The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK THIRTY-SEVEN

 

37. Manifestation  of Buddha

 

 

THEN, from the circle of white hair between his brows,  the Buddha emitted a great beam of light called manifestation of the realizer of Thusness, accompanied by countless trillions of light beams. That light illumined all the worlds in the whole cosmos,  circling ten times to the right, revealing the immeasurable powers of the enlightened, awakening countless enlightening beings, shaking all worlds, extinguishing  the suffering of all states of misery, eclipsing the abodes of all demons, and showing  all buddhas sitting on the seat of enlightenment  attaining per­ fect awakening, as well as all the assemblies at the sites of enlightenment. Having done all this, the light returned and circled the assembly of en­ lightening beings, then entered the head of the enlightening being Won­ drous Qualities of Natural Origination of Buddha.

Now the masses at this enlightenment site were elated, ecstatic; they thought, "How extraordinary! Now that the Buddha has radiated great light, surely he will expound a most profound great teaching." Then the enlightening  being Wondrous Qualities of Natural  Origination of Bud­ dha, on a lotus blossom seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms,  turned toward the Buddha with total attention, and spoke these verses:

 

The Truly Awake, the Virtuous, the Great Sage, emerges, Comprehending all objects, reaching the Other Shore, Equal  to the buddhas  of past, present, and future; Therefore I now pay reverent obeisance.

 

Having risen to the shore of the signless realm

And appeared in a body magnificently arrayed with wondrous marks,

He radiates thousands of undefiled beams  of light And destroys the hordes of demons entirely.

 

All  the worlds in  the   ten   directions He causes to quake without exception,

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Yet without frightening a single sentient being­ Such is the spiritual power of the Felicitous One.

 

Equal in essence to space and the cosmos, He can remain as stable as they.

All the living, without count or measure,

He has destroyed evil and removed defilements.

 

Working hard at austere practices for countless ages, He fully attained the highest enlightenment,

His knowledge unhindered in the midst of all objects, Of the same nature as all the buddhas.

 

The Guide radiates these great beams of light, Shaking the worlds in the ten directions; Displaying measureless mystic powers,

They have returned and entered my body.

 

Well able to learn the definitive teaching, Countless enlightening beings have assembled here And inspired me to ask about the Teaching, Wherefore I now petition the Sovereign Teacher.

 

This assembly is now clear and serene, Able to liberate all in the world,

Their wisdom boundless, without attachments­ Such eminent sages have all gathered here.

 

The benefactor of the world, the noble guide, With wisdom and energy beyond measure Now illumines the crowd with great light

Causing me to ask about the unexcelled Teaching.

 

Who can truly expound in full

The profound   realm   of the great   wizard? Who is the inheritor of the Buddha doctrine? Noble Guide of the World,  please show us.

 

Then the Buddha emitted a great beam of light, called unimpeded confidence, from his mouth, accompanied by countless trillions of light beams, illumining all worlds in the cosmos,  circling ten times to the right, showing  the various controlling  powers of the Buddha, awaken­ ing innumerable enlightening beings, shaking all the worlds of the ten directions, extinguishing the pains of all states of misery,  eclipsing all abodes of demons, and showing all the buddhas on the seat of enlighten­ ment attaining true awakening, as well as the assemblies at all those sites

 

of enlightenment. Having done all this, the lights came back, circled the assembly of enlightening beings, and entered the mouth of the enlight­ ening being Universally Good, after which the body and lion throne of Universally Good surpassed their former condition, and that of the other enlightening beings a hundredfold, surpassing all except  the lion  throne of the Buddha.

Then the enlightening being Wondrous Qualities of Natural Origina­ tion of Buddha asked the great enlightening  being Universally  Good, "This vast miraculous display manifested by the Buddha, causing all the enlightening beings joy, is inconceivable, incomprehensible to the world

-what is this auspicious sign?" Universally Good replied, "In the past when I saw buddhas show such tremendous mystic displays,  they ex­ pounded the teaching of the manifestation of Buddha.  I think that now since he has displayed this sign, he is going to expound this teaching. When this teaching is expounded, the whole earth quakes and immea­ surable lights asking about the teaching are produced."

Then the enlightening being Wondrous Qualities of Natural Origina­ tion of Buddha asked the enlightening being Universally  Good,  "How should great  enlightening beings know  the principle of the mani festation of the buddhas, those who realize Thusness, those who are truly awake? Please tell us; these countless trillions of enlightening beings have all cul­ tivated purifying practice for a long time, their recollection and precise awareness is fully developed,  they embody the dignity   of all buddhas, they have reached the consummation of ultimate great adornment, they correctly remember all buddhas without  forgetting , they observe all sentient beings with great compassion,  they know  with certainty the spheres of spiritual  powers  of great enlightening  beings, they have already received   the   support  of the   spiritual   power  of buddhas,  they are able to receive the sublime teachings of all buddhas: imbued with immeasurable such virtues, they have  all come  and gathered here. You have already attended and served countless quintillions of buddhas, accomplished the supreme practice of enlightening beings, have attained mastery of all modes of concentration,  have   penetrated   the   esoteric secrets of all buddhas,  know all ways of enlightenment,  have put an end to all doubt, are supported by  the spiritual  power of the buddhas, know the faculties of sentient beings and explain ways of genuine liberation to them according to their inclinations, follow the knowledge of Buddha, expound the Buddha teachings, and have reached the Other Shore. You have infinite such virtues, worthy  of praise.  Please explain the phe­ nomena of the manifestation of the buddhas,  those who realize Thusness, the truly awake-their  physical  forms, utterances, states  of mind, prac­ tices,  enlightenment,  and preaching,  until  their manifestation of entry into ultimate extinction, and the roots of goodness generated by seeing, hearing, and associating with them. Please tell us about all these things." Then the enlightening being Wondrous Qualities of Natural Origin  of Buddha, desiring to reiterate his point, spoke these verses to the enlight­ ening being Universally Good:

 

Excellent sage of unimpeded wisdom,

You are well aware of the boundless realm of equality. Please explain the practices of infinite buddhas;

The enlightening beings will be happy to hear them.

 

How can enlightening beings follow and comprehend The buddhas' emergence in the world?

What are their spheres of body, speech, and mind? Tell us this, and their spheres of action too.

 

How  do   buddhas  attain   true   enlightenment? How do buddhas turn the wheel of the Teaching? How do the Blissful Ones pass away?

The masses will be happy to hear.

 

Of those who see the buddhas, great spiritual sovereigns, Attend them and develop roots of goodness,

Please tell us the stores of virtue

And what the beings who see them attain .

 

If any hear of buddhas' names,

Whether  present in   the world  or extinct, And deeply believe in their treasury of merit, Tell us how they will benefit.

 

These enlightening beings, all in an attitude of respect, Are gazing at the Buddha, and at you and me;

Please tell them of the ocean of virtues Which purifies living beings.

 

Please explain the meanings in the wondrous teaching With stories and examples;

When beings hear, they will be greatly inspired,

Their doubts will end and their knowledge will be clear as space.

 

Like the glorified bodies manifested By buddhas throughout all lands,

By marvelous speech, stories, and examples

Please show the enlightenment of buddhas like them.

 

In millions of buddha-lanJs in the ten directions, In countless billions of eons,

It is hard to see such enlightening beings As have gathered here now.

 

These enlightening beings are all reverent, Eager for the subtle doctrine;

 

Please expound with pure mind

The great phenomena of Buddha's manifestation .

 

Then the enlightening being Universally Good said to the great con­ gregation of enlightening beings, "This matter is inconceivable.  The Buddha, the one who realizes Thusness, the worthy, the truly awake, becomes  manifest by means of infinite phenomena.  Why? It is not by one condition,  by  one phenomenon,  that the manifestation of Buddha can be accomplished. It is accomplished by ten infinities of things. What are the ten? It is accomplished by the mind of enlightenment that took care of infinite sentient beings in the past.  It is accomplished by the in­ finite supreme aspirations of the past. It is accomplished by great benevo­ lence and compassion, which infinitely saved all sentient beings  in the past. It is accomplished by infinite continuous commitments of the past. It is accomplished by infinite cultivation of virtues and knowledge tire­ lessly in the past. It is accomplished by infinite service of buddhas and education of sentient beings  in the past.  It is accomplished  by infinite pure paths of wisdom and means in the past. It is accomplished by infinite pure virtues of the past.  It is accomplished by infinite ways of adornment in the past. It is accomp lished by infinite comprehensions of principles and meanings in the past. When these infinite, incalculable aspects of the Teaching are fulfilled , one becomes a buddha.

"It is as a billion-world universe is not formed just by one condition,

not by one phenomenon-it can be formed only by innumerable condi­ tions, innumerable things. That is to say,  the rising and spreading of great clouds and showering of great rain produce four kinds of atmo­ sphere, continuously making a basis.  What are those four? One is called the holder, because it can hold the great waters. Second is called the evaporator, because it can evaporate the great waters. Third is called structure, because it sets up all places.  Fourth is called arrangement, because the arrangement and distribution are all functional. These are all produced by the joint actions of sentient beings and by  the roots of goodness of enlightening beings,  enabling all sentient beings to get the use of what they need. Innumerable such causes and conditions form the universe. It is such by the nature of things-there is   no   producer   or maker, no knower or creator, yet the worlds come to be.

"The manifestation of Buddha  is also like   this-it  does  not  come about through just  one condition or thing,  but by  innumerable  causes and conditions, innumerable phenomena. That is, having  heard,  re­ ceived, and held the clouds and rain of the great Teaching from past buddhas, by this can be produced the four kinds of atmosphere of great knowledge of the enlightened. What  are these four? One is the atmo­ sphere of great knowledge of mental command able to retain memory without forgetting, being able to hold  the great clouds  and rain of teachings of all buddhas. Second is the atmosphere of great knowledge producing tranquillity and insight, being able to evaporate all afflictions.

 

Third is the atmosphere  of great knowledge  of skillful dedication, being able to perfect all roots of goodness. Fourth is the atmosphere of great knowledge producing undefiled, variegated, magnificent arrays of adornments, causing the roots of goodness of all beings taught in the past to be purified, and consummating the power of the untainted roots of goodness  of the enlightened.  The buddhas'  attainment of enlightenment in this way is thus by  the nature of things-without  production  or crea­ tion, it nevertheless takes place. This is the fi rst characteristic of the mani­ festation of the completely enlightened,  the truly awake. Great enlight­ ening beings should know it as such.

"Furthermore, just as when a billion-world universe is about to form, the rain falling from the great clouds, called 'the deluge,' cannot be absorbed or held by  any  place except the universe when it is about to form, in the same way when the Buddha rouses the clouds of the great Teaching and showers the rain of the great  Teaching,  those  of the  two lesser vehicles, whose minds and wills are narrow and weak, cannot absorb or hold it-this is possible only for the great enlightening  beings with the power of mental continuity.  This is the second characteristic of the manifestation  of Buddha-great enlightening  beings  should  know  it as such.

"Furthermore, just as sentient beings, by the force of their acts, shower rain from great clouds, which do not come  from  anywhere  or go  any­ where, in the same way great enlightening beings,  by the power of their roots of goodness, rouse the clouds of the great Teaching and shower the rain of the great Teaching, yet it comes  from  nowhere  and  goes  no­ where. This is the third  characteristic  of the  manifestation  of Buddha­ great enlightening beings should know it as such.

" Furthermore, just as no beings in the universe can count the drops of rain pouring from  great  clouds, and would go  crazy if they tried,  for only the overlord god of the universe, by the power of roots of goodness cultivated in the past, is aware of every single drop, in the same way the Buddha produces great clouds of teachings and showers great rain of teachings that all sentient beings, seekers of personal salvation, and self­ enlightened ones cannot know, and  they would surely  go  mad if they tried to assess  them in  thought; only the great enlightening  beings,  lords of all worlds, by the power of awareness and intellect cultivated  in  the past, comprehend every single expression  and phrase, and  how they enter beings'  minds. This is the fourth characteristic of the manifestation of Buddha-great enlightening beings should know it as such .

"Furthermore, it is as when great clouds shower rain, there is a great cloud raining called the extinguisher,  because it can extinguish  fires; there is a great cloud raining called producer,  because it can produce floods; there is a great cloud raining called stopper, because it can stop floods; there is a great cloud raining called maker, because it can make all kinds ofjewels; there is a great cloud raining called distinguisher,  because it can distinguish the billion worlds of the universe. The Buddha mani-

 

 

festing is also like this,  producing great clouds of teaching, showering great rains of teaching: there is a great rain of teaching called extin­ guisher because it can extinguish  all sentient beings'  afflictions;   there is a great rain of teaching called producer because it can produce all sen­ tient beings' roots of goodness; there is a great rain of teaching called stopper  because it can stop all sentient beings'  delusions of views;   there is a great rain of teaching called maker because it can make all jewels of wisdom; there is a great rain of teaching called distinguisher because it distinguishes the inclinations of all sentient beings. This is the fifth char­ acteristic of the manifestation of Buddha-great   enlightening   beings should know it as such.

"Furthermore, just  as the great clouds rain water of one flavor, yet there are innumerable differences according to where it rains, in the same way Buddha appearing in the world rains water of teaching   of one   flavor of great compassion, yet his sermons according to the needs of the situa­ tion are infinitely variegated. This is the sixth characteristic of the mani­ festation of Buddha-great enlightening beings should know it as such.

"Furthermore, as when a billion-world universe first forms,  the abodes of the heavens in the realm of form are made first, then the abodes of the heavens in the realm of desire, and then the abodes of human  and other beings, similarly Buddha appearing in the world first produces the knowledge of practices of enlightening beings, then the knowledge of practices of individual illuminates, then the knowledge of practices oflis­ teners, then the knowledge of practices of the conditional   roots of good­ ness of other sentient beings. Just as  the  great clouds rain water of one flavor while the abodes created are variously dissimilar according to the differences in roots of goodness of the sentient beings, Buddha's spiritual rain of the one flavor of cornpassion has differences according to the ves­ sels, or capacitites of sentient beings. This is the seventh characteristic of the manifestation  of Buddha-great  enlightening  beings  should  know  it as such.

"Furthermore, when the worlds are beginning, there is a great flood filling the billion-world  universe, producing  enormous  lotus flowers, called array of jewels  of virtues of the manifestation of Buddha,  which cover the surface of the waters, their radiance   illumining  all worlds   in the ten directions. Then   the overlord god,  the gods of the pure abodes, and so on,  seeing these flowers, know for certain that in this eon there will be that many buddhas  appearing in the world. At that time there arises an atmosphere called highly purified light which makes the man­ sions of the heavens of the realm of form. There arises an atmosphere called array of pure lights  which  makes the mansions  of the heavens of the world of desire. There arises an atmosphere called firm, dense, and indestructible, which makes the   great   and   small  peripheral   mountains and the iron   mountains.  There arises an   atmosphere called   supremely high which makes the polar mountains. There arises an atmosphere called immovable which makes the ten great mountains. There arises an atmo-

 

 

sphere called stabilization which makes the earth. There arises an atmo­ sphere called adornment which makes  the palaces  of the earth and sky, of the water and sound spirits. There arises an atmosphere called inex­ haustible treasury which  makes  all the oceans of the billion  worlds. There arises an atmosphere  called treasury of universal light  which makes all the jewels of the billion  worlds.  There arises an atmosphere called steadfast root which   makes all the wish-fulfilling trees of the bil­ lion worlds. The one-flavored water rained by the great clouds has no distinctions, but because the roots of goodness of sentient beings are not the same, the atmospheres are not the same, and because of the differ­ ences of the atmospheres, the worlds are different. The manifestation of Buddha is also like this, replete with the virtues of all roots of goodness, emitting the light of unexcelled great knowledge, called inconceivable knowledge perpetuating the lineage of buddhas,  illumining all worlds in the ten directions, giving the enlightening beings the prediction that they will be coronated by  all buddhas,   attain true enlightenment,  and appear in the world.  The Buddha  manifesting has another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called pure and undefiled, which makes the untainted inexhaustible knowledge of the enlightened. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called universal illumination, which makes the   Buddha's  inconceivable   knowledge  universally   penetrate   the   realm of reality. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called sustaining the nature  of buddhahood,  which makes  the insuperable power of Buddha. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called outstanding and incorruptible, which makes Buddha's fearless and incorruptible knowledge. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called all spiritual powers, which makes Buddha's unique qualities and omniscience. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called producing mystic transformation, which makes Bud­ dha's knowledge of how to cause the roots of goodness produced  by seeing, hearing, and attending Buddha to not be lost or decay. There is another light of unexcelled  great knowledge,  called universal accord, which makes  Buddha's  body  of endless virtue and knowledge,  doing what is beneficial  for all beings.  There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called inexhaustible, which makes Buddha's extremely profound,   subtle knowledge  causing the lineage of the three treasures not to die out, according to those who are enlightened by it. There is another light of unexcelled great knowledge, called various adornments, which makes the glorified body  of Buddha,  gladdening  all sentient  beings. There is another light  of unexcelled great knowledge,  called indestruc­ tible, which makes the inexhaustible, supreme life span of Buddha equal to the cosmos  and the realm of space.  Buddha's  water of the one flavor of compassion has no distinction, but because sentient beings' inclina­ tions are not the same and their faculties and characters are different, it produces various atmospheres of great knowledge, enabling the sentient beings to accomplish the actual manifestation of buddhahood. All bud-

 

 

dhas are one and the same in essence; from the sphere of great knowledge they produce various  kinds  of lights of knowledge. You  should know that Buddha, from the single flavor of liberation, produces infinite, in­ conceivable qualities of various kinds, which sentient beings think are products of the Buddha's supernormal  powers, but  which  actually are not created by the supernormal powers of Buddha. There is not a single enlightening being who can ever attain even a little bit of the knowledge and wisdom of buddhas without having planted roots of goodness in the company ofbuddhas. It is just that by the spiritual power of the buddhas sentient beings are enabled to embody the  qualities  of buddhahood; yet the buddhas have no discrimination . There is no creation, no destruction, no creator, and nothing created. This is the eighth characteristic of the manifestation of Buddha-great enlightening beings  should know it  as such.

"Furthermore, it is like the arising  of four atmospheres in space that can sustain the sphere of water. Of these four, one is called stability, the second permanence, the third ultimacy, and the fourth  firmness.  These four atmospheres can sustain the sphere of water; the sphere of water can sustain  the  earth  and  prevent  it  from  falling   apart-therefore  it  is  said that the sphere of earth rests on the sphere of water, the sphere of water rests on the atmosphere, the atmosphere rests on  space,  and space  does not rest on anything; but  though  space does not rest on anything, it en­ ables the universe to abide. The manifestation of Buddha is also like this, producing Buddha's four kinds of atmosphere  of great knowledge based on the unimpeded light of wisdom,  able to sustain the roots of goodness of all sentient beings. What are those four? The atmosphere of great knowledge taking care of all  sentient beings and inspiring joy  in  them; the atmosphere of great knowledge setting up right teaching and causing sentient beings to take to it; the atmosphere of great knowledge preserv­ ing all sentient beings' roots of goodness; the atmosphere of great knowl­ edge containing all appropriate means, arriving at the realm where there are no taints or contaminations. The buddhas  benevolently rescue all living beings, compassionately liberate all living beings, their great be­ nevolence and compassion universally aiding all: however, great benevo­ lence and great compassion rest on great skill in means; great  skill in means rests on  the  manifestation  of Buddha; the  manifestation  of Bud­ dha rests on the light of unimpeded wisdom; the light of unimpeded wisdom does not rest on anything. This is the ninth characteristic of the manifestation of Buddha-great enlightening beings should  know  it  as such.

"Furthermore, once the billion-world universe has formed, it benefits countless   various   sentient beings-the  water creatures receive   the   bene­ fits of the water, the land creatures receive the benefit of the land, the sky creatures receive the benefit of the sky.  In the same way the manifesta­ tion of Buddha  variously  benefits all  kinds of beings-those  who be­ come joyful on seeing Buddha gain the benefit ofjoy, those who abide

 

 

by the pure precepts gain the benefit of pure conduct, those who abide in the meditations, concentrations, and immeasurable minds gain the bene­ fit   of transmundane  spiritual   powers   of saints,  those who abide in   the li ghts of the ways of entry into the Teaching gain the benefit of the non­ dissolution of cause and effect, those who abide in the light of nonexis­ tence gain the benefit of nondissolution  of all truths.  Therefore we say the manifestation of Buddha benefits all sentient beings. This is the tenth characteristic of the manifestation of Buddha-great enlightening beings should know it as such.

"When great enlightening beings know the manifestation of Buddha, they know it is infinite because they know it consummates infinite prac­ tices; then they know it is immensely vast because they know it pervades the ten directions;  then they know it has no coming or going because they know it is apart from birth, subsistence, and extinction;  then they know it has no action and nothing acted upon because they know it is beyond mind, intellect, and consciousness; then they know it is impartial because  they  know  all  sentient  beings  have no  self;  then  they  know  it  is endless because they know it pervades all lands without end;  then they know it is unreceding because they know it will never be stopped in the future; then they know it has no decay because the Buddha's knowledge has no counterpart; then they know it is nondual because they know Buddha equally  observes the conditional  and the unconditional;  then they know all sentient beings gain benefit because the dedication of Bud­ dha's original vows are freely ful filled."

Then the great enlightening being Universally Good, wishing to re­ state his point, spoke these verses:

 

The Ten-Powered Great Hero is supreme, Incomparable as space,

With a sphere so vast it cannot be measured, Virtues  most eminent, beyond the world.

 

The virtues of the ten powers are boundless, Unreachable by thought:

A single teaching of the human lion

No sentient beings can know in a hundred million eons.

 

If the lands of the ten directions were reduced to dust, Those motes of dust might be counted,

But the virtues in a single hair of Buddha Could not be told in a trillion eons.

 

If someone  took a ruler to measure space And someone followed to keep the account, The bounds  of space could  not  be found­ So it is with the realm of Buddha.

 

 

If someone could know in an instant The minds of the beings of all times, Even over eons as many as beings,

Such a one could know the essence of one thought of Buddha.

 

Just as the reality realm pervades all Yet cannot be perceived as being all,

So also is the realm of the Ten-Powered:

It pervades all yet is not all.

 

True Thusness, free of falsehood, is ever silent; Birthless, deathless, it is all-pervasive.

The realm of the buddhas is also thus; Essentially equal, not increasing or decreasing.

 

Just as ultimate reality  has no limit. Is in all times yet is not therein,

So is the realm of the Guide,

Pervading all times without obstruction.

 

The nature of things is uncreate, unchanging, Fundamentally pure, like space:

So  also is  the  purity  of nature  of buddhas-

Their fundamental nature is not a nature, is beyond being and nonbeing.

 

The nature of things is not in discussion,

It is speechless, beyond speech, eternally quiescent.

The nature of the realm of the  Ten-Powered is also  thus; No words can explain it.

 

Buddha knows the nature of things is null,

Like birds flying through the sky without a trace; By the power of past vows he manifests a body,

Showing the  great spiritual transfiguration of Buddha.

 

Any who wish to know the realm of Buddha Should make their minds clean as space, Getting rid of false notions and graspings,

Making  the mind unhindered wherever it turns.

 

Therefore offspring of Buddha should listen well

As I illustrate the realm of Buddha with a few examples; The   virtues   of the Ten-Powered   cannot   be   measured, But to enlighten all beings I summarize them.

 

 

The vistas exposed   by   the Guide In acts of body, speech, and mind,

Their teaching and  final extinction, All roots of goodness I now will tell.

 

Just as the establishment of worlds

Cannot be achieved by one cause or condition, And countless appropriate causes and conditions Form this billion-world universe,

The manifestation of Buddha is also like this, Only accomplished through infinite virtues;

The atoms of lands and thoughts of minds may be known,

But the productive causes of the Ten-Powered none can measure.

 

Just as clouds pour rain at the start of one eon And create four great atmospheres,

And the roots of goodness of sentient beings and the power of enlightening beings

Establish the billion worlds securely,

So do the clouds of teaching of the Ten-Powered Produce atmospheres of knowledge, pure minds,

Guiding beings to which they were previously dedicated To fulfillment of the highest reward.

 

Just as there is a great deluge Which no place can contain

Except the great wind force in pure space At the beginning of the universe,

So also is the Buddha's manifestation,

Showering rain of truths filling the cosmos Which  the  weak-minded cannot bear, Only those of pure and broad minds.

 

Just as the downpour of rain in the sky Comes from nowhere and goes nowhere, With no producer or receiver,

Naturally  filling all with   moisture   thus, The rain of teaching of Buddha is also thus, Without coming or going, uncreate;

Based on past practice, with the power of enlightening beings, All the great-minded hear and accept it.

 

As the clouds in the sky shower rain, And no one can count the drops, Except the lord of the universe

 

Whose power is able to comprehend them,

So also • is the rain of teaching of the Felicitous; No sentient beings can measure it,

Except people who are free in the world, Who see it as clearly as a jewel in the hand.

 

Just as the rain pouring from the clouds in the sky Can extinguish, can produce, and can stop,

Can make all jewels

And distinguish all in the universe,

The rain of Buddha's teaching is also thus,

Extinguishing delusion, producing good, stopping views, Making all jewels of knowledge,

Distinguishing beings' inclinations.

 

The one fl. avor of the rain in the sky

Is different according to the places it rains­ It is not that the rain has any distinction,

But it is naturally thus according to the differences in things. The rain of teaching of Buddha is not one or varied:

Impartial, quiescent, it is free from discrimination,

Yet according to the various differences of those taught It naturally has unlimited aspects.

 

When the world is first formed,

First are formed the palaces of the form-realm heavens, Then the desire heavens, then human abodes,

And last the gandharva palaces;

The manifestation of Buddha is also like this,

First producing boundless enlightening beings' practices,

Then teaching those aware of conditioning, who like tranquillity, Then the listeners, then finally sentient beings.

 

When the gods first see the lotus blossom open They know buddhas will appear and are glad;

Water, based on the power of wind, produces the world, Dwellings, mountains, and rivers arc all set up.

The great light  of the developed goodness of Buddha Skillfully distinguishes enlightening beings and gives them

predictions;

The spheres of knowledge, all pure,

Can each reveal the ways to buddhahood .

 

The forest exists dependent on the earth, The earth remains solid based on water, Water depends on wind, wind on space,

 

While  space does not depend on anything. All Buddha teachings depend on compassion,

And compassion is established depending on means; Means depend on knowledge, knowledge on wisdom,

While the body of unimpeded wisdom does not depend on anything.

 

Once the world comes to be, All beings receive its benefits-

Living on the earth, in the water, in the sky, Two-legged, four-legged, all receive benefit.

The manifestation of the spiritual  sovereign  is  also  thus­ All beings gain its benefits;

If any see, hear, or associate with Buddha,

It will cause all confusions and afflictions to be removed.

 

The elements of Buddha's manifestation are boundless; The deluded of the world cannot know them.

Out of desire to enlighten all conscious beings Similes are told where there is no comparison.

 

"How  should great enlightening beings see   the   body  of Buddha? They should see the body of Buddha  in infinite places.  Why? They should not see Buddha in just one thing, one phenomenon,  one body, one land, one being-they  should see Buddha  everywhere. Just as space is omnipresent, in all places, material or immaterial, yet without either arriving or not arriving there, because space is incorporeal,  in the same way Buddha is omnipresent, in all places, in all beings, in all things, in all lands,  yet neither arriving nor not arriving there, because Buddha's body is incorporeal, manifesting a body for the sake of sentient beings. This is the first characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it thus.

"Furthermore, just as space is wide open, is not a form yet can reveal all forms, yet space is without discrimination  or false description, so also is the body of Buddha like this, causing all beings' mundane and trans­ mundane good  works to be accomplished  by illumining   all with the light of knowledge,  yet without discrimination or false descriptions, having originally  terminated all attachments and false   descriptions.   This is the second characteristic of the body  of Buddha-great  enlightening beings should see it this way.

"When the sun comes out, infinite living beings all receive its benefits

-it disperses the darkness and gives light,  dries up moisture,  causes plants and trees to grow, matures crops, permeates the sky, causes lotuses to bloom, allows travelers to see the road, allows people to do their work

-because the orb of the sun radiates infinite beams of light everywhere. The  sun  of knowledge  of Buddha is  also  like  this,  benefiting  sentient

 

 

beings  everywhere by infinite works-destroying  evil and producing good, breaking down ignorance and creating knowledge, benevolently saving, compassionately liberating, causing growth of faculties, powers, and elements of enlightenment,  causing   beings  to   develop   profound faith, enabling them to see inevitable cause and effect, fostering in them the celestial eye to see where beings die and are born, causing their minds to be unimpeded and not destroy roots of goodness,  causing them to cultivate illumination by knowledge and open the flower of awakening, causing them to determine to fulfill their fundamental task.  Why?  Be­ cause Buddha's immense sun-body of knowledge and wisdom radiates infinite   light,   illumining  everywhere.   This is the third characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it thus.

"When the sun rises, first it lights up the highest mountains,  then the lower mountains, then the high p lateaus, and finally the whole land;  but the sun does not think, 'First I will illumine here,  afterward I will illu­ mine there' -it is just  because of difference in height  of the mountains and land that there is a succession in illumination. The Buddha, similarly, having developed the boundless orb  of knowledge  of the realm  of real­ ity, always radiating the light of unimpeded knowledge, first of all illu­ mines the high mountains, which are the great enlightening beings, then illumines those who are awakened by  understanding  of conditioning, then illumines those who listen to the message,  then illumines  sentient beings whose foundations of goodness are sure and stable, revealing vast knowledge according to beings' mental capacities, finally illumining all sentient beings, even reaching those who are fixated on error, to be a beneficial cause for the future, that they may  develop to maturity.  But the light of the sun of great knowledge of Buddha does not think, 'I will first illumine the great deeds of enlightening beings and at the very last shine on the sentient beings who are fixated on error'-it just  radiates the light, shining equally on all, without obstruction  or impediment, without discrimination. Just as the sun and moon appear  in their time and impersonally shine on the mountains and valleys, so also does the knowledge of Buddha  shine on all without  discrimination,   while   the light ofknowledge has various differences according to the differences in faculties and inclinations of sentient beings. This is the fourth character­ istic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it thus. "When  the sun comes out,  those  born   blind cannot  see it,  because they have no faculty of vision; yet even though they do not see it, they are benefited by the light of the sun. Why? By this it is possible to know the times of day and night and to have access to food and clothing  to comfort the body and free it from distress. The sun of knowledge of Buddha is also like this; the blind without faith or understanding, im­ moral and heedless, sustaining themselves by wrong means of livelihood, do not see the orb of the sun of knowledge  of the Buddhas because they have no eye of faith, but even though they do not see it,  they are still benefited by the sun ofknowledge. Why? Because by the power of Bud-

 

Manifestation of Buddha

 

dha it  makes  the  causes  of future  suffering  of those  beings-physical pains and psychological afflictions-all vanish.

"Buddha has a light called accumulating all virtues, a light called total universal illumination, a light called pure, free illumination, a light called producing great wondrous sound, a light called understanding all lan­ guages and gladdening others, a light called the realm of freedom showing the eternal cancellation of all doubts, a light called independent universal illumination of nondwelling knowledge, a light called free knowledge forever terminating all false descriptions, a light called producing  mar­ velous sayings according to need, a light called producing free utterances adorning lands and maturing sentient beings.  Each pore of the Buddha emits a thousand kinds of light like these: five hundred lights beam downward,  five hundred lights beam upward,  illumining the congrega­ tions of enlightening beings at the various places of the buddhas in the various lands; when the enlightening beings see these lights, all at once they realize the realm of buddhahood,  with ten heads, ten eyes, ten ears, ten noses, ten tongues, ten bodies, ten hands, ten feet, ten stages, and ten knowledges, all thoroughly pure. The states and stages previously ac­ complished by those enlightening beings become more pure upon seeing these lights; their roots of goodness mature, and they proceed toward omniscience. Those in the two lesser vehicles have all their defilements removed. Some other beings, who are blind,  their bodies blissful, also become   purified in   mind,   gentle and docile,   able to   cultivate mindful­ ness and knowledge. The sentient beings in the realms of hells, hungry ghosts, and animals all become  b lissful and are freed from pains,  and when their lives end are reborn in heaven or the human world. Those sentient beings are not aware, do not  know by what cause, by what spiritual power, they came to be born there. Those blind ones think, ' We are Brahma gods, we are emanations of Brahma.' Then Buddha, in the concentration of universal freedom, says to them, ' You are not Brahma gods, not emanations of Brahma, nor were you created by the king-god Indra or the world-guardian gods:   all this is the spiritual power of Bud­ dha. ' Having heard this, those sentient beings, by the spiritual power of Buddha, all know their past life and become very happy. Because their hearts are joyful, they naturally produce clouds   of udumbara  flowers, clouds of fragrances, music, cloth, parasols, banners, pennants, aromatic powders, jewels,  towers adorned with lion banners and crescents, clouds of songs of praise, clouds of all kinds   of adornments,   and   respectfully offer them to the Buddha.  Why?   Because these sentient beings have gained clear eyes, and therefore the Buddha gives them the prophecy of unexcelled,   complete   perfect   enlightenment.   In this  way   Buddha's  sun of knowledge benefits sentient beings born blind, fostering the full de­ velopment  of basic goodness.  This is the fifth characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it this way.

"Furthermore, it is like the moon, with four special extraordinary qualities: first, it outshines all the stars; second, as time passes it shows

 

 

waning and waxing;  third, its reflection appears in   all   clear   waters; fourth, all who see it see it right before them, yet the moon has no discrimination and no arbitrary conceptions. The moon of the body  of Buddha  similarly has   four   special   extraordinary   qualities:   it   outshines all hearers and individual illuminates, whether they are in the stage of learning or beyond learning; according to the needs of the situation, it manifests different life spans, yet without increase or decrease in the Buddha-body; its reflection appears in all vessels of enlightenment, sen­ tient beings with pure minds, in all worlds; all sentient beings who be­ hold it think the Buddha is in their presence alone. According to their inclinations, Buddha  teaches them, liberating them   according   to   their states, causing   them to perceive the Buddha-body  according   to their needs and potentials for edification, yet the Buddha-body has no dis­ crimination, no arbitrary conceptions; all benefits it renders reach the ultimate end. This is the sixth characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it thus.

"Furthermore, just as the supreme Brahma god of a billion-world universe simply manifests its body in the billion worlds,  and all beings see Brahma before them, yet Brahma does not divide its body and does not have multiple bodies, in the same way the buddhas have no discrimi­ nation, no false representations, and do not divide their bodies or have multiple bodies, yet they manifest their bodies in accord with the inclina­ tions of all sentient beings, without thinking that they manifest so many bodies. This is the seventh characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it this way.

"A   master physician  is well versed in all medications and the science of hypnosis, fully uses all the medicines in the land, and, also because of the power of the physician's past roots of goodness, and because of using hypnotic spells as an expedient, all those who  see the physician recover from illness. That   master   physician,  sensing   impending  death,  thinks, 'A fter I die, sentient beings will have no one to rely on; I should manifest an expedient for them.'  Then the master physician compounds  drugs, which he smears on his body, and supports his body by spell power, so that it will not decay or shrivel after death, so its bearing, seeing,  and hearing will be no different from before,   and all cures will be effected . The Buddha,  the Truly Enlightened One,  the unexcelled master physi­ cian, is also   like   this, having developed and   perfected the medicines of the Teaching over countless eons, having cultivated and learned all  skills in application of means   and fully   consummated  the   power of illuminat­ ing spells, is able to quell all sentient beings' afflictions. Buddha's life spans measureless eons, the body pure, without any cogitation, without activity, never ceasing the works ofbuddhas; the afflictions of all sentient beings  who  see Buddha   dissolve away.   This is the eighth  characteristic of the body of Buddha;  great enlightening b eings should see it in this way.

" In the ocean there is a great jewel called radiant repository, in which

 

 

are assembled all lights: if any sentient beings touch its light, they become assimilated to its color; if any see it, their eyes are purified; whenever the light shines it rains jewels called felicity that soothe and comfort beings. The body of Buddha is also like this, being a treasury of knowledge in which arc collected  all virtues: if any sentient beings come in contact with the light of precious knowledge of the body  of Buddha,  they be­ come the same as Buddha in appearance; if any see it their eye of reality is purified; wherever that light shines, it frees sentient beings from the miseries of poverty and ultimately imbues them with the bliss of enlight­ enment. The body of Buddha has no discrimination and no false concep­ tions, but can perform great buddha-works for all sentient beings. This is the ninth characteristic of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it in this way.

"In the ocean is a great wish-fulfilling jewel called treasury of adorn­ ments of all worlds, fully endowed with a million qualities, eliminating calamities and ful filling wishes of beings wherever it is. However, this jewel cannot be seen by beings of little merit.  The supreme wish-fulfilling jewel of the body of Buddha is also like this; called able to gladden all beings, if any sentient beings see the body of Buddha, hear the name, and praise the virtues, they will all be enabled to escape forever the pains and ills of birth and death. Even if all beings in all worlds focus their minds all at once on the desire to see Buddha,  they will all be enabled to see and their wish will be fulfilled. The Buddha-body cannot be seen by sentient beings of little merit unless they can be tamed by the spiritual power of Buddha; if sentient beings, because of seeing the body of Buddha,  plant roots of goodness and develop them, they are enabled to see the body of Buddha for their development.  This is the tenth characteristic  of the body of Buddha; great enlightening beings should see it thus, because their minds are measureless, pervading the ten directions, because their actions are as unhindered as space, because they penetrate everywhere in the realm of reality, because they abide in absolute truth, because they have no birth or death, because they remain equal throughout past,  pre­ sent, and future, because they arc forever rid of all false discrim inations, because they continue their eternal vows, because they purify all worlds, because they adorn each buddha-body."

Then the great enlightening  being Universally  Good,  in order to again clarify what he meant, said in verse,

 

Just as space pervades the ten directions,

Like form but not a form, existent but not existent, Omnipresent, without bounds,

In beings' bodies and lands, in all times, So does the true body of buddhas Pervade all phenomena,

Invisible, ungraspable,

Yet manifestin g bodies to teach beings.

 

 

Just as space cannot be grasped Yet lets all beings do their work Without thinking what it does, How it does it, or for whom,

The physical action of buddhas is also thus, Causing beings to practice good ways,

Yet the buddha never has any notion Of acting on them variously.

 

When the sun comes up over the land It completely removes the darkness.

Mountains, trees, lakes, flowers, earth, and all beings, All the various species receive benefit.

The sun of Buddha emerging too is thus,

Causing human and celestial good actions to grow,

Obliterating the darkness of ignorance so they gain the light of knowledge

And always experience all glorious bliss.

 

When the sun first comes up

It shines first on the high mountains, then the others, Then shines on the high plains, then the whole land, Yet the sun never has any discrimination.

The light of Buddha is also thus,

First illumining the enlightening beings, then the self-enlightened, Then last the listeners and all sentient beings,

Yet the Buddha basically has no stirring thoughts.

 

Just as the blind cannot see the sun, Yet sunlight still benefits them,

Enabling them to know time and season and receive food and drink,

To be freed from   troubles and   gain   physical   ease, In the same way faithless beings do not see Buddha, Yet Buddha benefits them as well;

By hearing Buddha's name or being touched by Buddha's light They can even reach enlightenment.

 

Just as the moon in the sky

Outshines the stars and appears to wax and wane, Shows its reflection in all waters,

And appears face to face with those who behold it, The clear moon of Buddha is also thus,

Outshining other vehicles, showing length and brevity, Appearing in the clear mind-water of humans and gods, Seeming to be present to everyone.

 

Just as the god Brahma, while in its own palace, Appears in all the Brahma abodes in the universe So all humans and celestials can see it,

Yet does not actually divide its body to go to them, Likewise does the Buddha's manifestation of bodies Pervade everywhere in the ten directions,

Those bodies countless, incalculable in number,

Yet without dividing bodies,  without discrimination.

 

Like a physician skilled in his arts, Seeing whom all are cured,

And though his life is ended he embalms his body So that it will work as before,

So also does the Supreme Healer Have all knowledge of techniques,

Manifesting embodiment as Buddha by excellent practices of yore,

So the afflictions of all who see are destroyed.

 

In the ocean is a superb jewel

Which radiates countless beams of light;

Those who come in contact with it become the same color, And the eyes of those who see it are purified:

The Supreme Jewel is also thus;

Those whom its light touches become  the same in appearance, In those who get to see it the five eyes open;

They break through the darkness of the senses and dwell in buddhahood.

 

The wish-fulfilling jewel Satisfies all desires;

Those of little virtue cannot see it,

Though this is not by the jewel's discrimination: The jewel of Buddha is also thus,

Fulfilling   all    desires; Faithless beings cannot see it,

But not because Buddha abandons them.

 

"How should great enlightening beings know the voice of Buddha? They should know Buddha's voice is omnipresent,  because it pervades all sounds.  They should know   Buddha's voice pleases all according to their mentalities, because its explanation of truth is clear and comprehen­ sive. They should know Buddha's voice gladdens all according to their resolve, because their minds gain clarity and coolness. They should know Buddha's  voice teaches without error in timing,  because all who need and are able  to hear it do. They should know Buddha's voice has no  birth

 

or death, because it is like the echo of a call. They should know Buddha's voice has no owner, because it is produced by cultivation of all appro­ priate practices. They should know Buddha's  voice is extremely pro­ found, because it cannot be measured.  They should   know   Buddha's voice has no falsehood or deviousness, because it is born of the realm of truth . They should know  Buddha's voice  has no end, because it per­ meates the cosmos. They should know Buddha's voice has no change, because it reaches the ultimate.

"Great enlightening beings should know that Buddha's voice is neither quantified nor unquantified, neither has  a master nor lacks a master, neither communicates  nor does not communicate.  Why? It is as when the world is about to disintegrate, there is no master, no maker, yet it spontaneously emits four voices. One says, ' You all should know that the well-being of the first meditation stage, free from the ills of desire, surpasses the realm of desire.' The sentient beings hearing this are natu­ rally able to accomplish the first meditation stage, relinquish the body of the realm of desire and be born in Brahma heaven.  The second voice says, ' You should  know that the well-being of the second  meditation stage, without reflection and rumination, surpasses the Brahma heaven.' The sentient beings hearing this naturally manage  to  accomplish  the second meditation stage, relinquish the body of Brahma heaven, and are born in the light-sound heaven. The third voice says, ' You should know that the well-being of the third  meditation stage has no flaws and sur­ passes the light-sound heaven.'  Hearing this, the sentient beings are naturally able to   achieve the third   meditation   stage,   relinquish the body of the light-sound heaven, and are born in the heaven of universal purity. The fourth voice says, ' You should know  that the   tranquillity   of the fourth meditation  stage surpasses the heaven of universal purity.'  Hear­ ing this, the sentient beings are naturally able to achieve the fourth medi­ tation stage,  relinquish the body of the heaven of universal purity,  and are born in the heaven of vast results. These voices have no master or maker-they are just  produced  by the power of good practices  of sen­ tient beings.

"The voice of Buddha is also like this, without master or maker, without discrimination, not entering, not emerging, yet producing four great voices from the power  of the virtuous qualities of Buddha.  One voice says, ' You all should know that all conditioned states are miserable. There is the misery of hells, the misery of animality, the misery of hungry ghosthood, the misery of lack of virtue, the misery of clinging to self and possessions, the misery of evildoing. If you want to be born human  or divine, you should  plant  roots of goodness.  Born in the human  world or in a heaven, you will leave all situations in which enlightenment is difficult.' Sentient beings,  having heard this, give up error and perver­ sity, practice good actions,  leave all difficulties behind,  and are born in the human  world or in heaven.  The second voice says, ' You should know that the myriad pains of all conditioned states are as searing as balls

 

of hot iron.  Conditioned states are impermanent and pass away. Nirvana is tranquil,  unfabricated well-being, beyond  all burning,  extinguishing all inflaming afflictions.' Having heard this, sentient beings  diligently practice good principles, and in the vehicle oflisteners to Buddha's voice attain  the tolerance of conformity to the message.   The third voice says, ' You should know that those in the vehicle of listeners follow the words of another to understand; their knowledge and wisdom is narrow  and inferior. There is a higher vehicle called the vehicle of the individually awakened, whose enlightenment  does not depend on a teacher. You should learn it. ' Those inclined to a superior path, having heard this voice, give up the path of listeners and cultivate the vehicle of the indivi­ dually awakened.  The fourth voice says, ' You should know that there is an even higher path beyond the ranks of these two vehicles, which is called the great vehicle, practiced by enlightening beings,  following the six transcendent ways, not stopping enlightening practice, not relin­ quishing the determination for enlightenment,  being in the midst  of infinite birth and death without getting sick of it. Going beyond the two vehicles of individual liberation, it is called the Great Vehicle, the fore­ most vehicle, the preeminent vehicle, the supreme vehicle, the highest vehicle, the unexcelled vehicle,  the vehicle of benefiting all sentient beings. ' If there are any sentient beings whose resolve is very great, whose faculties are strong  and keen, who have planted roots of goodness in the past, who are spiritually empowered by  the buddhas, who have superior inclinations and seek buddhahood, once they have heard this voice they arouse the determination for enlightenment. Buddha's voice does not come from the body or from the mind, yet it can benefit infi­ nite sentient beings.  This is the first characteristic of Buddha's voice; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Furthermore, just as an echo arises due to mountains,  valley, and sound, and has no form, cannot be seen, and though it has no discrimina­ tion can follow all words, so also is the voice of Buddha-it has no form, cannot be seen, has no direction or location yet is not without direction and location;  it just emerges according to the conditions of sentient beings' inclinations and understandings. Its nature ultimately has  no words, no information, and cannot be explained. This is the second char­ acteristic of the voice of Buddha;  great enlightening beings  should know it thus.

"Furthermore, it is like the heavens' great drum of law, called awak­ ener: when the celestials act without restraint, the drum produces a voice in the sky saying, ' You should know that all pleasures are impermanent, unreal, illusory, changing  and disintegrating in a moment.  They only fool the ignorant, causing attachment. Don't be indulgent, for the un­ restrained fall into bad ways, and it is of no use to regret afterward .' The indulgent celestials, having heard this voice, are greatly distressed and frightened; they leave the pleasures in their own   abodes,   go to   the king of gods, seek the truth and practice the way. The sound of that drum has

 

no master, no maker, no origin, no destruction, yet it can benefit infinite sentient beings. Know that Buddha likewise utters the voice of infinite sublime truths in order to awaken indulgent beings: the voice of non­ attachment, the voice of nonindulgence, the voice of impermanence, the voice of suffering, the voice of selflessness,   the voice of impurity,  the voice of annulment, the voice of nirvana, the voice of measureless spon­ taneous knowledge, the voice of incorruptible enlightening practices, the voice of all-pervasive effortless knowledge of buddhas.  These voices per­ vade the cosmos, awakening the beings therein; countless sentient beings, having heard  them,  all become joyful and diligently cultivate good ways, each seeking emancipation by their respective vehicles of eman­ cipation-that is, some practice the vehicle of listeners, some practice the vehicle of individual awakening,  and   some   practice   the   unsurpassed Great Vehicle of enlightening beings. Yet the voice of Buddha does not remain in any place; it has no speech. This is the third characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Again, it is like the case of the celestial concubine of the great lord god, named Beautiful Mouth, whose voice corresponds to a hundred thousand kinds of music, within each of which are also a hundred thou­ sand different tones. Just as that goddess Beautiful Mouth  produces countless sounds in one utterance, in the same way Buddha produces in­ numerable voices in one utterance, according to the differences in men­ talities of sentient beings, reaching them all and enabling them to gain understanding.   This is the fourth characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Also it is like the case of the great god Brahma,  abiding in the Brah­ ma palace, uttering the voice of Brahma, which all the Brahma masses hear, while the sound of the voice does not go outside that group; the Brahma divinities all think Brahma is speaking to them alone. The sub­ lime voice of Buddha is also like this; all in the congregation at the site of enlightenment hear it, while the sound does not go outside that group. Why? Because those whose faculties are not yet mature cannot hear it. Those who  hear the voice each think Buddha is talking to them alone. The voice of Buddha  neither  emerges nor remains,   yet can accomplish all works. This is the fifth characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Also, just as waters are all of one flavor, but according to the differ­ ence of the vessel water has distinctions, yet the water has no thought or discrimination, similarly the speech of Buddha is of one flavor only, the flavor of liberation, but has innumerable distinctions according to the differences in mental vessels of sentient beings, yet without thought or discrimination. This is the sixth   characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Also, it is like the case of the water spirit Heatless producing great dense clouds covering the continent, showering sweet rain all over, so all the crops can grow and all the rivers, streams, springs, and lakes are full;

 

this great rainwater does not come from the water spirit's body  or mind, yet can benefit sentient beings in various ways. Similarly, Buddha pro­ duces the cloud of great compassion covering all worlds in the ten direc­ tions, showering the rain of immortal truth, causing all sentient beings to become joyful, increase in goodness, and fulfill all vehicles of liberation. The voice of Buddha does not come from without and does not emerge from within, yet can benefit all sentient beings. This is the seventh cha­ racteristic of the voice of Buddha;  great enlightening  beings  should know it thus.

"Also it is like when the water spirit Thoughtful is going  to shower rain, it does not do so immediately but first produces great clouds cover­ ing the sky, remaining  still for seven days waiting for people to finish their work,  because that water spirit is benevolent  and compassionate and does not  want to trouble them;  after seven   days it showers a fine rain, moistening the earth.  Similarly,  when Buddha is going to shower the rain of truth, he does not do so at once, but first produces  great clouds of teaching in order to mature sentient beings so they will not be startled or frightened ; after they are mature he showers on all the rain of immortal truth, expounding the most profound, subtle good teaching, gradually filling them with the flavor of the unexcelled teaching of omniscience of buddhas. This is the eighth characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

" In the ocean is a great water spirit called Magnificent Array; when it showers rain on the ocean, it may shower rain in ten kinds of arrays, or a hundred, or a thousand, or rain in a hundred thousand kinds of arrays. The water has no discrimination; it is just the inconceivable power of the water spirit that causes its arrays to be infinitely   different.   Similarly, when Buddha teaches truth, it may be expressed in ten different tones, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, or eighty-four thou­ sand tones explaining eighty-four thousand practices, up to countless hundreds of thousands of millions of tones, each explaining the truth in particular ways to gladden all who hear. The voice of Buddha makes no discrimination; it is just that buddhas, complete and pure in the profound realm of truth, are able to make various utterances in accord with the needs of sentient beings, making them happy. This is the ninth character­ istic of the voice of Buddha;  great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"When  the water spirit Ocean wants to   manifest   the   controlling power of the water spirit for the benefit of sentient beings to make them happy,  it raises a great network  of clouds from the earth to the heaven of control of others' emanations, covering all over: those clouds are of infinite different colors-some  are the   color  of golden  light,  some   are the color of lapis  lazuli  light,  some are the color  of silver light,  some are the color of crystal light, some are the color of emerald light, some are the color of agate light, some are the color of red pearl light, some are the color of light of infinite fragrances, some are the color of light of spotless

 

cloth, some are the color of light of pure water, some are the color of light of various ornaments.  This network of clouds, having spread all over, emits lightning of various colors: the golden clouds emit lapis lazuli lightning; the lapis lazuli clouds emit golden lightning; the silver clouds emit crystal lightning; the crystal clouds emit silver lightning; the emerald clouds emit agate lightning; the agate clouds emit emerald lightning; the infinite-fragrance-colored   clouds  emit   spotless-cloth-colored  lightning; the spotless-cloth-colored  clouds  emit infinite-fragrance-colored light­ ning; the pure-water-colored clouds emit various-ornament-colored lightning;  the various-ornament-colored  clouds   emit   pure-water­ colored lightning; multicolored clouds emit one-colored lightning; one­ colored clouds emit multicolored lightning. There also issue from the clouds various sounds of thunder, according to the minds  of sentient beings, making them all happy-sounds  like goddesses singing,  like celestial musicians playing, like water nymphs singing, like gandharva girls singing, like kinnara girls singing, like earthquakes, like the waves and tide of the ocean, like the king of beasts howling, like beautiful birds calling, as well as innumerable other kinds of sounds. When the thunder has sounded, there arises a cool breeze, delighting the mind  of sentient beings. Finally it rains, various kinds of rain, benefiting and comforting infinite beings. In all places from the heavens to earth the rain is different: on the ocean it rains clear, cool water called endless; in the heaven of control of others' emanations it rains various music such as pipes and flutes, named beautiful; in the heaven of enjoyment of emanation it rains jewels called radiating  great light; in the heaven of happiness it rains great ornaments, called hanging crests; in the heaven of timely portion it rains large, beautiful flowers, called various adornments; in the thirty­ three-fold heaven it rains many sublime fragrances, called pleasing; in the heaven of the four world guardians it rains precious celestial robes, called covering; in the palace of water spirits it rains red pearls, called flowing light; in the palace of the titans it rains weapons, called conquering en�­ mies; in the northern region of earth it rains various  flowers, called blooming;  in the other regions of earth it also rains differently according to the place. Though the mind of the water spirit is impartial, without discrimination,  simply  because the roots of goodness of sentient beings are different, the rain has distinctions. Similarly, when Buddha, the truly enlightened, the supreme spiritual  sovereign,  wants to edify sentient beings with right teaching,  first he spreads clouds of embodiments over the cosmos, appearing differently according to inclinations of beings. For some beings he manifests clouds of mortal bodies; for some, clouds of emanated bodies; for some,  clouds of power�bodies;  for some, clouds of form-bodies; for some, clouds of glorified bodies; for some, clouds of virtue-bodies;  for some, clouds of knowledge-bodies;  for some, clouds of bodies whose powers do not deteriorate; for some, clouds of bodies of fearlessness; for some, clouds of cosmic bodies. Buddha covers all worlds with infinite such body-clouds and manifests  various kinds of lightning

 

in accord with the individual differences in inclinations  of  sentient beings: for some beings he manifests lightning  called  reaching  every­ where; for some, lightning called boundless light; for some, li�htning called penetrating the secret teaching of Buddha;  for  some, ligkning called reflected light; for some, lightning called illumination; for some, lightning called entering the door of endless mental command; for some, lightning called right mindfulness undisturbed; for some, lightning called ultimately incorruptible; for some, lightning called adaptively entering all states of being; for some, lightning called fulfilling all wishes and making everyone happy. Having manifested lightnings of infinite such lights, Buddha then produces infinite thunders of concentration,  accord­ ing  to  the inclinations of sentient beings: the  thunder of the  concentra­ tion of well-aware knowledge; the thunder of the concentration of the refulgent,  undefiled  ocean; the  thunder  of the  concentration of mastery of all the teachings; the thunder of the adamantine wheel concentration; the thunder of the concentration symbolized by the polar mountain; the thunder of the ocean-seal concentration; the thunder of the solar lamp concentration;  the thunder of the inexhaustible  treasury concentration; the thunder of the  concentration  of the indestructible  power  of libera­ tion. A fter the thunder of infinite different concentrations such as these have emerged from the clouds of embodiments of Buddha, when about to shower the rain of truth, first he manifests an auspicious sign to awaken sentient beings: from  the  mind  of unhindered  compassion he  manifests the atmosphere of great knowledge of Buddha, called able to cause all sentient beings to develop inconceivable happiness and well-being. Once this sign has appeared, the bodies and minds  of all enlightening beings and sentient beings become clear and cool. After that,  from the cloud of the great reality-body of Buddha, the cloud of great compassion, the cloud of great inconceivability,  showers the inconceivable,   far-flung rain of teaching, causing all beings' bodies and minds to be pure: for enlight­ ening beings sitting  at  the  site  of enlightenment there showers a  great rain of teaching called nondifferentiation of the realm of reality; for en­ lightening beings in their final embodiment there showers a great rain of teaching called enlightening beings' easy mastery of the esoteric teaching of Buddha; for enlightening beings to  become fully  enlightened  in  the next life there showers a great rain of teaching called pure universal light; for coronated enlightening beings there showers a great rain of teaching called adornment by the embellishments of buddhahood;  for enlighten­ ing beings who have attained tolerance there showers a great rain  of teaching called  flowers  of knowledge with jewels  of virtue  blooming, not ceasing the compassionate practices of enlightening beings; for en­ lightening beings in progress there showers a great rain of teaching called entering  the  profound  method  of  manifestation  of  occult  transforma­ tions and carrying  on  enlightening  practice without stopping or  weary­ ing; for newly inspired enlightening beings there showers a great rain of teaching called producing the practice of great love and compassion of

 

buddhas to save sentient beings; for those who seek the vehicle of indivi­ dual enlightenment there showers a great rain of teaching called deeply knowing  the   principles   of conditional   origination,   avoiding   extremes, and attaining the nondecaying fruit of liberation; for those who seek the vehicle of listeners there showers a great rain of teaching called cutting down all obstructing afflictions with the sword of great knowledge and wisdom; for stabilized and unstabilized sentient beings who accumulate roots of goodness there showers a great rain ofteaching called facilitating the accomplishment of various ways into the teaching, producing great happiness. The Buddha showers great rains of teaching like these in accordance   with   the   mentalities    of sentient   beings,    filling   all   worlds. A buddha, perfectly enlightened, is impartial in mind and does not begrudge the teaching; simply because the faculties and  inclinations of sentient beings are not the same, the rains of teaching appear differently. This is the tenth characteristic of the voice of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"The voice  of Buddha has  ten kinds of infinity:  it is  as infinite  as the realm of space because it extends to all places; it is as infinite as the cos­ mos because it pervades everywhere; it is as infinite as the realm of sen­ tient beings because it gladdens all hearts; it is as infinite as all acts because it explains their results and consequences; it is as infinite as afflictions because it removes them all; it is as infinite as the speech of sentient beings because it enables them to hear according to their understanding; it is as infinite as the inclinations and understandings of sentient beings because it observes them all to rescue and liberate them; it is as infinite as past, present, and future because it has no boundaries; it is as infinite as knowledge  because it distinguishes everything; it is as infinite as the realm of buddhahood because it enters the cosmos  of reality of buddha­ hood. The voice of Buddha, the completely enlightened, comprises in­ calculable infinities such as these;   great enlightening beings should  know it thus. "

Then the enlightening being Universally Good,  to again clarify what

he meant, spoke these verses:

 

When a billion-world universe is about to dissolve, The power of beings' virtue announces that

The four meditations are peaceful and  painless, Causing them to leave desire when they have heard. Ten-Powered Buddha, also like this,

Produces a sublime voice pervading the cosmos,

Explaining that conditioned states are painful and impermanent, So beings may cross for good the sea of birth and death.

 

Just as a canyon deep in the mountains Echoes any sound,

And though it accords with others' voices

 

The echo has no discrimination, So also is the speech of Buddha

Revealed according to the maturity of faculties, Causing them to be controlled and happy,

Yet without self-consciousness of preaching .

 

As the celestial   drum   called awakener Vibrates with the sound of the law in the sky, Admonishing the self-indulgent celestials,

Causing them to give up attachments when they hear, So too is the drum of Buddha's teaching like this, Producing various wonderful sounds,

Awakening all living beings

So they all realize enlightenment.

 

The lord god has a precious concubine Who voices all kinds of music

Producing a hundred thousand sounds in one voice With a hundred thousand tones in each sound.

The voice of Buddha is also like this, Producing all tones in one voice,

Different according to beings' characters and inclinations, Causing each to end afflictions when they hear.

 

Just as king Brahma utters a sound Which m akes all Brahmas happy,

The voice reaching only Brahmas, no one else, Each thinking he alone hears it,

So also does the Buddha utter a word Which fills the cosmos,

Yet only reaches the faithful

Because the faithless cannot receive it.

 

Just as all waters are of one and the same essence, With no difference in flavor,

But the land they are on and the vessels they are in are not the same,

So that causes them to be variously different,

The voice of Omniscience is similar to this;

The essence of truth has one flavor, undifferentiated,

Yet according to beings'  actions, which are not the same, It causes them to hear in various different ways.

 

When the water spirit Heatless Showers rain to moisten the land Causing plants and trees to grow,

 

The rain does not come from its body or mind. Likewise   the  wondrous  voice   of buddhas Rains throughout the cosmos,  filling all, Fostering good and extinguishing evil,

But not coming from inside or outside.

 

Just as the water spirit Thoughtful

Raises clouds for seven days before raining, Waiting for all people to finish  their work And then showering rain  for  their  benefit, The teaching of Buddha is likewise,

First civilizing beings   and   developing   them, And afterward expounding  the profound truth, So the hearers will not be frightened.

 

The water spirit Great Adornment in the ocean Showers ten arrays of rain,

Or   a hundred,  a thousand, a hundred thousand; Though the water is one flavor, the arrays are different. The ultimate teacher likewise

Explains ten or twenty teachings,

Or a hundred, a thousand, up to infinity, Without any notion of difference.

 

The supreme water spirit Ocean Covers   the earth   with   clouds; The rain in each place is different,

But the spirit has no thought of distinction. Likewise Buddha, sovereign of truth,

Extends clouds of great compassion in all directions, Raining differently for each practitioner,

Yet without discriminating among  them.

 

"How  should  great enlightening beings know  the mind  of Buddha, the truly awake? The mind, intellect, and consciousness of Buddha are ungraspable. One can know the mind of Buddha only in terms of the infinity of knowledge. Just as space is the resting place of all things, while space has no resting place, so also is the knowledge of Buddha the resting place of all mundane  and transcendental knowledge,  while the knowl­ edge of Buddha has no resting place. This is the first characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Just as the realm of truth always produces the liberations of Buddhist followers, individual  illuminates, and  enlightening beings, while the realm of truth has no increase or  decrease,  in the  same  way  the knowl­ edge of Buddha always produces all kinds of worldly and ttansmundane knowledge without itself increasing or decreasing. This is the second

 

characteristic of the mind  of Buddha;  great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Just as the ocean water flows under the continents and islands, so that all who drill for water find it, yet the ocean does not form any notion of itself giving out water, in the same way the water of the ocean of knowl­ edge of Buddha flows into the minds of all sentient beings, so that if they examine things and practice ways of entering truth they will find knowl­ edge,  pure  and  clear,  with  lucid  understanding-yet  the  knowledge  of Buddha is equal, nondual, without discrimination; but according to the differences in   sentient beings'   mental patterns,   the knowledge they obtain is not the same. This is the third characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"In the ocean there are four jewels imbued with infinite qualities that produce all the precious jewels in the ocean;  if these jewels were not in the ocean, it would be impossible to find even one jewel. What are these four? One is called accumulation of treasures; another is called inexhaust­ ible treasury; another is called removal of burning heat; the other is called replete with adornments. These jewels cannot be seen by any ordinary people or sea creatures. Why? The king water spirit Ocean, because the jewels  are magnificent with perfect lines and proportions,  keeps them in a deeply hidden place within the palace.

"The great ocean of knowledge of Buddha  similarly  has four great jewels of knowledge, with infinite qualities of knowledge and virtue, whereby are produced  all the jewels of knowledge of the stages of learn­ ing and beyond learning of ordinary people, Buddhist followers, and individual illuminates, and of enlightening beings.  What are the four? They are the jewel of great knowledge of unattached skill in means; the jewel ofgreat knowledge of skillfully distinguishing the conditioned and the unconditioned; the jewel of great knowledge analytically explaining countless things without violating the essential nature of things; and the jewel of great knowledge knowing  appropriate  and inappropriate tim­ ing without ever a miss.  If these four jewels were not in the Buddha's ocean of knowledge, not a single being would ever be able to enter the Great Vehicle of liberation.  These four jewels  of knowledge cannot be seen by unworthy beings.  Why? Because they are kept in the deeply secret treasury of Buddha. These four jewels of knowledge are even, symmetrical, straight and true, immaculately beautiful, and able to uni­ versally benefit all enlightening beings,  enabling them to attain   the light of knowledge. This is the fourth characteristic of the mind  of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Also, the ocean has four jewels of blazing light spread on its floor, which by nature are extremely,  fiercely hot;  they are able to drink up and shrink the immeasurable  quantities of water poured in by  all the rivers, so that the ocean neither increases nor decreases. What are these four? One is called solar matrix; the second is called removing moisture; the third is called flame light; the fourth is called thorough exhaustion. If

 

these four jewels were not in the ocean,  the whole world, up to the high­ est heaven of material existence, would all be flooded. The light of this great jewel solar matrix, when it shines on seawater, turns it to milk; the light of the great jewel removing moisture,  when it shines on the milk, turns it to cream;  the light of the great jewel flame light, when it shines on the cream, turns it to butter; the light of the great jewel thorough exhaustion, when it shines on the butter, turns it to ghee, blazing like fire, consuming it without remainder.

"Buddha's  ocean of great knowledge similarly has four kinds   of jewels of great knowledge, with light of immeasurable power; when the light of these jewels of knowledge touches enlightening beings,  it ulti­ mately causes them   to attain the great knowledge of Buddha.  What  arc the four? They   are the jewel  of great knowledge stopping  all the waves of scattered goodness; the jewel of great knowledge eliminating all emo­ tional attachment to the teachings; the jewel of great knowledge  of the universal illumination of the light of intelligence; the jewel  of great knowledge of boundless effortlessness equal to Buddha.

"When enlightening beings practice the methods of fostering enlight­ enment, they rouse innumerable waves of scattered goodness, which all worldly beings,  celestials, humans, or titans cannot destroy;  when Bud­ dha touches those enlightening beings with the light of the jewel of great knowledge of stopping all the waves of scattered good, it causes them to leave behind the waves of scattered good, keep their minds on one point, and dwell in concentration.  Then, touching the enlightening beings with the light of the jewel of great knowledge, removing all emotional attach­ ment to the teachings, causes them to give up clinging to the taste of concentration and awaken great spiritual powers. Then, touching the enlightening beings with the light of the jewel of great knowledge of the universal intelligence causes them to relinquish the occult  powers they exercise and to engage in the active employment of great science. Then, touching the enlightening beings with the light of the jewel  of great knowledge of boundless effortlessness equal to Buddha causes them to relinquish   the active exercise of great science they have  been engaged in so that they finally reach the equanimity of Buddhas and cease all effort completely. Without the contact of the great light of these four jewels of knowledge of Buddha it would be impossible for a single enlightening being to attain buddhahood. This is the fifth characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"The million  lands from the sphere of water up to the heaven of neither perception nor  nonperception,  the abodes of sentient beings  in the realm of desire, the realm of form , and the formless realm, all arise from space and rest in space. Why? Because space is everywhere. But though space contains all the realms of desire, form , and formlessness, yet it has no discrimination. The knowledge of Buddha is also like this: the knowledge  of listeners, the knowledge  of individual  illuminates, the knowledge of enlightening beings, the knowledge of formulated

 

practices, and  the  knowledge  of unformulated practices,  all  arise from the knowledge of Buddha and rest in the knowledge of Buddha, because the knowledge of Buddha pervades all; though it contains innumerable knowledges, it has  no discrimination.  This is the sixth characteristic of the knowledge of Buddha;  great  enlightening beings  should  know it thus.

"Atop the Snowy mountains there is an excellent medicinal tree called inexhaustible roots; the roots of that medicinal tree grow from 168,000 leagues, all the way down to the adamantine ground and the sphere of water. When that  medicinal  tree  grows  roots, it  causes  the roots of all trees on the continent to grow;  when  the  medicinal  tree grows a stem, it causes  the  stems  of all trees on  the  continent  to  grow. The same is true of the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits . The roots of the medicinal tree can grow stems, and the stems can grow roots-the roots are inexhaustible, so it is called inexhaustible roots. That medicinal tree can foster growth everywhere, except  for  two  places  where  it  can­ not perform the  beneficial  action  of  promotion  of  growth-that  is,  in the pits of hells and in the sphere of water; yet it has no aversion to them. The great tree of the supreme medicine of the knowledge of Buddha, likewise, by past development, fully perfects all good qualities of knowl­ edge, shades all realms of sentient beings, and destroys all the miseries of bad states. Universal compassion and commitment form its roots; it is born from the seed of true knowledge of all buddhas. It is steadfast and immovable; skill in means is its trunk, the transcendent perfections of cosmic knowledge are its branches; meditations, liberations, and the great concentrations are its  leaves;  mental  command,  intellectual skills, and the elements of enlightenment are its flowers, and the ultimate unchanging liberation of buddhas is its  frmt.  Why  may  the  medicinal tree of knowledge of Buddha be called 'inexhaustible roots'? Because of ultimately never ceasing, because of not stopping  enlightening  activity. The practice of enlightening beings is  the  nature  of Buddha,  the  nature of Buddha is  the  practice  of enlightening  beings.  Therefore  it  can  be

called inexhaustible  roots.  When  the  roots  of the  medicinal  tree  of

buddha-'knowledge grow, it causes enlightening  beings to  grow  the  root of great love and compassion, which does not abandon sentient beings.

When its trunk grows, it causes all sentient beings to grow the trunk of profound determination with steadfast vigor. When its branches grow, it causes all enlightening beings to grow the branches of all transcendent ways. When its leaves grow, it causes enlightening beings to grow the leaves of pure conduct,  austerity, virtue, paucity of desire, and content­ ment. When its flowers grow,  it causes all enlightening  beings to be replete with the flowers of magnificent arrays of the marks and embel­ lishments of virtues. When its fruit grows,  it causes all enlightening beings to gain the fruits of acceptance of nonorigination up to acceptance of coronation by all buddhas.  The supreme medicine tree of knowledge of Buddha  cannot  perform   its   beneficial   growth-fostering   function   in

 

two places only: in those in the two vehicles of individual salvation who have fallen into the abyss of nondoing, and in unsuitable sentient beings with rotten roots of goodness who are sunk in the floodwaters of erro­ neous views and craving-yet  Buddha  never has rejected these people. The knowledge of Buddha has no increase or decrease, because its roots are stable and grow ceaselessly. This is the seventh characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"When the eonic holocaust starts in the universe, it burns up all the plants and trees, and even the mountains, consuming all without leaving anything.  Suppose someone picked up some dry straw and threw it in that fire-do you think it could do aught but burn?"

"No."

"It is more possible for that straw not to burn than for Buddha's knowledge, analyzing all sentient beings, all lands, all ages, and all phe­ nomena of all times, not to know something. Why? Because that knowl­ edge impartially comprehends all clearly. This is the eighth characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"When a gale destroys the worlds,  a great wind called destruction arises, able to pulverize the billion worlds of the universe, their iron mountains and so on, to smithereens.  There is another wind, called blocker, circling the billion-world universe, blocking  the gale of de­ struction so that it cannot reach the worlds in other places. Without this blocking wind, all the worlds in the ten directions would be completely destroyed. Buddha similarly has a great wind of knowledge, called ex­ tinguisher, which can extinguish the afflictions and habit energies of all great enlightening beings; and a great wind of knowledge called skillful sustaining, which skillfully sustains the enlightening beings whose fac­ ulties are not yet mature, not letting the extinguishing whirlwind totally eliminate all their afflictions and habit energies. Without Buddha's skill­ fully sustaining wind of knowledge,   countless enlightening   beings   would fall into the states of those content with individual  salvation.  By this knowl edge enlightening beings are enabled to transcend the stages of the two lesser vehicles of individual salvation and abide in the ultimate rank of Buddha. This is the ninth characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"There is nowhere the knowledge of Buddha does not reach. Why?

There is not a single sentient being who is not fully endowed with the knowledge of Buddha; it is just that because of deluded  notions,  erro­ neous thinking, and attachments, they are unable to realize  it.  If they would get rid of deluded notions, then universal knowledge, spontaneous knowledge, and unobstructed knowledge would  become manifest.  It is as if there were a great scripture, equal in extent to a  billion-world universe, in which are written all the things of the universe-there  are written the things of the iron peripheral mountains, to an extent equal to those mountains; there are written the things  on the  land,  to an  extent equal  to  the  land;  there  are  written  the  things in  the  million-world

 

galaxies, to an extent equal to the galaxies; there are written the things in the thousand-world systems, to an extent equal to the systems; there are written the things in the continents, to an extent equal to the continents; and so on; the things of the oceans, the polar mountains, the abodes of earth and sky, the celestial abodes in the sky of the  desire  realm,  the abodes in the form realm, the abodes in the formless realm, are  each written down to an equivalent extent. Though this scripture is equal in measure to a billion-world universe, yet it entirely rests in a  single atom; and as this is so of one atom, it is also true of all atoms. Then suppose someone with clear and comprehensive knowledge, who has fully de­ veloped the celestial eye, sees these scriptures inside atoms, not benefiting sentient beings in the least, and, with this  thought-'I  should,  by ener­ getic power, break open those atoms and release those scriptures so that they can benefit all sentient beings' -then employs appropriate means to break open the atoms and release  the  great scriptures, to  enable all sentient beings to benefit greatly.  Similarly,  the knowledge  of Buddha, in finite and unobstructed, universally able to benefit all, is fully inherent in the bodies of sentient beings; but the ignorant, because of clinging to deluded notions, do not know of it, are not aware of it, and so do not benefit from  it. Then the  Buddha, with  the unimpeded, pure, clear eye of knowledge, observes all sentient beings in the cosmos and says, 'How strange-how is it that these sentient beings have the knowledge of Buddha but in their folly and confusion do not know it or perceive it? I should teach them the way of sages and  cause  them  forever  to shed deluded notions and attachments, so they can see in their own bodies the vast knowledge ofbuddhas, no different from the buddhas.' Then Buddha teaches them to practice the way of sages, so they get rid of  deluded notions,  after which they realize the infinite knowledge  of Buddha  and aid and com fort all living beings. This is the tenth characteristic of the mind of Buddha; great enlightening beings should know it thus.

"Great enlightening  beings should know  the mind of Buddha,  who has realized Thusness and is completely awake, in terms of such in finite, unimpeded, inconceivably great characteristics."

Then the great enlightening being Universally  Good,  in order to explain again what he meant, spoke in verse:

 

If you want to know the mind of buddhas, Observe the buddhas' knowledge.

Buddhas' knowledge has no resting place, Just as space rests on nothing.

 

Sentient beings' various inclinations, And knowledge of expedients,

All rest on buddhas knowledge,

While buddha's knowledge rests on nothing.

 

 

The liberations of buddhas, Disciples, and the self-enlightened, All depend on the reality realm,

While reality has no increase or decrease. Buddha's  knowledge,  similarly, Produces all knowledges,

Without increase or decrease, Without beginning or end.

 

Just as water flows under the ground So   those who   seek it   find it, Without thought, without end,

Its effective power all-pervasive, Buddha knowledge is also like this, Being in all creatures' minds;

If any work on it with diligence,

They will  soon  find the light of knowledge.

 

Just as the water spirit has four jewels Which produce all gems,

Hidden in a secret place

Where   ordinary   people   cannot   see, So too do Buddha's four knowledges Produce all knowledge,

While no one can see them Except great enlightening beings.

 

As in the ocean are four jewels Which can drink up all waters

So that the ocean does not overflow And does not increase or decrease, Likewise does Buddha's knowledge

Stop waves and remove attachment to teachings; Boundlessly great and vast,

It produces enlightening beings and buddhas.

 

From the nadir to the summit of being, The desire, form , and formless realms, All rest in space,

While space does not discriminate:

The knowledge of enlightening beings, Of disciples   and   the  self-enlightened, All rest in the knowledge of Buddha,

While buddha-knowledge has no discrimination.

 

On the Snowy mountains is a medicine Called inexhaustible roots

 

 

Which can make all trees grow-

Their roots, trunks, leaves, flowers, and fruits . Buddha's knowledge too is like this,

Grown from the seed of enlightenment; Once enlightenment is attained,

It also produces the practices of enlightening beings.

 

If someone puts a handful of straw In the conic fire,

Where even diamond blazes,

The straw could not but be burned: The ages and lands of all times

And the sentient beings therein Buddha completely knows

More surely than the burning of that straw.

 

There is a wind called destruction Which can   pulverize   a   universe; If not stopped by another wind,

Destruction  would  reach   infinite   worlds. The great wind of knowledge is also like this,

Extinguishing the delusions of enlightening beings; There is another wind of skillfulness,

Enabling them to  live, in the land of buddhahood.

 

It is as there is a great scripture Equal in extent to a universe Existing  inside  one atom, And in all atoms as well;

Someone with intelligence and wisdom Sees all clearly with pure eyes

And breaks the atoms, releasing the scriptures For the benefit of all beings.

Buddha-knowledge, likewise, Is in all beings' minds;

Wrapped up in deluded thoughts, They are unaware,  unknowing; The buddhas' great compassion

Causes them to get rid of deluded ideas So knowledge can appear

And benefit enlightening beings.

 

"How should great enlightening beings know the sphere of Buddha, who has realized Thusness and is completely awake? Knowing the spheres of all worlds by means of unobstructed,  unimpeded  knowledge  is the sphere of Buddha. Knowing the spheres of all times, all lands, all things, and all beings, the undifferen tiated sphere of True Thusness, the un-

 

 

obstructed sphere of the reality realm, the boundless sphere of absolute truth, the unquantified sphere of space, and the objectless sphere, is the sphere of Buddha. Just as the spheres of all times, and so on, up to the objectless sphere, are all infinite, so is the sphere of Buddha infinite. Just as the objectless sphere has no existence in all places, so also does the sphere of Buddha have no existence in all places.

"Great enlightening beings should  know the sphere of mind  is the sphere of Buddha; just as the sphere of mind is measureless and bound­ less, without bondage or liberation, so too is the sphere of Buddha measureless and boundless, without bondage or liberation.   Why?  Because by such and such thoughts there are infinite such and such manifestations. It is like when the great water spirit showers rain according to will, the rain does not come from inside or outside; the sphere of Buddha is also like this-according  to such and such   thoughts,  there are infinite such and such manifestations, yet they do not come from anywhere in the ten directions. Just as the water of the ocean all comes from the mental power of the king water spirit, so too does the water of the ocean of omniscience of all buddhas all come from the buddhas' past vows.

"The ocean of omniscience is infinite, boundless, inconceivable, and inexpressible, but I will tell something of it by way of simile, so please listen carefully. The southern continent has 2,500 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the western continent has 5,000 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the eastern continent has 7, 500 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the northern continent has  10,000 rivers,  which  flow  into  the  ocean. These four continents thus have  25 ,000 rivers, which continuously flow into the ocean. What do you think-is that a lot of water?"

" Yes indeed."

"There is also a water spirit Ten Light Beams, which rains even more water than that into the ocean; the water spirit Hundred Light  Beams rains even more water than that into the ocean; the water spirits Mag­ nificent Arrays, Thoughtful, Thundering, Joy, Infinite Light, Continuous Shower, Great Victory, Great Surge, and eight billion more such water spirits each rain more and more into the ocean; the son of the water spirit Ocean,  named Rose Apple B anner,   rains even more  than   that.   The water in the abode of the water spirit Ten Light  Beams  flows into the ocean, even more than the aforementioned; the water in the palace of the water spirit Hundred Light Beams flows into the ocean, even more; the water of the palaces of each of the water spirits,  each with more and more water,  flows into the ocean, and the water in the palace  of the water spirit Rose Apple B anner, son of the water spirit Ocean,  which is yet more, also flows into the ocean. The water in the palace of the water spirit Ocean,  which is even more,  surges forth into the ocean; the water it produces is violet, and it surges forth at regular times, so the tide of the ocean is regular. Thus the ocean's  water is infinite, its treasures are infinite, its creatures are infinite, and the earth it rests on is infinite too. Do you think that the ocean is infinite or not?"

 

 

"It is truly infinite, incomparably so."

"The infinity of this ocean does not come up  to  the smallest  fraction of the infinity of the ocean of buddha-knowledge.  Similes are made for beings according to their mentalities, but the sphere of Buddha is beyond similitude. Great enlightening beings should know that the ocean of knowledge of Buddha is infinite, because of ceaseless cultivation of all enlightening practices from the very first determination  for   enlighten­ ment. They should know that the collection of treasures therein is infinite, because all elements of enlightenment, the seeds of the three treasures, continue unending. They should know the sentient beings in which it dwells are infinite, because it is used by all listeners and self-illuminates, those still learning and those beyond learning.  They should know  the ground it rests on is infinite, because it is the abode of all enlightening beings, from the first stage of Joy  to the ultimate stage of Nonobstruc­ tion. Great enlightening beings, in order to enter infinite knowledge and benefit all sentient beings, should  know the sphere of Buddha  in this way."

Then U niversally Good uttered these verses to  again explain his meamng:

 

As the sphere of mind is infinite, So is the sphere of buddhas.

As the sphere of mind  is born  from intellect, So should the sphere of Buddha be seen.

 

The water spirits, without leaving their places, Shower rain by the power of mind;

Though the rain does not come from or go anywhere,

Yet it falls everywhere according to the minds  of the spirits: The Ten-Powered Sage, in like manner,

Does not come from anywhere or go anywhere, To those with pure minds appearing physically, Vast as the cosmos, yet fitting in a pore.

 

The treasures of the ocean are infinite, So are its creatures and ground;

The nature of the water is one flavor, equal,  without distinction, While those born therein each receive benefit.

The ocean of buddha-knowledge is also thus; All it contains is infinite;

Those in the stages of learning and no learning All gain benefit therein.

 

"How should great enlightening beings know the conduct of Buddha? Great enlightening beings should know unobstructed action is the con-

 

 

duct of Buddha; they should know the conduct of true thusness is the conduct of Buddha. Just as True Thusness is not born in the past,  does not move into the future, and does not arise in the present, likewise the conduct of Buddha is not born, does not move, and does not arise. Just as the realm of reality is not quantified or unquantified, because it has no form, likewise the conduct of Buddha is not quantified or unquantified, because it has no form . It  is as if a bird flew through the sky for a hundred years, the places it passed and those it had not passed would both  be immeasurable,  because the realm of space has no   boundaries: in the same way, if someone spent trillions of eons expounding the particulars of the conduct of Buddha, what was explained and what was not yet explained would both be immeasurable, because the action  of Buddha Q.as no bounds.

"Buddha, completely enlightened, engaged in unobstructed  action, has no dwelling place, yet can show what he does to all beings and enables them to go beyond all obstructed paths once they have seen this. It is as when the golden-winged king of birds flies in the sky,  it circles and hovers, observing the dragon palaces in the ocean with its clear eyes; exerting its forceful strength, it churns the ocean waters with its wings, causing the waters to part, and snatches dragons, male or female, whose life it knows is about to end. The 'golden-winged bird king' Buddha, in like manner,  engaged in unimpeded  action,  observes all sentient beings in all abodes in the cosmos  with the clear Buddha-eye; if any have planted roots of goodness that have developed to maturity,  the Buddha exerts the forceful ten powers and with the two wings of tranquillity and insight churns the waters of emotion  of the ocean  of birth and death, causing the water to part, then snatches those beings, places them in the Buddha teaching, and causes them to stop all deluded notions and false descriptions and abide in the nondiscriminatory  unobstructed  action of the enlightened.

"just as the sun and moon travel alone through the sky conferring benefit on sentient beings, with no notion of where they come from or where they are going,   likewise the buddhas,  by nature fundamentally silent and extinct, without discrimination, appear to course all universes, performing buddha-work  to benefit sentient beings   without   cease,   yet not producing false notions of coming from somewhere or going some­ where.  Great enlightening  beings  should  see  and know  the  actions  con­ ducted by Buddha in terms of infinite such means, infinite natures and characteristics. "

Then U niversally Good, to recapitulate, uttered these verses:

 

Just as True Thusness is not born, does not perish, Has no location, and cannot be seen,

Likewise the action of the Great Benefactor

Transcends in the triple world and cannot be measured.

 

Man�festation of Buddha    1 009

The reality realm is not the reality realm, yet not not the reality realm ;

It is not  quantified and not unquantified. The action of the Great Worthy is also thus,

Neither quantified nor unquantified, because there is no body.

If a bird flies for billions of years,

The sky behind and ahead are equal, no different; When Buddha's conduct is expounded for eons, The told and the untold cannot be measured.

The golden bird in the sky watches the sea, Parts the waters and snatches dragons;

The Ten-Powered can pull out virtuous people,

Remove them from the sea of existence, and rid them of delusion.

Like sun and moon traversing the sky Shining on all without distinction,

The World-Honored traverses the cosmos Teaching beings without stirring a thought.

"How should great enlightening beings know the attainment of en­ lightenment of Buddha? They should know that Buddha's attainment of enlightenment has no view of any phenomena,  is impartial  toward things, has no doubts, no duality, no signs, no activity, no cessation, no measure, no boundaries;  avoiding extremes,  abiding in the middle way, it is beyond all verbal explanation. Buddha knows the thoughts  and mental patterns of all sentient beings, their faculties, dispositions, in­ clinations, afflictions, obsessions, and habits; in sum, Buddha instantly knows all things in all times.

"It is as the ocean can reflect the physical forms of all sentient beings on earth, and therefore is called the ocean: the  enlightenment of the buddhas is also like this, reflecting the thoughts, faculties , dispositions, and inclinations of all sentient beings, yet without reflecting anything­ therefore it is called the enlightenment of the buddhas.

"The enlightenment of buddhas cannot be expressed in writing, can­ not be reached by any verbal expression, cannot be explained in any language; but it is expediently elucidated according to need.

"When buddhas attain true awakening, they acquire a body equal in extent to all sentient beings, a body equal in extent to all phenomena, a body equal in extent to all lands, a body equal in extent to all times, a body equal in extent to all buddhas, a body  equal in extent to all languages, a body equal in extent to True Thusness,  a body equal  in extent to the cosmos, a body equal in extent to space, a body eqcal in extent to the realm where there is no obstruction, a body equal in extent to all vows, a body equal in extent to all practices, and a body equal in extent to the ultimately calm realm of nirvana. As are  the bodies they

 

acquire, so is their speech and mind; they attain measureless, countless such pure spheres of body, speech, and mind.

"Upon attaining true awakening, buddhas see within their body all sentient beings attaining true awakening, and see all sentient beings enter nirvana, all of the same nature, which is no nature.  No nature of what kind? That is, no nature of appearances,  no nature of exhaustion,  no nature of birth,  no nature  of destruction,  no nature of self,   no   nature of nonself, no nature of living being, no nature of nonliving  being,  no nature of enlightenment,  no nature  of the cosmos, no nature  of space, and also no nature of attaining true awakening.  By knowing  all things are naturclcss, a buddha attains omniscience, and by great compassion continues to save sentient beings.

"Just as space never increases or decreases whether all worlds become or disintegrate, because space has no birth,  similarly the enlightenment of buddhas has no increase or decrease whether there is attainment of enlightenment or not, because enlightenment has no signs or counter­ signs, no unity and no variety.

"Suppose someone were able magically to produce as m�my minds as grains of sand in the Ganges River, and each mind also produced as many buddhas as grains of sand in the Ganges River,  all featureless, formless,   and signless,  and continued to do so incessantly  throughout as many eons as there  are grains of sand in the Ganges  River-how many buddhas do you think would be magically  produced  by that person's magically produced minds?"

The  enlightening  being   Wondrous   Qualities of Natural  Origination of Buddha said,  "As I understand your meaning,  magical  production and nonproduction  are equal  and have  no   distinction-how  can   you ask how many there would be?"

The enlightening being Universally Good said,  " Very good-it is as you say. Even if all sentient beings  were to instantly attain  enlighten­ ment, that would be equal to not attaining enlightenment, no different. Why? Because enlightenment is signless. If it has no signs, it has no increase or decrease.

"Great enlightening beings should thus know that attainment of true awakening, the same as enlightenment, is uniformly formless. A buddha, attaining true awakening,  by the means of unity, enters the concentra­ tion of thoroughly  aware knowledge  and,  having  entered it,   manifests, in one vast body attaining true awakening, as many bodies as there are sentient beings dwelling in that body. As this is so of one vast body attaining true awakening, so it is of all vast bodies attaining true awakening.

"Buddha has infinite such doors of attainment of true awakening; therefore you should know that the bodies Buddha manifests arc infinite, and because they are infinite we say the body  of Buddha  is infinite realms, equal to the realms of living beings.

 

"Great enlightening beings should know that in one pore of Buddha's body arc buddha-bodies as numerous  as all sentient beings.  Why? Because the body of the Buddha's  attainment  of true  awakening ulti­ mately has no birth or destruction . And as this is so of one pore, so is it of every point in the entire cosmos. Know that there is not a bit of space where there is no buddha-body.  Why? Because Buddha's attainment of true awakening reaches everywhere.  According to capability and power, on the lion  seat under the enlightenment tree at the site  of enlighten­ ment, with various bodies, Buddha attains true awakening.

"Great enlightening beings should  know that in each moment  of thought of their own minds there are always buddhas attaining true awakening. Why? Because  the buddhas do not attain true awakening apart from this mind. As this is true of one's own mind, so is it also true of the minds of all sentient beings-in all are buddhas attaining true awakening, all-pervasive, existing everywhere, without separation or annihilation,  without cease,   entering the inconceivable  doors  or means of enlightenment. Great enlightening beings should know Buddha's attainment of enlightenment this way."

Then, to recapitulate, the enlightening being Universally Good spoke these verses:

 

The truly awake know all things

Are nondual, beyond duality, all equal, Inherently pure as space,

Not distinguishing self and nonself.

 

As the ocean reflects beings' bodies And is therefore called the ocean,

Enlightenment reflects all mental patterns And hence is called true awareness.

 

Just as worlds have formation and decay While space does not increase or diminish, While all buddhas appear in the world,

The one form of enlightenment is ever formless.

 

When someone emanates minds emanating buddhas, Emanation and nonemanation are no different in essence; Though all sentient beings attain enlightenment,

There is no increase or decrease, enlightenment or no.

 

Buddha has a concentration called well aware;

Entering this concentration under the enlightenment tree, Buddha emits light beams as many as beings,

Awakening all kinds, like lotuses blooming.

 

As many thoughts, faculties, and desires As are in beings in lands of all times, That many bodies appear-

Hence true awareness is called infinite.

 

"How should great enlightening  beings know  Buddha's  turning  of the wheel of teaching? They should know it thus:  Buddha, by the free power of mind, turns the wheel of teaching without arising or turning, because of knowing that all things forever have no arising. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching by three kinds of turning, the cycles of the path of insight, the path of practice,  and the path beyond learning,  and stops what should  be stopped,  because of knowing that all things  are apart from extremes of annihilation and eternity. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching apart from the realm  of desire  and the realm  of negation, because of penetrating the spacelike limit of all things. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching without  verbal explanation,  because of knowing  that all things are inexpressible.  Buddha  turns the wheel of teaching ulti­ mately quiescent! y, because of knowing that all things are of the essence of nirvana.  Buddha  turns the wheel of teaching with all means of litera­ ture and language, because the voice of Buddha  reaches everywhere. Buddha  turns the wheel of teaching knowing  that the voice is like an echo, because of comprehending  the true nature of all things.  Buddha turns the wheel of teaching producing  all messages in one message, because there is ultimately no center. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching without omission  or exhaustion,  because of absence of clinging  inside or outside.

"Just as all  writing and speech cannot be exhaustively  told of, the same is true of Buddha's turning the wheel of teaching-all  letters are arranged to express  it, without cease, without ever exhausting  it. The wheel of teaching of Buddha  enters into all speech and writing,  yet has no dwelling place. Just as writing enters into all business, all words, all calculations, all mundane and transmundane  subjects, yet dwells  no­ where, so also does the voice of Buddha enter into all points, all beings, all phenomena and principles, all works, and all consequences, yet does not dwell anywhere. All the various languages of all sentient beings  are not apart from   the wheel of teaching of Buddha,  because the real aspect of speech and sound is identical to the wheel of teaching. Great enlight­ ening beings  should  know the turning of the wheel of teaching of Buddha thus.

"Also,  if great enlightening beings want to know the wheel of teach­ ing that Buddha turns, they should know where Buddha's  wheel of teaching  comes  from.   What  is the provenance  of the Buddha's  wheel of teaching? Buddha makes so many utterances, turning the wheel of teaching according to   the innumerable  differen ces in   mental  patterns and inclinations of all sentient beings. Buddhas, truly awake, have a con­ centration called ultimately unim peded and fearless; having entered this

 

concentration, with each mouth of each body of attainment of true enlightenment they produce  as many  utterances as there are sentient beings, each utterance containing all sounds, each different, turning the wheel of teaching,  to make all sentient beings happy.  Those who know the turning of the wheel of teaching   thus are considered to   be following all Buddha teachings. Those who do not know  this are not following them.  Great enlightening beings  should  know Buddha's  turning   the wheel of teaching   thus,   because it universally  enters the infinite   realms of 1iving beings."

Then, to recapitulate, Universally Good said in verse,

 

Buddhas' wheel of teaching has no turning;

It has no arising and no attainment at any time. Just as writing is never exhausted,

So is the teaching-wheel of the Ten-Powered.

 

Just as writing enters everywhere, yet with no arrival, Such is the teaching-wheel   of the   Enlightened, Entering all speech without entering aught,

Able to make all beings rejoice.

 

Buddhas have a concentration called ultimate; They preach after entering this concentration, Speaking to enlighten all beings,

Boundless though they be.

 

In each utterance they also utter Countless sayings, each different,

Free in the world, without discrimination, Causing all to hear according to inclination.

 

Words do not come from inside or  outside, Are neither lost nor accumulate;

Yet for sentient beings buddhas turn the teachin g-wheel­ This freedom is most extraordinary.

 

"How should great enlightening beings know Buddha's  ultimate nirvana?  If great enlightening beings  want to   know   the greate nirvana of buddhas,  they should know its fundamental essence. As is the nirvana of ultimate reality, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of space, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of the nature of things, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of detachment from desire, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of formlessness, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of selfhood, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of the ultimate essence of all things, so is the nirvana of Buddha; as is the nirvana of ultimate True Thusness, so is the nirvana of

 

Buddha. Why? Because nirvana has no birth and no emergence; if some­ thing has no birth and no emergence, then it has no extinction.

"Buddha does not tell enlightening beings about the ultimate nirvana of buddhas and does not show it to them.  Why? Because Buddha wants to cause them to see all buddhas always present before them,  to see in one moment all the buddhas  of past and future, in their full splendor, just as if they were actually present, yet without entertaining any notions of duality or nonduality. Why? Because great enlightening beings per­ manently abandon all conceptual clinging.

"Buddhas appear in the world in order to provoke inspiration in sen­ tient beings and manifest nirvana in order to provoke longing in sentient beings: in reality the buddhas have no appearance in the world and no nirvana either. Why? Buddha always abides in the pure realm of reality, manifesting nirvana according to the minds of sentient beings.

"For example, when the sun comes out and illumines the world, its image is reflected in all clean vessels of water, being in all places without coming or going.  If one vessel breaks, then the reflection of the sun does not appear in it. Do you think it is the fault of the sun that its reflection does not appear there?"

"No-it is just because the vessel is broken; it's no fault of the sun." "The   knowledge  of realization of Thusness,   buddna-knowledge,  is

also like this, appearing throughout the cosmos, without before or after: Buddha appears in the clean mind-vessels of all sentient beings. If the mind-vessel is always clean, the embodiment of Buddha is always seen; if the mind is polluted,  the vessel breaks and the Buddha cannot be seen. "If there are any sentient beings who can be liberated by   nirvana, Buddha then manifests nirvana for them; but really Buddha has no birth,

no death, no crossing over into extinction.

"It is like, for example, the element fire, which can make fires in all worlds. Sometimes in one place the fire will go out, but do you think the fire in all worlds is extinguished?"

"No."

"Similarly  Buddha  performs the tasks of buddhahood  in all worlds; if what can be done in one world is finished, a buddha m anifests entry into nirvana, but the buddhas in all worlds do not all pass away into extinction. Great enlightening beings should know  the great nirvana  of the truly enlightened thus.

"Again, suppose, for example, a magician well versed in magical arts, by the power of the techniques of illusion, m anifests phantom  bodies in all cities, towns, and villages in all lands in a billion-world universe, and sustains them there by magical power for an eon, while in other places, the magic  perform ance being finished, the bodies   disappear.   Do   you think that when that great magician disappears  in one place, he dis­ appears in all places?"

"No. ''

 

Manijestation    Buddha          1015

 

"In a similar way Buddha, the  Truly Enlightened,  knowing  the various magical arts of infinite wisdom and means, manifests in all uni­ verses, sustaining that permanently,  throughout the future. If in   one place, according to the minds of beings, what is to be done is finished, Buddha manifests nirvana; but can you say because Buddha has appeared to enter nirvana in one place that Buddha becomes extinct everywhere? Great enlightening beings should know the great ultimate  nirvana of Buddha in this way.

"Furthermore,  Buddha,  when   manifesting nirvana,  enters immov­ able concentration,  and having  entered this concentration,  emanates from each body infinite trillions of great light beams, each light beam producing countless lotus blossoms, each lotus blossom having untold petals of exquisite jewels, with a lion throne on each petal and a buddha sitting cross-legged on each throne. The number of those  buddhas  is exactly  equal  to the number  of sentient beings;  all are fully adorned with the most  sublime virtues,  produced by the power of past vows. If there are any sentient beings with mature roots of goodness who see the buddha-incarnations, they will all receive the teaching; those buddha­ bodies  remain forever,   teaching   and liberating sentient beings according to the situation , without losing an opportunity.  The bodies of buddhas have no locus, are not real or unreal; only by the power of the past vows of the buddhas,  and the capacity of sentient beings to be liberated, do they appear.  Great  enlightening beings should  know  the great nirvana of Buddha in this way. Buddha abides in the infinite, unobstructed, ulti­ mate realm of reality, in the realm of space, in the essence of True Thus­ ness, without birth or death, and in ultimate truth, appearing to sentient beings according to the time,  sustained by past vows,  without  ever ceasing, not abandoning all beings, all lands, all phenomena. "

Then, to recapitulate, Universally Good said in verse,

 

While the sun sheds light illumining the world,

When a vessel breaks and water leaks out, the reflection disappears;

So it is with the sun of supreme knowledge; Those without faith see it as extinct.

 

Fire makes fires in the world,

While in one city it goes out sometime:

Likewise the Buddha pervades the cosmos

And appears to pass away where the work of teaching is done.

 

A magician makes bodies appear in all lands, Which disappear when their function is done:

So does Buddha disappear when the teaching is done, While always seen in other lands.

 

 

Buddha has a concentration, called unmoving, Which is entered after teaching beings:

Instantly Buddha's body emanates infinite lights, The lights produce lotuses, on which are buddhas: The buddha-bodies are countless as phenomena, Visible to those with virtue;

Each of these countless bodies

Has a full span of life and array of adornments.

 

Like birthlessness is the emergence of Buddha, Like deathlessness the nirvana of Buddha:

All words and similes end-

All purposes are achieved, beyond compare.

 

"How should great enlightening beings know the roots of goodness planted by seeing, hearing, and attending Buddha?  They should know these roots of goodness are not fruitless, because they produce endless awareness,  because they remove all obstacles, because they   certainly reach the ultimate  end, because  they are free from falsehood,   because all vows are fulfilled, because they do not end creative action  while according with knowledge of the uncreate, because they generate the knowledge  of buddhas, because they go on   throughout   the   future, because they accomplish  all kinds of excellent practices,  and because they reach the stage of effortless knowledge.

"For example, if a man eats a little bit of diamond, it will never be digested, but must pass through the body. Why? Because diamond is incompatible with the impurities of the physical body. In the same way, planting a little bit of roots of goodness with Buddha must pass through the body of afflictions of all conditioning and reach the abode of un­ conditioned  ultimate  knowledge.  Why?  Because  this little bit  of root of goodness is incompatible with the afflictions of conditioning.

"Even if one piled up dry straw as high as a mountain,  if one tossed an ember of fire the size of a seed into it, it would all burn up for sure. Why? Because fire burns straw. Like this, planting a little bit of roots of goodness with Buddha surely can burn up all afflictions and ultimately enable one to attain  nirvana  without remainder, because the essence of this little bit of root of goodness is ultimate.

"For example, in the Snowy mountains there is a tree of the finest medicine called good sight:  if any see it,  their eyes are purified; if any hear of it, their ears are purified; if any smell it, their noses are purified; if any taste it, their tongues are purified; if any touch it,  their bodies are purified; if any take the earth it grows in, that can also perform the bene­ ficial function of removing disease. The supreme medicine of Buddha similarly can perform all benefits for sentient beings.  If any see the physical body   of Buddha,  their eyes are puri fied; if any hear the name of Buddha, their ears are purified; if any smell the fragrance of the

 

Marz ifestation  of Buddha    101 7

 

morality of Buddha, their noses are purified;  if any taste the flavor of the teaching of Buddha, their tongues are puri fied, they gain the uni­ versal tongue and understand the principles of language; if any come in contact with the light of Buddha, their bodies are puri fied and they ulti­ mately attain the supreme body of reality; if any think of Buddha, they attain purity of Buddha-remembrance concentration. If any sentient beings honor the ground Buddha has crossed, or a tomb or shrine, they too will be endowed with roots of goodness, annihilate all afflictions, and attain the felicity of sages. I tell you, even if there are sentient beings who see and hear Buddha, but because of being veiled by obstructions due to their deeds do not become believers, if they still plant roots of goodness,  none  will  be  in  vain-they  will  reach  the  ultimate  end  and enter nirvana. Great enlightening beings should thus know that the roots of goodness planted by seeing, hearing, and attending Buddha are free from all evil and imbued with good.

"Buddha uses all kinds of similes to explain all kinds of things, but

there is no simile that can explain this principle. Why? Because the road of intellectual knowledge ends, because it is inconceivable. The buddhas and enlightening beings just tell sentient beings similes according to their mentalities in order to gladden them, but this is not the ultimate. This gate of the teaching is called the secret point of the buddhas; it is called that which cannot be known by  any worldlings; it is called entry into the seal of B uddha; it is called opening the door of great knowledge; it is called revealing the essence of Buddha; it is called perfectin g all enlight­ ening beings; it is called that which all worldlings cannot destroy; it is called wholly con forming to the realm of buddhas; it is called able to purify all realms of sentient beings; it is called expounding the ultimate inconceivable teaching of the real nature of Buddha. Buddha does not expound this teaching to anyone but enlightening beings intent on the Great Vehicle, only expounding it to enlightening beings riding the inconceivable vehicle of enlighten ment. This gate of teaching does not come into the hands of anyone but great enlightening beings.

"It is like, for example, the seven treasures of a universal ruler, by which universal rulership is shown; these treasures do not come into the

hands of anyone but the crown prince born of the first wife who has developed the characteristics of a sage ruler. If the universal ruler does not have a son with many virtues, after the ruler's life ends the treasures will disperse and  perish in seven days. The treasure of this scripture is also like this: it does not come into the hands of anyone but the true off­ spring of the sovereign Buddha, born in the house of Buddha, who plant the roots of goodness characteristic of buddhas. If there arc no true off­ spring of Buddha, this teaching will perish before long. Why? Because those in the two lesser vehicles of individual salvation do not hear this scripture, much less absorb and hold it, read, recite, or copy it, or analyze and explain it-only the great enlightening beings can do these things.

"Therefore, great enlightening beings, hearing this teaching, shall

 

 

reJ OICe and receive it with respect. Why? Because great enlightening beings appreciating  this scripture will quickly  attain unexcelled, com­ plete perfect enlightenment.  Even if enlightening beings spend countless eons practicing the six ways of transcendence and cultivating the various elements of enlightenment,  as long as they have not heard this teaching of the inconceivable great power of Buddha,  or if they have heard it and do not believe or understand it,  do not follow it,  enter it,  or attain it, they cannot be called true enlightening beings,  because they cannot be born in the house of Buddha. If they get to hear this teaching of the immeasurable, inconceivable, unobstructed, unhindered knowledge of Buddha,  and having heard it,  take it to heart,  follow it, and awaken to it, these people will be born in the house of Buddha,  accord with the sphere of all buddhas, be endowed  with all qualities of enlightening beings, detach from all mundane  things,  develop the conduct of all buddhas, realize the true nature of all   enlightening   beings,  have   no doubts about the power of Buddha, abide in the teacherless truth, and plunge deeply into the unimpeded realm of buddhahood.

"After great enlightening beings have heard this teaching, then they can know infinite things by knowledge of equality; then they can part with arbitrary discriminations by means of a straightforward, honest mind; then they can see the buddhas before them by means of supreme devotion; then they  can enter the impartial realm  of space by means  of the power of attention; then they can travel the boundless cosmos by means of free thought; then they can acquire all virtues by means of the power of knowledge and wisdom; then they can shed all worldly defile­ ments by means of spontaneous knowledge; then they can enter the net­ work  of all  ten directions  by  means of the  will for enlightenment; then they can know the buddhas of all times are of one and the same essence, by means of great observation; then they can enter this teaching by the knowledge of dedication  of roots  of goodness,  entering  without  enter­ ing, not clinging to a single thing, always observing things through one universal principle. Great enlightening beings, perfecting these accom­ plishments,  attain teacherless, spontaneous  knowledge with a minimum of effort. "

Then Universally Good, to recapitulate, spoke these verses:

 

Immeasurable are the virtues attained

By seeing, hearing, and honoring buddhas; Ultimately endless in action,

Needed to destroy afflictions and remove misery.

 

As when a man ingests a little diamond It is not digested but must pass through, The virtues of honoring buddhas

Destroy illusion and lead to adamantine knowledge.

 

 

Just as straw piled high as a mountain A tiny ember  of fire will burn   up, The small virtue of honoring buddhas Will end affliction and lead to nirvana.

 

In the Snowy mountains is an herb called good to see

Which relieves all sickness when seen, heard of, smelled,  or touched;

If any see or hear of buddhas,

They will gain excellent virtues and reach buddha-knowledge.

 

Then, by the spiritual power of Buddha, and by natural law, untold hundreds of quintillions of worlds in each ofthe ten directions quaked in six ways: surging up in the east, sinking in the west; surging up in the west, sinking in the east; surging up in the south,  sinking in the north; surging up in the north, sinking in the south; surging up on the peri­ phery, sinking in the middle; surging up in the middle, sinking on the periphery-moving in eighteen ways: trembling, trembling all over, trembling equally all over; rising, rising all over, rising equally all over; surging, surging all over, surging equally all over; quaking, quaking all over, quaking equally all over; roaring, roaring all over, roaring equally all over; crashing, crashing all over, crashing equally all over.  There rained clouds of all kinds of flowers, parasols, banners,  pennants,  fra­ grances, garlands, perfumes, ornaments, and radiant jewels, all surpassing those of the heavens, as well as clouds of enlightening beings singing eulogies, clouds of different bodies of untold enlightening beings,  clouds of true awakening, clouds of purifying inconceivable worlds,  clouds raining the sounds of the words of the buddhas,  filling boundless uni­ verses. As on this earth the power  of Buddha manifested in this way, causing all enlightening beings to rejoice greatly, so did this transpire in all worlds throughout the ten directions.

At that time, in each of the ten directions, past as many worlds as atoms in eighty unspeakable numbers  of hundreds of septillions  of buddha­ lands, there were eighty unspeakable  numbers  of hundreds of septillions of buddhas, alike named Universally Good, who all appeared to the en­ lighten ing beings and said, "Bravo, Offspring of Buddha! You are able, imbued with the power of the enlightened, conforming to the nature of reality,  to expound  the teaching of the  manifestation of Buddha.  We

buddhas of the same name, eighty unspeakable numbers of hundreds of septillions of us in each of the ten directions, all expound this teaching. And what we expound, so do all Buddhas in all worlds in the ten direc­ tions.  In this assembly  as many  great enlightening  beings  as atoms in a hundred thousand buddha-lands have attained the concentration of spiritual powers of all enlightening beings; we give them the prediction that they will attain unexcelled, complete perfect enlightenment in one

 

1 020        The Flower Omament Scripture

 

lifeti me. As many sentient beings as atoms in a buddha-land have roused the determination for unexcelled,  complete perfect enlightenment;  we also give them a prediction,  that in the future, after as many  eons as atoms in unspeakable buddha-lands, they will all become buddhas, all with the same name, Supreme Realm of the Enlightened.  In order to enable the enlightening beings of the future to hear this teaching, we all preserve it together.  As the sentient beings arc liberated in this world, so arc the sentient beings liberated in all worlds in the cosmos."

Then, owing to the spiritual power of the buddhas of the ten direc­ tions, owing to the power of the original vows of Vairocana, because the natural  order is so, because of the power of roots of goodness,  because the buddhas activate  knowledge in an instant, because buddhas  respond to conditions without missing the time, because they awaken  enlighten­ ing beings at appropriate times, because their past deeds have no loss or decay, because they foster the attainment of the great practice of Univer­ sal Good, and because they manifest the mastery of omniscience,  in each of the ten directions, past as many worlds as atoms in ten unspeakable numbers of tens of quadrillions of buddha-lands, there were as many en­ lightening beings as atoms in ten unspeakable numbers of tens of qua­ drillions of buddha-lands who came here, filling all universes in the ten directions, showing the vast magnificent adornments of enlightening beings, emitting networks of great beams  of light, shaking  all worlds in the ten directions, demolishing the palaces of all demons, extinguishing the pains of the states of ill, revealing the power of all enlightened ones, singing praises of the infinite different virtuous qualities of the enlight­ ened, showering all kinds of rains, manifesting infinite different bodies, receiving the teachings of infinite buddhas. By the spiritual power of Buddha, they each said, "Bravo, offspring of Buddha: you are able to explain this indestructible teaching of buddhas. We arc all named Uni­ versally Good, and we each have  come here from the presence of a buddha called Freedom Marked by Universality, from worlds called Universal Light. In those worlds  we also expound  this teaching,  with the same expressions, the same principles, the same explanations, the same  certitude,   without  increase or  decrease.  We have all come here, by the spiritual power of Buddha, and by having attained the Buddhas' teaching,  to be witnesses for you.  And as we come here,  the same is true of all worlds in the whole cosmos, throughout space, in all ten directions. "

Then the enlightening being Universally Good-with the spiritual power of Buddha, looking over all the great congregations of enlight­ ening beings, wishing to recapitulate the immense power of the mani­ festation of Buddha, the indestructibility of the true teaching of the enlightened, how infinite roots of goodness are not in vain, how the emergence of buddhas in the world always comprises all supreme quali­ ties, the ability to observe skillfull y the minds of all sentient beings and teach them the truth according to their needs, without missing the right

 

time, producing the infinite light of truth of enlightening beings; the adornments of freedom of all buddhas, and how all enlightened ones are one body,  no   different,   produced  by  great   practices of the   past-said 1n verse:

 

The actions of all buddhas

Are beyond mundane similitudes;

In order to enlighten sentient beings,

They make similes of nonsimiles for illustration.

 

This subtle,  mysterious, profound teaching Is hard to get to hear in a billion ages; Those with vigor, wisdom, and self-control Can get to hear this mystery.

 

Any who hear this teaching and rejoice Have served countless buddhas;

Being absorbed into the power of Buddha, Gods and humans honor and praise them.

 

This is the foremost wealth transcending the  world: This can liberate all living beings,

This can produce the pure Path­ You should keep it attentively.