The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK SIX

6. Vairocana

 

 

THEN TH E EN LIGHTENING BEING  Universally  Good  went  on to say to the great assembly, "Children of Buddha,  in the remote past, as many cons  ago  as  atoms  in  a  world-  nay,  even  twice  as  long  ago  as  that, there was an ocean of worlds called All-Sided Pure Light.  In that ocean of worlds  was  a world called  Supreme Sound, which rested on a sea of nets of crystal flowers,  and had as many satellite worlds as  atoms  in the polar mountain. It was perfectly  round  in  shape,  and  its  ground  was replete with innumerable adornments. It had around  it  three  hundred circles of surrounding mountains, forested  with  trees  of myriad pre­ cious substances. It was covered by clouds of all kinds of gems. It was illumined by pure shining light.  Its cities and mansions were like great high mountains. Food and clothing appeared whenever thought of. The age then was called Variously Adorned.

"In  that world Supreme Sound was a sea   of fragrant   water   called Pure Light.  From  the midst of that sea rose a great polar mountain of lotus flowers , called Banner Adorned All Over with Flowery Flames . It was surrounded  by balustrades  made of ten kinds of precious clements. On the mountain was a great forest, called   Circle   of Branches   with Jewel Flowers.  Arrayed  all around it were innumerable  flower towers and jewel  terraces . Everywhere was   richly embellished  with innumera­ ble banners of exquisite fragrances , jewel mountain pennants, and jewel lotus blossoms . Innumerable nets of aromatic crystal lotus blossoms were draped all around. There was music, harmonious and pleasing. Fragrant clouds shone. All of these were countless, impossible to fully record.

"There were a million billion trillion cities all around the forest, with various beings living in them.  East of this forest was a huge city called Flame Light, the capital city of a human king, surrounded by a million billion trillion cities , all made of pure, beautiful jewels, each one sev­ enty leagues long and seventy leagues wide, with walls made of seven kinds of precious substances.  The armory  towers to   repel   attackers were all high and beautifully adorned, with moats made of jewels and

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precious metals filled with fragrant water, with blue, red, and white lotuses, all of jewels, spread here and there as ornaments. Seven layers ofjewel  trees also surrounded the city. The palaces and   mansions   were all adorned with jewels, draped with various beautiful nets,  and graced within with perfumes and scattered   flowers.   There   were   a   million billion trillion gates, all decorated with jewels,  with forty-nine jewel banners in front of each gate, arrayed in ranks.  There were also  a million  billion  gardens and groves all around,   with   various   mixed scents and the fragrances of crystal trees wafting through them and perfuming everything. Myriad birds sang in harmony,  a delight to the hearer.

"The inhabitants  of this great city had all perfected the bases of mystic  power as a result of what they had done.   They could travel through   the sky   like celestial beings.  \Vhatevcr they wanted came to them when they thought of it.

"Just south of that city was a celestial city called Adorned with Tree Blossoms. To the right of that was a great dragon city called Ultimate. Next to that was a yaksha  city called Supreme Banner  of Diamonds. Next was a gandharva city called Beautiful Palace.  Next was a titan city called Jewel Wheel. Next was a garuda city called Array of Beautiful Jewels. Next was a royal Brahma heaven city called Various Wonderful Adornments. There were a million billion trillion such cities, each surrounded by a million billion trillion palaces, each with innumerable adornments.

"In this great fores t Circle of Branches with Jewel Flowers  was a sanctuary called Jewel  Flowers Illumining  Everywhere,  arrayed with many huge jewels, with wreaths of crystal flowers blooming everywhere, blazing with fragrant lamps,  covered by flaming clouds containing the colors of all jewels, with webs of light shining everywhere. All the ornaments constantly produced exquisite jewels, and all kinds of music played with elegant sounds . Diamonds  showed the bodies of enlighten­ ing beings. There were various  exquisite flowers everywhere.

"In front of that sanctuary was an ocean called Fragrant Diamonds, which produced a huge lotus flower called Flaming Circle of Flower Pistils . That flower was a hundred billion leagues across; its stem, leaves, pistils, and base were all of wonderful jewels. It was surrounded by unspeakable hundreds of thousands of billions of trillions of lotuses, constantly radiating light and emanating beautiful sound filling all directions .

"In the first con of that world Supreme Sound as many Buddhas  as atoms in ten mountains appeared in the world.  The first Buddha  was called Supreme  Clouds  on the Mountain of All   Virtues.   A   hundred years before that Buddha  was to appear in the world,  all the adorn­ ments in the great forest Circle of Branches with Jewel Flowers  all became pure. That is to say,  they produced inconceivable numbers of clouds ofjewel flames emanating voices praising the virtues of Buddhas;

 

radiant  nets  of light  intoning  the  voices  of countless  Buddhas  covered all quarters; the palaces and mansions reflected each other in their glow; lights from jewel flowers clustered into clouds and produced sublime sounds telling of the extensive roots of goodness practiced by all living beings in past times, telling of the names of the  Buddhas  of past, present, and future, telling of the ultimate path of the vows and deeds carried out by all the enlightening beings, telling of the sublime teach­ ings of the enlightened  ones.  The  manifestation  of such  magnificent signs revealed that the Buddha was about to appear in the world.

"Because the kings in that world all saw those signs, their roots of goodness became mature and they all came to the  site of enlightenment desirous of seeing the   Buddha.   Then   the   Buddha  Supreme  Cloud   on the Mountain  of All Virtues suddenly  appeared on a big lotus blossom in that sanctuary. His body was everywhere, equal to the cosmos, appearing to be born in all buddha-fields, going to all sites of enlightenment.  His  boundless pure  form was  thoroughly pure   and could not be outshone by any  being in any world, replete with all noble characteristics, each one distinctly clear.  His image appeared in all palaces, and all living beings could witness it with their own eyes. Boundless phantom Buddhas emanated from his body, with auras of various colors filling the universe.

"As on the top of the mountain Banner   Adorned   with   Flowery Flames in this sea of fragrant water Pure Light, in the midst of the great forest Circle of Branches with Jewel Flowers,  that Buddha  appeared bodily sitting there, so did he appear and sit atop every one of the sixty-eight trillion high mountains in the world Supreme Sound.

"At  that point the Buddha  emitted a great light beam   from   between his brows. That light beam was called Producing the Sounds  of All Roots of Goodness, and was accompanied by as many light  rays  as atoms in ten buddha-fields. That light filled all lands in the ten directions, and ifthere were any sentient beings with the potential to be harmonized, that light touched   them   with   its   radiance and   they immediately   awoke on their own, ending all feverish confusion, sundering the web of obstruction, smashing  the mountains of barriers, clearing away all pollution,  developing great faith and resolution,   producing   excellent roots of goodness, forever leaving the fears of the various difficulties , annihilating all the miseries of mind   and   body,  conceiving   the   will to sec the Buddha and head for omniscience. At that time, all the world leaders and their retinues, countless hundreds of thousands, having been awakened by Buddha's light, all went to the Buddha and prostrated themselves before him.

"In the great city Flame Light was a king called Benevolent Mind a Joy to Behold. He reigned over a million billion trillion cities. He had thirty-seven thousand wives and concubines, the principal one being Auspicious Sign of Blessings.  He had five hundred sons,  the eldest being Light of Great Power, who himself had a thousand wives, the

 

principle one being Exquisite Sight. At that time,  the prince Light of Great Power, having seen the Buddha's light,  due to the power of the roots of goodness he had cultivated, immediately realized ten kinds of teachings:  he realized   the   concentration   of the spheres of the virtues   of all Buddhas; he realized all-sided memory power of all Buddha teachings; he realized transcendent knowledge containing a vast store of skillful techniques; he realized the great culture of kindness harmonizing and pacifying all living beings; he realized great compassion whose reverbera­ tions arc like clouds  extending   everywhere; he realized the great joy  of the supreme   mind which   gives birth to   boundless   virtues;  he   realized the great equanimity which is aware of all things as they really arc; he realized the great spiritual  power of the impartial  treasury of extensive skill in means of liberation;  he realized the great aspiration  which increases power of faith; he realized the gate of brilliant  intellectual powers  entering  into  omniscience.

"Then Prince Light of Great Power, having attained illumination  of these teachings,  receiving mystic power from the Buddha,  looked over the great masses and spoke some verses, saying,

 

 

The Buddha sits on the site of enlightenment; Pure and clear is his great radiant light,

Like a thousand suns emerging Illumining all over space.

 

After countless billions of ages Docs the Guide appear;

Now the Buddha's come into the world, Beheld and attended by all.

 

Observe the Buddha's light,

Its inconceivable phantom Buddhas, In every single palace

Reposed in true absorption.

 

Sec   the   Buddha's  mystic   powers Producing clouds of flames from his pores, Illuminating the world

With light that has no end.

 

Behold the Buddha 's body, With webs of light most pure,

Manifesting forms equal in number to all beings, Filling the ten directions.

 

His wondrous voice pervades the world And all who hear rejoice;

In the languages of all living beings They praise the Buddha's virtues.

 

Illumined  by Buddha's light, All beings are peacefully happy;

All pains of existence cleared away, Their minds are filled with joy.

 

See the hosts of enlightening beings Gathering from the ten directions, All  emitting crystal clouds Extolling the praises of Buddha.

 

The enlightenment site produces wondrous sound, Extremely deep and far reaching,

Able to eliminate the suffering of sentient beings; This is the Buddha's spiritual power.

 

Everyone's paying reverent respect, All greatly joyful at heart,

Together before the World Honored One, Gazing  at  the  King  of Truth.

 

 

"When  the prince, Light  of Great Power,  spoke these verses,  his voice pervaded the world Supreme Sound, by the mystic power of the Buddha. The king, Benevolent Mind a Joy to Behold, heard these verses and was greatly pleased; he looked at his retinue and said in verse,

 

 

You should quickly assemble All the various kings,

Their princes and great ministers, Their governors, and the rest.

 

Announce in all the cities

They should beat the great drum Gathering all the people

To go and sec the Buddha.

 

At every single crossroad Jewel bells should be rung:

Let wives, children, households, Together go to sec the Buddha.

 

All the city castles

Should  be  ordered  cleaned:

Raise beautiful banners everywhere Decorated with jewels.

 

Myriad skeins ofjewel gauze, Music wafting like clouds, Beautifully arrayed in the sky:

Let everywhere be filled.

 

Let the streets be cleaned, Showered with beautiful cloth; Adorn  your jeweled   chariots And see the Buddha with me.

 

Each, according to his power Shower ornaments everywhere, All like clouds spreading

Filling the whole sky.

 

Lotus canopies of fragrant flames, Half-moon jewel necklaces,

And countless fine garments:

You should dispense them all.

 

Seas of the greatest perfumes , Discs of finest crystal,

As well as purest sandalwood:

All should fill the skies.

 

Garlands of many jewels, Ornaments pure and flawless, As well as crystal lamps:

Set all of them in the air.

 

Bring them all to the Buddha With   hearts   full ofjoy; Wives, children, retinue, all

Go sec the World Honored One.

 

 

"Then the king, together with his thirty-seven thousand wives and concubines, five hundred sons, and sixty thousand great ministers,  of whom the chief was Power of Wisdom, as well as others, a company totalling  seventy-seven million billion trillion, went out of the city of Flame Light, all of them traveling through the sky by the power of the

 

king, their various offerings filling the sky.  Coming  to the Buddha's place, they prostrated themselves at his feet, then sat to one side.

"There was also the celestial king Banner of Good Influence from the city  Beautiful  Flowers,   with  a  company  of ten  billion  trillion.   There was also the dragon king  Pure Light from  the  city Ultimate Greatness, with a company of twenty-five billion. There was also the yaksha king Fierce Strength from the city Supreme Diamond Banner, with a com­ pany of seventy-seven billion. There was also the gandharva king Gladdening Sight from the city Undefiled, with a  company of ninety­ seven billion. There was  also  the  titan  king  Contemplation of Pure Form from the city Beautiful Sphere,  with  a  company  of fifty-eight billion.  There was also the garuda king Exercise of Ten Powers,  from the city Exquisite Array, with a company of ninety-nine billion.  There was also the kinnara king Indestructible Qualities from the city Playful Enjoyment, with a company of eighteen billion. There was also the mahoraga king Banner of Noble Repute from the city Diamond Banner, with a company  of three billion  hundred thousand trillion . There was also the brahma king Supreme from the city Pure Adornments, with a company of eighteen billion. The kings from  a  million  billion  trillion such cities, along with their retinues, all went together to the Buddha Supreme  Cloud  on   the Mountain of All Virtues,   prostrated themselves at his feet, then sat to one side.

"Then that Buddha,  in order to harmonize and pacify the sentient

beings, expounded the scripture Universal Collection of Methods of Freedom of All Buddhas of Past, Present, and Future,  along with subsidiary scriptures as numerous as atoms in the world,  causing  all beings to receive benefit according to their mentalities .

"At that point the enlightening being Light  of Great Power,  having heard this teaching,  attained the lights of the ocean of teachings col­ lected in former   ages   by   the Buddha  Supreme Cloud on the Mountain of All Virtues. That is to say, he attained the light of knowledge of concentration on the equality of all groups of things;  the light of knowledge of all truths entering and abiding in the mind in its initial determination   for   enlightenment;   the   light   of knowledge   of the    pure eye of the repository of the omnipresent light of all   the   universes   of the ten directions;  the light of knowledge contemplating the ocean of great vows of all Buddhas; the light of knowledge of pure action entering the boundless sea of virtue; the light of knowledge of the storehouse  of immensely powerful speed heading for the stage of nonregression;  the light of knowledge of the sphere of emancipation with the power to appear in any form anywhere in the universe; the light of knowledge certainly entering the ocean of fulfillment of all   virtuous   qualities;  the light of knowledge  of the ocean of perfection of the   adornment  of certain understanding of all   Buddhas;   the   light   of knowledge   of the ocean of spiritual power by which the boundless Buddhas of the cos-

 

mos appear  before all sentient beings; the light of knowledge  of the states of the powers and fearlessness of all Buddhas.

"Then the enlightening being Light of Great Power, having attained innumerable such lights of knowledge, imbued with power from the Buddha, spoke these verses:

 

 

I' ve heard the Buddha's wondrous teachings And  attained the light of knowledge, Whereby I sec the World Honored One's Deeds in days of yore.

 

All the places he was born,

His different names and physical forms, And his offerings to the Buddhas:

All of this I sec.

 

In the past he served

All  the enlightened ones, Practicing for innumerable cons, Purifying oceans of worlds.

 

Giving up   his   body Without any bound or limit, Cultivating supreme   action, He purified oceans of lands.

 

Ears, nose, head,  and limbs, As well as his dwelling places:

All he gave up, numberless, To purify all worlds.

 

Ablc in every land Through unthinkable cons

To practice enlightening acts, He purified oceans of lands .

 

By the power of the   vow of universal good In all oceans of Buddhas,

He cultivated innumerable practices Purifying oceans of worlds.

 

As by the light of the sun Wc can sec the solar orb,

By the light of Buddha knowledge I sec The path the Buddha traveled.

 

262  Tlze  Flower Orname11t Scripture

 

I sec the great pure light

Of Buddha's ocean of worlds Calmly realizing enlightenment Pervading the whole cosmos.

 

I will, like the World Honored One, Purify oceans of lands ,

And by the Buddha's spiritual power Practice enlightening ways.

 

 

"At  that time the enlightening being Light of Great Power,   because he saw the Buddha  Supreme Clouds   on the Mountain   of All   Virtues and had served him and provided him with offerings, was able to attain understanding   there,   and,   for the sake of all beings,  revealed the ocean of the Buddha's past practices,  revealed the techniques he employed in the past as an enlightening being, revealed the ocean of virtues of all Buddhas,  revealed the independent  power of attaining   buddhahood  at all sites of enlightenment,   revealed   the   pure   knowledge   which   enters into all phenomena, revealed the impartial knowledge of the power and fearlessness of Buddhas, revealed the universal manifestation of the Buddha, revealed the inconceivable mystical metamorphoses of the Buddha,  revealed the adornment of innumerable buddha-lands,   re­ vealed all the practical vows of universally  good enlightening beings, causing as nl Jny sentient beings as atoms in a mountain to awaken the determination for enlightenment, causing as many   sentient   beings   as atoms in a  buddha-field to perfect the pure land of the enlightened.

"Then the Buddha Supreme Clouds on the Mountain of All  Virtues spoke these verses for the enlightening being Light of Great Power:

 

 

Excellent, magnificent Light!

Mine  of blessings,  of wide renown! For the purpose of aiding all beings

You set forth on the road of enlightenment.

 

You've attained the light of knowledge Filling the universe;

Your virtue and wisdom are both great,

You shall attain the deep ocean of knowledge.

 

Cultivating practices in a land For as many cons as atoms:

As you have seen me doing thus, So you'll attain such knowledge.

 

 

It is not those of base deeds

Who  are  able  to  know  these  techniques:

Only by  determined effort

Can one purify an ocean of worlds.

 

In each and every atom Cultivating for countless cons, Only such a one is able

To adorn the buddha-lands.

 

Spending cons in transmigration For the sake of every being Without weariness of mind,

One will then become a guide of the world.

 

Offering support to every Buddha Until the end of time,

Never  getting  tired  of it,

One will attain the highest path.

 

All Buddhas of all times

Will together ful fill your hopes; You will attend in person

The congregations of all Buddhas.

 

Boundless  arc the   vows Of all the enlightened ones;

Those who have great knowledge Are able to know their means .

 

Great Light, you've given me offerings And thereby attained great power, Causing beings as many as atoms

To mature and turn toward enlightenment.

 

The great enlightening beings

Who cultivate the practice of universal good Adorn the Buddhas' oceans of worlds Throughout the universe.

 

 

"In that con of Great Adornment there were as many small cons as grains of sand in the Ganges River;  the human life span was two small cons. That Buddha Supreme Clouds on the Mountain of All Virtues lived for fifty billion years; after he passed away, there appeared in the world another Buddha, named King of Adornments of the Good Eye of the

 

 

Transcendent  Ways,  who   also attained true awakening in that great forest Circle of Branches  with Jewel Flowers . At that time,   the youth Light of Great Power,  seeing that Buddha attain perfect enlightenment and manifest the power of spiritual awareness,  thereupon attained ab­ sorption in buddha-remembrance, called gate of the boundless oceanic treasury,  attained a concentration formula spell called depths   of truth of the power  of great knowledge, attained   great kindness   called   expedi­ ently pacifying and liberating all living beings,  attained   great compas­ sion called   cloud   covering all realms,  attained great joy  called treasury of power of the ocean of virtues of all Buddhas,  attained great equanim­ ity called spacclike equality and purity of the real essence of all things, attained transcendent knowledge called pure body of the real cosmos inherently  free from defilement, attained psychic power called  unhin­ dered   light   appearing anywhere,   attained analytic   power called entering the pure depths,   and attained light of knowledge called   pure treasury of all enlightening teach ings. He comprehended a thousand gates of teach­ in g like these.

"Then the youth Light of Great Power, imbued with  the power of

the Buddha,  spoke these verses for the benefit of his retinue:

 

 

Even in inconceivably many billions of cons

An enlightened guide of the world is hard to meet; The beings of this land arc very fortunate

That now they can sec their second Buddha.

 

The Buddha's body emanates great light

With physical forms boundless and totally pure, Filling all lands like clouds,

Everywhere extolling the Buddha's virtues .

 

All illumined by the light rejoice, Beings in distress arc all relieved,

All arc induced to respect and kindness: This is the work of the Buddha's power.

 

Producing inconceivable clouds of mystic displays , Emanating  networks of lights of in finite colors Filling all lands in the ten directions:

These arc manifestations of Buddha's psychic powers:

 

From each hair pore appear clouds of light Filling all space, emitting great sound:

All dark places arc illumined,

Causing the pains of hells to disappear.

 

Buddha's wondrous voice pervades everywhere, Fully producing all sounds of speech,

According to the power of beings' standing goodness: This is a function of the Teacher's mystic power.

 

Measureless, boundless, the oceans of communities: Buddha appears within each one,

Expounding the inexhaustible truth for all of them, Harmoniously pacifying all sentient beings.

 

Buddha's mystic powers have no end, Appearing in every single land;

Such is the Buddha's  knowledge, unimpeded: He attains enlightenment to benefit all beings.

 

You should  all  be joyful; Dance, delight, and pay respect. I will go with you there:

If one sees the Buddha, all miseries will cease.

 

Arouse your minds to seek enlightenment, Kindly care for all living beings,

Abide by the great vows of universal  goodness, And you'll attain freedom like the King of Truth.

 

 

"When the youth Light of Great Power spoke these verses, by the power of the Buddha his voice was unimpeded and could be heard in all worlds; innumerable sentient beings aroused the will for enlightenment. Then the prince Light  of Great Power, together   with   his   parents   and their company,  surrounded by countless millions of billions of trillions of beings, with jeweled canopies like clouds filling the skies,  went together to the Buddha King of Adornments of the Good Eye  of Transcendent Ways . That Buddha  expounded   for   them   the   scripture The Pure Adornments of the Essential Nature of the Cosmos of Realities, with as many subsidiary scriptures as atoms in an ocean of worlds .

"Having heard these scriptures, that great congregation attained pure knowledge called entry into all pure techniques of enlightenment,  at­ tained a stage called undefiled light,  attained a sphere of transcendence called showing delightful adornments in all worlds, attained a sphere of expanding action called pure vision with boundless light  entering all worlds, attained a sphere of purposeful activity called banner of light of clouds of pure virtue,   attained   a   sphere   of constant  realization   called vast   light   of the ocean of all verities,   attained ever-deepening progres­ sive practice called adornment of great knowledge, attained an ocean of knowledge of high initiates called extremely refined effortless VISIOn,

 

attained an obvious great light called universal shining oflight character­ ized by the ocean of virtues of the enlightened, and attained pure knowledge productive of will power called treasury of faith and resolu­ tion of immeasurable will power.

"Then that Buddha  spoke these verses for the   enlightening   being Light of Great Power:

 

 

Excellent, 0  sea of virtue and wisdom, Is your resolve for great enlightenment;

You shall attain inconceivable buddhahood And be a reliance for all living beings.

 

You've produced a great ocean of knowledge Able to fully comprehend all things;

With inconceivable subtle skills

You '11 enter buddhahood's endless realm.

 

Having seen the Buddhas' clouds of virtues And entered the stage of infinite wisdom, The ocean of all transcendent means

You will ful fill, o glorious one.

 

Having attained command of methods And inexhaustible expressive powers, Practicing various active vows

You'll realize the peerless knowledge.

 

Having produced a sea of vows

And entered the ocean of concentration, You '11 ful fill great spiritual powers

And all the inconceivable qualities of Buddhas.

 

The ultimate realm of truth is inconceivable; Your vast, deep faith is already pure;

You sec the oceans of lands , purely adorned, Of all the Buddhas in the ten directions.

 

You've entered into my enlightenment practices, The ocean of means I employed  in   the past; That which my practices purified,

This sublime action, you understand.

 

I gave various  offerings to oceans of Buddhas In countless individual lands;

 

As the fruit realized by that practice Such adornments  all you see.

 

Over an inexhaustible ocean of immense cons Cultivating pure practice in all lands

With firm aspiration,   inconceivable,

You '11 attain this mystic power of Buddhas .

 

Giving offerings to all the Buddhas, Adorning the lands, all pure,

Cultivating mystic practices in all ages, You'll ful fill the great virtues of Buddhas.

 

 

"When the Buddha King of Adornments of the Good Eye  of Tran­ scendent Ways   had entered extinction,   the king Benevolent  Mind a Joy to Behold also subsequently passed away, and his son Light of Great Power inherited the position of great   monarch,   in   that   great   forest Circle of Branches with Jewel Flowers a third Buddha appeared in the world,   by the name of Ocean of Supreme Virtue.   At that ti me,   when the sovereign Light of Great Power saw the signs of that Buddha's realization of enlightenment, he went, together with his  family and courtiers, his armies, and the populace of the cities, towns, and villages, all carrying seven kinds of jewels and precious metals,  to that Buddha and presented a great mansion adorned with all kinds of aromatic crystals.  Then that Buddha,  there in the forest, expounded the scripture The Illuminating  Activity of the Enlightening Being with the Universal Eye,  along with subsidiary scriptures as numerous as atoms in a world. Then the enlightening being Light of Great Power,  having heard this teaching, attained a contemplative focus called universal light of great virtue.   And  because he had attained this state of mental focus,   he was able to know the past, present, and future seas of good and evil of all enlightening beings and all sentient beings.

"Then   that   Buddha   spoke   these   verses   for   the   enlightening   being

Light of Great Power:

 

 

Excellent, 0 virtuous Light of Great Power, That you all have come to me;

With sympathy for all living beings

You've conceived the suyrcmc will for enlightenment.

 

For the sake of all suffering beings

You exercise great compassion to liberate them. You'11 be a reliance for all who arc lost;

This  is  called  the  skillful  enlightening  work.

 

 

If enlightening beings can, with firm strength, Carry out supreme practices unflagging,

The highest supreme unhindered understanding And subtle knowledge they will attain.

 

0 light of virtue, banner of blessings, Abode of virtue,  sea of blessings,

All vows of universal good enlightening Your great light can enter.

 

With these great vows you can enter The inconceivable ocean of Buddhas.

The sea of Buddhas' blessings has no bounds: You can see all by sublime understanding.

 

In the  lands  of the ten   directions You sec infinite, boundless Buddhas;

The ocean of past practices of those Buddhas You can see, all as they were.

 

Any who dwell in this ocean of means Can enter   the stages   of knowledge; This is following the Buddhas to learn, Surely leading to omniscience.

 

In all oceans of worlds you performed Various practices  for oceans  of eons;

The ocean of practices of all  enlightened ones You having learned, you'll become a Buddha.

 

As you see in the ten directions

All oceans of lands are extremely pure; Your land will also be pure like that, Attained by one with boundless vows.

 

The oceanic masses at this sanctuary, Having heard your vows, all rejoice;

All enter the great vehicle of universal goodness, Inspired and dedicated to enlightenment.

 

In each of the boundless lands,

A ll enter practice for oceans of eons, By the power of vows able to fulfill

All the practices of the enlightening being Universally Good.

 

 

"0 Children of Buddha, in that great forest Circle of Branches  with Jewel Flowers there appeared yet another Buddha, called Universally Renowned Lotus Eye Banner.  At this time the life of Light of Great Power came to an end, and he was reborn in the celestial city Jewel Palace of Tranquility, atop the polar mountain, where  he became a celestial king called Banner  of Undefiled Virtue.  He went with the heavenly hosts  to see   that   Buddha,   showering   clouds   of jewel  flowers as offerings.   Then the Buddha expounded for them the scripture Exten­ sive Skill in Means of Liberation with All-Sided  Approaches  Univer­ sally Illuminating,  along  with subsidiary scriptures as numerous  as atoms in an ocean of worlds.  The celestial king and his company, having heard these scriptures, attained a state of contemplation called all-sided treasury ofjoy,  and by the power of this contemplation  were able to enter the ocean of the real character of all   things.  Having attained this benefit, they left the sanctuary   and   went back   to   their place. "

 

End of the first assembly.