The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK NINETEEN

 

19. Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven

 

 

THEN, BY THE SPIR ITUAL POWER of the Enlightened One,  in  all  worlds of the ten directions, in the Jambu continent of  each  of  the  four quarters,  and on the peak of their  polar  mountains , the Enlightened One was seen in the midst of an assembly, wherein the enlightening beings, due to the spiritual power of the Buddha, expounded the Teaching, each one having the sense of facing the Buddha at all times.

At that time the World Honored One, without leaving the foot of the enlightenment  trees and the peaks   of the polar mountains,  headed   for the jewel-adorned  hall of the palace of the Suyama heaven . The king of the Suyama heaven, seeing from afar the Buddha coming, produced by magical powers a jewe1 lotus bank lion throne in his  palace,  with a million tiers of decorations , wrapped in a million golden nets, covered with a million drapes of flowers , a million drapes of garlands, a million drapes of perfumes, and a million  drapes of jewels , surrounded by a million canopies each of flowers, garlands, perfumes , and jewels; a million lights illumined  it. A million celestial kings  of the Suyama heaven bowed in respect,  a million Brahma kings  danced for joy,  a million enlightening beings sang praises. A million heavenly sympho­ nies each played a million tones of truth, continuing endlessly; a million clouds of various fl owers, a million cl ouds of various garlands, a million cl ouds of various ornaments, and a million cl ouds of various robes, covered all around;  a million  clouds of various wish-fulfilling jewels shone with light.  The throne was born from a million kinds of roots of goodness, protected by a million Buddhas,  augmented  by a million  kinds of virtues, dignified   and   purified by a million kinds  of faith and a million  kinds  of vows, produced  by a  million  kinds  of action, established  by  a million kinds of truths,  conjured up  by  a million kinds of spiritual powers, always producing a million kinds  of sounds revealing all truths.

Then that celestial king, having set out this throne,  turned to the Buddha, the World Honored One, bowed and joined his palms with

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Astcnt to the Palate of the Suyama Hcal'Cil         439

reverence and respect and said, "Welcome, 0 World Honored One; welcome, Felicitous One; welcome, Enlightened One;  welcome, 0

Worthy; welcome, 0 Truly Awakened One. Please be so gracious as to sojourn in this palace. " Then the Buddha, accepting the invitation , ascended to the precious hall. This also took place in the same way everywhere in the ten directions.

Then the celestial king, reflecting on the roots of goodness  he had planted with past Buddhas, spoke these verses with the  aid  of the Buddha's  spiritual  powers:

 

 

The Buddha Renown, famed throughout the ten directions, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this   hall   ofjewels; Therefore this place is most auspicious .

 

The Buddha Jewel King, lamp of the world, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this pure hall ;

Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Joyful Eye, with unhindered vision , Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this adorned hall;

Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Burning Lamp, lighting the world, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this magnificent hall; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Benefactor, aid of the world, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this undefiled hall; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Well Aware, who had no teacher, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this hall of precious fragrance; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Surpassing the Gods, a lamp in the world, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this hall of sublime fragrance; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

440  The Flower Ornament Scripture

The Buddha No Departure, hero of philosophy, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this hall of the universal eye; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

The Buddha Unsurpassed, replete with all virtues, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this well-adorned hall; Therefore this place is most auspcious.

 

The Buddha Ascetic, benefiting the world, Supreme among the Auspicious,

Has been in this hall of universal embellishment; Therefore this place is most auspicious.

 

 

Just as the king of the Suyama heaven in this world,  graced with the occult power of the Buddha,  recalled the virtues of Buddhas of ancient times and extolled them,   so did all the kings of the Suyama heavens in the ten directions laud the virtues of Buddhas.

Then the World Honored One entered the jewel-adorned hall and sat crosslegged on the jewel lotus  flower bank lion throne;  the hall sud­ denly expanded  vastly.  The same  thing happened  in all worlds of the ten directions as happened in the abodes of the gods .