Wisdom, Objective Eye, Cloud of Wisdom, Spellbinding  King,  Nondwelling Vows,   Mine   of Knowledge,   Mind King,  Inner Awareness, Abiding in Enlightened Knowledge,   Forceful Power of Spells, Earth-Sustaining Power,  Beautiful Moon, Peak of the Polar Mountain,  Jewel Summit,  Universal   Illumination,   Charismatic King, Wheel of Knowledge, Great Power, Dragonlike, Straightforward Action,  Nonregressive,   Holding the Banner   of the Teaching,   Unforget­ ting, Caring for All Beings, Inconceivable Certain Knowledge, Freely Unbounded  Knowledge,  Inexhaustible   Treasury   of Wonderful   Teach­ ings, Sun   of Knowledge,   Sun   of Truth,   Treasury of Knowledge,   Luster of Knowledge,  Universal Vision , True Vision, Diamond   Insight,   Dia­ mond Knowledge,  Diamond Flame,   Diamond Wisdom,   Universal Eye, Sun of Buddhahood, Holding the Indestructible Secret Meaning of the Buddha,  Adornments of Knowledge of the   Sphere of the Universal Eye, and so on; there were as many such enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, who had all cultivated the same practices of roots of good­ ness of enlightening beings with Vairocana Buddha in the past.

Then the great enlightening being Universal Eye, imbued  with  the spiritual power of the Buddha, rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his  palms  in  respect,  and said to the Buddha,  " World Honored One,   I want to ask the Com­ pletely Enlightened  One  about  something-please  permit  me  to  do  so. " The Buddha said, " You may ask whatever you want; I will explain for you and gladden  you." Universal  Eye  said,  "How many  concentrations and liberations have the enlightening being Universally Good and the enlightening beings who  live  by  the  vows  and  practices  of Universal Good attained, that they may enter and exit and abide at rest in the great concentrations of enlightening beings and, by skillfully  entering  and emerging from the inconceivable vast  state  of concentration  of enlight­ ening beings, are able to command all concentrations, with  ceaseless mystical powers?"

The Buddha said, " Very good,  Universal Eye; you are asking this for the benefit of the enlightening beings of past, future, and present. The enlightening being Universally Good is now   here,   already   capable   of freely   accomplishing    inconceivable    spiritual   effects,    beyond    those   of all enlightening beings, rarely encountered, born of immeasurable en­ lightening practices. He has   purified   the   great   vows   of enlightening beings and is unregressing in all the practices he carries out; he has already attained innumerable aspects of transcendence, unhindered access to

 

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memory, and inexhaustible powers of elucidation, thoroughly pure and uninhibited. He compassionately aids  all  beings, through  the power of his fundamental  vows, forever unwearying. You should ask him-he will explain to you those concentrations, powers, and liberations."

Then the enlightening beings in the assembly, hearing the name of Universally Good, immediately attained inconceivably  infinite concen­ tration, their minds unobstructed, silent, and unstirring; their knowledge became immeasurably vast, their realm of experience most profound , without  compare.  They   saw   countless   buddhas   before   them,   attained the power of the enlightened, and, of the same nature as the enlightened, th ey clearly perceived all the past, future, and present.  Their blessings and virtues were inexhaustible, and they were endowed with all spiritual powers.  Those enlightening beings conceived respect for Universally Good and urgently wished to behold him-they  looked all  over  the assembled masses but ultimately did not see him, nor did they see the seat on which he sat. This was because of the support  of the awesome power of the Enlightened, and also Universally  Good's  command  of mystic power caused it to be so .

Then the enlightening being Universal Eye said to   the   Buddha, "Where is the enlightening being Universally Good nov.- ?" The Buddha replied, "The  enlightening being  Universally Good   is   in   the   Assembly at this enlightenment site, near me-he has never moved." At that Uni­ versal Eye and the enlightening beings again searched throughout the assembly, and then said to the Buddha, " We still cannot find Universally Good." The Buddha said, "That is so. Why can you not see him? Because the dwelling place of the enlightening being Universally Good is most profound and inexplicable. Universally  Good has attained boundless aspects of knowledge,  entered the 'lion emergence'   concentration,   at­ tained unexcelled freedom of action, entered pure nonobstruction, and developed  the ten powers of the enlightened : his body  is the matrix of the cosmos,  on which all enlightened ones concentrate together. In an instant he can thoroughly  realize and enter the unfragmented knowledge of the buddhas of all times. This is why you cannot see him."

Then Universal Eye,  hearing   the Buddha  speak of the pure qualities of Universally  Good, attained ten thousand infinities of concentrations. With the power of concentration he again looked all over, eager to see Universally Good, but still could not see him. The other enlightening beings could not see him either. Then Universal Eye rose from concen­ tration and said to the Buddha, "I have entered ten thousand infinities of concentrations and   sought to behold Universal   Good   but   after all have not succeeded. I do not see his body or physical actions, his speech or conversation, his mind or mental activity,  his seat or his place-none of them is visible. "

The Buddha said, "So it is, so it is. Know that this is all because of the enlightening being Universally Good's power of abiding in inconceiv-

 

able liberation.  Universal Eye, what do you think-can anyone explain the dwelling place of various illusory forms in magical writings?"

Universal Eye said, "No."

The Buddha said, "Universal  Eye, if illusory forms in illusions cannot be explained, how much less can  one enter or  see  the esoteric  physical realm, the esoteric verbal realm, or the esoteric mental realm of the en­ lightening being Universally Good. Why? Because the realm  of Uni­ versally Good is extremely profound, inconceivable,  without  measure, beyond measure.  To  sum  it up,  the enlightening being Universally Good, by means of adamantine wisdom, pervades the cosmos  of realities,  yet does not course in  any  world  or  dwell  anywhere-he knows  that  the bodies of all beings are not bodies, and have no coming or going. He has attained inexhaustible, undivided, free spiritual powers, independent, uncontrived, inactive, reaching the ultimate bounds of the  cosmos. If any can get to see the enlightening being  Universally Good, or  get to attend him, or get to  hear his name,  or  think  about  him, or remember him, or believe in  him, or strive to  observe him, or orient themselves toward him, or properly seek him, or initiate vows,  continuing uninter­ rupted, all  will  gain  benefit-none of this is in vain."

Then Universal Eye and all the other enlightening beings, their hearts conceiving longing to behold the enlightening being Universally Good, spoke these words: "Honor to all the buddhas; honor to the enlightening being Universally Good."  Saying this three times, they bowed in respect. At that point the Buddha  said to the enlightening being   Universal Eye and the others in the assembly, "Offspring of the buddhas,  you should bow to Universally Good again and earnestly entreat him; and you should look upon the ten   directions with   utmost   single-mindedness   and visu­ alize the body of Universally Good before you. Thinking thus, that Uni­ versally Good is omnipresent throughout the cosmos,  believe   deeply, detach from everything, vow to practice the same undertaking as Uni­ versally Good,  and enter nondual true reality; the body  of Universally Good appears everywhere in   all worlds,   with   comprehensive knowledge of the differences in faculties of all beings, assembling the path of Uni­ versally Good in all places. If you can initiate such a great vow, then you will be able to see the enlightening being Universally Good."  Now Uni­ versal Eye and the other enlightening   beings,   hearing   the Buddha  say this, bowed their heads to the ground and sought to get to see the great being Universally Good.

Then the enlightening being Universally Good,  by the power of lib­ erated spiritual faculties, manifested physical bodies in accord with their needs, causing all those enlightening beings to see Universally Good near the Buddha, sitting on a lotus seat in the midst of this assembly of all the enlightening beings; they also saw him with all the buddhas in all other worlds, continuously coming from there; they also saw him with all those buddhas, expounding all practices of enlightening beings, revealing the

 

path of ommscience, explaining all enlightening beings' spiritual powers, distinguishing all   enlightening   beings'   charismatic virtues,   and showing the buddhas of past, present, and future.

At this point, Universal Eye and all the other enlightening beings, witnessing this miracle, were overjoyed and all bowed   to the enlight­ ening being Universally Good with respect, as if they were seeing all the buddhas of the ten directions.

Then, by the great spiritual power of the Buddha as well as the power of fai th of the enlightening beings and the power of the original vow of Universally Good, there spontaneously rained   ten   thousand   kinds   of clouds, such as clouds of various flowers, clouds of various garlands, clouds of various fragrances, clouds of various aromatic  powders,  clouds of various canopies, clouds of various robes,   clouds   of various   orna­ ments, clouds of various jewels,  clouds of various burning incenses, and clouds of various streamers; unspeakably many worlds quaked,  celestial music played and was heard afar throughout unspeakably many worlds, great  light  radiated and illuminated   unspeakably   many   worlds,   causing the states of misery to become extinct, adorning   unspeakably  many worlds, causing unspeakably many enlightening beings to enter into the practice of Universally Good,  and causing unspeakably  many enlight­ ening beings to thoroughly fulfill   the vows of practice of universal good and attain unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.

Then   the   enlightening   being   Universal   Eye   said   to   the   Buddha, " World   Honored    One,    the   enlightening   being   Universally   Good   is one who abides in great power, in incomparability,  in unsurpassability, in nonregression, in equanimity, in indestructibility, in all differentiated things, in all undifferentiated   things,   in the abode of the skillful mind of all beings, in absorption in liberation, free in all things."

The Buddha said, "It is so; it is as you say. The enlightening being Universally Good   has   innumerable   pure   qualities-the   qualities   of peer­ less adornment, the qualities of innumerable jewels, the qualities of in­ conceivable oceans, the qualities of infinite forms, the qualities of bound­ less clouds, infinite incomparable qualities, the qualities of inexhaustible truths, untold qualities, the qualities of all buddhas,  qualities that cannot ever be exhaustively extolled."

Then the Buddha  said to the enlightening being Universally  Good, "You should explain the ten concentrations for Universal Eye and the enlightening beings in this assembly,  so that they may be able to enter them and fulfill the practical vows of universal good. Because the great enlightening beings expound these ten concentrations, they enable the enlightening beings of the past, present,   and   future to attain   emancipa­ tion. What are the ten concentrations? One, the great concentration of universal light;  two,  the great concentration of subtle light;  three,   the great concentration   of successive journeying   to   the   buddha-lands;   four, the great concentration   of the   action   of the   pure   profound   mind;   five, the great concentration of knowledge of the stores of adornments of the

 

past; six, the great concentration of the treasury of light of knowledge; seven, the great concentration of knowledge of the adornments  of the buddhas of all worlds; eight, the great concentration of the differentiated bodies of sentient beings; nine, the great concentration of freedom in the elemental cosmos; ten, the great concentration of the unimpeded  wheel. "These ten great   concentrations   the   great   enlightening   beings   can skillfully enter; all the buddhas of past, future, and present have  ex­ pounded, will expound, and are expounding them. If enlightening beings gladly and respectfully   cultivate   and   practice   them   without   slacking, they will be able to accomplish them;  such  people are  called buddhas, they are called those who have arrived at Thusness, and they are called people who have attained the ten powers,   and they   are   called   guides, and they are called great leaders, and they are called omniscient,  and they are called all-seers, and they are called those who abide in non­ obstruction, and they are called those who have comprehended all  objects, and they are called masters of all spiritual truths.  These enlightening beings enter into all worlds without being attached to anything in any world; they enter the realms of all beings without grasping beings;  they enter all bodies without being hindered by bodies; they enter all ele­ mental realms and know the cosmos  is boundless.   They   draw   near   all the buddhas of all times and clearly see all the buddhas' teachings; they skillfully explain all words and comprehend all provisional names. They accomplish  the pure path of all enlightening beings and are firm   in   all the different practices of enlightening beings. In a   single   instant   they attain all knowledge of past, present, and future, and know all things in all times. They expound all the buddhas' teachings and turn all the irreversible  wheels. In each age, past,   future,   and present,   they realize all paths to enlightenment, and in   each enlightenment comprehend  what all the buddhas say. These are the gates of the characteristics of the prin­ ciples of enlightening beings; these are the gates of the knowledge and awareness of enlightening beings; these are the gates of the invincible knowledge of all means of liberation; these arc the gates of the practices vowed by the   Universally   Good   enlightening   being;   these are the   gates of the undertakings of penetrating spiritual powers;   these are the gates   of all mnemonic  command  and powers of elucidation;  these are the gates to the differentiations of all things of past, present, and future; these are the gates of manifestations of all buddhas; these are the gates to stabilizing all beings by universal knowledge; these are the gates to beautifying and

purifying all worlds by means of spiritual powers of buddhas.

"If enlightening beings enter these concentrations, they attain cosmic power that has no end; they are enabled to travel through space without hindrance; they attain the rank of spiritual sovereignty,  with immeasur­ able   independence   and   command,  like   being   coronated   and   enthroned in the world; they attain boundless knowledge comprehending  all; they attain vast powers, ten kinds perfectly fulfilled; they develop noncon­ tentious hearts and enter dispassionate tranquillity; they are compassion-

 

ate and fearless as lions;  they are heroes of knowledge and wisdom  and light the bright lamp of truth. All their merits and virtues cannot be fully told of-no hearers of self-enlightened ones can conceive of them. They attain knowledge of the realm  of reality  and  abide  in  infinity,  yet  are able to  discourse  in  various  ways  according  to  worldly  conventions; they  abide  in formlessness,   yet  can  easily  penetrate  the  characteristics of things.  They  attain  the  treasury  of inherent  purity  and   are  born  in the pure house of the enlightened. They skillfully open up various differ­ ent gates of teaching, yet by means of wisdom they know  that nothing exists. They are expert at knowing proper timing  and always carry out the giving of teaching  to  enlighten  everyone. They care for all  beings and purify them all .   By  knowledge of expedient means  they demon­ strate the attainment of buddhahood,  yet they always carry out the prac­ tices  of enlightening  beings  without  end.  Entering  the  realm  of means of universal knowledge, they manifest various great spiritual powers. Therefore, Universally  Good, you  should  now  analyze and expound  the ten great concentrations of all en lightening beings. All in this assembly want to hear about this."

Then   the enlightening being   Universally Good,  receiving   the direc­ tive of the Enlightened One, looked at Universal Eye and the other en­ lightening beings and said to them,   "Offspring of Buddha,  what is the great enlightening beings' concentration of universal light? Here the enlightening  beings have  ten  kinds  of inexhaustible  qualities:  inexhaust­ ible knowledge of the buddhas' emergence in the world; inexhaustible knowledge   of   the   metamorphoses   of beings;   inexhaustible   knowledge of the world's  being like a   reflection;   inexhaustible knowledge penetrat­ ing deeply into the realm of reality; inexhaustible knowledge  skillfully dealing with enlightening beings; inexhaustible knowledge of the non­ regression   of enlightening    beings;    inexhaustible   knowledge   observing the meanings of all principles; inexhaustible knowledge of skillful main­ tenance of mental power; inexhaustible knowledge abiding in the vast

:spirit   of  enlightenment;   inexhaustible  knowledge   abiding   by   all   en­ lightened teachings and   the willpower of omniscience.  These   are called the ten inexhaustible qualities of great enlightening beings.

"These great enlightening beings awaken ten kinds  of boundless will : they awaken the boundless will to liberate all sentient beings, the bound­ less will to attend all buddhas, the boundless will to provide for all bud­ dhas, the boundless will to see all buddhas,  the boundless will to receive and hold all Buddha teachings   without  forgetting   any,  the   boundless will to manifest the infinite spiritual metamorphoses of all buddhas, th e boundless will not to abandon any enlightening practices to attain en­ lightened power, the boundless will to enter into the subtle realm of all­ knowledge and explain all Buddha  teachings, the boundless will to enter into the inconceivable vast realm of buddhahood,  the boundless will to develop profound aspiration for the buddhas'  powers of elucidation and receive all Buddha teachings, the boundless will to manifest all kinds of free bodies and enter the circles of all enlightened ones.

 

"These enlightening beings have ten kinds of knowledge of differen­ tiation   of entry   into   concentration:   entering   into   concentration   in   the east and emerging in the west, entering in the west and emerging in the east, entering in   the south and emerging in the north,   entering in   the north and emerging   in the south, entering in the northeast and emerging in the southwest,   entering in the southwest and emerging in the north­ west, entering in the southwest and emerging in the northeast, entering in the northwest   and   emerging in the southeast,   entering in   the south­ east and emerging   in the northwest,  entering in the nadir and   emerging in the zenith, entering in the zenith and emerging in the nadir.

"These enlightening beings have ten kinds of knowledge of skills  in entry into great concentration: they   make   a   billion-world   universe   a single lotus blossom and appear  sitting cross-legged on this lotus blos­ som, covering it entirely, and   in   the   body   manifest   another   billion­ world universe,   wherein there are ten billion quadruplex  earths,   in each of which they manifest ten billion bodies, each body entering into one hundred sextillion billion-world universes, in each of the   quadruplex worlds of   which   they   manifest   one   hundred   sextillion   enlightening beings engaged in practice, the practice of each enlightening being pro­ ducing one hundred sextillion certain understandings, each certain understanding   causing one hundred   sextillion   potentials to be ful filled, each potential developing into the nonregressive work of one hundred sextillion enlightening ways:  yet the physical   manifestations   are neither one nor many,   and not mixed up in entry into concentration or emer­ gence from concentration. It is like the case of the titan king Rahula, whose original body is seven hundred leagues tall, while his transformed body  is   1 68,000 leagues tall; the half of his body  emerging from the ocean is just  level with the polar mountain   Sumeru.  Though that titan king transforms his body into a colossus, that does not destroy his origi­ nal form-all the psychophysical elements are the same, his mind is not disturbed, he does not think of his transformed body as other or of his original body as not himself. The body he was born with is always bliss­ ful, and his transformed body is always manifesting all kinds of miracu­ lous powers.   The titan king has greed, ill-will,   and   delusion,   and is full of pride and conceit, and yet is able to transform his body in this way­ how much the  more  so the  enlightening beings who profoundly realize that mental states are like illusions, that all beings are like dreams,  that the appearance in the world of all buddhas is like reflected images,  that all worlds are like magical   productions,  that all speech is like echoes: they see reality as is and have reality as their body, knowing all things are inherently pure, realizing that the body and mind have no real sub­ stance;  their  bodies  are  omnipresent  in  infinite  realms  and  by  the  gre.1t light of buddha-knowledge  purify and practice all the deeds of enlight­ ening beings.

"Enlightening  beings in  this concentration  transcend  the  world  and are detached from the world; nothing can  disturb  them  or  overpower them. Just as when a monk contemplates inside the body  and dwells in

 

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the view of impurity,  seeing the body  as impure,  so do enlightening beings in this concentration observe the reality body,   seeing all worlds enter the body,  therein seeing all mundane realms and phenomena with­ out any attachment to them. This is called the great enlightening beings' practical knowledge of the first great concentration, of universal light.

"What is the great enlightening beings' concentration of subtle light? Here enlightening beings can enter as  many billion-world  universes  as there are atoms in  a  billion-world  universe,  and  in  each  world  manifest as many bodies as atoms in a billion-world universe, each body emitting as many lights as  atoms in a  billion-world  universe,  each  light  revealing as  many colors as atoms in  a billion-world universe,  each  color lighting as many worlds as atoms in a billion-world universe, in each world pac­ ifying as many beings as atoms in a billion-world universe. The enlight­ ening beings know all the various dissimilarities of these  worlds:  that  is, the clutter and pollution of worlds,  the   purity and   cleanness of worlds, the causes of worlds, the structures of worlds, the concomitants of worlds, the colors of lights of worlds, the comings and goings of worlds-the enlightening beings know all these and en ter all these, and these worlds also enter the bodies of the enlightening beings,  yet the worlds have no mixup or confusion and the various phenomena do  not  disintegrate  or vanish either.

"It is like when the sun comes out and circles the polar mountain, illumining the mountains made of seven precious substances: on those mountains of seven precious substances and in   the   valleys in   between them are light beams   clearly   shining-the sunbeams on the jewel moun­ tains all appear in the lights of the valleys, and the sunbeams in the val­ leys all appear in the lights of the mountains: in this way they mutually reflect back and forth. Sometimes  it is said that the sunbeams emerge from the   mountains   of seven   precious   substances, sometimes it is   said that the sunbeams emerge from the valleys between the mountains; sometimes it is said   that the sunlight enters   the mountains,   sometimes it is said that the sunlight enters the valleys-but  the sunbeams reflect back and forth boundlessly; their nature is not existent, not nonexistent, not abiding in the   mountain�,   not apart  from   the mountains,  not dwelling in the water, not apart  from the water. So it is also with enlightening beings in this vast concentration of subtle light: they do not dissolve the features of the structure of the   world,   do not   annihilate   the natures   of the phenomena of the world,  do   not dwell within   the world   or outside the world; they do not discriminate anything in any world, yet do not destroy the features of worlds, they see all things as one form which is formless,   and   yet do   not destroy   the identities of things-they   abide   in real Thusness, never leaving it.

"It is like a magician, expert in magical arts, standing at a crossroads performing magic tricks: in one day, in the space of a moment, he may manifest a day or a night, or he may make it appear to be seven days and nights, or a fortnight, a month , a year, a century; according to desire, he

 

 

can manifest the appearance of cities, towns, villages, springs, streams, rivers, seas, sun, moon, clouds, rain, palaces, mansions, houses, all of this complete. Yet he does not destroy the original one day or one hour by making it appear that years have passed,   and the brevity  of the   actual time   does not   destroy   the   appearance   of the   passage   of days,   months, or years.   The   illusory appearances clearly show,  yet   the   actual time is not extinguished.  In the  same  way great enlightening   beings,   entering this vast concentration of subtle light, manifest   countless   worlds entering into one world, each of those countless worlds having   earth,   water,   fire, and air, oceans and mountains, cities and towns,  groves and houses, abodes of various kinds of beings complete with all kinds of adornments; they have realms of desire,   of form,   and of formlessness,   solar systems and galaxies, acts and consequences, death in one place and rebirth in another, all the times and seasons of all worlds-moments, days, nights, fortnights, months, years, centuries, eons ofbecoming and eons of decay, polluted lands, clean lands, big lands, small lands, buddhas appearing therein, in buddha-lands that are pure,   with circles of enlightening beings and   autonomous   spiritual   powers teaching sentient beings;   every   place in those lands is filled with countless people and various beings of dif­ ferent   forms    and   conditions,    immeasurable,   boundless,   inconceivable, past, future, and present, the power   of pure   deeds   producing   infinite jewels of supreme refinement. They show all such things in one world, wherein the enlightening beings all see clearly, entering into all, observing all,   contemplating   all,   comprehending   all,   knowing   all   truly   by   means of inexhaustible knowledge. The multiplicity  of the worlds does not de­ stroy this one world, and the singleness of this world does not destroy the multiplicity  of those worlds.   Why?  Because enlightening   beings   know all phenomena are selfless, they are said to   have penetrated   the   principle of lifelessness and noncreation. Because enlightening beings diligently cultivate noncontention in all worlds, they are said to abide in the prin­ ciple of selflessness. Because enlightening beings see all bodies as they really are, all deriving from conditions, they are said to abide in the prin­ ciple of nonexistence of beings. Because enlightening beings know that everything which is born and passes away   comes from causes,   they are said to abide in the principle of nonexistence of persons. Because enlight­ ening beings know the fundamental nature of all things is equal, they are said to abide in the principle   of nonexistence   of mental productions  or the human being.  Because enlightening  beings know the fundamental nature of all things is still, they are said to abide in the principle of still­ ness.   Because enlightening beings know that all things are uniform,   they are said to abide in the principle of nondiscrimination. Because enlight­ ening beings know the realm of reality   does not have various differen­ tiated phenomena, they are said to abide in the principle of inconceiv­ ability.  Because enlightening beings   diligently   cultivate   all   liberative means and skillfully paci fy beings, they are said to abide in the principle of great compassion.

 

 

"In this way enlightening beings can put  countless worlds into one world, know the various differences of countless beings,  see the indi­ vidual procedures   of countless enlightening   beings,   and   observe   count­ less buddhas appearing here and there, able to absorb the teachings ex­ pounded by those buddhas, also seeing themselves there practicing them; without leaving here, they appear to be there, and without leaving there, they appear to be here, this body and that body being undifferentiable, because they are in the realm of reality. They always practice contempla­ tion earnestly, unceasingly,  never abandoning wisdom,  because they do not regress.

"It is like a magician in a given place practicing the arts of illusion: he does not destroy his actual place by the illusory place, and does not des­ troy the actual day by the illusory day.  In the same way,  enlightening beings manifest the existence of a land where there is no land, and mani­ fest the nonexistence of a land where there is a land;  where there are sen­ tient beings they manifest   nonexistence   of sentient beings,   and   where there are no sentient beings they manifest the existence of sentient beings; where there is no   form   they   manifest form,   and   where there is form they manifest formlessness-the beginning   does   not   disarray   the   after­ math, and the aftermath does not disarray the beginning.  The enlight­ ening beings know that all the things of the world are like this, the same as illusions: knowing phenomena are illusory, they know knowledge is illusory; because they know knowledge is illusory, they know action is illusory. Once they know that knowledge is illusion and action is illu­ sion, they develop illusion knowledge, observing all actions. Just as the illusions of the world do not manifest their illusions outside   of their place, and do not have a place outside of illusion, in the same way great enlightening   beings do not enter the world   outside of emptiness and also do not enter emptiness outside   of the world.   Why?   Because  emptiness and the world have no difference . Living in the world is also living in emptiness.  Great   enlightening beings are   able   to perceive and cultivate the various different adorning activities   of all   worlds   within   emptiness. In a single instant they are able to know countless worlds, becoming or decaying, and also know the continuity and succession of all ages. They are able to manifest countless ages in a single instant without enlarging the instant.

"Great enlightening beings attain the illusion knowledge  of incon­ ceivable liberation, arrive at the other shore,   abide in the realm of illu­ sion, and enter the illusions of the world. They think of all things as like illusions, do not oppose the illusory world, have perfect knowledge of illusion, comprehend that past, present, and future are not apart from illusion, and definitively realize the boundlessness of mind. Like the en­ lightened ones, they abide in knowledge of illusoriness, their minds equanimous; they know all worlds are like illusions, and they have no attachments anywhere, having no self or possessions. Just as the magician creates illusory phenomena, though he does not live with those illusory

 

The Ten Cotuentratiotzs        823

 

phenomena, yet has no confusion about illusory phenomena, in the same way the great enlightening beings know all things reach the other shore, and in their minds they do not imagine that they are able to enter into things,   and they have no con fusion about things.   This is the knowledge of the skill of the enlightening beings' second   great   concentration,   of subtle light.

"What is great enlightening beings' concentration of spiritual power successively  journeying to the  buddha-lands? Here  the  great  enlight­ ening beings pass countless worlds to the east, and  also  pass  as  many worlds as atoms in that many worlds: in those worlds they enter this con­ centration, maybe entering for an instant, or for a moment, or entering continuously, or entering in the morning, or at midday, or in the after­ noon, or  in  the  evening,  or  at night, or  after midnight, or  entering  for one  day, or for five days,  or  for a fortnight,  or for a month, or for a year, or  for  a  century,  or  for a  millennium,  or for a  hundred  millennia,  or  for a hundred  million years,  or for  ten  trillion years,  or for an octillion years, or for one eon,  or  for  a  hundred  eons,  or  for a  hundred  thousand  eons, or for an  octillion  eons,  or  for  countless  eons,  or  for  measureless  eons, or for boundless eons, or  for  incomparable eons,  or  for  innumerable eons, or for unaccountable eons, or for unthinkable eons, or for immea­ surable eons, or for unspeakable eons, or for untold  eons.  As  for  the various dissimilarities-of far and near, of phenomena or time, and  so on-the  enlightening  beings  do  not  create  discriminations  in  regard  to them;  their minds are not obsessed   with   them ;   they do   not   take them to be dual or nondual,  universal  or  particular.  Though  they  are  aloof from these discriminations, yet by expedient techniques  of spiritual powers, when they  arise  from  concentration  they  remember everything and reach the ultimate end. It is like, for example, the sun going around giving light, never stopping day or night;  the emergence  of the  sun  is called day  and  the  disappearance  of the  sun  is  called  night-it is  not born with the day and does not perish at night. In the same way the great enlightening being enters concentration of spiritual power  in  countless worlds, and having entered concentration, clearly sees  those  countless worlds. This is called the technical knowledge of the third great concen­ tration of great enlightening being, the  great  concentration  of spiritual power successively traveling to buddha-lands.

"What  is great   enlightening   beings'   concentration   of action   of the pure profound mind?  Here the enlightening beings know that embodi­ ments of Buddha are as numerous as all beings, and sec innumerable buddhas,   more than   the number  of atoms in countless worlds.  To all those buddhas they offer all kinds of fine fragrances, all kinds of beautiful flowers, all kinds of canopies, vast as countless buddha-lands, all kinds 0f exquisite adornments surpassing those of all worlds, all kinds of precious substances, parks   arrayed   with   all   kinds   of embellishments,   treasuries of countless jewels, food and drink produced by enlightened spiritual power, surpassing that of all the heavens in flavor, and all the variom

 

superb offerings in all buddha-lands, which they are able to gather  by spiritual power. To each of those buddhas they pay utmost respect and honor, prostrating  themselves on the ground and asking for the Bud­ dha's teaching, praising the impartiality of Buddha, extolling the magni­ ficent virtues of the buddhas. They enter the great compassion that all buddhas enter, attain the unhindered power that is equal in all buddhas, and in a single instant seek the wondrous teaching from all buddhas. Yet they do not apprehend, in regard to those buddhas, such signs as appear­ ance in the world or entry into ultimate nirvana. Just as the scattered, stirring mind,  distinguishing objects,   does not know what the conditions of mind's arousal and quiescence are, in the same way, these great en­ lightening beings do not discriminate  the characteristics of the appear­ ance and nirvana of buddhas.

"It is like a mirage in the daytime-it does not come from clouds or lakes, it does not rest on land or water, neither exists nor does not exist, is not good or bad, not pure or polluted, it cannot be drunk,  cannot be polluted, it neither has nor does not have substance, neither has nor does not have taste.   Through causes and conditions it manifests the appear­ ance of water, as perceived by the consciousness. When one looks at it from afar it resembles water,  and so one imagines there is water,  but when one approaches there is none, so the image of water naturally dis­ appears.  Similarly  the great enlightening beings do not apprehend forms of the buddhas emerging in the world or entering nirvana:  the charac­ teristics   of existence   or nonexistence of buddhas  are discriminations   of the conceiving mind.

"This  concentration  is  called   the  action  of  pure,  profound  mind. The great enlightening being, after having entered this concentration, emerges without forgetting, like someone awakening from sleep re­ membering what he has dreamed-even though  when  one  is  awake  the dream scenes are not there, still one can remember them . In   the same way the great enlightening beings enter this  concentration,  see buddhas and hear  teachings,  then  arise  from  concentration,  yet  remember  it  all and use these teachings to enlighten all communities at enlightenment sites, and adorn all buddha-lands; they clearly comprehend all the im­ measurable meanings and intentions, and all the means of teaching  are also puri fied . They light  the torch of great wisdom  and perpetuate the seed of buddhahood.  Their freedo m from hesitation is complete,  and their powers of elucidation  are  inexhaustible;  they  reveal  and  expound the treasury of the most profound Teaching. This is the technical knowl­ edge of the fourth great concentration of great enlightening beings, the concentration of action of the pure, profound mind.

"What  is great   enlightening   beings'   concentration   of knowledge  of the stores of adornments of the past? Here great en lightening beings are able to know the manifestations of the buddhas  of the past.  That is, within the order of eons,  the order  of lands;  within   the order of lands, the order ofeons; within the order ofeons, the order of buddhas' appear-

 

ances; within the order of buddhas' appearances, the order of teaching; within the  order   of teaching,   the  order of inclinations;   within   the  order of inclinations, the  order  of faculties;  within  the  order  of faculties,  the order of training; within the order of training, the order of life spans of Buddhas;  within the order of life spans,  they know the order of numbers of trillions of years.

"Because these great enlightening beings gain such boundless knowl­ edge of order,   they   therefore know   the   past buddhas,  therefore know past lands, therefore know past teachings, therefore know past ages, therefore know past phenomena,  therefore know past minds,   therefore know past understandings,   therefore know past   beings,   therefore know past afflictions, therefore know past manners,  therefore know   past purities.

"This concentration is called the pure treasury of the past; in a single moment it can enter a hundred eons,   a thousand eons, a hundred thou­ sand eons, an octillion eons, countless eons, measureless eons, boundless eons, incomparable eons, uncountable eons, unaccountable eons, un­ thinkable eons, immeasurable cons, unspeakable eons, untold, inexpres­ sible eons. When those great   enlightening   beings   enter this concentra­ tion, they do not annihilate the present or focus on the past.

"When those great enlightening beings  emerge  from  this  concen­ tration, they receive ten kinds of inconceivable anointment from the Enlightened,  and also attain,  purify,  consummate, enter,  realize,  fulfill, and hold  them, comprehending them equally, the three spheres pure. What are the ten? One, explanation not violating meaning; two, in­ exhaustibility of teaching; three, impeccable expression; four, endless eloquence; five, freedom from  hesitation;  six,  truthfulness  of speech; seven, the trust of the community; eight, liberating  those in  the  triple world; nine,   supreme excellence of roots of goodness;   ten,   command  of the wondrous Teaching. These are the ten anointments. When  enlight­ ening  beings enter this  concentration  and emerge from  it,  immediately they become like a spirit when it enters the womb, the consciousness instantly being  born  therein-in  the same  way,  when  the great enlight­ ening beings emerge from this concentration, in the presence of the Enlightened they instantly attain these ten qualities. This is called  the technical knowledge of the great enlightening beings' fifth great con­ centration,   the  concentration  of knowledge  of  the  stores  of adornments of the past.

"What is great enlightening beings'  concentration  of the  treasury  of light of knowledge?  The great enlightening beings in this concentration know the various different names  of all buddhas in all ages in all worlds in  the  future,  whether  they  have  been  spoken  of yet  or  not,  whether they have been given the prediction of buddhahood  yet or not. That is, they know countless names, untold names of buddhas, and that they will appear in the world, will benefit beings, will be spiritual sovereigns, will perform the tasks of buddha, will explain what is beneficial, will praise

 

goodness, will explain what is pure, will clear away all evils,  will abide in virtue, wi11 reveal the ultimate truth,   will enter the rank of corona­ tion, will attain omniscience. Those buddhas' cultivation of complete action, undertaking of complete vows, entry into complete knowledge, leadership of a complete circle, ful fillment of complete adornments, accumulation of complete virtues,   realization   of complete   truth,   attain­ ment of complete fruition , endowment with complete qualities, and ful­ fillment of complete enlightenment, as well   as   those buddhas'  names, their methods and skills, their spiritual powers and miracles, their de­ velopment of beings, and their entry into final nirvana -all  this the enlightening beings here thoroughly know.

"These enlightening beings can in a single instant enter one eon, a hundred eons, a thousand eons, a hundred thousand  eons,  a  hundred thousand billion eons;  they enter into  as many eons as  atoms in a con­ tinent, as many eons as atoms ih four continents, as many eons as atoms in  a solar system,  as many eons as atoms in a galaxy, as  many eons as atoms in a universe, as many eons as  atoms  in  a buddha-land,  as  many eons as atoms in a  hundred  thousand  buddha-lands,  as  many  eons  as atoms in a  hundred  thousand  billion  buddha-lands,  as  many  eons  as atoms in countless buddha-lands, as many eons as atoms in untold, inexpressible  numbers  of buddha-lands-by their   wisdom   they  are  able to know the numbers of eons in  all  future  worlds.  And  because  they know them, their minds also enter the doors often kinds of preservation : because they enter  the  presence  of the  buddhas,  they gain  the  protection of buddhas as numerous as atoms in  untold  buddha-lands;  because  they enter the presence of the Teaching, they attain inexhaustible intellectual powers illumined by ten kinds of total mental  command; because  they enter the presence of practice, they  produce  perfectly rounded, out­ standing vows; because they enter the presence of power, no one  can dominate or overpower them; because they enter the presence ofknowl­ edge, the Buddha teachings they practice are free  from  obstruction; because they enter the presence of great compassion,   they turn   the wheel of the pure teaching, which never turns back;  because  they  enter  the presence of expression of skillful handling of distinctions, they turn   the wheel of all letters and clean  the  ground  of all  teachings;  because  they enter the presence of the state of the lion being born,  they open the lock of the Teaching and leave the mind of desire; because  they  enter  the presence of the power of knowledge, they cultivate enlightening practice unceasingly; because they enter the presence of the power of good com­ panionship,  they  cause  boundless  beings  to  become  purified;  because they enter the presence of the power of nondwel1ing, they en ter un­ speakable,  untold numbers of vast eons; because  they enter the presence of the power of the Teaching, by uninhibited knowledge  of means, they know all things are inherently pure.

" Once great enlightening beings are in this concentration, they skill­ fully live in untold numbers of ages and lands; they skillfully know

 

untold numbers of various sentient beings; they skillfully know untold numbers  of different characteristics of sentient beings;  they   skillfully know untold  numbers of similar  and different   consequences of action; they skillfully know untold numbers of practices differentiated by vigor, faculties, habit energies, and continuity;  they skillfully know untold numbers of various  tainted and pure   contemplations;  they   skillfully know untold  numbers  of various  meanings   of teachings and innumer­ able written and verbal expressions; they skillfully know untold  numbers of various buddhas'  appearances, families, times, manifestations,   teach­ ings,   actions,   buddha-works,  and entries into ultimate  final nirvana; they skillfully know untold numbers of boundless doors of wisdom and knowledge;  they skillfully know untold numbers of the boundless dif­ ferent manifestations of all spiritual powers.

"It is as when the sun comes out, all the villages and towns, mansions and houses, mountains, marshes, birds and beasts, trees, forests , flowers and fruits, and so on, can be clearly seen by all people with vision; the light of the sun is impartial and has no discrimination, yet can cause the eye to see all kinds of forms. This concentration is also like this: it is in essence impartial, without any discrimination, yet can cause enlightening beings to know countless numbers of different characteristics.

"When the great enlightening beings realize  such knowledge,  they cause beings to attain ten kinds of fruitfulness : one,   fruitful   seeing, because of causing sentient beings to  develop roots of goodness;  two, fruitful hearing, causing sentient beings to gain maturity; three, fruitful association, causing sentient beings' minds to be pacified; four, fruitful aspiration, causing sentient beings to do as they  say and master the meanings of all the teachings; five, fruitful action, causing   boundless worlds to be purified ; six, fruitful companionship,  cutting off countless beings' doubts in the presence of the buddhas of countless worlds; seven, fruitful vows, causing whatever sentient beings are thought of to make excellent  offerings and accomplish  undertakings;  eight,  fruitful skill­ ful methods, causing all to be able to abide in pure knowledge of un­ obstructed liberation; nine, fruitful showering of the rain of Teaching, expediently revealing the  practice of universal knowledge to countless beings of various faculties and causing them to abide in the path of buddhahood;  ten, fruitful appearance,   manifesting   boundless   forms, causing all sentient beings to be bathed in illumination.

"When  great  enlightening  beings  abide  in this  concentration and attain ten kinds of fruitfulness, the kings of the heavens all come and bow to them;  the  dragon  kings  produce  great  fragrant  clouds;  the  yaksha kings bow to their feet; the titan kings honor  them  with  offerings;  the garuda kings circle them in  respect;  the  kings  of the  Brahma heavens come and propitiate them; the kinnara  kings  draw  near  them;  human kings serve and support them. This  is  the  technical  knowledge of the sixth  great  concentration  of great  enlightening   beings,   the  concentra­ tion of the treasury of light of knowledge.

 

"What  is great enlightening beings'   concentration   of knowledge   of the adornments  of buddhas of all worlds?  Why is this   concentration called knowing the adornments of buddhas of all worlds?  Great enlight­ ening beings in this concentration can   successively enter   the   worlds  of the east, can successively enter the worlds of the  south,  west, north, southeast, northeast, southwest, northwest, zenith, and nadir. They can successively enter all these worlds and see the buddhas emerging in the world, and also see all the spiritual   powers of those buddhas,  and   can also see all the feats of those buddhas, and can also see the immense charisma of those buddhas, and also see the supreme freed om of those buddhas,  and also see the great lion roar of those buddhas, and also see the practices cultivated by the buddhas, and also see the various adorn­ ments of the buddhas, and also see the psychic projections of the bud­ dhas, and also see the vast congregation of those buddhas,  the   unity   of the congregations, the multiplicity of congregations, the locations of the congregations, the abodes of the congregations, the development of the congregations, the training of the congregations, the dignity of the con­ gregations-all this they clearly see. They also see the size of the con­ gregations equal to a continent, and also   see the congregations equal   to four continents, those equal to a solar system, those equal to a galaxy, those equal to a universe, those filling ten  sextillion buddha-lands,  those filling countless buddha-lands; they see congregations filling as many buddha-lands as there are atoms in a hundred   buddha-lands,   filling   as many buddha-lands as atoms in a thousand buddha-lands, filling as many buddha-lands as atoms in ten sextillion buddha-lands, filling as many buddha-lands as atoms  in countless buddha-lands, measureless buddha­ lands, boundless buddha-lands,   incomparable   buddha-lands,   innumer­ able buddha-lands, unreckonable buddha-lands,  unthinkable  buddha­ lands, untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-lands. They also see the buddhas amid those   congregations   displaying   various   forms,   various times, various lands,  various transfigurations, various spiritual powers, various adornments, various masteries, various physical sizes, and various actions. The great enlightening beings also see themselves in those con­ gregations, and see themselves preaching there, and see themselves re­ ceiving the words of the buddhas, and see themselves comprehending interdependent origination, and   see   themselves poised   in   the   air,   and see themselves in the reality-body, and see themselves not producing attachments, and see themselves not dwelling on discrimination, and see themselves being indefatigable, and see themselves entering into dll knowledge,  and see themselves knowing  all meanings, and see them­ selves entering all stages, and see themselves  entering all states of being, and see themselves knowing all expedient means of liberation, and see themselves in the presence of the buddhas, and see themselves entering all the powers of enlightenment, and see themselves entering True   Thus­ ness, and see themselves entering noncontention,  and sec themselves entering all truths. When they see in this way, they do not discriminate

 

lands, beings, buddhas, or phenomena; they do not cling to the body, to physical actions, to the mind, or to the intellect. Just as things do not discriminate their essence and do not  discriminate  sound,  yet their  essence is not abandoned and names do not pass away, in the same way great enlightening  beings  do  not  abandon  actions,  according  with  the  doings of the world, yet have no attachments to them.

"Great enlightening beings see infinite lights and colors, forms  and features of buddhas, perfectly developed, equal and pure, each one ap­ pearing  clearly  to their senses. Sometimes  they see the various lights of the buddhas' bodies; sometimes they see buddhas' auras to a depth of one fathom; sometimes they see buddhas'  bodies like blazing suns; sometimes they see subtle hues of light of buddhas' bodies; sometimes they  see buddhas' bodies as clear, or they may see buddhas' bodies as golden, or as diamond-colored, or as violet, or as of infinite colors, or as sapphire; they may see buddhas' bodies seven cubits tall, or ten  cubits tall,  or twenty cubits tall, or thirty cubits tall,  or up  to  a hundred  cubits tall,  or half a league tall, or ten leagues tall,  or  a hundred leagues tall,  or a thousand leagues tall, or a hundred thousand leagues tall; or they may see buddhas' bodies the size of a continent, or the size of four continents, or the size of a solar system,  or the size of a galaxy, or the size of a universe, or the size of a hundred universes, or the size of a thousand universes, or the size of a hundred thousand universes, or the size of ten   quintillion universes,   or the size of incalculable numbers of universes.

''In  this way enlightening beings see the buddhas' infinite   colors, infinite physical forms, infinite   manifestations,   infinite   lights,   and   infi­ nite webs of light; the measure of those lights is equal to the cosmos, illumining all things  therein, causing  all to develop unexcelled knowl­ edge. They also see the buddhas'  embodiments without  attachment, without obstruction, supremely pure.

"Enlightening beings  see the embodiment of Buddha  in   these ways, yet the body of the Enlightened does not increase or decrease. It is like space: in a worm hole in a seed it is not diminished, and in countless worlds it is not expanded.  So it is with the bodies of the buddhas:  when they are seen as large, still there is no increase, and when they are seen as small, there is no decrease. Just as the moon is seen as small by people on earth, yet is not diminished, and is seen as large by beings on the moon, yet does not expand, so also do enlightening beings in this concentration see various transfigurations of the buddhas' bodies, according to their inclinations,   receiving   and   retaining   their verbal   teachings,   there   being all the while no increase or decrease in the body of the Enlightened.

"Just as after beings' lives end and they are about to be reborn, they are not apart from mind and what they see is pure, so also is what en­ lightening beings see, while in this profound concentration, utterly pure. "Great enlightening beings in this concentration develop ten kinds of rapidity: rapid growth in practices and fulfillment of great vows; rapid illumination of the world with the light of the teaching; rapid liberation

 

of sentient beings by appropriate projection of the teachings; rapid mani­ festation of buddhas' pure lands according to the actions of beings;  rapid entry into the ten powers by impartial knowledge; rapid joining of the Enlightened Ones in their abode; rapid destruction of the armies   of demons by the power of great compassion;  rapid removal of beings' doubts,  producing joy in them;   rapid  manifestation   of spiritual displays in accord with   dominant   inclinations;   rapid   purification   of worldly realms by means of various sublime expressions of truth.

"These enlightening beings also attain ten kinds of truth seal, which stamp all things: one, having the same roots of goodness equal in all bud­ dhas of past, future, and present; two, attaining the reality body  with boundless knowledge, same as all buddhas; three, abiding in nonduality, same as the buddhas; four, seeing the infinite objects of all times as all equal, same as the buddhas do; five, gaining comprehension of the un­ obstructed realm of the cosmos  of reality, same as that of the buddhas; six, achieving the ten powers, same as the buddhas, being unhindered in function;   seven,   having  forever cut off opinions   and   passions,  dwelling in the state of freedom from conflict, same as the buddhas; eight, cease­ lessly teaching sentient beings, same as the buddhas  do; nine,  having ability to observe adaptive skill in knowledge and meaning, same as the buddhas; ten, being equal to all buddhas, same as all enlightened ones .

"If great enlightening beings accomplish the techniques of this great concentration  of knowledge of adornments of buddhas  of all   worlds, they are teacherless because they can enter all principles and qualities of buddhas by themselves,  without depending  on another's  instruction. They are people of power because they can enlighten all sentient beings. They are pure because they know  that the nature of mind is fundamen­ tally pure. They are foremost because they can liberate all worldlings. They are  comforters because they can awaken all sentient beings.  They are stabilizers because they can establish in the family of buddhas those who are not yet so established.  They are true knowers because they enter the door   of universal   knowledge.   They   are   without  varying   concep­ tions because what   they say is   nondual.   They abide in the treasury of truth because they vow to know all Buddha teachings. They are able to shower the rain of the Teaching, because they satisfy all beings in accord with their inclinations.

"It is like the god-king Indra placing a jewel in his topknot;  by the power of the jewel his majestic  light becomes  all the more effulgent. When the god-king first obtained this jewel,  he gained ten  things sur­ passing all the gods of the thirty-three-fold heaven: one, color; two, phy­ sical form; three, manifestation ; four, retinue; fi ve, appurtenances; six, voice; seven, magical powers; eight, control; nine, intellectual under­ standing; ten, cognitive function . In these ten ways he surpasses all the other gods of the thirty-three-fold heaven . In the same way , when en­ lightening beings first attain this concentration, they gain ten kinds of treasuries of great knowledge: one, knowledge illumining all buddha-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ten Concerztrations       83 1

 

lands; two,  knowledge  of the births of all beings; three, knowledge of how to make magical displays of past, future, and present; four, knowl­ edge of all buddha-bodies; five, knowledge comprehending all Buddha teachings; six, knowledge embracing all pure phenomena;   seven, knowl­ edge of how to cause all beings to enter the reality-body; eight,  pure knowledge of the universal  directly perceiving all things;  nine, knowl­ edge of total freedom reaching the other shore; ten,   knowledge estab­ lishing all universal principles.

"Enlightening beings in this concentration also gain ten kinds of ex­ tremely pure bodies of power: one, emitting  unspeakably unspeakable numbers of light   spheres to illumine  unspeakably  unspeakable numbers of worlds; two, emitting unspeakably unspeakable numbers of spheres of light of infinite colors to purify all worlds; three, emittmg unspeakably unspeakable numbers of light spheres to paci fy living beings;  four, em­ anating unspeakably unspeakable numbers of bodies to be near to all the buddhas; five, raining unspeakably unspeakable numbers of clouds of flowers of various wonderful scents to present to all buddhas; six, magi­ cally producing unspeakably unspeakable numbers of various kinds of infinitely free miraculous effects to develop and mature sentient beings; eight,  crossing  unspeakably unspeakable numbers of worlds in a single step in order to ask to hear the Teaching from all the variously named buddhas of the ten directions; nine, showing  a body  of immeasurably various forms, the crown of which none can see, so that all who see or hear of it will not have done so in vain;  ten, uttering unspeakably un­ speakable numbers of words to reveal countless secret truths to sentient beings.

"Once  enlightening beings gain these  ten kinds of extremely   pure body of power, they can cause sentient beings to attain ten kinds of ful­ fillment: one, they can enable sentient beings to see Buddha;  two, they can induce sentient beings to deeply believe in Buddha; three, they can induce sentient beings to listen to the Teaching; four, they can cause sen­ tient beings to know   there is a world of buddhahood;  five,   they can cause sentient beings to perceive the miracles of Buddha;  six, they can cause sentient beings to recollect accumulated  deeds; seven, they   can cause sentient beings to perfect concentration; eight, they can introduce sentient beings into the purity of buddhahood; nine, they can induce sentient beings to aspire to enlightenment; ten, they can enable sentient beings to fulfill enlightened knowledge.

"When great enlightening  beings  have  caused  sentient  beings  to  at­ tain these ten kinds of fulfillment, they also perform ten kinds of buddha-work  for sentient   beings:  they  perform  verbal  buddha-work, to develop and mature beings; they perform physical buddha-work, to train sentient beings; they perform  mental  buddha-work  to  purify  sen­ tient beings; they shake the  world  as  buddha-work  to  make  sentient beings give up bad tendencies; they perform buddha-work by expedient awakening, to cause sentient beings not to lose mindfulness; they per-

 

form buddha-work by manifesting forms in dreams,  to  cause  sentient beings  to  be  constant  in  right  mindfulness;  they  perform  buddha-work by radiating  great  light  to  embrace all  beings;  they  perform  buddha­ work by cultivating  the  practices  of enlightening  beings,  to  cause  sen­ tient beings  to  live  by  superior  aspirations; they  perform  buddha-work by attaining perfect enlightenment to cause sentient beings  to  know illusion; they  perform buddha-work by turning the wheel of the sub­ lime teaching, to teach sentient beings in accord with  the time; they per­ form buddha-work by appearing to  live for a  certain  span, in  order  to tame sentient  beings; they  perform  buddha-work  by  manifesting  nir­ vana, because they know sentient beings will become weary.

"This is the technical knowledge of the great enlightening  beings' seventh great concentration, the concentration  of knowledge  of adorn­ ments of buddhas of all worlds.

"What  is great enlightening  beings'  concentration of the differen­ tiated bodies of all sentient beings? Great enlightening beings in this con­ centration attain ten kinds of nonattachment: nonattachment in all lands; nonattachment  in all places; nonattachment in   all   times; nonattachment in respect to all beings; nonattachment in respect to all phenomena; non­ attachment in respect to all enlightening beings;  nonattachment   in   re­ spect to all enlightening beings' vows; nonattachment in respect to all concentrations; nonattachment  in respect to all buddhas;  nonattachment in respect to all the stages of enlightenment.

"How do great enlightening beings enter into and emerge from this concentration? They enter this concentration internally and emerge ex­ ternally; entering externally,   they   emerge   internally;   entering   in   the same body, they emerge in a different body; entering in a different body, they  emerge in the same body;  entering in a human body,  they emerge in a yaksha body; entering in a yaksha body,  they emerge in a human body; entering   in a dragon body,  they emerge in a   titan   body;   entering in a titan body, they emerge in a celestial body;  entering in a celestial body, they emerge in a Brahma-king  body; entering in a Brahma-king body, they emerge in a desire-realm body; entering in a heaven,  they emerge in a hell; entering in a hell, they emerge in the human world; entering in the human  world, they emerge in other realms of being;  they enter in a thousand bodies and emerge in   one   body;   entering in   one body, they emerge in a thousand bodies; entering in a hundred billion bodies,  they emerge in   one   body;   entering   in   one   body,   they   emerge in a hundred billion bodies; entering among people  of the south,  they emerge among   people   of the west; entering   among   people of the west, they emerge among  people of the north;  entering among  people of the north, they emerge among people  of the east; entering   among   people of the east, they emerge among people of three continents; entering among people  of three continents, they emerge among  people  of four   conti­ nents;   entering   among  people  of four continents,   they   emerge   among the different creatures of all seas; entering among different creatures of

 

The Ten Concentrations         833

all seas, they emerge among the spirits of all seas; entering among  the spirits of all seas,   they   emerge in the water element of all seas; entering in the water element of all seas, they emerge in the earth element of all seas; entering in the earth element of all seas, they emerge in the fire ele­ ment of all seas;   entering in the fire element of all seas,   they emerge in the air element of all seas; entering in the air element of all seas, they emerge in all four gross elements; entering in   all four   gross elements, they emerge in the truth of nonorigination; entering in the truth of non­ origination, they emerge on the polar mountain; entering on the polar mountain, they emerge on the mountain of seven precious substances; entering on the mountain of seven   precious substances,   they emerge   on the black  mountain   of various   crops   and   forests   of all   soils;   entering on the black mountain of various  crops and forests of all soils, they emerge in   precious   arrays   of all flowers of sublime   fragrances;   entering in   precious arrays   of all flowers of sublime fragrances,   they emerge   in the incarnations of all beings of the four quarters, the zenith and nadir; entering in the incarnations of all beings  of the four quarters,   the zenith and nadir, they emerge in the beings of the solar system; entering in the beings of the solar system,  they emerge in beings of the   galaxy;   entering in the beings of the galaxy, they emerge in the beings of the universe; entering in the beings of the universe, they emerge in the beings of a hundred thousand hundred billion universes; entering in the beings of a hundred thousand hundred   billion   universes,   they   emerge   in   the   beings of countless worlds; entering in the beings of countless worlds,   they emerge in the beings of measureless worlds; entering in the beings of measureless worlds,  they emerge in the beings   of boundless   buddha­ lands;   entering   in   the   beings   of boundless   buddha-lands,   they   emerge in the beings of incomparable buddha-lands; entering in the beings of incomparable buddha-lands, they emerge in the beings of innumerable worlds; entering in the beings of innumerable worlds, they emerge in the beings of incalculable worlds; entering in the beings of incalculable worlds, they emerge in the beings of unthinkable worlds; entering in the beings of unthinkable   worlds,   they   emerge in   the   beings   of immeasur­ able worlds; entering in the beings of immeasurable worlds, they emerge in the beings of unspeakable   worlds;   entering in the beings of unspeak­ able worlds, they emerge in the beings of unspeakably  unspeakable numbers of worlds; entering in the beings of unspeakably unspeakable numbers of worlds, they emerge in impure  beings; entering in impure beings, they emerge in pure beings; entering in pure beings, they emerge in   impure  beings;   entering in the eye,   they emerge in   the ear; entering in the ear,   they emerge in the eye; entering in the nose, they emerge in the tongue;  entering in the   tongue,   they   emerge   in   the   nose;   entering in the body,  they emerge in the mind; entering in the mind, they emerge in the body; entering in their own senses, they emerge in others' senses; entering in   others'   senses,   they emerge in   their own   senses;   entering   in a single atom,  they emerge in the atoms of countless worlds;  entering

 

in the atoms of countless worlds, they emerge in one atom;  entering in hearers of Buddha's  voice,  they emerge in self-enlightened ones; entering in self-enlightened ones, they emerge in hearers; entering in their own bodies, they emerge in the body of Buddha;  entering in the body of Buddha, they emerge in their own bodies;  entering in a single instant, they emerge in a hundred million eons;  entering in a hundred  million eons, they emerge in an instant; entering in   the   same  instant,   they emerge in   different   times;   entering in   different   times,   they   emerge in the same instant;  entering in the past, they emerge in the future; entering in the future, they emerge in the past; entering in   past,   present,   and future, they emerge in a moment; entering in a momen t, they emerge in past, present, and future; entering in True Thusness, they emerge in verbalization; entering in verbalization, they emerge in True Thusness.

"It is as when a man is possessed by a demon, his body trembles and he  cannot relax-the  demon  does not  show  its  body; it  causes  the  body of another  to be that  way.  In the same way, great  enlightening beings in this concentration enter concentration in their own bodies and emerge in others'  bodies,  enter  concentration  in  others'  bodies  and  emerge  in their own bodies.

"It is like a corpse able to get up and act effectively through the power of a magic spell; though the corpse and the spell are distinct, yet they can join together and accomplish things. In the same way, a great enlight­ ening being in this concentration enters concentration   in the same object and emerges in a different object, enters   concentration   in   a   different object and emerges in the same object.

"It is as a monk who has attained freedom of mind may make many bodies of one body or one body of many bodies,  yet it is not that one body vanishes and many bodies are born, or that many bodies vanish and one body is born. In the same way, a great enlightening being in this concentration enters concentration in one body  and emerges in many bodies, enters concentration in many bodies and emerges in one body.

"Just as the flavor of soil is one while the flavors of the crops it pro­ duces are variously  different, the flavors having   difference even though the soil has no difference, in the same way a great enlightening being in this concentration, though free from discrimination,  may enter concen­ tration in one clement and emerge in many clements, or enter concen­ tration in many elements and emerge in one.

"Great enlightening beings in this concentration are lauded for ten praise-worthy  qualities:  they  enter into  True Thusness,  and  so  are  called Tathagata, those who have arrived at Thusness;   they   are aware of all truths, and so are called buddha, enlightened ;.. they are praised by all worlds, and so   are called   teachers of truth;   they   know   all   things,   and so are called omniscient; they are resorted to by all worlds, and so are called refuge; they have mastered all teaching methods, and so arc called guides; they lead all beings into universal knowledge,  and so are called great leaders; they are lamps for all  worlds, and  so are called light; their

 

The Ten Cor1centrations       835

aspirations are fulfilled, they have accomplished  salvation,  they have done their tasks, they abide in unobstructed knowledge and individually know all things, so they are called adepts of the ten powers;  they thor­ oughly comprehend   all cycles   of the Teaching,   so they are called all­ seers .

"Great enlightening beings   in   this   concentration   also   acquire   ten kinds of illumination:  they acquire the light of all buddhas because they are equal to them; they acquire the light of all worlds because they can beautify them all; they acquire the light of all beings because they go to pacify them all; they acquire the light of immeasurable expertise because they preach on the stage of the cosmos of realities; they acquire undif­ ferentiated light because they know that phenomena  have no differen­ tiation in essence; they acquire the light of expedient means because they have realized freedo m from desire for anything; they acquire the light of truth because their minds are equanimous in the realm of desirelessness; they acquire the light of mystic transfigurations pervading all  worlds because they are ceaselessly empowered by the Buddha; they acquire the light of proper rneditation because they reach the other shore of freedom of all buddhas; they acquire the light of True Thusness of all  things because they can explain everything in a single point.

'' Great enlightening beings in this concentration also  attain ten kinds of nondoing:  the nondoing of physical acts; the nondoing of verbal acts; the nondoing of mental acts; the nondoing of spiritual powers;  the non­ doing of comprehension of the essencelessness of phenomena;  the non­ doing of knowledge of the nondissolution of the force of actions;  the nondoing of nondiscriminatory  knowledge;  the   nondoing  of knowl­ edge of nonorigination; the nondoing of knowing things have no de­ struction; the nondoing of following the letter without  destroying the meamng.

"When great enlightening beings are in this concentration, the in­ numerable realms are variously  different-entering  in  one, arising  in many, entering in many, arising in  one, entering in the  same one,  arising in different ones, entering in different ones, arising in  the  same  one, entering in  the subtle, arising in  the  gross,  entering in  the gross,  arising in the subtle, entering in  the great, arising in the small, entering in the small, arising in the great, entering  in  the  congenial,  arising  in  the adverse, entering in the adverse, arising in the congenial, entering incorporeally, arising corporeally, entering corporeally, arising incor­ poreally, entering in the formless , arising in forms, entering in forms, arising in the formless,  entering  in  arising,  arising  in  entering-these are all realms of freedom of this concentration .

"It is as when a magician keeps repeating a spell, he can become able to cause various  different   forms   to   appear-the   spell   and   the   illusions are distinct,   yet   the spell   can   create illusions;   though   the   spell   is just a sound, yet it can produce various illusory perceptions, various forms perceived by the eye-consciousness, various sounds perceived by the ear-

 

 

consciousness, various smells perceived by the nose-consciousness, var­ ious tastes perceived by the tongue-consciousness, various feelin gs per­ ceived by the body-consciousness, various objects perceived by the mind-consciousness. In the same way, the enlightening being in this concentration also enters concentration in samene�s and arises from con­ centration in difference,   enters   concentration   in   difference   and   arises from concentration in sameness.

"It  is  as  when  the  gods  of the  thirty-three-fold  heaven  battled  with the  titans  and  the  gods prevailed and  the titans retreated in defeat.  The king of titans was seven hundred leagues tall and was accompanied by several tens of millions of cohorts, yet by  magic  he led  his  army  all  at once into a hole in a lotus root.  In the same way, the great enlightening being has already achieved the stage of knowledge  of illusions:  knowl­ edge of illusion is the enlightening being, the enlightening being is knowledge of illusion-therefore the enlightening being can enter con­ centration in the undifferentiated and  emerge  in  the  differentiated,  can enter concentration in the differentiated and emerge in the undif­ ferentiated .

"Just as when a farmer plants seeds in the fields, the seeds are below yet the fruits grow above, so also does an enlightening being in this con­ centration enter concentration in one and emerge in many, enter con­ centration in many and emerge in one.

"It is as when the sperm and ovum unite and there is a living being conceived, at which time it is called an embryo; after this it lives in the womb for nine months, and by the power of proper actions all its limbs and organs achieve completion and its consciousness is clear. That life energy and   the organs and physical form are distinct,  yet by the power of action that energy can make them gradually develop and experience various consequences of similar and different types. In the same way, the great enlightening being in this concentration,  from   the stage of em­ yonic omniscience, gradually grows in faith , understanding, resolution, and  power, the mind broad,  effortlessly and  freely entering concentra­ tion in nonbeing and emerging in being,  entering concentration in being and emerging in nonbeing.

"It is like the case of the palaces of water spirits, built on the earth and not in the sky; the water spirits also live in  the palaces and not in  the sky, yet they can create clouds spreading through the sky. The palaces that people may see when they look up you may be sure are mirages, not water-spirit palaces. Though water spirits dwell below,  the  clouds  are spread above-in the same way, the great enlightening being in this concentration enters in formlessness and emerges amid forms,  enters  in forms and emerges in formlessness .

"It is like the case of the palace where the great Brahma-king-god of subtle light lives; called 'pure treasury supreme of all worlds, ' in this great palace can be seen all the abodes of all the various creatures in all lands in the galaxy, as well as the natural and man-made features of those

 

The Ten Concetztrations       83 7

 

lands-even down   to   minute particles of dust floating in   the   air,   all   can be seen reflected in this brahma palace, like seeing one's face in a mirror. The great enlightening beings in this great concentration of the different bodies of all sentient beings know all kinds of lands, see all kinds  of buddhas, liberate all kinds of beings,  realize all kinds of truths, accom­ plish all kinds of spiritual practices,  fulfill all kinds of understandings, enter all kinds of trances, produce all kinds of psychic powers, attain all kinds of knowledge, and live through all kinds of moments.

"Such great enlightening beings reach ten kinds of other shores of spiritual powers: they reach the other shore of spiritual  powers  of the buddha that extend throughout space and are present everywhere in the cosmos; they reach the other shore of enlightening beings' ultimately nondiscriminatory free spiritual powers; they reach the other shore of spiritual powers  of buddha-work able  to  initiate  the  far-reaching  prac­ tical commitments of enlightening beings   and   enter the   gate of realization of Thusness; they reach the other   shore of spiritual powers able   to shake all objects in all worlds and purify them all; they reach the other shore of spiritual powers able to freely know that the inconceivable result� of actions of all sentient beings are all like illusory productions; they reach the other shore of spiritual powers able to freely know the different characteristics-crude and subtle, those in entry and emergence-of all concentrations; they reach  the  other  shore  of spiritual  powers  able  to boldly enter  the  realm  of  the  enlightened  and  therein produce great vows; they reach the other  shore  of spiritual  powers  able  to  cause bud­ dhas to appear and teach, taming beings, causing them to be born in the family of buddhas, causing them to enter the vehicle of buddhahood and swiftly attain fulfillment;  they  reach  the other shore  of spiritual  powers able to comprehend all the countless esoteric statements and teach in such a way as to clarify countless aspects of truth; they reach the other shore of spiritual powers able to cause the past, present, and future to appear in a single instant without depending on the numbers of days, nights, months, years, or epochs.

"This is called the technical knowledge  of the great enlightening beings' eighth great concentration, the concentration of the differentiated bodies of all beings.

"What  is great enlightening beings'  great concentration of freedom in the elemental cosmos? Here the great enlightening beings enter concen­ tration in the medium of their own eyes, in the mediums of their other senses, including   the medium  of their own   minds-this is   called   freedom in the elemental cosmos.

"Enlightening beings enter this concentration in each pore of their bodies. They are spontaneously able to know all worldly beings, all worldly phenomena, and all worlds;  they know ten quintillion  worlds, they know incalculable numbers of worlds, they know as many worlds as atoms in untold buddha-lands. They see in all worlds when buddhas emerge, congregations of enlightening beings filling them all, their radi-

 

 

ant  light clear, purely  good,  unalloyed,   with  great  arrays   of all  kinds of treasures adorning them. Therein the enlightening beings ceaselessly cultivate enlightening practices, for an eon or  a  hundred  eons,  or  a thousand eons, or a million eons, or a billion eons, or countless eons, or untold eons, or for as many eons as atoms in untold numbers of buddha­ lands.

"Also, they remain in this concentration through these immeasurable eons, also entering, also emerging, also perfecting worlds, also pacifying beings, also comprehending   the   elemental   cosmos,   also   knowing   all times,   also expounding all truths, also manifesting all kinds   of techniques of great spiritual powers, without attachment or obstruction.

"Because they have  attained freedom in the elemental cosmos, they ably analyze the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body,  and intellect-they ably analyze all manner of such distinctions, to their furthest extent.

"Once  enlightening beings ably know and see in this way,   they are able to produce illumination of principles in a trillion concentration formulae, accomplish   a   trillion   purifying   practices,   acquire   a   trillion eyes, fulfill a trillion mystic  powers,  enter a trillion trances, perfect a trillion psychic forces, nurture a trillion powers, fulfill a trillion aspira­ tions, operate a trillion empowerments, demonstrate a trillion mystic metamorphoses,  acquire a trillion freedoms of enlightening beings, ful fill a trillion aids to the path of enlightening beings, accumulate a trillion treasuries of enlightening beings, illumine   a trillion   methods of enlight­ ening beings, expound a trillion doctrines, accomplish a trillion vows, produce a trillion dedications, purify a trillion proper  states of enlight­ ening beings, comprehend  a trillion teachings, reveal a trillion explana­ tions, and  cultivate a trillion purities of enlightening beings.

"These great enlightening beings also have innumerable virtues, mea­ sureless virtues, boundless virtues, incomparable virtues, uncountable virtues, incalculable virtues, unthinkable virtues, immeasurable virtues, unspeakable virtues, inexhaustible virtues. These enlightening   beings have already prepared these virtues, accumulated them, arrayed them, purified  them,  clarified  them,  embodied  them-they  can produce  them all , all are worthy of praise; they can make them endure, they hat"e perfected them all.

" When great enlightening beings dwell in this concentration, they are under the care of buddhas of the east, whose names are as numerous as atoms in ten thousand incalculable   numbers of buddha-lands, each name also applying to as many other buddhas as there are atoms in ten thou­ sand   incalculable   numbers   of   buddha-lands,    each    different-and    the same is true of the buddhas of the south, west, north, the four inter­ mediate directions, and the zenith and nadir. Those buddhas all appear before the enlightening beings and show them the pure lands of the buddhas, tell them about the infinite bodies of the buddhas, about the inconceivable eye of the buddhas,   the infinite   ear of the   buddhas,   the pure nose of the buddhas, the pure tongue of the buddhas, the nondwell-

 

ing mind of the buddhas, and the unsurpassed spiritual powers of the buddhas, causing them to cultivate the unexcelled enlightenment of buddhas, to acquire the pure, clear voice of buddhas; they reveal the nonregressive teaching of the buddhas  and the boundless congregations of the buddhas,  causing them   to enter the infinite mystery of the bud­ dhas; they laud all   the bases of goodness of the buddhas  and cause them to realize the equality of all buddhas;  they explain the lineage of buddhas of past, present, and future, display  the boundless forms of buddhas, preach the teaching guarded by the buddhas,  utter the buddhas'  subtle voice of truth, clearly discern the worlds of all buddhas,  extol the medi­ tation of all the buddhas, show the order of the assemblies of the buddhas' audiences, preserve the buddhas' inconceivable teaching, explain that all things are like magical   productions,   elucidate   the inertness of the essence of all phenomena, teach the highest principles, praise the infinite virtues of the enlightened, and cause the enlightening beings to enter the clouds of all concentrations and know their minds are like illusions, like emana­ tions, boundless and inexhaustible.

"When great enlightening beings abide in this concentration of cosmic freedom, those buddhas by names as numerous as atoms in ten thousand incalculable numbers   of buddha-lands from each of the   ten   directions, with as many buddhas as atoms in ten thousand incalculable numbers of buddha-lands in each name, simultaneously watch over the enlightening beings and enable them to   acquire boundless   bodies,   enable   them   to attain unobstructed minds,   enable them to attain unfailing   recollection   of all   truths,    enable   them    to   attain   certain   comprehension   of all   truths, en able them to increase in intelligence and absorb all truths, enable them to clearly understand all truths, en able them to attain skill in spiritual capacities,  with power and keenness of all faculties,   cause   their   sphere to be boundless, extending through the cosmos unceasingly, enable them to attain unhindered knowledge, ultimately pure, and enable them to manifest attainment of buddhahood in all worlds by mystical  power.

"Enlightening beings in  this  concentration  attain  ten kinds  of ocean:

they attain the ocean   of buddhas because they see   them all;   they attain the ocean of sentient beings because they pacify them all; they attain the ocean of truths because they can comprehend them all by wisdom;  they attain the ocean of lands because they go to them all by psychic realiza­ tion of essenceless, uncreated spiritual powers; they attain the ocean of virtues because they cultivate them   all   to   perfection;   they   attain   the ocean of spiritual powers because they are able to manifest them exten­ sively to awaken enlightenment; they attain the ocean of faculties because they know all their various differences; they attain the ocean of minds because they know the infinite various different minds ofsentient beings; they attain the ocean of practices because they can fulfill them all by willpower; they attain the ocean of vows  because they cause them   all to be fulfilled, eternally pure.

"Once  great enlightening beings have attained  to these ten oceans,

 

they also attain ten kinds of excellence: they are foremost among all sentient beings;  they are supremely outstanding among celestials;  they arc most powerful among Brahma-kings;  they   have no   attachments in any world; no one in any world can overshadow them; no demons can disturb them; they can enter any state of being without hindrance; wherever they may be born, they know it is not permanent; they attain mastery of all Buddha teachings; they can manifest all spiritual powers.

"Once great enlightening beings have attained these ten kinds of excellence, they also attain ten kinds   of power,  cultivating  practices in the realm of sentient beings: first is the power of courageous strength, because they tame worldlings; second  is the power  of energy, because they never backslide;  third is the power of nonattachment, because they get rid of defiling obsessions; fourth is the power of silent calm, because they have no disputes about anything; fifth is the power to oppose  or conform, because they are free in the midst  of all things;  sixth  is the power of the nature of things, because they attain mastery of all truths; seventh is the power of nonobstruction, because their  knowledge  and wisdom is immensely vast; eighth is the   power of fearlessness,   because they can explain all truths;   ninth is the   power of intellect,   because they can hold all truths; tenth is the power of revelation, because their knowl­ edge and wisdom is boundless.

"These ten kinds of power are immense powers, supreme powers, invincible powers, immeasurable powers, well-developed powers, im­ movable powers, enduring powers, powers of knowledge, powers of accomplishment, powers of supreme concentration, pure powers,  ex­ tremely pure powers,   powers   of the   body   of reality,   powers of the   light of truth, powers of the   lamp   of the   Teaching,  powers   of the   methods of the Teaching, indestructible  powers,  powers of extreme  strength, powers of great people, powers cultivated by good people, powers of attainment of true awareness,   powers   of roots   of goodness  accumulated in the past, powers stabilizing immeasurable roots of goodness, powers stabilizing the realization of Thusness, powers of meditation, powers enhancing the joy of enlighten ing beings, powers   producing   the   pure faith of enlightening beings, powers increasing the heroism of enlight­ ening beings,  powers born of the   aspiration   for enlightenment,  powers of enlightening beings' pure resolve, powers of the enlightening beings' supreme determination,  powers of development of the roots of goodness of enlightening beings, powers of finding out the ultimate truth about all things, powers of the unobstructed  body, powers of entry into the principles of skill in means of enlightenment,  powers of the pure subtle truth, powers of stable force that cannot be upset, powers that all beings cannot overshadow.

"These great enlightening beings can produce these virtuous qualities, can perfect them, fulfill them,  illumine them , fully embody them , em­ body them everywhere, expand  them,   solidify   them,   enhance   them, purify them , and purify them in all ways.

 

"No one can tell the bounds of these enlightening beings' virtues, knowledge, practice, teaching, freedom, austerities, accomplishments, purity, emancipation, or mastery of the Teaching. Even in unspeakably many eons no one could fully explain all the teachings that these enlight­ ening beings have attained, have accomplished, have entered into, have actualized, have experienced, have contemplated, have realized, have purified, have comprehended, and have set up.

"Great enlightening beings in this concentration are able to thoroughly know all the infinite concentrations there are, and the sphere of each concentration, immeasurably vast, in each sphere clearly seeing entry, emergence, and abiding,  with their  characteristics, manifestations, realms of action, concurrent experiences, inherent natures, extinctions, and emancipations.

"They are like the palace of the great water spirit that negates the tormenting heat,   from which flow four rivers that are free from turbidity and pollution and arc clear as space itsel f. The lake there has on each of its four sides a mouth, from each of which flows a river. From the Elephant mouth flows the Ganges River;  from the Lion mouth flows the   Sita River; from the Ox mouth flows the Sindhu River; and from the Horse mouth flows the Vakshu River.  When the four great rivers flow forth , from the mouth of the   Ganges   River flows silver sand;   from the mouth of the Sita River flows diamond  sand; from the mouth  of the Sindhu River flows gold sand, and from the mouth of the Vakshu River flows lapis lazuli sand. The Ganges River mouth is silver color, the Sita River mouth is diamond color,  the Sindhu River mouth is golden,  and the Vakshu River mouth is the color of lapis lazuli. Each river mouth is a league wide. A fter emerging, each river circles the great lake seven times and then flows off in its own direction, racing like quicksilver  flowing into the ocean. Between each turn of the rivers are red, blue, and white lotuses made of celestial jewels,  of extraordinary fragrance and   pure color, their petals, leaves, and calyxes all made of gems, spontaneously shining and reflecting each other and the Heatless Lake, fifty leagues around, its floor covered with beautiful jewel  sands, adorned with  all kinds   of crystals,   with innumerable exquisite jewels   adorning its   shores. The wonderful fragrance of sandalwood is everywhere;  lotuses and other fine flowers fill the lake, and when the breeze stirs them, the breath of fragrance is carried afar, pervading everywhere.  Flowery forests ofjewel trees circle the lake, and when the sun comes out, they reflect everything in and outside the lake, joining  the reflections and radiance into a net­ work of light. Myriad things are like this-far  and near, high  and low, broad and narrow, coarse and fine, even down to the tiniest grain of sand and mote of dust, all being beautiful jewels, clearly mirroring lights, all reflected in the orb of the sun, and all   reflecting and rereflecting each other; these reflections, neither increasing nor decreasing,   neither   merged nor separated, are clearly visible as though they were the original sub­ stance itself.

 

842  The Plower Ornament Scripture

 

"Just as the great lake Heatless pours forth four rivers from   four mouths into the ocean, so also do great enlightening beings pour forth various practices from the four powers of understanding,  ultimately  to enter the ocean   of omniscience. Just as the great river Ganges streams silver sand from the silver Elephant mouth,  so do great enlightening beings,   by   means   of the   power of understanding   meanings,   explain   all the doctrines expounded by all the buddhas, producing all pure virtuous qualities, ultimately  entering into the ocean of unobstructed knowledge. Just as the great river Sita streams diamond  sands from the diamond­ colored Lion mouth,  so do great enlightening beings, by means of the power of understanding doctrines, explain for all beings the adamantine sayings of the Buddha  and elicit adamantine knowledge,   ultimately flowing into the ocean of unobstructed knowledge. Just as the great river Sindhu streams forth gold sand from the golden Ox mouth, so do great enlightening beings, by means of the   power of understanding   of expres­ sions, open up the understanding of beings by conditionally produced techniques in accord with the world, causing all to rejoice, taming and maturing them, to ultimately enter the ocean of conditionally originated means. Just as the great river Vakshu streams forth lapis lazuli sands from the blue Horse mouth, so do great enlightening beings, by the power of understanding facilitating inexhaustible  eloquence, shower countless teachings to refresh and enliven those who hear, ultimately to enter the ocean of the principles of buddhahood.

"Just as the four great rivers enter the oceans in four directions after having circled Heatless Lake, so do great enlightening beings, accom­ plishing harmonious deeds, words, and thoughts,  and   accomplishing deeds, words, and thoughts guided by knowledge, flow in the   four directions and ultimately enter  the ocean of omniscience.   What  is meant by the 'four directions'  of enlightening beings? They are: seeing all buddhas   and attaining   enlightenment;   hearing   all enlightening   teachings and absorbing and   retaining   them;   fulfilling all the practices of the ways of transcendence; expounding the Teaching compassionately, satisfying sentient beings. Just as the four great rivers circle the great lake and therein blue, red, and white lotuses fill   everywhere,   in   the same   way great enlightening  beings,   in   their determination   for enlightenment,   do not abandon sentient beings, but teach them in order to paci fy them and enable them to fulfill incalculable  concentrations and see the purity of arrays of the buddha-lands.

"Just as the great lake Heatless is circled by jewel trees, so also do great

enlightening beings cause the rings of adornments of the buddha-lands to appear, inspiring sentient beings to seek enlightenment.

"Just  as the  great lake Heatless is  fifty leagues in  length  and  breadth and is clear and free from turbidity, so also is great enlightening beings' determination for enlightenment infinite, boundless, filled  with  virtues, pure, clean, and without turbidity.

"Just as the shores of the great lake Heatless are arrayed with countless

 

treasures and sandalwood incense is scattered everywhere, so also are the shores of great vows of the determination for enlightenment of great enlightening beings adorned with countless treasures of the tenfold knowledge and sprinkled with the wonderful fragrance of all virtues.

"Just as the floor of the great lake Heatless is spread with gold  sand and arrayed with all kinds of pearls, similarly great enlightening beings' subtle knowledge observing everywhere is arrayed with all kinds of metaphysical treasures of the  inconceivable liberation of enlightening beings,  attaining unobstructed illumination of all truths,   abiding in the abode of all buddhas, entering into all the most profound liberative techniques of enlightening.

"Just as the chief water spirit  Heatless is forever free from the tor­ ments of heat among the water spirits, in the same way   great enlight­ ening beings are forever free from the anxieties and vexations of all worlds-though they be born therein, they are not affected or attached. "Just as the  four great rivers   water the  whole continent and  then enter the ocean, likewise do great enlightening beings refresh celestial and human beings, ascetics and priests, with four rivers of knowledge, causing them to enter the great ocean of knowledge of unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, adorned with four kinds of power.  What are the four? First is the river of the knowledge of vows, rescuing and pacifying all sentient beings, never ceasing; second is the river of knowledge of transcendent ways, cultivating enlightening practices for the benefit of sentient beings, continuing past,  future, and present, without end,  ulti­ mately entering the ocean of knowledge of the buddhas;  third is the river of knowledge of concentrations of enlightening beings, arrayed with countless concentrations, perceiving all buddhas, entering the ocean of buddhas; fourth is the  river of knowledge of great compassion,  with great universal compassion, autonomous, saving sentient beings every­ where, caring for them by appropriate means, ceaselessly, cultivating the

way of esoteric virtues, ultimately entering the ocean of the ten powers. "Just as the  four  great  rivers  emerge  from the  lake  Heatless, and having streamed forth are ultimately inexhaustible and enter the ocean, similarly great enlightening beings cultivate enlightening practice by the power of great vows, their independent knowledge and insight inex­

haustible, ultimately entering the ocean of omniscience.

"Just as nothing can prevent the four great rive�s from entering the ocean, similarly great enlightening beings always diligently carry out the practical vows of universal good, perfect the light of all knowledge and wisdom, abide in the way of enlightenment of all buddhas, and enter the knowledge of those who realize Thusness, without any hindrance.

"Just as the  four great rivers rush into  the ocean, never tiring eon after eon, similarly enlightening beings carry  out  the  deeds  of enlightening beings forever by  the  practical  vows  of universal  good,  entering  the ocean of realization of Thusness, never giving rise to weariness.

"Just as when the sun comes out, the golden, silver, diamond, and

 

lapis lazuli sands in Heatless Lake, as well as all the other jewels and treasures, are imbued with sunlight and   reflect   the   golden   sands   and other treasures, each reflection   also   containing   reflections   of all   the others, everything mutually  reflecting and rereflecting ad   infinitum without obstruction, so is the experience of enlightening beings in this concentration: in each pore of their own bodies they see as many bud­ dhas as atoms in untold buddha-lands, and also see those buddhas' lands, enlightenment sites, and audiences; they listen to the teaching of each buddha,  absorb and retain it,  believe and understand it, and pay honor for untold billions  of eons each, without  any notion of length or brevity of time;  also, those audiences are not cramped therein.   Why?   Because with a subtle mind they enter into boundless realms of the cosmos, because they enter into peerless fruits of distinct actions,  because they enter the sphere of inconceivable concentration, because they enter the sphere of inconceivable meditation, because they enter the   sphere   of fluidity of all buddhas, because they gain the protection of all buddhas, because they have  acquired the great miraculous  capacities of all bud­ dhas,  because they  have attained the  ten powers of enlightened ones, which are difficult to attain and difficult to know, because they have entered   the realm  of fulfillmen t of the practical   undertakings of univer­ sally good enlightening beings, and because they have attained the inde­ fatigable spiritual power of all buddhas.

"Though great enlightening beings can enter and leave concentration instantly, still they don't give it up; even though  remaining in concen­ tration for a long   time, they still have no attachment.  Though   they do not dwell on any object, yet they do not abandon all points of attention. Though they can enter into the realm of a single instant, yet to benefit all beings   they   manifest   enlightening   spiritual   powers   tirelessly.   Though they enter  equally into all phenomenal realms,   they do not  apprehend their boundaries;  though they have no abode and no location,  yet they are always proceeding into the path of all-knowledge. By the power of mystical projection they enter everywhere into  countless groups of beings and fully adorn all worlds. Though they are free from the erroneous conceptions of the world and are beyond the realm of all discriminations, yet they do not  abandon forms in all their variety.  Though  they are capable of fully equipping themselves with expedient skills, yet they are ultimately pure. Though they do not distinguish the various stages of enlightenment, yet they have already entered them all .

"Just as space,  though containing all things, is apart from existence

and nonexistence, in the same way, great enlightening beings,  though entering all worldly realms, are free from conceptions of the world. Though they strive to liberate all beings, yet they are free from concep­ tions of beings.  Though they have pro found knowledge of all phenom­ ena, yet they are free from conceptions  of phenomena.  Though  they enjoy seeing all buddhas, yet they are free from conceptions of buddhas. Though  they skillfully enter various  concentrations,   yet they know all

 

things are inherently thus, and have no attachment. Though they expound inexhaustible statements of the Teaching with boundless intelligence,   yet their minds always dwell on   the   truth   beyond   words.   Though   they enjoy contemplating  the wordless teaching,   yet   they   always   manifest pure voices. Though they abide in the realm of all things beyond words, yet they always manifest various forms. Though they teach beings, yet they know all things are ultimately inherently empty.  Though  they diligently cultivate universal compassion  and liberate beings, they know the realm of sentient beings is inexhaustible and has no dissolution. Though they realize the realm of reality is everlasting and invariable, yet they ceaselessly guide beings by reading their minds and giving them appropriate instruction. Though they always rest in the abode of the enlightened, yet they always ceaselessly turn the wheel of the Teaching, analytically expounding all kinds oftruths with purity of knowledge and unhesitating expertise.

"This is the technical knowledge of the great  enlightening beings' ninth great concentration, the concentration of freedom in the elemental cosmos.

"What is the great enlightening beings'  unimpeded  wheel concen­ tration? When great enlightening beings   enter   this   concentration,   they abide in unobstructed physical, verbal, and mental action, live in buddha­ lands free from obstruction, attain unobstructed  knowledge of how to develop and perfect beings,   acquire unobstructed  knowledge of how to tame beings, radiate unobstructed light,   cause networks of unobstructed light beams to appear, demonstrate unobstructed miracles on a vast scale, turn the unobstructed wheel of the pure Teaching,  and attain the unob­ structed   freedom   of enlightening   beings.    They   enter   into    the   powers of buddhas, abide in the knowledges of buddhas, perform the deeds of buddhas, purify what buddhas purify, manifest the spiritual powers of buddhas, gladden the buddhas, carry out actions of buddhas, abide in the path of buddhas,   associate   with innumerable buddhas,   perform   the works of buddhas, and succeed to the lineage of buddhas.

"Once  great enlightening beings  are in this concentration,  they in­

vestigate omniscience, contemplating  it in general   and in   particulars; they accord with omniscience, reveal omniscience, concentrate on omni­ science, see omniscience, sec omniscience as a whole, and see omniscience in particulars.  They forever advance and constantly continue the great vow, great will, great practice, great aim,  great experience, great light, great manifestation, great care, great miracle, and great path of the Universally Good enlightening being, without interruption, without retreating, without stopping, without  changing,  without  wearying, without giving up, without distraction, without confusion. Why? These great enlightening beings, in the midst of all things, accomplish great undertakings, activate the Great Vehicle of universal enlightenment, and enter into   the ocean of enlightening   techniques of the   Buddha   teaching; by means of extraordinary  willpower they illumine the practices carried

 

 

out by enlightening beings with their knowledge   and   wisdom,   and achieve skill in all of them; they fully accomplish enlightening beings' spiritual powers and miracles; they are able care for and guard living beings, as do all the buddhas of past, future, and present; they always arouse great compassion for all living beings, and they attain the un­ changing truth of the realization of Thusness.

"Just as when someone puts a  clear  crystal  on  a  colored  robe,  the crystal assumes the color of the robe without losing its own nature, in the same way  great  enlightening  beings,  perfecting  knowledge and  wisdom as the jewel of the mind,   observe all-knowledge and all appears clearly, yet they do not abandon  the  practices  of enlightening  beings.  Why? Great enlightening beings undertake great vows to benefit all beings, to liberate all beings,  to  serve all buddhas,  to  purify all worlds,  to  comfort all beings; they enter deeply into the ocean of truth, and to puri fy the realm of sentient beings they manifest great mastery, provide for sentient beings, illumine the world, and enter the boundless gate of teaching by phanton emanations, without backsliding or growing wearied.

"Just as space holds myriad worlds, be they in the process of becoming or subsisting, without aversion or weariness, without wearing out or perishing, without dissolving or breaking down,  without changing or varying, without differentiation,   not   giving   up   its own   nature,   because the inherent nature of space is to be thus, in the same way, great enlight­ ening beings establish infinite great vows to liberate all sentient beings, without their minds wearying.

"Just as infinite beings past, future, and present pass away into nirvana without its ever rejecting or wearying, because the essential purity of all phenomena is called nirvana, in the same way, great enlightening beings appear in the world because they want to liberate all beings and enable them to be emancipated-how could they become wearied in mind?

"Just as universal knowledge, omniscience, can enable all enlightening beings of all times to be born in the family of buddhas,  and eventually enable them to attain   supreme enlightenment,   without ever tiring,   be­ cause omniscience is none other than the cosmos of realities and is not attached to anything at all, in the same way,  great enlightening beings' minds abide   equanimously  in   universal   knowledge-how  could   they have any weariness of mind?

"These great enlightening beings have a lotus blossom that is as vast as the whole extent of the ten directions, adorned with untold numbers  of petals, jewels, and fragrances. Those untold numbers ofjewels each also reflect all kinds ofjewels, pure, exquisite, extremely fine, resting on the blossom, emanating light beams of many colors, illumining all worlds of the ten directions without obstruction.  Webs of pure gold cover it, while jewel chimes gently swaying produce subtle tones that bespeak the ele­ ments of omniscience. This great lotus blossom incorporates the pure adornments of those who   realize   Thusness,   produced   by   all   foundations of goodness, with an auspicious sign as its emblem, manifested by spiri-

 

 

tual power, with myriad infinities of pure qualities, perfected by the wondrous path  of enlightening  beings,  flowing forth from the omni­ scient mind; the reflections of the buddhas  of the ten directions appear in it, and the worlds gaze on it as on a monument of Buddha, and all beings who see it bow in respect. It is born of the true teaching of ability to comprehend illusion and is actually beyond any worldly comparison.

" When an enlightening being sits on this blossom, the size of the enlightening being's body corresponds to the blossom. The miraculous empowerment of all buddhas causes each pore of the enlightening being's body to emanate rays of light as numerous as atoms in untold billions of buddha-lands, each ray of light revealing jewels as numerous as atoms in untold billions of buddha-lands. Those jewels are all called treasuries of universal light and are adorned with various colors and  characteristics, made of infinite virtues. Nets ofjewels and flowers cover them above, scattering billions  of superb  fragrances . The arrays  of innumerable vari­ ous colors and forms also manifest ornamental canopies of inconceivable arrays of jewels. Each jewel reflects pavilions as numerous as atoms in untold billions of buddha-lands, and each pavilion reveals as many lion thrones, each lion throne manifesting as many light   beams,   each light beam showing as many colors, each color showing as many orbs of light, each orb of light showing as many radiant jewel  flowers, each flower showing as many pedestals, on each pedestal there  appearing as many buddhas, each buddha displaying  as many miracles, each miracle puri­ fying as many congregations, with as many freedoms of buddhahood appearing in each congregation, each freedom showing as many Buddha teachings, each Buddha  teaching  having  as many scriptures, each scrip­ ture expounding as many doctrines, each doctrine having as many spheres of truth penetrated by adamantine knowledge, different words   each explaining each sphere of truth, maturing as many realms   of sentient beings as atoms in untold billions of buddha-lands, each realm having as many beings as   atoms   in   untold billions of buddha-lands achieving   peace in the Buddha teaching.

"Great enlightening beings in this concentration, causing infinite emanations of such miraculous scenes to appear, know they are all like mirages and are not obsessed by them or attached to them.  They abide in the unimpeded  realm of extremelessness, the unspeakable  reality, in­ herent purity,  the realm of reality,   the true form,   the nature of realiza­ tion of thusness, which has no coming or going,  which is not before or after , is infinitely profound, is realized by direct experience and sponta­ neously entered by knowledge  and not understood from another. Their minds   are   free   from   confusion   and   discriminatory  conceptualization; they are lauded by all buddhas; they flow forth from the power of the buddhas and enter into the realm of all buddhas;  they directly witness essential nature as it really is with pure eyes, and see everywhere with the eye of wisdom;  they develop the enlightened eye and become bright lamps for the world; they course in the realm known to the eye of

 

848  The Plower Ornament Scripture

 

knowledge and are able to   widely   expound subtle truths.   They   develop the will for enlightenment and head   for the highest humanity.  They are not obstructed by any objects.   They enter the seed nature of knowledge and produce all kinds of knowledge.  They are detached  from worldly things, yet they appear to live in the world, transforming beings through spiritual powers and   taming   them by appropriate means.   They are skilled in all such matters. Their virtues, understanding, and will are all thor­ oughly pure, extremely refined   and thoroughly developed.   Their knowl­ edge and wisdom are vast as space, and they are adept at observing the realms of the sages. Their faith, practice, and willpower are firm and steadfast, immovable.  Their virtues are inexhaustible, admired by   the world. In the ocean of omniscience, the place of great enlightenment, the treasury watched by all buddhas, they collect myriad sublime jewels and become great sages. Just like lotus blossoms, they are inherently pure and clean, a delight and benefit to all who see them. The light of their knowledge illumines everywhere,   and   they   see   infinite   buddhas   and clarify all truths. Their actions are dispassionate and calm, and they are ultimately without impediment  in realization   of the   teaching   of bud­ dhas. By  means of appropriate  techniques they always live by the vir­ tuous action   of enlightenment,   in which   they   are   born.   They embody the knowledge of enlightening beings  and are leaders of enlightening beings,   protected by all the buddhas together.   They attain   the spiritual force of buddhas and   develop   the   spiritual   body   of buddhas.   Their mental powers are inconceivable;  they are one-pointed on the objective realm, yet objectless . Their activity is far-reaching , signless, unimpeded, infinite as the cosmos. The enlightenment they realize  is like space, boundless,   without   binding   attachment.   They   work   for   the   universal weal of all in the world, flowing from the foundations of goodness of the ocean of omniscience. They are able to comprehend infinite   objective realms. They have  perfected the practice of pure generosity, live by the heart of enlightening, purify the seed of enlightening beings, and are able accordingly to give birth to the enlightenment of the buddhas. They arc well versed in all the Buddha teachings and can employ them skillfull y; they embody their subtle practices and achieve stable, enduring power.

"The autonomous  spiritual powers of all buddhas,  which sentient beings can hardly  hear of, the enlightening beings know   entirely; they enter the gate of nonduality,  abide in the formless truth, and though they have forever relinquished all forms,   they are able to explain extensively all kinds of things according to the mentalities, inclinations, and under­ standings of sentient beings, pacifying and satisfying them. The cosmos is their body;  they are free from discriminatory  thinking;  the sphere of their knowledge  is inexhaustible.  Their will is always powerful; their mind is always equanimous. They see the extent of the virtues of all buddhas. They know the differences and order of all ages.

"They expose all truths, live peacefully in all lands, beautify all buddha­ lands, manifest the light of all true principles, and expound the teachings

 

of all buddhas of past, future, and present. They point out the dwelling places of the enlightening beings, serve as lamps illumining the world, produce all roots of goodness, eternally detach from the world, and are forever born where the buddhas are. They acquire the knowledge  and wisdom of buddhas, which is supreme: they are in the care of all the buddhas and have  already  entered  the  ranks  of buddhas  of the  future. They grow from association  with  good  companions, and  whatever  they set their wills on bears fruit. They have great power and abide in lofty determination and are able to explain whatever they hear.

"Also,  to show the roots of goodness of hearing the Teaching, they abide in the sphere of reality, their minds unobstructed in the midst of all things; they do not abandon their practices, but divorce discriminatory thought. Their minds have no stirring thoughts in the midst of all things; they acquire the illumination ofknowledge and wisdom, and destroy the darkness of ignorance. They are able to clearly reflect all B uddha teach­ ings. Not destroying the various realms of existence, they are born therein, and comprehend that all   realms   of existence   fundamentally   are   inert. Their physical, verbal, and mental activities are all without extremes.

"Though they say all kinds of things by way of explanation in accord with local usage, they never destroy the truth which is beyond words. They enter deeply into the ocean of the enlightened, know that all things only have names, and have no bonds or attachments to objects. They understand that all things   are   empty,   without   existence;   the   practices they cultivate are born from the realm of reality. Like space, they are signless and formless ; entering deeply into the realm of reality, they explain everything,  producing universal knowledge through   a   single object.

"They contemplate the stage of the ten powers and cultivate it by knowledge. Knowledge is their bridge to omniscience; by the eye of knowledge they  see  things  without obstruction  and  ably  enter the  vari­ ous stages of enlightening. They know all kinds of principles, attain clear understanding  of each  and  every  facet  of doctrine,  and  accomplish  all their great undertakings.

"By this, great enlightening  beings reveal  the undifferentiated essence of all enlightened ones. This is the gate of unimpeded skill in means. This can produce  all  groups  of enlightening beings. This state is only in the realm of concentration. This is  able  to  plunge  into  omniscience,  this  is able to reveal all ways of access to concentration, this can enter unimpeded into all lands, this can tame all sentient beings, this can abide in the realm of no beings, this can show all Buddha teachings, this does not apprehend any objects.

"Though they teach and explain at all times they are always free from arbitrary conceptions and discriminatory thought; though they know all things are inert, yet they are able to demonstrate all actions; though they know the buddhas have no duality, yet they are able to reveal the bud­ dhas; though they know there are no forms, yet they explain all forms;

 

though they know there is no sensation, yet they explain all sensations; though they know there  is no perception,  yet they explain all percep­ tions; though they know there is no disposition, yet they explain all dispositions; though they know there is no consciousness,  yet they ex­ plain all consciousnesses; they always reveal everything by means of the wheel of the Teaching.  Though they know phenomena  have no differ­ ence, yet they explain their aspects of differentiation ; though they know phenomena have no origin or annihilation, yet they explain all charac­ teristics of origination and annihilation; though they   know   phenomena have no coarseness or subtlety, yet they explain  the coarse and subtle aspects of phenomena; though they know all phenomena  have no supe­ riority, mediocrity,  or inferiority, yet they can explain what is   best; though they know phenomena  cannot be explained in   words,  yet   they can speak pure words; though they know phenomena have no inside or outside, yet they explain all internal   and   external   phenomena;   though they know phenomena cannot be comprehensively cognized,  yet they explain various kinds of knowledge  and contemplation;  though   they know phenomena have no true reality, yet they expound a real path of emancipation;  though they know phenomena   are   ultimately   inexhaus­ tible, yet they can expound  the exhausting of all taints;   though   they know phenomena have no differences and no   contradiction,   yet they   do not deny the differences among one another; though they know things ultimately have  no teacher, yet they always respect all  teachers and those of experience; though they know  true understanding of things does not come from another, yet they always respect skillful guides;  though they know things are inoperative, yet they turn the wheel of the Teaching; though they know things have no origination,  yet  they point out  causes and conditions; though they know things have no precedent, yet they extensively explain the past; though they know things have no   aftermath, yet they   extensively   explain   the future;   though   they know  things have no duration, yet they extensively explain the present; though  they know things have no creator, yet they explain the acts that form them;  though they know things have no causality, yet they explain the conglomerated causes; though they know   things have no comparison,  yet they explain the ways   of equality   and inequality;  though   they   know   things   have no verbal explanation, yet they definitively explain the things of past, present, and future; though   they know things have  no basis of support, yet they expound attainment of emancipation based on what is good; though they know things have no body,  yet they  extensively explain the body of reality; though they know the buddhas   of past,   present,   and future are boundless, yet they can explain how there is only one Buddha; though they know things  have no form, yet they can manifest various forms; though they know things have no vision,  yet they can expound many views; though they know things have no specific   marks,   yet they can explain all kinds of specific marks; though they know things have no objective sphere, yet they can extensively  expound the spheres ofknowl-

 

edge;   though they know thmgs have no differentiation ,   yet they explain the   various differences in fruits of action; though  they know things have no escape, yet they explain pure practices for emancipation; though they know things are fundamentally permanent, yet they explain all things in flux; though they know things have no illumination, yet they always extensively explain means of illumination.

"When great enlightening beings enter the circle of knowledge of this immensely  powerful concentration, they are then   able   to   witness   the truth of all Buddha teachings, able to proceed into the Buddha teachings, able to accomplish them, able to fulfill them, able to build them up, able to clarify them, able to live by them,  able to comprehend  them,  in harmony with the inherent nature of all things. And yet these great enlightening beings do not entertain the idea that there are so many enlightening beings, so many principles of enlightening beings, so many ultimate ends of enlightening beings, so many illusory ultimate ends, so many fabricated ultimate ends,   so   many attainments   of spiritual powers, so many attainments of knowledge, so many meditations, so many realizations, so many aims, so many realms. Why? Because the concen­ tration of enlightening   beings is thus in essence, is thus without  bounds, is thus transcendent.

"This concentration has various spheres, various powers, various deep entries. That is to say, it enters untold gates of knowledge, it enters arrangements beyond discriminatory  thought,  it enters boundless  ex­ cellent ways of transcendence, it enters countless meditation  states, it enters untold  hundreds  of thousands of millions of far-reaching   cogni­ tions, it enters vision of boundless exalted treasuries of buddhas, it enters objective   worlds ceaselessly, it enters into pure application of the aids to the path of enlightenment,  it enters into great psychic   powers of strong and keen   faculties,   it enters into objective worlds   without   hindrance   to the mind, it enters into the eye that sees the equality of all buddhas,  it enters into the development of the high-minded  practices of Universal Good, it enters into the state of the celestial body of subtle knowledge, it enters into   explanation   of the knowledge and   wisdom   of the enlightened, it enters into  production  of incalculable mystical   projections,   it   enters into production  of ways into the   inexhaustible   knowledge of all bud­ dhas, it enters into clarification of the autonomous knowledge of the Universally Good enlightening being, it enters into revelation of incom­ parable all-sided knowledge,  it enters into universal   awareness   of all subtle realms in the cosmos, it enters into the light of all higher knowl­ edge, it enters into universal revelation of all subtle realms in the cosmos, it enters into the reaches of all magical powers, it enters into the sphere of teachings of all intellectual powers, it enters into the body of knowledge omnipresent throughout  the cosmos,  it enters  into accomplishment  of the path of action extending everywhere,  it enters into ability to remain in all different concentrations, and it enters into knowledge of the mind of all buddhas.

 

"These great enlightening  beings  abide  in  the  practice  of Universal Good and enter untold billions  of concentrations  in  every  successive instant, yet they do not see anything  prior  to  the  concentration  of Universal Good and the adornments of the realm ofbuddhahood. Why? Because they know all things are ultimately inexhaustible, because they know all buddha-lands are boundless, because they know all realms  of sentient beings are inconceivable, because they know the past has no beginning, because they know the future has no  end,  because they know the present is boundless, comprehending all space and the whole cosmos, because they know the  realm of all  buddhas  is  inconceivable,  because they  know  the  practices  of enlightening  beings  are  countless,  because they know the realms explained by the intellectual powers of all buddhas are unspeakably boundless, and because  they  know  illusory  mental objects are infinite.

"Just as a wishing jewel grants all wishes, satisfying endless seekers without losing its power, in the same way a great enlightening being, en­ tering this concentration, knows the mind is like an illusion and produces all objects everywhere inexhaustibly. Why? The great enlightening being accomplishes   the   knowledge   of unimpeded   action   of Universal    Good and observes infinite extensive illusory realms, seeing them as like re­ flected images, without increase or decrease.

"Just as ordinary people individually give rise to mental states , past, present, and future, without bound, without cease, without end, the continuous flow and change of their mental states going on unbroken, inconceivably, in the same way, great enlightening beings entering this concentration of access to universal illusion have no bounds and are unfathomable. Why?  Because of the infinite phenomena in the Univer­ sally Good enlightening being's door of access to universal illusion .

"Just as when the water  spirits  shower  rain,  the  raindrops  are  like wheel hubs, without bound, the clouds are not exhausted, though  they shower so much rain, this being the realm  of nonstriving  of the  water spirits, in the same way  great  enlightening  beings  in  this  concentration enter the Universally Good enlightening   being's  door of concentration, door  of knowledge,  door  of teaching,  door  of perception  of Buddha, door of traveling everywhere, door of mental freedom, door of em­ powerment,  door of mystical projection,   door   of spiritual   powers,  door of phantom emanations, door of the illusory quality of all things,  door filled with untold numbers of enlightening beings, door of approach to buddhas  as  numerous  as  atoms  in  untold  buddha-lands,  door  of entry into the unspeakably vast network of illusions,  door  of knowledge  of untold  numbers  of immense  different  buddha-lands,  door of knowledge of untold numbers of worlds with substantial nature  and  without  sub­ stantial nature, door of knowledge of the thoughts of untold numbers of sentient beings,  door of knowledge of untold numbers of distinctions in time, door of knowledge of the becoming and disintegration of untold numbers of worlds, and door of knowledge of untold numbers of in-

 

vcrtcd and upright buddha-lands.  They know all these as they really are in a single instant.  When they enter in this way there are no bounds, there is no end; they are not tired, not wearied, they do not stop, do not rest, do not withdraw, do not slip. In all things they do not dwell on un­ truth;   constantly   meditating   rightly,   they do not become either oblivious or excited.

"They seek omniscience without ever retreating or giving up. They become lamps  to light up the world in all buddha-lands. They operate untold numbers of cycles  of the  Teaching. With  sublime intelligence they question the enlightened,  never  reaching  a  point  of exhaustion. They demonstrate the  attainment  of the  Buddha Way  without bound. They pacify sentient beings, never giving up. They always diligently practice the undertakings of Universal  Good,  never ceasing. They mani­ fest bodies of infinite forms, without end. Why? Just as fire burns un­ ceasingly whenever the appropriate conditions are  present,  in the same way, great enlightening beings see the realms of sentient beings, the realms of reality, and the realms of worlds as  boundless as  space-in  a single instant they are able to  go  visit  as  many  buddhas as  atoms  in untold buddha-lands, in the company of each buddha enter untold dif­ ferent aspects of omniscience, cause untold beings to give up attachments for the sake of the Way and cultivate virtue and be ultimately purified, cause untold enlightening beings who  have not  yet  attained certainty about the practice of the vows of Universal Good to attain certainty and to abide securely in the way of knowledge of Universal Good, by in­ numerable means enter untold different ages-becoming, subsisting, disintegrating-of past,  present,   and  future,   and  in  the  different  realms of those untold eons of becoming,   subsistence,   and disintegration,   produce as many  great  vows of great compassion and pacify all sentient beings. What is the reason? These great enlightening beings, for the purpose of liberating all sentient beings, cultivate the practice of Universal Good, develop  the knowledge of Universal Good, and  fulfill  the undertakings of Universal Good.

"Therefore, enlightening beings should  diligently cultivate practice in such types of action, such perspectives, such powers, such greatness, such infinity, such inconceivability, such all-sided illumination, such presence with all buddhas,  such protection by all buddhas, such consummation of past   roots   of goodness,    such   imperturbable   concentration   wherein the mind is unimpeded, getting rid of all burning afflictions, without wearying or backsliding, with steadfast will and courage, following the realm of concentration into the stage of inconceivable knowledge, not depending on words, not clinging to the world, not grasping phenomena, not producing discriminatory thoughts, not becoming attached to worldly things, not thinking about objects.

"In terms of knowledge of the teachings, they should just abide  by them and not try to measure them. This refers to associating with the omniscient and understanding the enlightenment of the buddhas, attain-

 

ing the light of truth  and  shedding  it  on  the  foundations  of goodness  of all sentient beings,  pulling  sentient  beings  out  of  the  realm of demons and enabling them to enter  the  realm  of the  Buddha  teachings,  causing them not to give up great aspirations, to earnestly examine the Path of emancipation,  to  expand the sphere of purity,  to  accomplish   the   means of transcendence, to develop profound faith in all buddhas. They should always look into the nature of all things without quitting even for  a moment; they should  know that  their  own bodies and the nature  of things are universally equal; they should clearly understand the doings of the world and point out wisdom and means that accord with truth; they should always be energetic, without lapsing;  they  should observe the paucity of roots of goodness in themselves  and  should  strive  to  increase roots of goodness in others; they should themselves cultivate the Path of universal knowledge; they should strive to expand the sphere of en­ lightening beings; they should  gladly  approach expert teachers; they should associate with fellow practitioners; they should not  discriminate among buddhas; they should not give up   detachment  from   thought; they should always abide in the impartial realm of reality;  they  should know all states of mind and consciousness are illusory;  they should know all events in the world are like dreams; they should know the appearance of the willpower  of  the  buddhas  is  like reflected images; they  should know all great actions are like emanations; they should observe all phenomena as like magic tricks; they  should  know  all  things  that  are born and perish are  like echoes;  they  should  know all  the  buddha-lands they go to have no substantial nature; they should never  tire  of  asking buddhas for teaching; they should diligently carry on  education  to  en­ lighten all beings, never abandoning them; they should unremittingly expound the teachings in a timely fashion in order to pacify all sentient beings.

"Great enlightening beings thus practice the deeds of Universal Good, thus ful fill the sphere of action of enlightening beings, thus  master the way of emancipation,  thus  absorb and hold the teachings of the buddhas of past, present, and  future,  thus  investigate  all  aspects  of knowledge, thus reflect on the unchanging  truth, thus purify  powerful  determination, thus believe in all enlightened ones, thus know the immense power of buddhas, thus make certain the  unimpeded  mind,  thus  take  care  of all living beings.

" When great enlightening beings enter this concentration of great knowledge and wisdom, wherein  the  Universally  Good  enlightening being abides, there appear before  them  as  many  buddhas  as  atoms  in untold   buddha-lands from untold numbers of lands in the ten directions, each buddha having  as  many names as atoms in  untold lands, each name also including untold numbers of buddhas: these buddhas give the en­ lightening beings the memory power of the enlightened, so they do not forget the realm of buddhahood; they give  them ultimate knowledge of all things, so they may enter omniscience; they give them definitive

 

wisdom cognizant of the   various   meanings   of all   teachings,   enabling them to absorb and hold all Buddha teachings and   enter   into   them without impediment;  they give them unexcelled enlightenment,   so they can enter universal knowledge and open up their awareness of the cosmos of reality; they give them the ultimate wisdom of enlightening  beings, enabling them to attain the light of all truths, to be free from darkness; they give them nonreceding knowledge, so   that they know   appropriate and inappropriate  timing and guide sentient beings with skill in means; they give them   the   unobstructed   intellectual   powers   of enlightening beings, enabling them to understand boundless truths and explain them inexhaustibly; they give them the power of spiritual capacities and produc­ tion of mystical  projections,   enabling them   to   manifest untold numbers of different bodies, with boundless forms and appearances, all variously different, to awaken sentient beings; they give them universal speech, enabling them to manifest untold numbers   of different sounds   and   vari­ ous languages to enlighten sentient beings; they   give them power that is not wasted, to enable all sentient beings who see them or hear their teaching to achieve development and not waste the experience.

"Because  great enlightening beings fulfill Universally Good practice

in this way, they acquire the power of the enlightened, purify the path of emancipation, are imbued with universal knowledge, and by means of unimpeded  intellectual powers, spiritual faculties, and  mystical emana­ tions, ultimately harmonize and pacify all sentient beings.  Full of the spiritual force of enlightenment, they purify Universally   Good   practice, abide in the path of Universal Good, and operate the subtle cycles of teaching of all buddhas for ever and ever, to pacify all living beings.

"Why? When these great  enlightening beings accomplish the  prac­ tices of enlightening beings guided by  such  lofty,  great  vows,  they become teachers of all worlds, sums of truth for all worlds, moons of knowledge for all worlds; they become lofty  polar  mountains  for  all worlds, majestically standing out  high,  steadfast,  immutable;  they  be­ come shoreless oceans of knowledge for all worlds, they become bright lamps of right teaching for all worlds, illumining  everywhere, bound­ lessly,  continuously, uninterrupted;  they  reveal  boundless  pure  virtues for all sentient beings, inducing them to live steadily based on virtuous qualities and foundations of goodness; they act in accord with universal knowledge, and their great vows are impartial; they cultivate the  far­ reaching practice of Universal Good  and  are  always  able  to  inspire countless beings; persisting in untold numbers of concentrations of great efficacy, they manifest great freedom.

"These enlightening beings attain such knowledge, verify such prin­ ciples, thoroughly abide by and clearly see such truths, acquire such spiritual powers, sojourn in such realms, manifest such mystical projec­ tions, produce such spiritual communications, always abide in great compassion,  always help sentient beings, show sentient beings the true path of peace and serenity, set up the great banner of light of virtue and

 

knowledge,  experience inconceivable liberation,  abide in the liberation of universal   knowledge,   reach the other shore of liberation of buddhas, have learned and mastered the aspects of expedient means of inconceiv­ able liberation, enter the doors of differentiation of the cosmos without confusion, freely roam in the untold numbers  of concentrations of Uni­ versal Good, and abide in rapidly expanding knowledge, their minds and intellects unimpeded.

"Their minds always abide in ten great metaphysical treasuries: re­ membering all buddhas; remembering all Buddha teachings; great com­ passion to pacify all beings; knowledge  to reveal inconceivable  pure lands; certain understanding entering deeply into the realm of buddha­ hood; enlightenment equal in all features in all buddhas,  past, present, and future; nonimpediment and nonattachment; the signlessness of all things; the equal roots of goodness of all buddhas,  past, present, and future; the guiding knowledge of the   cosmic,   nondiscriminatory  physi­ cal, verbal, and mental action of all buddhas of past, present, and future; contemplation of all buddhas  of all times being born, leaving home, going to the site of enlightenment, attaining true awakening, turning the wheel of th e Teaching, and finally passing utterly away,   all in the space of an instant. These ten great metaphysical treasuries are immensely vast, without measure, incalculable, unthinkable, inexplicable; they are inex­ haustible, difficult to bear, impossible for any and all worldly knowledge to expound.

"These great enlightening beings have already reached the transcen­ dental consummation of the practices of Universal Good and have  wit­ nessed the pure truth. Their willpower is immense.  They teach sentient beings innumerable roots of goodness and increase all the powers of enlightening beings.  In every succeeding moment  they fulfill all the virtues of enlightening beings, accomplish all practices of enlightening beings, attain the methods of mental command  of all   buddhas,  and absorb and hold  the teachings of all buddhas.   Though they always  abide in the reality of True Thusness, yet they adapt  to all conventional  terms to show the ways to pacify and harmonize all sentient beings.  Why? Because  when great enlightening beings are in this concentration,  they are naturally like this.

"By means of this concentration great enlightening beings acquire  the vast knowledge of all buddhas; they gain the free intellectual powers to skillfull y explain all great teachings; they attain the unhesitating expertise that is most excellent and pure in the world;  they gain entry into knowl­ edge of all concentrations; they master all enlightening beings' skillful techniques; they find the door of illumination of all truths; they reach the final consummation  of the way to comfort all worldly  beings;  they know what is timely and what is not for all sentient beings; they illumine everywhere in the worlds of the ten directions;  they enable all living beings to attain higher knowledge; they are unexcelled teachers of all worlds; they persist in all virtues; they reveal pure concentration to all sentient beings and enable them to enter supreme knowledge.

 

•' Why? When great enlightening beings cultivate practice in this way, they  benefit living beings, so they increase great compassion,  so they draw near to worthy associates, so they see all buddhas, so they compre­ hend all truths, so they go to all lands, so they enter all regions, so they enter all worlds, so they realize the equality of all things,  so they know the equality of the buddhas, so they abide in the equanimity of universal knowledge.

"In this practice they carry  out  this  kind  of action,  no  other:  they abide in the mind that is  not  complacent;  they  abide in  the  mind  that  is not distracted or confused ; they abide in the   mind   that can   concentrate on one  point;  they abide in the mind that diligently cultivates enlighten­ ment; they abide in the certain mind; they  abide  in  the  nonchanging mind. In this manner do they think, act, and reach the ultimate end.

"Great enlightening beings have no different speech   or action-they speak and act thus. Why? Just as, for example, adamant is unbreakable and gets its name from that,   never being apart   from unbreakability,  in the same way, great enlightening beings   get   their   name   from   their various practical principles and are never apart from them.

"Just as gold gets its name from its beautiful color and is never apart from its beautiful color, so do great enlightening beings get their name from their virtuous acts and are never apart from good deeds.

"Just as the sun gets its name from its orb of light and is never  apart from  the orb of light, so do great enlightening beings get their name from the light of wisdom and are never apart from the light of wisdom. "Just as the  polar mountain Wonderfully High  gets its  name  from its four jewel peaks rising high over the ocean, never leaving its four peaks, in the same way, great enlightening beings   get   their name   from   their roots of goodness standing out loftily in the world, never giving up roots

of goodness.

"Just as the ground gets its name from sustaining everything,  never giving up its supportive ability, so do great enlightening beings get their name from liberating all , never leaving great compassion.

"Just as the ocean gets its name from taking in myriad waters, never rejecting water, so do great enlightening   beings   get   their   name   from their great vows, never for a moment  giving  up the vow to liberate sentient beings.

"Just as a military leader  gets his name from ability to learn and practice methods of battle, never abandoning this ability, so do great enlightening beings get their name from being able to learn and practice such concentration, until they accomplish omniscience,   never abandoning this practice.

"Just as a world ruler commands the continents, always diligently protecting all living beings so they will always be happy  and will not suffer unnatural death, so do   great enlightening   beings,   entering   such great concentrations, always strive to transform and liberate all sentient beings, until they effect their ultimate purification.

"Just as seeds planted in the ground can eventually grow stalks and

 

 

leaves, so great enlightening beings cultivating the practice of Universal Good can cause all sentient beings' good qualities to grow.

"Just as great clouds shower rain during the   hot months   of summer and cause all seeds to grow, similarly great enlightening beings, entering such great concentrations,   cultivating   enlightening   practice,   shower   the rain of the great Teaching, which can cause all sentient beings to be ultimately purified, ultimately serene, ultimately peaceful , ultimately transcendent,   ultimately  happy,  ultimately   free from   doubt.   They   are the ultimate field of blessings for sentient beings, enabling their actions to become purified, enabling them all to abide in the path of non regression, enabling them alike to attain omniscience, enabling them to attain eman­ cipation from the world, enabling them all to attain ultimate knowledge, enabling them all to attain the ultimate truth of the enlightened  ones, placing all sentient beings in the realm of universal knowledge.

"Why? When enlightening beings accomplish this teaching, their knowledge and wisdom   are   clear   and   comprehensive;   they   enter   the door to the cosmos of reality and are able to purify the inconceivably infinite practices of enlightening beings. That is to say, they arc able to purify all knowledge because they seek omniscience; they are   able to purify sentient beings because they cause them to be pacified; they are able to purify lands because of constant dedication; they   are   able   to purify things because of perfect knowledge; they are able to purify fearlessness because they have no timidity; they are able to purify un­ hindered intellect because they teach skillfully; they are able to purify mental command because they have mastered all the teachings; they are able to purify the practice of association because they see all buddhas appearing in the world.

"Great enlightening beings in this concentration attain untold myriads

of such pure qualities because they gain mastery of such realms of con­ centration, because they are empowered by all buddhas, because they are borne along by the power of their own roots of goodness,   because they enter the great magnificent force of the stage of knowledge and wisdom, because of the strength of guidance of worthy associates, because of crushing the power of all demons, because of the pure power of roots of goodness in proportion, because of the power of great vows, because of the power of the full development of the roots of goodness they have planted, and because of the unopposed power of inexhaustible virtue transcending all worlds.

"Great enlightening beings in   this concentration attain ten things that are the same as in all buddhas, past, future, and present; they acquire the same variegated arrays of marks and refinements as all buddhas;  they are able to emanate networks of pure light, the same as all buddhas;  they perform miracles and displays of spiritual power to attune and pacify sentient beings, the same as all buddhas; their boundless physical bodies and universal voices are the same as those of all buddhas;  they manifest pure buddha-lands according to the actions of sentient beings, the same

 

 

as all buddhas;  they are able to remember  the speech of all sentient beings, the same as all buddhas;  with inexhaustible intellectual powers they teach in accord with the mentalities of sentient beings,  developing wisdom in them, the same as all buddhas; their lion's roar is fearless as they enlighten living beings by innumerable teachings, the same as all buddhas; by great spiritual power they enter past, present, and future in a single instant, the same as all buddhas; they are able to show all sentient beings the   adornments   of the   buddhas,   the powers of the   buddhas,   and the states of the buddhas, the same as all buddhas."

Then the enlightening being Universal Eye  said to  the enlightening being Universally  Good,   "If great enlightening beings attain such things the same as the buddhas,  why are they not called Buddha? Why are they not called Ten-Powered? Why are they not called Omniscient? Why are they not called Those Enlightened in All Things?  Why can they not be called Universal Eye? Why are they not called Unhindered Seers in All Realms? Why   are they not called Aware of All Things?   Why   are they not called Those Who Abide in the State of Nonduality  with the Bud­ dhas of Past, Present, and Future? Why arc they not called Those Who Dwell in Absolute Reality? Why do they still carry out the practical undertakings   of Universal   Good   without   rest?   Why   can   they not find the ultimate end of the cosmos and give up the path of enlightening beings?"

Universally Good said to Universal Eye, " Very good, offspring of Buddha! As you say, if these great enlightening beings are the same as all buddhas, why are they not called Buddha and so on, and why can they not give up the path of enlightening beings?

"These great enlightening beings, having already ably practiced the various  activities and undertakings of all enlightening beings of past, future, and present worlds, and entered the realm ofknowlcdge, are then called Buddha;  unceasingly  cultivating the enlightening practices culti­ vated by the buddhas, they are called enlightening beings. Having com­ pletely entered the powers of the enlightened, they are called Ten­ Powered; ceaselessly carrying out the activities of Universal Good  after having attained the ten powers, they are called enlightening beings. Knowing all truths and being able to explain them, they are called Omniscient; though  able to expound all truths,  yet never ceasing to think about each truth with versatility, they  arc  called enlightening beings.   Knowing all things are nondual,   they are called Enlightened  in All Things;   skillfully examining the path of differentiation of all things, dual and nondual,  ceaselessly developing further and further, they are called enlightening beings. Able to clearly see the realm of the Universal Eye,  they are called Universal Eye; though able to witness the realm of the Universal Eye, ceaselessly  developing in every moment,  they are called en lightening beings. Able to clearly perceive all things without any obscurity or barrier, they arc called  Unimpeded Seers; always dili­ gently remembering the unimpeded seers, they are called enlightening

 

860  The Flower Ornamerzt Scripture

 

beings. Having attained the eye of knowledge  of all  buddhas, they are called Aware of All Things;   observing   the buddhas'  correctly awakened eye of knowledge without slacking, they are called enlightening beings. Abiding in the abode ofbuddhas, not other than buddhas, they are called Those Who Abide in a State of Nonduality with the Buddhas; cultivating various knowledges in the care  of the buddhas, they  are called  enlight­ ening beings. Always observing the limit of reality of all worlds, they are called Those Who Dwell in Absolute Reality; though always observing absolute reality of all things, yet neither entering it experientally by extinction nor abandoning it, they are called enlightening beings. Not coming, not going, without sameness or difference, all such distinctions having ceased forever-such are called Those Who Have Set Their Undertakings to Rest; extensively cultivating  fulfillment  without turning back, they are called Those Who Have Not Ceased the Undertakings of Universal Good. Perfectly knowing the cosmos has no bounds and all things are one form, which is formless, this is called reaching the ultimate end of the cosmos and giving up the way of enlightening beings; though knowing the cosmos has no bounds, yet knowing  all  various  different forms, evolving  a  mind  of great  compassion  and  liberating  beings  for ever and ever without wearying, this is called the Universally Good enlightening being .

"It is like the case of the king of elephants, who lives in a jewel cave in a gold mountain;  the cave has jewel railings all around, jewel trees in rows, gold nets covering above. The elephant's body is pure white, like jade or snow, and sports gold banners; it is ornamented with gold, and a jewel net covers its trunk, with jewel bells hanging down.  Its limbs are fully developed, and it has six tusks; it is dignified and handsome, pleasing to all who see it. It is well trained and docile. If the emperor of gods wants  to go somewhere,   the elephant immediately  knows his intention and disappears from the jewel cave to appear  in heaven before   the emperor of gods. By magical powers it transforms its   appearance   in various ways, causing its body to have thirty-three heads, magically producing seven tusks on each head, magically producing seven lakes on each tusk, with   seven lotus blossoms in   each lake,   with   seven nymphs on each blossom, simultaneously playing a hundred thousand celestial melodies. At this point the emperor of gods   mounts   this   bejeweled elephant and proceeds from   the unsurpassable   palace to the flower gar­ den, which is tilled with white lotuses. When the emperor of gods gets to the flower garden, he dismounts from the elephant and enters a palace arrayed with all jewels. Attended by countless nymphs,  he enjoys their singing and playing. At that point the elephant king again magically conceals his elephant form and appears as a god,  having a good time in the lotus garden along with the other gods and the nymphs, his physical features,   aura,   clothing,   comportment,   speech,   and looks   being just like the other gods',   indistinguishable from them,   so   that it is impossible   to tell whether it is the elephant or a god, so similar are they.

 

 

"That elephant king, in its jewel cave in the gold mountain, without any transformation, goes to heaven to make offerings to  the  emperor  of gods, produces various enjoyable  things, and experiences celestial  plea­ sures no different from the gods. Similarly, for great enlightening beings, cultivation of the practice of the vows and concentrations of the Univer­ sally Good enlightening being are their ornaments of jewels;  the seven limbs of enlightenment are the enlightening beings' bodies; the lights they emanate are nets; they set up the banner of the great Teaching,  ring the bells of the great Teaching. Great compassion is their cave, steadfast great vows are their  tusks. Knowing and wise, fearless  as  lions, their heads are wrapped with the turban of truth.  They  reveal  mysteries  and reach the other shore of the practice of vows of enlightening beings. Wanting to sit on the seat of enlightenment,  achieve  universal  knowl­ edge, and attain perfect  enlightenment, they  develop and expand  the great undertakings  of  Universal  Good  without  retreating, without  rest­ ing, without stopping, without giving  up  great  compassion,  energeti­ cally liberating  suffering  sentient beings for ever and  ever,  not  giving  up the path of Universal Good, actualizing perfect enlightenment. They manifest untold numbers of doors to attainment of true awareness, reveal untold cycles of teaching, manifest untold   doors   of profound   determina­ tion, and in untold vast lands show the door of manifestation of nirvana. They appear to  live in  untold  different  worlds  cultivating the practice of Universal Good; they manifest untold buddhas attaining perfect en­ lightenment under enlightenment trees in untold lands, with untold congregations of enlightening beings drawing near and encircling them, sometimes attaining true enlightenment after cultivating  Universally Good practice for an instant, or for a moment,  or  for  an  hour,  or  for  a day, or for a fortnight, or for a month,  or  for  a  year,  or  for  countless years, or for an eon, and so on, up to attaining  true enlightenment after untold eons of cultivating  Universally Good practice. Also they are leaders in all buddha-lands, approaching the buddhas, paying respects to them and presenting offerings to them and  soliciting teaching. They examine the realm of illusion and purify enlightening beings' infinite practices, infinite knowledges, various miracles, various powers, various kinds of wisdom, various states, various psychic faculties, various  free­ doms,  various liberations,  various understandings,   and   various   methods of teaching and training.

"The  great enlightening beings' original bodies  do not   perish   or vanish, but by the power of action and will they appear transfigured in these ways. Why? Because they want to pacify all sentient beings by the free spiritual powers of universal good; to enable untold numbers   of sentient beings to attain purity; to cause them to forever cut off the cycle of birth and death ; to purify and magnify the worlds; always  to see all buddhas; to enter deeply into the stream of all Buddha teachings; to re­ member the lineage ofbuddhas  of past, present, and future; to remember the teachings and the reality of all buddhas of the ten directions; to culti-

 

 

vate all practices of enlightening beings to fulfillment; to enter the stream of Universal Good and be able to realize omniscience independently.

"You should  observe these great enlightening beings  not giving  up the practice of Universal Good,  not stopping the  path  of enlightening beings, seeing all buddhas, realizing all knowledge, freely employing the elements of omniscience. Just as the elephant king goes to heaven with­ out leaving its elephant body, is ridden by a god, experiences celestial bliss, romps in celestial play, serves the lord of the gods, and sports with the celestial nymphs the same as the gods, no different, in the same way, great enlightening beings, not giving up the practices of the Great Vehicle of Universal Goodness, not   retreating from   their vows,  attain the free­ dom of Buddha, one imbued with universal knowledge, experience the liberation of buddhas, achieve thorough purity without hindrance or obstruction, have no attachments to any worlds, have no discriminatory concepts about the Buddha  teaching; though  they know all things are equal and nondual, yet they always clearly see all buddha-lands; though they are already  equal to the buddhas of past, present,   and future,   yet they continue to cultivate the conduct of enlightening beings.

"Great enlightening beings live by this  great principle of the under­ taking  of Universal Good:  know that these people's minds  are  pure.

"This is the great knowledge of the superior mind of the great con­ centration of the unimpeded wheel, the tenth concentration of great enlightening beings.

"These are the ten great spheres of concentration practiced by the Universally Good enlightening being, in which great enlightening beings abide. "