The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK TWENTY-EIGHT

 

28. The Ten Superknowledges

 

 

THEN THE GREAT ENLIGHTENING BEING Universally Good said to the enlightening beings, "Offspring   of Buddha,  great enlightening beings have ten kinds of superknowledge.  What are the ten? By means of knowledge of others' minds, great enlightening beings know the differences of the minds of living beings in a world system: good minds, bad minds, broad minds, narrow minds, big minds, small minds, minds that go along with birth and death, minds that turn away from birth and death, minds of learners, minds of self-enlightened ones, minds of enlightening beings, celestial minds, water-spirit minds, yaksha minds, titan minds,  garuda minds, kinnara minds, mahoraga minds, human minds, nonhuman minds, hellish minds, bestial minds, netherworld minds,  hungry-ghost  minds, minds of beings  in difficult situations. They know distinctly such count­ less different sentient beings: as in one world, so in a hundred worlds, a thousand worlds, a hundred thousand worlds, a billion worlds, as many worlds as   atoms in untold  buddha-lands-they   know   distinctly   the minds of all beings therein. This is called great enlightening beings' first super­ knowledge, the spiritual power of accurate knowledge  of others' minds. "By means of the   superknowledge  of the   unobstructed  pure   celestial eye great enlightening beings see sentient beings in worlds as many as atoms in untold buddha-lands, dying in one place, being born in another, their good and bad tendencies and courses of action,  their virtuous and sinful characteristics, whether they are beautiful or ugly, defiled or pure: they  see  innumerable  sentient  beings  of  such  kinds-celestial  beings, water spirits, demons, hobgoblins, titans, demigods, serpents, humans, nonhumans, microscopic creatures, gigantic creatures, small groups, and large groups. They clearly see various sentient beings with unobstructed eyes, unerringly seeing whatever deeds they have accumulated, whatever suffering and happiness  they experience, whatever mentalities, thoughts, and views they have,  whatever languages they speak,  whatever their motives and acts, whatever their concerns and productions. This is called

great enlightening beings' superknowledge of the celestial eye.

"By means of the superknowledge of instant recall of past lives, great enlightening beings are able to know the events of past lives of them-

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selves as well as of the beings in countless worlds over countless eons­ where they were born, their names,  their castes, their races, their diets, their pains and pleasures. The beginningless development of continuous cycles in the various states of existence through causes and conditions, various classes, various lands, various forms of life, various physical characteristics, various activities, various bonds an d compulsions, various mentalities and thoughts,  various differences in circumstances of birth­ they know all such things as these.

"Also they remember the names,  manner  of emergence,  congrega­ tions, parents, attendants,  disciples,  and  foremost  two  disciples  of  as many buddhas as atoms in so many buddha-lands in worlds as many as atoms in so many buddha-lands, as many eons ago as atoms in so many buddha-lands, and the cities where they lived, how they left home, the enlightenment trees under which  they  attained  true  awakening,  where they sat, what scriptures they preached, how they benefited so  many beings, how long they lived, what buddha-works they performed, how they passed away  into  the  realm  of ultimate  nirvana  without residue, how long their teachings  lasted  after  their  demise--all  this  they  can recall.

"Also they remember as many buddha-names as atoms in untold numbers of buddha-lands, there being to each name as many buddhas as atoms in untold buddha-lands, from their ftrst determination establishing their vows,  cultivating practices, honoring buddhas,  taming   sentient beings, their congregations, their teachings, their life spans, their spiritual powers and miracles, and so on,  including their entry into nirvana with­ out residue,   how long their teaching lasted after their complete nirvana, the setting up of monuments to them, their various adornments, causing sentient beings to plant roots of goodness-all these they   are   able   to know.

"This is called great enlightening beings' third superknowledge,  the spiritual faculty of knowing past lives.

"Great  enlightening  beings,  by  superknowledge  of the  eons  of the entire future , know the ages in worlds as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands, the deaths and births of all the beings in each age, the continuity of existences, their  actions,  the  results  and  consequences  of their deeds-whether good or not, whether emancipated or  not,  whether certain  or  not,  whether  wrongly  focused  or  rightly  focused,  whether their basic virtues are together  with  compulsions or  not,  whether  they have fully embodied basic virtues or not,  whether  they  absorb  basic virtues or not,  whether  they  accumulate  basic  virtues  or  not,  whether they accumulate criminal qualities or not. All of these  the  enlightening beings are able to know.

"Also they know the whole future of worlds as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands, with as many eons, each eon with as many buddha­ names, each name with as many buddhas; they are able to know all such things as the ftrst inspiration and determination of each buddha, their

 

practices, their service to buddhas, their education of beings, their con­ gregations, their teachings, their life spans, their spiritual  powers and miracles, and so on, up to their entry into nirvana without remainder, how long their teachings remain in the world after their ultimate nirvana, and the building of their monuments, with various adornments, causing sentient beings to plant roots of goodness.

"This is called great enlightening beings' fourth superknowledge,  the power of knowing the ages of the entire future .

" Great enlightening beings develop   the   unobstructed  celestial   ear, fully matured, far-reaching, penetratingly sensitive, free from blockage, perceiving without hindrance, thoroughly developed, able to hear or not hear all sounds at will.

" In the east there are as many buddhas  as atoms in untold buddha­ lands; the great enlightening beings are able to receive and hold the pure teachings explained, revealed, exposed, expounded, set up, taught, tuned, recollected, and analyzed by those buddhas, deep and vast, with various differences, their infinite means and skills. Also they are able to remem­ ber the meanings and expressions therein, addressed to one person or to many, according to their language,   according   to their wisdom,  according to what they comprehend,  according   to what is shown,   according   to what is to be subdued,  according to their realms, according   to   their bases, according to their paths of emancipation; the enlightening beings remember all this   without  forgetting,   without   halting,   without   retreat­ ing, without  delusion, without confusion,   explaining   it   to   others   to enable them to attain understanding, ultimately never missing   a single point. As in the east, the same is also true of the south, west, and north, the four intermediate directions, and the zenith and nadir.

"This is called great enlightening beings'   fifth superknowledge,   that

of the unobstructed pure celestial ear.

"Great enlightening beings abide   in   superknowledge   of insubstan­ tiality, effortless superknowledge, superknowledge of equality, far-reaching superknowledge, measureless superknowledge,   independent   superknowl­ edge, superknowledge manifesting forms at will, creative superknowledge, superknowledge of nonorigination, undiminishing superknowledge, uninterrupted  superknowledge,  indestructible superknowledge,  enrich­ ing superknowledge, superknowledge going anywhere.

"These great enlightening beings, hearing the names of buddhas in all worlds extremely distant-names of buddhas  in countless worlds, mea­ sureless worlds, worlds as many as atoms in unspeakably many buddha­ lands-immediately  see themselves where those buddhas  are. Some of those worlds are upright, some inverted; they have various forms, loca­ tions, differentiations, boundless,  unobstructed,  various  lands, times, eons, infinite qualities, in different arrays; those buddhas appear therein, manifest miracles, and make known their  names,  infinitely   countless, each different: as soon as the enlightening beings hear those buddhas' names, without moving from where they are they see themselves where

 

 

those buddhas are, paying respects to and attending those buddhas, asking about the principles  of enlightening,  entering  buddha-knowledge;  they are able to apprehend the buddhas' lands, enlightenment sites, congre­ gations, and teachings, up to the ultimate end, without any attachment.

"In this way they pass as many eons as atoms in untold buddha-lands, reaching everywhere in the ten directions without going anywhere, yet traveling to the lands, seeing the buddhas, hearing the teachings, inquiring after the Way, without stopping or giving up, without rest, without weariness, cultivating the practice of en lightening beings, accomplishing their great undertakings, causing them all to be fulfilled, without re­ gressing, to cause the immense family of buddhas not to come to an end. "This   is   called   great   enlightening   beings'   sixth   superknowledge,  that of going to all buddha-lands while dwelling in insubstantiality, without

motion or action.

"By the superknowledge that skillfully understands the speech  of  all living beings, the great enlightening beings know the various verbal expressions of beings in as many worlds as atoms in untold numbers of buddha-lands: the words of sages, the words of those who arc not sages, celestial words, the words of water  spirits, goblins, cherubim,  titans, birds, hobgoblins, serpents, humans, nonhumans, and untold numbers of beings-all their words and speech, their  individual  expressions and various distinctions, the great enlightening beings can know completely. "Whatever  world these   enlightenin g   beings   enter,   they   are   able   to know the natures and inclinations of all the beings therein, and speak to them in accord with their natures and inclinations so that they can understand completely without doubt or confusion . Just as the sunlight when it appears illumines all forms so that all with  eyes  can  see  them clearly, in the same way do great enlightening beings with knowledge understanding all speech enter into the masses  of all verbal expressions and

cause the intelligent to gain thorough understanding of all verbalization. "This is called great enlightening beings' seventh superknowledge,

the power of understanding all language.

"Great enlightening beings, by the superknowledge of production  of arrays of infinite physical  forms,  know  that  all  phenomena  are  apart from physical forms, have no signs of distinction,  have  no  signs  of variety,  have no signs of infinity, have no signs of discrimination,  have no signs of color.   Enlightening beings   thus entering the realm   of reality can manifest their bodies in various forms: that is, for example, boundless forms, infinite forms, pure forms, adorned forms, all-pervasive forms, incomparable forms, all-illumining forms, predominating forms, non­ antagonistic  forms,   forms  with  various  characteristics,  forms  free  from all that  is bad,  maj estic forms, honorable forms, inexhaustible forms, forms with myriad interwoven subtleties, extremely beautiful forms, immeasurable forms, well-guarded forms, forms able to bring about maturation, forms changing according to those who are taught, unin­ hibited forms, very clear forms, unsullied forms, extremely pure forms,

 

forms of great strength, forms with inconceivable  skills, incorruptible forms, flawless forms, unclouded forms, well-settled  forms, superbly arrayed forms, forms with handsome features, forms with various minor refinements, forms of great nobility, forms of marvelous  realms,  well­ polished forms, forms with pure determination,  forms of blazing  re­ fulgence, forms of supreme grandeur, uninterrupted forms, independent forms, peerless forms, forms filling unspeakably many buddha-lands, increasing form s, steadfast, receptive forms, forms of supreme  qualities, forms that accord with inclinations,  forms of pure understanding,  forms of accumulated splendors, forms of skillful ascertainment, forms without solidity, forms of spacious clarity, pure delightful forms, untainted forms, incalculable forms, forms wondrous to behold, forms seen everywhere, forms appearing according to the time,  tranquil forms, dispassionate forms, forms of fields of blessings, forms able to create peace, forms removing all fear, forms free from foolish actions, forms of wisdom and courage, forms with physical characteristics free from resistance, forms traveling everywhere, forms with minds not relying on anything, forms created by great kindness, forms manifested by great compassion,  im­ partially emancipating forms, forms replete with blessed qualities, forms according to thoughts in the mind,  forms of boundless jewels,  forms of the lights within jewels, forms trusted by sentient beings, forms in which omniscience appears,  form s with happy  eyes, forms of the foremost arrays ofjewels, forms without location, forms freely manifested at will, forms of various spiritual powers, forms of those born in the family of buddhas, forms beyond all comparisons or metaphors,  forms pervading the cosmos, forms to which the masses flock, various forms, forms of perfection, forms of emancipation, forms adapted to those  to be taught, forms of dignified conduct, forms that one never tires of seeing, varied clear, pure forms, forms able to emanate countless webs of light,  forms of untold various differentiations of light, forms of inconceivable  fra­ grances and light beyond the world, forms of radiance of light of in­ numerable suns, forms showing incomparable lunar bodies, forms of clouds of innumerable pleasant flowers, forms producing arrays of clouds of garlands  of all kinds of lotus blossoms,  forms of fragrant flames beyond all worlds   perfuming   everywhere,   forms   producing   all embryos of enlightenment,  forms with untold  voices   revealing   and expounding all truths, forms fulfilling all the practices of Universal Good.

"Great enlightening  beings entering deeply into this formless cosmos of reality are able to manifest such various form bodies, to cause those to be taught to sec, to cause those to be taught to remember, to operate the cycles of the Teaching for those to be taught in   accord   with   proper timing for those to be taught,   in   accord with the characteristics of those to be taught, to cause those to be taught to draw near, to cause those to be taught to awaken, producing various miracles for those to be taught, manifesting various powers for those to be taught,   doing whatever they can for those to be taught.

 

 

"This is called great enlightening beings' eighth superknowledge, of countless form bodies,  diligently cultivated and perfected for the purpose of liberating all living beings.

"By superknowledge of phenomena, enlightening beings know all phenomena are nameless, without essence, neither come   nor   go,  are neither different nor not different, neither various nor not various, neither dual nor nondual,  have no identity, have no compare, are not born, do not perish, do not shift, do not disintegrate, have no reality, have no falsehood, are of one form which is formless, are not nonexistent, are not existent, are not phenomenal, are not nonphenomenal,  are not in con­ formity with   conventions,   arc not not in conformity with   conventions, are not actions, are not not actions, are not consequences, are not not consequences, are not compounded, are not uncompounded, are not absolute, are not nonabsolute, are not the path of enlightenment, are not not the path of enlightenment, are not emancipation, are not not eman­ cipation, are not a certain measure, are not measureless, are not mun­ dane, are not not mundane,  are not born from cause, are not not born from causes,   are not definite,   are not indefinite,   are not complete,  are not incomplete, are not emerging, are not not emerging, are not distin­ guished, are not indistinguishable, are not logical, are not illogical.

"These great enlightening beings do not grasp conventional truth, do

not dwell  in absolute  truth, do not discriminate phenomena,  do not set up   words;  they accord with the essence of extinction,   yet they do not give up their undertakings.   Seeing what is true and knowing the prin­ ciples thereof,   they spread clouds of teaching and shower rains of teach­ ing. Though they know the character of reality cannot be verbally expressed, yet by expedient means and endless intellectual   power they teach in an orderly fashion according to principles and according to meanings. Because they have mastered the skills of verbal explanation of phenomena and principles, their great kindness and compassion purified, they produce words for all things that are actually beyond words,  ac­ cording to their principles and meanings,   without   contradiction,   ex­ plaining that all things arise from conditions. Though   they do use words to explain, yet they are not attached  to them at all. They explain all things, with endless intellectual power, analyzing, defining, revealing, guiding, causing the nature of all  things to be fully revealed, cutting through the web of doubts,  causing all to be clarified. Even while they take care of sentient beings, they do   not   abandon true reality.   They do not regress from nonduality, and they are always able to expound  the reality of nonobstruction.  By means of myriad subtle nuances they adapt to the minds of sentient beings, showering the rain of truth on all according to proper timing.

"This is called great enlightening beings' ninth superknowledge, knowledge of all phenomena.

"By the superknowledge of concentration on the  extinction  of  all things,  great enlightening  beings enter into  concentration  on  the extinc­ tion of all things in every moment; yet they do not retire from the Path

 

of enlightening beings, they do not give up the tasks of enlightening beings, they do not abandon the heart of great kindness and compassion. They cultivate the transcendent ways unceasingly and investigate all buddha-lands tirelessly. They do not give up the vow to liberate sentient beings, do not stop the work of turning the wheel of the Teaching,  do not abandon the activity of civilizing sentient beings, do not give up the practice of honoring and serving the buddhas, do not abandon the door of mastery of all teachings, do not give up seeing all buddhas, do not abandon always listening to all their teachings. They know all things are equal and do not hinder one another. They freely accomplish all Buddha teachings, and attain ful fillment of all their excellent vows. They know the differentiations of all lands. They enter the family of buddhas and reach the other shore. They arc able to study all things in each world and comprehend that all things are signless; they know all things come from conditions and have no intrinsic being of their own, nevertheless they explain them expediently according to conventional usage. Though their minds do not dwell on anything, yet in accord  with sentient beings' faculties and dispositions they expediently explain all kinds of things.

"When these enlightening beings are in concentration , they may re­ main in concentration for an con, a hundred eons, a thousand cons, a million eons, a billion eons, a trillion cons, or any number of eons, if they wish. When the enlightening beings enter this concentration on the extinction of all things, no matter how many cons they pass in this concentration, their bodies do not disintegrate, waste away, or change. They are neither visible nor invisible. They do not pass away, decay, or tire out-it is inexhaustible. Though they do nothing at all in respect to existence or nonexistence, yet they are able to accomplish the tasks of enlightening beings: that is to say, they never abandon sentient beings, teaching and harmonizing them according to proper timing, causing them to increase in all enlightened qualities; they attain ful fillment of all practices of enlightening beings, and for the sake of aiding and benefiting all sentient beings they ceaselessly work miracles. Like rays of light, they appear everywhere while remaining silent and unmoving in concentration.

"This is called great enlightening beings' tenth superknowledge, of concentration on the extinction of all things.

"Great enlightening beings abiding in these ten kinds of superknowledge arc inconceivable to any celestial or human beings, to any sentient beings, to  any   Buddhist  disciples,  individual  illuminates,.  or  even  to  other  en­ lightening beings. The physical, verbal, and mental actions of these great enlightening beings are inconceivable; their freedom in concentration and the realms of their knowledge, too, arc inconceivable. Only the buddhas and the enlightening beings who also have attained these supcr­ knowlcdges are able to tell of the virtues and sing the praises of these people.

"These are the ten supcrknowledges of great enlightening beings. If great enlightening beings abide in these supcrknowledges, they will completely attain superknowledge unhindered in all times."