The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK TWENTY-NINE

 

29. The Ten Acceptances

 

 

THEN THE GREAT ENLIGHTENING BEING Universally Good said to the enlightening beings,  "Off-;pring of Buddha, great enlightening beings have ten kinds of acceptance. If you acquire these acceptances, you will manage to arrive at the stage of unhindered acceptance.   What   are the ten? They are acceptance of the voice of the Teaching; conformative acceptance; acceptance of the nonorigination of all things; acceptance of illusoriness; acceptance of being miragelike; acceptance of being  dreamlike;  accep­ tance of being echolike; acceptance of being like a reflection; acceptance of being phantomlike; acceptance of being spacelike. These ten accep­ tances have been expounded, are being expounded, and will be  ex­ pounded by the buddhas of past, present, and future.

"What is great enlightening beings' acceptance of the voice of the Teaching? It means when they hear the teachings expounded by  the buddhas, they are not startled or frightened or overawed; they believe deeply, understand, appreciate, aim for, concentrate on, remember, practice, and abide by them. This is called great enlightening beings' acceptance of the voice of the Teaching.

"What is great enlightening beings' conformative acceptance? It means they contemplate the Teaching, investigate it, impartially conform to it without opposition, comprehend it, puri fy their minds,  live  correcdy by the Teaching, apply it, enter into it, and fulfill it. This is called great en­ lightening beings' second acceptance, that of conforming to the Teaching. "What  is   great enlightening   beings'   acceptance of the nonorigination of things? These great enlightening beings do not see that there is any­ thing at all that originates and do not see that there is anything at all that perishes. Why? If there is no origination, there is no perishing; if there is no perishing, there is no extinction; if there is no extinction, they are free from defilements; if they are free from defilements, there is no differen­ tiation; if there is no differentiation , there is no location; if there is no location, there is quiescence; if there is quiescence, there is detachment from desire; if th ere is detachment from desire, there is no doing; if there

is no doing, there is no wish; if there is no wish, .there is no dwelling; if there is no dwelling, there is no coming and no going. This is called great enlightening beings' acceptance of the nonorigination of things.

870

 

 

"What is great enlightening beings' acceptance of illusoriness? These great enlightening beings know all things are like illusions and arise from causes and  conditions.   In one  thing they  understand many things,   and in many things they understand one thing. These enlightening beings, knowing  the illusoriness of things, comprehend lands,   comprehend sen­ tient beings, comprehend the cosmos, comprehend the equality of worlds, comprehend the equality of appearances of buddhas, comprehend the equality of past, present, and future, and accomplish various   spiritual powers and mystic transformations.

"Just as illusions are not elephants,  not horses,  not chariots,  not walk­ ing, not men, not women, not boys, not girls, not trees, not leaves, not flowers, not fruits , not earth, not water, not fire, not wind, not day, not night, not a day, not a month, not a fortnight, not a year,  not a hundred years, not an eon, not many eons, not stable, not confused , not pure, not alloyed,  not one,  not variegated,  not broad, not narrow, not many, not few, not finite, not infinite, not gross, not subtle, not any things at all-variety  is  not  illusion,  illusion  is  not  various,  yet  by  illusion  are manifested all kinds of different things-in the same way do great enlightening beings look  upon  all  worlds  as illusory;  that  is,  the  worlds of action, the worlds of affliction, the worlds of lands, the worlds of phenomena,  the  worlds  of  time,  the  worlds  of dispositions,  the  worlds of becoming,  the worlds  of decay,  the  worlds  of movement, the  worlds of creativity. When great enlightening beings see  all  worlds  as  like illusions, they do not see beings born  or dying, they do not see countries born or perishing, they do  not  see phenomena  born or perishing,  they  do not see a past that can be differentiated, they do not see a future that has a beginning, they do not see  a present that  remains  for  even  a  moment; they do not examine  enlightenment,  do  not  discriminate enlightenment, do not see buddhas emerging, do not see buddhas passing away  into nirvana, do not see abiding by great vows, do not see entry into the absolute, do not go out of the essence of equality.

"Though these enlightening beings develop buddha-lands, they know lands have no differentiation; though they develop sentient beings, they know sentient beings have no differentiation; though  they examine the cosmos, yet they abide peacefully in the essence of reality, silent and unmoving; though they realize past,  present, and future are equal,  yet they do not oppose the distinction of past,  present,   and future phenom­ ena; though they are fully complete in physical,  mental, and sense ele­ ments, they do not rely on anything; though they liberate sentient beings, yet they know the cosmos is impartial and makes no distinctions; though they know all things are beyond words and cannot be verbally explained, yet they always explain things with inexhaustible powers   of analysis; though they are not attached to the work of teaching beings, yet they do not give up great   compassion,   turning the wheel   of Teaching   to liberate all ; though they reveal to them past causes and   conditions,   yet they k110w that conditionality has no movement. This is called great enlight­ ening beings' acceptance of illusoriness.

 

872  The Plower Ornament Scripture

 

"What is great enlightening beings'  acceptance of being miragelike? These great enlightening beings know  that all worlds  are like  mirages. Just as mirages have no location, are not inside or outside, not existent or nonexistent,  not finite or eternal, not uniform or multiform or formless, but just expressed in conventional terms,  in the same way do enlight­ ening beings truly see and know all things,  actually realizing this of all things, attaining complete acceptance. This is called enlightening beings' acceptance of being miragelike.

"What is great enlightening beings'  acceptance of being dreamlike? Here great enlightening beings know all worlds are like dreams. Just as dreams are neither of the world nor  apart from the world,  not  of the realm of desire, not of the realm of form, not of the formless realm, not arising, not disappearing, not defiled, not pure, and yet obviously mani­ fest, in the same way do enlightening beings know all worlds to be like dreams, unchanging, because ofbeing free like dreams, because of clinging like dreams, because of being inheren tly unconnected like dreams,  be­ cause of being like the basic nature of dreams, because of being hke visions in dreams, because of being undifferen tiated like dreams, because of being like thoughts in dreams,   because of being as when awakening from a dream.  This is called great enlightening  beings'  acceptance of being dreamlike.

"What is great enlightening beings'  acceptance of being  echolike? Here the great enlightening beings, hearing buddhas explain the truth, seeing into the nature of things, applying this practically, achieving realization and reaching the other shore, know  that all sounds are the same as echoes, with no coming or going, appearing in this way.  The great enlightening beings observe the voice of the buddhas as emerging without emerging from inside  or outside or both . Though  they under­ stand that this voice does not emerge from inside, outside, or both,  yet it is possible to produce skillful expressions to accomplish explanation. Like echoes in a valley, it is produced by conditions and is not at variance with the nature of things. It enables sentient beings each to understand according to kind and to be able to practice this learning.

"Just as the wife of the emperor of gods can produce a thousand tones in one sound without consciously trying to do so, so also do great enlightening beings enter the realm of nondiscrimination,  develop  a voice that skillfull y adapts to different types,  and forever turn the wheel of the Teaching in boundless worlds. These enlightening beings skillfully observe all beings and preach to them  with a universal tongue,  their voices pervading all lands in the ten directions unhindered, causing all to hear the Teaching differentl y according to their  needs.  Though  they know sound has no origin, they manifest the sound of their voice every­ where; though they know there is nothing to say,  they extensively explain all things. Their wondrous voice is impartial, all understand it according  to species and type,  while the enlightening beings   compre­ hend this all by means of their knowledge.  This is called great enlight­ ening beings' acceptance of being echolike.

 

 

"What is great enlightening beings' acceptance of being like a reflec­ tion? These great enlightening beings are not born in the world,  do not die in the world; they are not in the worl d, not outside the world; they do not act in the world, yet are not inactive in the world; they are not the same as the world,  yet are not different from the world;  they do not go to the world, nor do they not go to it; they do not dwell in the world, nor do they not dwell in the world; they are not worldly or unworldly. They are not cultivating the practices of enlightening beings, yet they do not give up their great vow;   they are neither real nor unreal.  Though they always carry out all Buddha teachings, yet they are able to manage all   mundane affairs;   they do not follow the mundane stream,  nor dwell in the religious stream.

"Just as the sun, moon, men, women, houses, mountains, ri vers,

springs, and so on, are  reflected in anything clear-in oil, water, a jewel, a mirror,  and so on-and  the reflections are neither one with nor  dif­ ferent from the oil, water, jewel,  or mirror,  are neither separated nor united, not flowing along in river currents, not sinking in lakes or wells, appearing  therein   without being affected,   and people  know  that such and such a reflection is in such and such a place and not elsewhere, and, though  things far and near cast their reflections, there is no correspond­ ing distance of the images from one another,  similarly great enlightening beings know their own bodies and others' bodies are all spheres of cogni­ tion and do not understand them dualistically as self and others, and simultaneously appear in their own lands and other lands. Just as there are no roots,   sprouts, stalks, nodes, branches, or leaves in a seed, yet it can produce these things, so also do great enlightening beings distinguish duality in that which is nondual,  their skill in means completely  fluid and all-encompassing,  without blockage.  This is called great enlighten­ ing beings' acceptance of being like a reflection.

"When  great  enlightening beings achieve this  acceptance,  though they do not travel to the lands of the ten directions,   yet they can appear in all buddha-lands, neither leaving here nor going there. They are like reflections appearing everywhere, unhindered wherever they go, causing sentient beings to see different bodies with the same appearance of solid­ ity as the world. However, these differentiations are not differentiation­ difference and nondiffcrence do not obstruct one another. These great enlightening beings are born from the lineage of the   buddhas-their bodies, speech, and minds are pure and unimpeded, so they are able to acquire pure bodies of boundless forms.

"What is great enlightening beings' acceptance of being phantomlike? These  great  enlightening beings know all   worlds   are like   phantoms­ that is, all sentient beings are phantoms  of mentalization,  being created by consciousness and thought;  all worldly realms are phantoms  of acts and cmditioning, being created by discrimination; all pain and pleasure are phantoms  of delusion, being produced  by arbitrary clinging;  all worlds are phantoms of unreal phenomena, being made apparent by verbalization; all afflictions arc phantoms of discrimination, being

 

874  The Flower Ornammt Scripture

 

created by thoughts.  There is also the phantom  of pure pacification, being manifested by nondiscrimination;  the phantom of not  changing through time, because of the equality of the uncreate; the phantom of enlightening beings' willpower, because of their extensive practices; the phantom of buddhas' great compassion,  based on expedient demonstra­ tions; the phantoms of means of teaching, being expounded by wisdom, expertise, and intellectual powers.

"Thus do enlightening beings know mundane and transmundane phantoms; they know them by direct experience, with extensive knowl­ edge, boundless knowledge, factual knowledge,  independent  knowl­ edge, true knowledge, incapable of being  overturned  by  false  views, going along with the events of the world without loss or corruption.

"Just as a phantom  does not arise from the mind  or from mental states, does not arise from action, does not experience consequences,  is not born in the world,  does not die in the world,  cannot be pursued, cannot be grasped or touched,  is not long-lasting, is not momentary,  is not acting in the world, is not apart from the world, is not bound to one location, is not ubiquitous, is not finite, is not infinite, does not weary or rest, is not unwearying or unceasing, not ordinary, not holy, not defiled , not pure, not born, not dead, not wise, not foolish, not seen, not unseen, not based in the world,  not entering the reality realm,  not clever, not dull,  not grasping,  not nongrasping,  not birth and death, not nirvana, not existent, not nonexistent, in the same way do enlightening beings course through the world by skill in means, cultivating the path of en­ lightening beings,   knowing   worldly   phenomena,   multiplying   their bodies for phantomlike travel, not clinging to the world, not attached to their own bodies,  not conceptualizing anything in the world or them­ selves, not dwelling in   the   world,   not leaving the   world,   not dwelling on things, not aloof from   things.   Because   of their fundamental vow   they do not abandon a single sentient being, they do not guide only a few sentient beings, they do not discriminate things yet are not indiscrimi­ nate. They know the nature ofthings has no coming or going, and though they have no existence, they fulfill the Buddha  teachings, knowing everything is like a phantom, neither existent nor nonexistent.

"When great enlightening beings thus abide in acceptance of being phantomlike, they are able to fulfill the path of enlightenment of all buddhas and benefit living beings. This is called enlightening beings' acceptance of being   phantomlike: when great enlightening beings achieve this acceptance, like magicians, everything they do is phantomlike. They do not dwell on anything in any buddha-land, do not cling to the world, tirelessly proceed toward enlightenment without producing   false   ideas about the Buddha  teachings,   cultivate   the   practices   of enlightening beings, and get rid of delusion. Though they have no body,  yet they manifest all bodies; though they have no abode, yet they abide in myriad buddha-lands;  though they have no form, yet they manifest   myriad forms; though they do not cling to ultimate truth , yet they clearly per­ ceive the essential  nature of things, im partially and completely.

 

The Ten Acceptances

 

" These great enlightening beings, not relying on anything, are called liberated; having shed all errors, they are called disciplined; entering the congregations of all buddhas  everywhere without  moving,  they are called masters of spiritual power; well versed in the truth of nonorigina­ tion, they are called unregressing; imbued with all powers, which even mountains cannot impede, they are called unobstructed.

"What is great enlightening beings'  acceptance of being spacelike? These great enlightening beings understand that all  phenomena are like space because they are signless; all worlds are like space because they have no origin; all things are like space because they are nondual; all actions of sentient beings are like space because they have no course; all buddhas are like space because they have no discrimination; all buddhas' powers are like space because they have no   distinctions;   all   meditation concentra­ tions are like space because of equality of past, present, and future; all the principles the buddhas teach are like space because they cannot be ex­ plained in words; all buddha-bodies are like space because they have no attachment and no obstruction.  In this way   enlightening   beings,  by means of the device of being spacelike,   comprehend   that all   things have no existence.

"When great enlightening beings comprehend all things by the knowledge that   recognizes   and   accepts   their   spacelike   nature,   they acquire spacelike bodies,  spacelike physical action, spacelike speech, spacelike minds, and spacelike mental action. Just as space, the harbor of all things, is not  born and  does  not perish, so also are all  the bodies of realities   of great enlightening   beings   unborn   and   imperishable.  Just as space is indestructible, similarly are the powers of knowledge of great enlightening beings indestructible; just  as all worlds rest in space while space rests on nothing,  similarly all true teachings rest on great enlighten­ ing beings while they rest on nothing. Just  as space,   without any origin or destruction, can hold the origin and destruction of all worlds,  similarly great enlightening beings, without aim or attainment, can show aim and attainment, causing all worldlings to cultivate purity. Just as space, with­ out direction or angles, can manifest innumerable directions and angles, similarly great enlightening beings, without  actions or consequences, are able to show all kinds of actions and consequences. Just as space is not walking or standing yet can reveal all kinds of postures and movements, similarly great enlightening beings are not walking or standing yet can differentiate all movements.  Just as space is not  form and not not form, yet can reveal all kinds of forms, similarly  great enlightening beings  are not mundane  corporeality or transmundane corporeality,  yet can   mani­ fest all forms . Just as space is not old or new, yet can perdure, revealing all things, similarly great enlightening beings are not ancient or recent, but can  perdure, revealing the practices carried   out   by   enlightening beings. Just as space is not clean or dirty, yet is not apart from cleanness and pollution, similarly great enlightening beings are not obstructed or unobstructed, yet are not   apart from   obstruction   and   nonobstruction. Just as all worlds appear to space while space does not appear to all

 

worlds,  similarly  all things appear to great enlightening beings while great enlightening beings do not appear to all things. Just as space pene­ trates everywhere,  without boundaries,   similarly   great   enlightening beings penetrate all things, yet their minds have no boundaries.

"Why  is this? Because  enlightening beings'   doings are like space. That is to say, all their practices, all their purifications, and all their accomplishments are all impartial, of one substance, one flavor, one essence, of the same measure as space, pure and all-pervasive.  Thus do they witness and know all things without fabricated notions of things, purify all buddha-lands, perfect all supporting bodies,  comprehend  all realms without confusion , embody all powers, which are indestructible, fulfill all virtues, which arc boundless, arrive at the realm of all profound truths, master the paths of all ways of transcendence, sit on all adaman­ tine seats of enlightenment everywhere, utter all voices adapting to all species, and operate the cycles of the Teaching   for all   worlds   according to proper timing. This is called great enlightening beings' acceptance of being spacelike.

"When  great enlightening beings attain   these acceptances, they  acquire a body that does not come from anywhere because it does  not  go  any­ where;  they acquire  a  birthless  body,  having  no extinction; they acquire a motionless body, having no disintegration; they  acquire  an  insubstan­ tial body, being beyond falsehood; they acquire a uniform body, being formless; they acquire an infinite body, the power of buddhahood  being infinite; they acquire an impartial body, being the same characteristic of Thusness; they acquire  an  undifferentiated  body,  seeing  past, present, and future as equal; they acquire a body that reaches everywhere, their pure eye perceiving equally, without obstruction;  they  acquire  a  body free from the realm of desire, knowing  that all  phenomena  neither form nor dissolve; they acquire a body as boundless as space, their store  of virtue being as inexhaustible as space; they acquire a body of endless knowledge of  the  equality  of the  nature  of things,  knowing  the  forms of all things are one form and their nature is natureless, like space; they acquire a body of infinite, unobstructed sound, being unopposed and unobstructed like space;  they acquire a body of pure action of enlighten­ ing beings endowed with all skills, being unhindered in all places, like space; they acquire a body of continuity of succession of the oceans of all Buddha teachings, because like space they cannot be brought to  an  end; they acquire a body manifesting infinite buddha-lands within all buddha­ lands, being free from greed and attachment, unbounded as space; they acquire a body ceaselessly manifesting all aspects of miraculous power, being boundless as the sky and ocean; they acquire a body of indestruc­ tible durable strength, sustaining  all  worlds  like  space; they  acquire  a body with all senses clear and sharp,  indestructible as adamant,  because like space they cannot be burned by the fires that end an eon; they acquire a body of power to hold all worlds, their power of knowledge being like space.

 

 

"These are called the ten acceptances of enlightening beings. "

Then the great enlightening being Universally Good,   in   order   to restate this teaching, spoke these verses:

 

Just as people of the world Hearing of a mine ofjewels Become glad at heart

Because they can obtain them, So enlightening beings, Endowed with great wisdom, Hearing the buddhas' teaching,

The most profound character of nullity, Become calm at heart

When they hear this teaching.

 

They are not startled or frightened, Nor arc they overawed;

Great beings seeking enlightenment, Hearing this grandiose message, Minds pure, able to accept,

Have no doubt about it.

 

Thinking to themselves that by hearing this Exceedingly profound and subtle teaching They will become omniscient

Guides of heaven and earth,

Enlightening beings, hearing this message, Are very glad at heart.

 

Producing steadfast determination , Vowing to seek the buddhas' truths, Because they incline to enlightenment Their minds are gradually tamed.

 

It causes their faith to grow, Not repudiating truth­ Therefore, hearing this message, Their minds are able to accept it.

 

Immutable, stable,

They cultivate enlightening practice; In their quest for enlightenment,

They proceed wholeheartedly toward that path.

 

Diligent, vigorous, never turning back, They do not cast off the yoke of virtues.

 

Because they seek enlightenment, Their minds are without fear;

Hearing the truth, they become yet braver

And serve the buddhas, gaining rapport with them.

 

As   someone  of great   fortune Who has found a treasure of gold Makes whatever ornaments

Are suitable to wear,

So do enlightening beings,

Hearing    this    most    profound    doctrine, Think and increase the ocean of knowledge,

Thereby cultivating conformity to the teaching.

 

The existence of things they know accordingly,

The nonexistence of things they also know accordingly; As the truth of the teaching is thus,

Thus do  they know all things.

 

Achieving a pure mind, Thoroughly clear, full ofjoy,

They know things arise from conditions And vigorously cultivate practice;

They see all things impartially

And comprehend  their inherent nature.

 

Not straying from the Buddha's teaching, They are aware of all things;

Their determination is always firm As they puri fy enlightenment.

 

Immovable as mountains,

Single-mindedly seeking true awakening, With a mind inspired to effort

They also cultivate the path of concentration, Practicing diligently for countless eons,

With never any regression or digression.

 

The principles enlightening beings enter Are the sphere of action of buddhas; Able to know them thoroughly,

Their minds without aversion or sloth, As the Peerless One teaches,

They look upon things impartially.

 

Without impartial acceptance

None can attain equanimous knowledge;

 

 

Following the Buddha's teaching,

They accomplish this facet of acceptance; They know things as they are

Yet have no notion of things.

 

All the gods

Of the thirty-three heavens Eat from the same vessel

Yet their food is not the same:

The various foods they eat

Do not come from the  ten  directions­ They spontaneously appear in the vessel According to the actions of the gods.

 

In the same way do enlightening beings Observe all phenomena

As arising from  conditions-

Having no origin, they have no destruction; Having no   destruction,   they have no   extinction; If there is  no extinction, there is  no  defilement.

 

In the changing things of the world They know there is no change;

There being no change, there is no location, And no location means nullity.

 

Their minds without attachment, They vow to liberate all the living, Thinking only of the Buddha Way, Never distracted or perturbed,

Ever with compassionate will Acting expediently in the world.

 

Diligently seeking the ten powers,

They are in the world without lingering; Without coming or going,

They expediently teach the truth.

 

These acceptances are supreme, Comprehending truth without end, Entering the cosmos of reality,

Yet actually without entering anywhere.

 

Enlightening beings abiding in these acceptances See the buddhas everywhere

Simultaneously  giving   them   directions- This is called getting the joy of buddhahood.

 

 

They comprehend the nullity  and  purity Of all things of all times,

Yet can influence sentient beings Into the path of virtue.

 

The various things of the world Are all illusory;

If one can know this is so, One's mind will be unshakable.

 

All acts are born   from   mind, Therefore it is said mind is like magic:

If one gets rid of this false imagination, One extinguishes all paths of existence.

 

Just as a skillful magician Causes forms to appear,

Causing the masses to crave them in vain, While they ultimately  get nothing,

So also is the world- All in it is illusion,

Without essence or origin, Yet appearing variously.

 

Liberating living beings,

Letting them know things are illusory,

Living beings,  too, are not other than illusion-

On comprehending illusion, there are no "living beings."

 

Living beings and lands,

All things there are in all times,

In the same way, without exception, Are all illusory.

 

Making illusory forms of men and women, Elephants,  horses, cattle,  and sheep, Houses, ponds, springs, and such,

Gardens, groves, flowers, and fruits, Illusory things have  no awareness And also have no abode;

Ultimately of the character of nullity,

They only appear according to imagination.

 

Enlightening beings are able to see Things of the  world  this  way--

All things, existent and nonexistent,

 

 

They realize are illusions; Living beings and lands Are made by various acts.

 

Entering the realm of illusion, They have no attachment therein; Thus attaining skillfulness,

They are tranquil, free from folly.

 

In the  state of nonobstruction Manifesting  great  power everywhere, The courageous offspring of Buddha Accordingly enter the sublime Teaching, Accurately perceiving all conceptions

As wrapping up the world in their mesh, The conceptions like mirages

Causing beings  to misunderstand.

 

Enlightening beings, knowing conceptions well, Get rid of all delusions.

Living beings, each different,

Are not the same in form and type;

Enlightening beings  understand these are all conceptions, All without true reality.

 

All beings in the ten directions Are shrouded by conceptions;

If they would give up erroneous views,

They would end their conceptions of the world.

 

The world is like a mirage,

Differentiated because of conceptions; Knowing the world is an ideation,

One is freed from delusion of thought, view, and mind.

 

Just as a mirage in the heat People think is water,

Yet the water   does not   exist And the wise should not seek it,

The same is true of sentient beings: Worldly states are all nonexistent,

Like mirages, existing in   the   perception­ This is the realm of the unobstructed mind.

 

If one  detaches from   conceptions One will get rid of false descriptions,

 

 

Liberating all the ignorant Who are attached to ideas.

 

Avoiding pride and conceit,

Eliminating  conceptions of the world,

Dwelling on the point  of extinction and infinity, This is enlightening beings' method.

 

Enlightening beings realize things of the world Are all like dreams,

Neither having nor lacking location, Eternally null in essence.

 

All things have no discrimination;

Like dreams, they are not d ifferent from mind­ The worlds of past, present, and future

Are all like this.

 

The substance of dreams has no birth or destruction And also has no location.

The three worlds are all like  this­ Those who see this are freed in mind.

 

Dreams are not in the world, Nor are they unworldly:

Not  discriminating   these   two, One enters the stage of acceptance.

 

Just like seeing in dreams Various   different forms, So also is the world

No different from a dream.

 

Those   in   dream-concentration

Realize all in the world is like a dream, Not the same and not different,

Not one and not various.

 

The acts of beings and lands, Polluted and pure,

They understand all Are equal to dreams.

 

The practices of enlightening beings As well as their great vows

They understand are all like dreams, No different from the world.

 

 

Realizing the world is empty,

They do not destroy the things of the world, Like long, short, and such forms,

As seen in a dream.

 

This is called acceptance of the dreamlike; Understanding things of the world by this, One swiftly   attains  unhindered   wisdom To liberate sentient beings.

 

Cultivating such practice Produces broad understanding,

Knowing well the nature of things, Without mental attachment to things.

 

All the various sounds and voices Of all realms of the world

Arc not internal or external: Realizing all are like echoes, Like hearing all kinds of echoes, The mind doesn't discriminate.

 

When enlightening beings hear sounds Their minds are also like this;

Looking to the buddhas

And listening to the sound of their teachings, Their discourses without number,

Though they hear, they are not attached.

 

As echoes come from  nowhere, So do the voices they hear;

Yet they can distinguish the principles And not violate or mistake them.

 

They   understand   utterances

While not discriminating among voices; Knowing all voices are empty and null, They broadcast pure, clear sounds.

 

Understanding truth is not in words, They enter the wordless realm,

Yet can explain in words, Like echoes filling the world.

 

They know the ways of speech And are vocally well equipped;

 

 

While knowing the nature of sound is null, They speak the language of the world.

 

According to the voice of the world They show the same differentiations, Their voice pervading everywhere Awakening living beings.

 

Enlightening beings, attaining this acceptance, Influence the world  with a pure message, Skillfully explaining past, present, and future , Without attachment to the world.

 

Because they want  to help the  world, They single-mindedly seek enlightenment, While always entering the nature of things Without discriminatory thought therein.

 

They see all worlds

To be null, devoid of intrinsic nature, Yet   always   cultivate practice intently In order to benefit beings.

 

Not dwelling in the world, Not leaving the world,

They do not rely on anything in the world­ Reliance cannot be found.

 

They know the nature of the world And are not attached to that nature; While they do not rely on beings, They teach beings to transcend.

 

They  know  the  inherent   nature Of everything in the world; Understanding things are not dual,

They still have no attachment to nonduality.

 

Their minds are not apart from the world, Nor do they dwell on the world;

It is not outside the world

That they cultivate all-knowledge.

 

Just as reflections in water Are not inside or outside,

Enlightening beir1gs seeking enlightenment

 

 

Know the world is not the world:

They do not dwell in or leave the world, Because the world is inexplicable;

And they are not inside or outside, Appearing in the world like reflections.

 

Entering   this   profound   truth, They   are   thoroughly  purified; Not giving up their original vow, They are radiant lamps of wisdom.

 

Worlds without  bound

Their knowledge enters, all equally; Edifying beings everywhere,

They cause them to give up attachments.

 

Contemplating the most profound truth, Aiding living beings,

Henceforth they enter into knowledge And cultivate all its ways.

 

Enlightening beings examine all things, Clearly realize all are like phantoms, And carry out phantomlike practice, Never giving it up.

 

Conforming  to  phantomlike  nature, They practice the way of enlightenment; All things are like phantoms,

And so is enlightening beings' practice.

 

All worldly realms And infinite acts

Are equally phantomlike, Ultimately resting in nullity.

 

The buddhas of all times Are all like phantoms too;

Originally vowing to perform certain deeds, They metamorphose into buddhas.

 

Buddhas  liberate phantom beings By great kindness and compassion; The liberation is also phantomlike;

By phantom power they teach them.

 

 

Knowing the world is all phantomlike, They do not discriminate worldly realms; Phantom phenomena,  various,  different, All come from differences of action.

 

Cultivating enlightening practices, Adorning    phantom   treasuries, With arrays of infinite goodness

They make the world according to deeds.

 

Phantomlike things are beyond conception, And they do not conceptualize things;

Both things and concepts are null and void­ Such is enlightening beings' practice.

 

The sea of phantoms understood by knowledge, The  phantom nature  stamps the  world; Phantoms are  not  things  born  and  perishing­ The same is true of knowledge.

 

The tenth acceptance clearly sees Sentient beings and phenomena Are null and void in essence, Like space, with no location.

 

Attaining this spacelike knowledge,

One is forever free from grasping and clinging: Like space, it has no variation

And is unobstructed in the world.

 

Achievement of acceptance of being like space Is, like space, inexhaustible:

Objects are like space,

Yet one does not think of them as space.

 

Space has no intrinsic nature, And yet it is not nothingness, But has no variation-

The power of knowledge is also like this.

 

Space has no beginning, No middle, and no end;

Its   measure   cannot   be   found­ Enlightening beings' knowledge is also thus.

 

Thus observing the nature  of things, All like space,

 

 

With no origin or destruction,

Is the attainment of enlightening beings:

Themselves abiding in the principle of being spacelike, They also explain it to others,

Conquering  all  demons-

This is the method of the acceptances.

 

The distinctions of features of the world Are  empty,  without  any  marks; Entering into signlessness,

All signs are equal.

 

By one single means They enter all worlds:

That is knowing that all things in all times Are in essence equal to space.

 

Knowledge and voice

And the enlightening beings' body Are in essence like space-

All are quiescent and void.

 

These ten acceptances

Are cultivated by offspring of buddhas; Their minds rest at peace,

And they explain them to others.

 

Learning them well,

They develop  great power;

The powers of truth and knowledge Become means to enlightenment.

 

Arriving at these acceptances,

They achieve unobstructed knowledge Transcending the masses

And turn the unexcelled wheel of the Teaching.

 

The great practices they carry out Are beyond measure-

Only the ocean of knowledge of the Tamer Can know them in detail.

 

Giving up their egos  to cultivate practice,

They plunge into the profound nature of reality; Their minds  always  dwelling on pure truths, These they give to others.

 

 

The number of living beings

And atoms in lands may be known, But no limit can be ascertained

To the virtues of enlightening beings.

 

Enlightening beings are able to accomplish These ten acceptances;

Their wisdom and their conduct No sentient beings can fathom.