The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

Thomas Cleary

BOOK NINE

 

9. Awakening by Light

 

 

THEN  THE  BUDDHA,  from beneath the wheel-marks on  his   feet,   emit­ ted a hundred billion light beams, illuminating this billion-world universe, with its   four hundred billion continents,   hundred billion  oceans,  hun­ dred billion surrounding mountain ranges, hundred billion enlightening beings being born, hundred billion enlightening beings leaving home, hundred billion Buddhas realizing true enlightenment, hundred billion Buddhas teaching, hundred billion Buddhas passing away, a hundred billion polar mountain kings, a hundred billion  heavens of hosts  of celestial kings, a hundred billion heavens of thirty-three celestial realms, a hundred billion heavens of timely portion, a hundred billion  heavens of satisfaction, a hundred billion heavens of enjoyment of emanations, a hundred billion heavens of free enjoy ment of others'  emanations,  a hundred billion heavens of pure hosts, a hundred billion  light-sound heavens,  a hundred billion heavens of purity,   a hundred billion  heavens of vast rewards, a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate  of form; everything therein was all clearly manifest.

As  in this place the Buddha,  the World  Honored One,   was seen

sitting on a lotus bank lion throne, surrounded by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, so also sat the hundred billion Buddhas in a hundred billion continents. In each case, because of the spiritual force of the Buddhas, in each of the ten directions was a great enlightening  being, each with a company of as   many   enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, who came to the Buddha.  Their names were Manjushri, Chief  of the Awakened,   Chief in   Riches   of Truth, Chief of the Precious, Chief of the Virtuous,  Chief in  Vision, Chief in Effort, Chief in Doctrine, Chief in Knowledge, and Chief in Goodness. The lands from whence these enlightening beings came were respectively called Golden World, Sublime Color World, Lotus Color World, Saffron Flower Color World, Blue Lotus Color World,  Gold Color World,  Jewel Color  World,  Diamond  Color  World,  Crystal Color World, and Equal Color World. These en lightening beings had each   cultivated   pure   practice in   the   company  of Buddhas-the   Buddha of Immutable Knowledge,  the Buddha of Unhindered Knowledge, the

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AwakeninR by Light       283

Buddha of Knowledge of Liberation, the Buddha of Knowledge of Dignified Conduct, the Buddha of Knowledge of Characteristics,  the Buddha of Ultimate  Knowledge, the   Buddha   of Supreme   Knowledge, the Buddha of Independent Knowledge,  the Buddha of Pure Knowledge, and the Buddha of Observing Knowledge.

Then the Manjushris in all places, in the presence of each of the Buddhas, spoke up simultaneously and said in verse,

 

 

If any sec the Truly Awake

As becoming liberated and divorced from taints And not attached to any world,

They have not realized the eye of the Way.

 

If any know the Buddha's

Substance and form have no existence,

And by cultivation gain clear understanding, Such people will soon be Buddhas.

 

Who can see this world Unstirred in mind,

And likewise  Buddha's body, Will attain supreme knowledge.

 

I f,  regarding  the  Buddha  and  truth, One understands that they arc equal, Having no thought of duality,

One will walk on the inconceivable plane.

 

If one sees the Buddha and oneself Resting in equality,

Without abode, entering nowhere, One will become one of the Rare.

 

Form and feeling have no sets:

Nor do conception, action, consciousness; Any who can know this way

Will become great sages.

 

Whether mundane or transmundanc views, Having risen beyond them all

While well able to know the truth, One will become a great illuminate.

 

IC toward omniscience, One engenders dedication,

 

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Seeing mind without origination, One will gain the greatest name.

 

Living beings have no birth, Nor either any decay;

If one attains such knowledge as this, One will realize the unexcelled way.

 

In one understanding infinity, Within infinity, one:

Realizing their origin's interdependent One will attain to fearlessness .

 

 

Then the  light beams  passed this  world and illuminated  ten  lands  in the eastern direction,  also doing likewise in the South, West, North, the four intermediate directions, and the  zenith  and  nadir. In  all  of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including  a  hundred  billion  heavens  of the  ultimate  of form-everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus bank lion throne surrounded by as many enlightening  beings  as  atoms  in  ten  buddha­ lands; and in  each  one,  due  to  the  spiritual force of the  Buddha, ten great  enlightening  beings  from  the ten directions,  each  accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those enlightening beings were  called  Manjushri,  etc. ,  the lands they   came   from   were   called   Golden,   etc. ,   and   the   Buddhas they served were called Immutable Knowledge, etc.  Then  the  Man­ jushris in all those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously spoke out, saying these verses:

 

 

Sentient beings lack wisdom,

Wounded and poisoned by the thorns of craving; For their sake we seek enlightenment:

Such is the law of all Buddhas .

 

Seeing all things, Giving up extremes,

Once enlightened,   never regressing,

They turn the incomparable wheel of truth.

 

For inconceivable cons

Cultivating various practices   vigorously In order to liberate beings:

This is the power of the great sages .

 

 

The Guide conquers demons Bravely and invincibly,

Preaching subtle truths in his light Because of kind compassion.

 

By knowledge and wisdom Breaking the barriers of afflictions, In an instant seeing all:

This is the spiritual power of Buddhas.

 

Beating   the  drum  of the  great   teaching, A wakening all lands in the ten directions, Making all turn toward  enlightenment: Independent power can act like this.

 

Without breaking the infinite boundaries, Traveling through the billions of lands Without attachment to any existent:

Such is freedo m like the Buddhas'.

 

The Buddhas arc like space, Ultimately forever pure;

Those who rejoice in remembering this Will ful fill all of their vows.

 

In each and every one of the hells They pass innumerable eons;

In order to liberate sentient beings They're able to bear these pains.

 

Without begrudging body or life,

Always preserving the Buddhas' teachings, With egolcss mind harmonious,

One can attain the enlightened way.

 

 

Then the light beams passed  ten worlds and illuminated a hundred lands in the eastern direction, also doing likewise in every other direction. In all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate of form­ everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus bank lion throne surrounded by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands; and in each one, due to the spiritual force of the Buddha, ten great enlightening   beings,   from   the ten directions,   each   accompa­ nied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands,

 

286  The  Flower Orname11t  Scripture

came to the Buddha; those enlightening beings were called Manjushri, etc. , the lands they came from were called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served were called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris in all those places,  each in the presence of the Buddha  in that place, all simultaneously spoke out, saying these verses:

 

 

Buddha understands things are like phantoms; Comprehending, he is unhindered.

His mind is pure and free from attachments; He harmonizes and pacifies all beings.

 

Some sec him first born,

His color like a mountain of gold; Living in his final body,

He's forever a moon of humanity.

 

Some sec him walking around, Replete with boundless virtues;

Attention and intellect well employed, The Great Man walks like a lion.

 

Some see his violet eyes Gazing in the ten directions; Sometimes he shows a smile,

To accommodate beings' wishes.

 

Some sec his lion roar,

His supreme, incomparable body Manifesting his last incarnation, Speaking naught but the truth.

 

Some sec him leaving home, Shedding all bonds,

Practicing the acts of Buddhas, Always contemplating extinction.

 

Some sec him sitting on the enlightenment site Awakening knowledge of all things,

Reaching the other shore of all virtues, Darkness and affliction ended.

 

Some  sec the supreme man Full of great compassion Turning the wheel of teaching Liberating numberless beings.

 

 

Some  see the lion roar, Its awesome light unique,

Transcending all the worlds With peerless mystic power.

 

Some sec the mind at peace, Like a lamp gone out forever;

Variously manifesting spiritual mastery, The ten-powered one can be like this.

 

 

Then the light beams passed a hundred worlds and illumined a thousand worlds in each  of the  ten  directions.  In  all  of those worlds were a hundred billion   continents called Jambudvipa,   and soon,   including a  hundred billion  heavens of  the  ultimate  of  form-everything  in   all those realms was clearly revealed . In each one of the Jambudvipa conti­ nents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus  bank  lion  throne  sur­ rounded by  as  many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands; and in each one, due to the spiritual force of the Buddha, ten great enlightening beings from the ten directions,  each  accompanied  by  as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those enlightening beings were also called Manjushri, etc. , the lands they came from were also called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served were also called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris in all those places, simultaneously spoke up, saying these verses:

 

 

The Buddha comprehends, without peer, The exceedingly profound truth;

Sentient beings cannot understand, So he reveals it step-by-step.

 

The nature of self has never existed, And possessions of self arc also nil; So how   come   the enlightened ones A rc able to have their bodies?

 

The liberated  ones, with knowledge and conduct, A rc beyond category or compare;

All the logic and reasoning of the world Cannot find any fault in them.

 

The Buddhas arc not worldly clusters, Elements, senses, born and dying things;

 

288  The Flower Ornament Scripture

 

Phenomenal sets cannot produce them:

Thus they're called human lions.

 

Their nature is fundamentally empty and inactive, They're liberated within and without;

Detached from all delusive ideas:

Such is the peerless state.

 

Their substance and nature never moves, Selfless, no coming or going;

Yet they can awaken the worlds, Pacifying all, without bound.

 

They always enjoy contemplating extinction, Uniform, without duality;

Their minds do not increase or decrease, Yet manifest boundless powers.

 

They do not do the deeds

That cause results for sentient beings, Yet can understand unhindered:

Such is the enlightened  way.

 

All kinds of living beings

Transmigrate through all realms; Buddhas, not discriminating,

Liberate the boundless kinds.

 

The Buddhas'  golden color

Is not existent, yet pervades all existences; According to the inclinations of beings, They teach them ultimate peace.

 

 

Then the light beams passed a thousand worlds and illumined ten thousand worlds in all directions; in all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion  heavens  of the  ultimate  of form-everything  in  all  those  realms was clearly revealed. In each one of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus bank  lion  throne surrounded by as many enlightening beings  as  atoms  in  ten  buddha-lands; and  in  each one, due to the spiritual force of the Buddha,  a great enlightening being from each of the ten directions,  each accompanied by as many enlighten­ ing beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those enlightening beings were also called Ma njushri, etc. , the lands they came from were also called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served

 

Awakenin,\Z  by  L(ftht          289

were also called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris in all those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously  spoke  out,  saying these verses:

 

Developing great compassion

To save and protect all sentient beings, Forever leaving human and celestial realms: This is what work sh0uld be done.

 

Always with faith in the Buddha, The mind never regressing,

Associating  with  the  enlightened  ones: This is what work should be done.

 

Intent on the virtues of buddhahood, The will never receding,

Abiding in pure cool wisdom:

This is what work should be done.

 

In all manner of activities,

Always remembering the Buddhas' virtues, Without ever a lapse day or night:

This is what work should be done.

 

Observing the boundless past, present, and future, Studying enlightened virtues

Without ever tiring of it:

This is what work should be done.

 

Observing the real characteristics of the body, All being void and nil,

Detaching  from  self,  with  no  egotism: This is what work should be done.

 

A mind seeing beings as equal, Not creating discrimination, Entering  the  realm  of real  truth:

This is what work should be done.

 

Lifting up boundless worlds, Drinking up all the oceans:

This power of knowledge   of psychic   attainment Is the kind of work that should be done.

 

Contemplating  the various lands, Their material and  immaterial aspects,

 

290  The Flower Omament Scripture

Able to know them  all:

This is what work should be done.

 

The atoms of all lands everywhere Arc, each and every one, a Buddha; To be able to know their number:

This is what work should be done.

 

 

Then the light beams passed ten thousand worlds and illuminated a hundred thousand worlds in all directions. In all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate of form-everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus bank lion  throne  surrounded  by  as many enlightening beings as atoms  in  ten  buddha-lands; and  in  each one, due to the spiritual  force  of the  Buddha,  a  great  enlightening being from each of the ten directions, each accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those enlighten ing beings were called Manjushri, etc. , the lands they came from were called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served were called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris in all  those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously spoke  out,  saying  these  verses:

 

 

If one sees the Human Tamer In terms of form or family,

These arc diseased eyes, perverted views: They  can't  know the supreme  truth.

 

The various formal characteristics of the Buddha Cannot be assessed by any being;

Though billions and trillions together calculate, Those features and virtues arc yet more boundless.

 

The Buddha does not have forms as substance: It's just the formless, quiescent state:

Yet the physical forms and dignities arc complete, Seen by worldlings in accord with their wishes .

 

The Buddhas' reality is subtle and hard to fathom; No words or speech can reach it.

It is not compounded or uncompounded; Its essential nature is void and formless.

 

Awakening  by  L(!!,hf

 

Buddha's  body is unborn, beyond imagination; It is not a cluster of diverse elements.

Having the power of freedom and certain insight, He travels the fearless, inexpressible path.

 

Body and mind equanimous, Liberated within and without, Abiding forever in true awareness, He has no attachment, no bondage.

 

The illumined one whose mind is pure Acts without habituation;

With the eye of knowledge reaching everywhere He greatly aids living beings .

 

One body is infinite,

And the infinite too arc one; Understanding  all the worlds, He manifests forms everywhere.

 

This body comes from nowhere And   accumulates   nothing   either; It is due to beings' discrimination

That they sec various bodies of Buddha.

 

Mind  discriminates  worlds, But that mind has no existence;

The enlightened know this truth, And thus sec the Buddha-body.

 

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Then the light beams passed a hundred thousand  worlds and  illu­ mined a million worlds, in each of the ten directions. In all of those worlds with a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a  hundred  billion heavens  of the  ultimate  of form-everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting on a lotus bank lion throne surrounded by as many enlightening  beings  as  atoms  in  ten  buddha­ lands; and  in  each one,  due to  the spiritual force of the  Buddha, ten great enlightening beings from the ten directions, each accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those enlightening beings were called Manjushri, etc. , the lands they came from were called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas  they served were  called  Immutable Knowledge,  etc.  Then the Manjushris  in all those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously spoke out, saying these verses:

 

 

The    enlightened    one    most   free, Transcending the world, relying on nothing, Replete with all virtues,

Liberates creatures from all states of being.

 

Unaffected,  unattached,

Without conceptions, resting nowhere, Substance and essence immeasurable: Those who sec all praise.

 

Light pervasive, clear and pure, Clearing away mundane afflictions, Immutable, beyond extremes:

This is enlightened knowledge.

 

Any who sec the enlightened

Free from discrimination in body and mind Will have no more doubts or hesitation

In regard to anything.

 

In   all   worlds, everywhere Turning the wheel of teaching, Naturclcss, with nothing turned, The Guide expounds expedients.

 

Having  no doubt as to truth, Forever ending mental fabrication,

Not producing a discriminating mind: This is awareness of enlightenment.

 

Comprehending different  things, Not sticking to verbal explanations, With no "one" or "manifold":

This is following Buddha's  teaching.

 

In many there's no oneness; Neither has one plurality:

Abandoning both of these,

Comprehensively enter the qualities of buddhahood.

 

Sentient beings and their lands Arc all completely null;

With no reliance or discrimination

One can  enter Buddha's enlightenment.

 

Awakmirz�  by  L(f?ht

 

Of sentient beings and lands

Unity or difference cannot be found; Insightfully seeing like this

Is called knowing the meaning of Buddha's teaching.

 

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Then the light beams passed a  million  worlds  and  illuminated  a billion worlds in each of the ten directions. In all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate of form-everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting  on a lotus  bank lion throne surrounded by  as many enlightening beings as atoms in  ten  buddha-lands;  and  in  each one, due  to  the  spiritual  force  of the  Buddha, a  great  enlightening being from each of the ten directions, each accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those great enlightening beings were called  Manjushri, etc. ,   the lands they came from were called Golden,  etc. , and the Buddhas they served were called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then  the  Manjushris  in  all those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously spoke out, saying these verses:

 

 

Wisdom peerless, teaching boundless,

Gone beyond the sea of existences, reaching the  other shore, Life span and radiance without compare:

This is the power of the Virtuous One's skill.

 

Clearly understanding all the Buddhas' teachings, Always observing all times tirelessly,

Even when perceiving objects, not  discriminating: This is the power of the Inconceivable One's skill.

 

Contemplating  sentient  beings  without any concept  thereof, Observing all existences without such ideas,

Always abiding in meditative stillness yet not binding the mind: This is the power of skill of unhindered wisdom.

 

Skillfully comprehending a 11 things,

With right mindfulnes s diligently cultivating the path  of nirvana,

Enjoying   liberation,   divorcing   partiality:

This is the power of skill of the peaceful, dispassionate one.

 

If any can exhort to complete enlightenment, Heading for all-knowledge of the cosmos,

 

 

And influence beings to enter into truth:

This is the power of skill of dwelling in the Buddha-mind.

 

Able to enter into all truths the Buddhas  teach With vast knowledge and wisdom unobstructed, Able to arrive at every destination:

This is the power of skill of cultivation of freedom.

 

Always abiding in nirvana, like empty space, Able to transform and appear anywhere at will: This is creating form based on the formless,

The power of skill of the one who reaches the hard to reach.

 

Day and night,  day and month, year and era,

The signs of the beginning and end,   formation and disintegration of the  worlds:

Remembering  and thoroughly knowing these

Is the power of skill of knowledge of measures of time.

 

All living beings have birth and death;

Material and immaterial, thinking or unthinking: Knowing all the various names

Is the power of skill of abiding in the inconceivable.

 

Of past, present, and future times, Understanding all that's said,

Yet knowing all times arc equal:

This is the power of skill of incomparable understanding.

 

 

Then the light beams passed a  billion  worlds  and  illuminated ten billion worlds in each of the ten directions. In all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate of form-everything in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa continents the Buddha was seen sitting  on  a lotus bank lion throne surrounded  by  as many enlightening beings  as  atoms  in  ten  buddha-lands; and  in  each one, due to the spiritual force of the Buddha,  ten  great  enlightening beings  from the ten directions,  each  accompanied by as  many enlighten­ ing beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha; those great enlightening beings were called Manjushri, etc. , the lands they came from were called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served were called Immutable Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris  in  all  those places , each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simulta­

neously spoke out, saying these verses:

 

 

Having cultivated extensive difficult practices, Diligently working day and night,

Having crossed the hard to cross, with a lion's roar, Teaching  all  beings-this  is  the  practice.

 

Sentient beings whirl in the sea of craving and greed, Shrouded by the web of ignorance, terribly oppressed; The Most Benevolent bravely cuts it all away,

We vow to also do so-this is the practice.

 

Worldlings have no control, attached to sense desires; Falsely discriminating, they suffer myriad pains.

Practicing the Buddhas' teaching, always control the mind, Vowing to cross over this-this is the practice.

 

Sentient  beings,  attached  to  self,  enter  birth  and  death; Looking for a limit to this, none can be found.

Serving all the enlightened to obtain the wondrous teaching, Explain it to others-this is the practice.

 

Living beings arc helpless, wrapped up in sickness, Forever sunk in evil ways, producing the three poisons, The fierce flames of a great fire always burning them; With a pure heart to rescue them, this is the practice.

 

Sentient beings,   confused, have lost the right path;

Always going the wrong way, they enter the house of darkness. For their sake lighting the lamp of truth,

To be a light forever-this is the practice.

 

Sentient beings bob and sink in the ocean of existences; Their troubles arc boundless, they have no place to rest. To make for them an ark of truth

To ferry them over-this  is the practice.

 

Sentient beings are ignorant and don't see the fundamental; , Confused, foolish, crazed, in the midst of danger and difficulty .

Buddhas pity them and set up a bridge of teaching

With right awareness,  to let them climb-this is the practice.

 

Seeing beings on perilous paths,

Oppressed by the pains of age, illness, and death, Develop unlimited skill in means

And pledge to save them all-this is the practice.

 

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Hearing   the   truth,   believing   without   doubt, Comprehending essential emptiness without shock or fear, Appearing in all realms in appropriate forms,

Teach all the deluded-this is the practice.

 

Then the light beams passed  ten  billion  worlds  and  illumined  in  all ten directions a hundred billion worlds, a trillion worlds,  a  hundred trillion worlds, a quadrillion worlds, a hundred quadrillion worlds, a quintillion worlds, a hundred quintillion worlds; in this way countless, unquantifiable, boundless, imcomparable, uncountable, unaccountable, unthinkable, immeasurable, unspeakable numbers of worlds, to the utmost extent of the realm of space of the cosmos, in all ten directions, were likewise illumined. In all of those worlds were a hundred billion continents called Jambudvipa, and so on, including a hundred billion heavens of the ultimate  of  form-everythin g in all those realms was clearly revealed. In each of the Jambudvipa  continents the Buddha  was seen sitting on a lotus bank lion throne surrounded by as many enlight­ ening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands; and in each one, due to the spiritual force of the Buddha, a  great  enlightening  being  from  each  of the ten directions, each accompanied by as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten buddha-lands, came to the  Buddha;  those  great  enlight­ ening beings were called Manjushri , etc. , the lands they came from were called Golden, etc. , and the Buddhas they served were called Immuta­ ble Knowledge, etc. Then the Manjushris in all those places, each in the presence of the Buddha in that place, all simultaneously spoke  out, saying these verses:

 

 

In one instant observing measureless cons Without going, coming, or dwelling,

Thus comprehending the events of past, present, and future , Buddhas transcend expedients and fulfill ten powers.

 

With incomparable good repute in all quarters, Forever out of trouble, always rejoicing ,

They go to all lands

To explain such a teaching for all .

 

For the benefit of beings, they supported the enlightened, Attaining a comparable result, according to their  will; Readily acknowledging all truths,

They  reveal spiritual powers everywhere.

 

From their tlrst offerings to the enlightened their minds  were t1cxiblc and patient;

 

 

They entered deep  meditative  concentration  and  observed  the nature of things.

Exhorting  all beings to aspire to enlightenment,

Through this they speedily attained the unexcelled reward.

 

Who seeks truth everywhere with undivided mind To cultivate virtues to full maturity,

Eliminating all duality of being and nonbeing: Such people truly see the Buddha.

 

Going to all lands in all directions,

Expounding the sublime teaching for the welfare of the many, Abiding in reality without any wavenng:

Such people's virtues are the same as Buddha.

 

The cycles of wondrous teaching turned by the Buddhas Are all aspects of enlightenment;

If one, having heard, can realize the nature of things, Such a person will always see Buddha.

 

If one does not see the Ten Powered as empty, phantomlike, Though one sees one sees not, as though blind.

Discriminating and grasping forms one does not see Buddha; Having finally divorced attachment, then can one see.

 

Sentient beings  are variously  different, according to their actions; In the ten directions, inside and out, it's  hard to see them all: The Buddha-body's unhindered, pervading all directions,

And cannot be completely seen, in just the same way.

 

Like unto the infinite worlds in space,

Without coming or going, pervading the ten directions, Becoming   and   disintegrating   having   no   resting   place, So docs Buddha pervade space in the same way.

 

 

 

BO OK TEN

 

An Enligh tening Being Asks

_for  Clarification

 

 

THEN  THE  ENLIGHTENING  BEING  Manjushri asked   the   enlightening being Chief of the Awakened,  "Since the nature of mind is one, what is the reason for seeing the existence of various differences ,   such as going to good or bad tendencies, having complete or imperfect faculties , differences   in birth,  beauty   and   ugliness,  pain   and   pleasure,  suffer­ ing and happiness? Why is it that activity doesn't know mind,   mind doesn't know activity, reception doesn't know consequence, consequence doesn't   know   reception,   mind   doesn't   know    reception,    reception doesn't know mind, cause doesn't  know condition, condition doesn't know cause, knowledge doesn't know object, object doesn't know knowledge?"

Chief of the Awakened answered in verse,  saying,

 

 

Benevolent One, you ask the meaning of this To awaken all the ignorant.

I will answer according to the essence: Listen clearly, Benevolent One.

 

Phenomena have no function And have no individual nature; Therefore all of them

Do not know one another.

 

Like the waters in a river, Their rushing flow races past, Each  unaware  of the  others: So it is with all things.

 

It's also like a mass of fire, Blazing fl ames shoot up at once,

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An EtzlighteninJ? Being Asks for Clarification

 

Each not knowing the others: Phenomena are also thus.

 

Also like a continuous wind

Fanning and drumming whatever it hits, Each unaware of the other:

So also are all things.

 

Also like the various levels of earth, Each based on another,

Y ct unaware of the others:

Thus are all phenomena.

 

Eye, car, nose, tongue, body,

Mind, intellect, the faculties of sense: By these one always revolves,

Yct there is no one, nothing that revolves.

 

The nature of things is   fundamentally birthless, Y ct they appear to have birth;

Herein there is no rcvealer, And nothing that's revealed.

 

Eye, car, nose, tongue, body,

Mind, intellect, the faculties of sense: All are void and cssencelcss;

The deluded mind conceives them to exist.

 

Seen as they truly are,

All arc   without   inherent   nature. The eye of reality is not conceptual: This seeing is not false.

 

Real or unreal, False or not false,

Mundane or transmundanc: There's nothing but descriptions.

 

299

 

 

Then Manjushri asked Chief in Riches of Truth, "Since  all sentient beings   are not sentient beings,  why docs the Buddha appear in their midst for their sake and teach them according to the time, according to their lives , according to their species, according to their actions, accord­ ing to their understandings,  according to their philosophies,  according to their inclinations, according to their expedients, according to their thoughts,  according to their observations?"  Chief in Riches answered him in verse:

 

300  The Flower Ornament Scripture

This is the realm of the learned Who delight   in   ultimate   peace. I will explain for you;

Now please listen clearly.

 

Analyze  the  body  within:

Who  herein is the "self'? Who can understand this way

Will comprehend the existence or not of the self.

 

This body is a temporary set-up And   has   no place of abode; Who    understands   this    body Will have no attachment  to it.

 

Considering the body carefully, Everything  will be  clearly  seen:

Knowing  all   the elements are unreal, One will not create mental fabrications.

 

Based on whom does life arise,

And based on whom docs it disappear? Like a turning wheel of fire,

Its beginning and end can't be known.

 

The wise can observe with insight The impermanence of all existents; All things are empty and selfless, Forever apart from all signs.

 

All consequences are born from actions; Like dreams, they're not truly real.

From moment to moment they continually die away, The same as before and after.

 

Of all things seen in the world Only mind is the host;

By  grasping  forms according   to   interpretation It becomes deluded, not true to reality.

 

All philosophies in the world Are mental fabrications ;

There has never been a single doctrine

By which one could enter the true essence of things.