The Flower Ornament Scripture
Page 23
Enlightening beings from everywhere gather,
All coming to the enlightenment scene.
Oceans of enlightening beings with virtues and lights
Numerous as atoms in all lands
All are in the congregation of the Buddha,
Filling the entire cosmos.
In lands numerous as atoms in the cosmos
He appears in every congregation;
This realm of knowledge of body-distribution
Can be established in the practice of universal goodness.
In the congregations of all the Buddhas
Enlightening beings of supreme knowledge sit,
Each hearing the teaching, conceiving joy,
Cultivating themselves in every situation for boundless ages.
Having entered the far-reaching vows of the universally good,
Each produces the teachings of the Buddhas,
In the ocean of Vairocana’s teachings,
They practice and master buddhahood.
What the enlightening being Universally Good is awake to
All Buddhas alike praise with joy:
Having attained the great mystic powers of the Buddhas,
He circulates throughout the whole cosmos.
In all lands, as many as atomic particles,
He manifests clouds of bodies, filling them all,
Radiating light for beings everywhere,
Each raining teachings suited to their minds.
At that time there was another great enlightening being in the assembly, named King of Lotus Light Wisdom Contemplating All Supreme Truths, who, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said in verse,
The profound knowledge of the Buddha
Enters everywhere in the cosmos:
Able to operate in accord with all times,
It is a clear guide for the world.
The Buddhas have the same reality-body—
It depends on nothing, is without distinction;
It causes beings to see Buddha in physical form
According to their intellects.
Replete with all knowledge,
Buddha knows all things:
In all lands,
Everything is evident.
Buddha’s bodies, lights, and physical forms
Are all inconceivable.
Sentient beings who believe
He causes to see them according to potential.
In one Buddha-body
He produces infinite Buddhas,
Thunderous sound pervading all lands
Expounding the teaching, the deep ocean of thusness.
In each hair pore
Are webs of light pervading all quarters,
Intoning the sublime voices of Buddha,
Taming the hard to tame.
From the Buddha’s light
Issues deep and wondrous sound
Extolling the Buddha’s ocean of virtues
And the practices of enlightening beings.
Buddha turns the wheel of true teaching,
Which is infinite and has no bounds;
The truth taught is beyond compare:
The shallow cannot fathom it.
In all worlds he manifests,
Fulfilling true enlightenment,
In each displaying miracles
Which fill the whole cosmos.
Each of the Buddha’s bodies
Manifests Buddhas equal to the number of beings,
In every one of the numberless lands
Showing spiritual powers.
At that time there was another enlightening being in the assembly, called Light of Wisdom of Joy in the Truth; empowered by the Buddha, he looked over the ten directions and said,
Buddha’s body is always apparent,
Filling the entire cosmos,
Always intoning far-reaching sound
Shaking all lands in all quarters.
Buddha manifests bodily everywhere,
Entering into all worlds,
Revealing occult spiritual power
According to the inclinations of beings.
Buddha appears before all beings
In accordance with their minds;
What the sentient beings see
Is the Buddha’s mystic power.
His radiance has no bounds
And his teaching too is infinite;
Buddha children can enter and observe
According to their knowledge.
The Buddha’s body has no birth
Yet can appear to be born.
The nature of reality is like space:
Therein do the Buddhas dwell.
No abiding, yet no departing:
Everywhere the Buddha’s seen;
His light reaches everywhere,
His fame is heard afar.
No substance, no abode,
And no origin that can be found;
No signs, no form:
What appears is like reflections.
Buddha raises clouds of teachings
Suited to beings’ minds;
With various forms of expedient means
He enlightens them and calms them down.
In all worlds is Buddha seen
Sitting on the enlightenment site,
Surrounded by a great congregation,
Illumining all lands.
The bodies of all Buddhas
All have infinite forms;
Though their manifestations be innumerable,
Their forms are never exhausted.
At that time another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Wisdom like Fragrant Flame Light Illumining Everywhere, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said in verse,
The enlightening beings in this assembly
Enter the Buddha’s inconceivable state,
Each able to see
All the Buddha’s spiritual powers.
The body of knowledge can enter
The atoms of every land,
Perceiving bodies therein,
Seeing all the Buddhas.
Like reflections appearing in all worlds
Where all the Buddhas are,
In each and every one
They reveal miraculous deeds.
The practice of vows of Universally Good
They have developed, clear and pure;
They are able to see in all lands
Buddha’s miracles everywhere.
They physically dwell in all places,
Equanimous in all;
With knowledge capable of such action,
They enter the Buddha’s realm.
Having realized enlightened knowledge,
They illumine the cosmos equally,
Fitting into the Buddha’s pores
The oceans of all worlds.
In all buddha-lands
They manifest mystic powers,
Appearing in various bodies,
With various names as well.
They can, in an instant’s time,
Show miracles everywhere:
Truly awakening at the site of enlightenment
And turning the wheel of truth.
All lands, wide and vast,
Billions of ages, inconceivable,
Can be shown in a moment’s span
In the enlightening beings’ concentration.
Each and every enlightening being
In all the buddha-lands
Is in the Buddha-body,
Boundless, without limit.
Then another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Lion Stretch Wisdom Light, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
Vairocana Buddha
Can turn the wheel of truth
In all the lands of the cosmos,
Filling it like clouds.
In all the great oceans of worlds
In all the ten directions
Buddha’s power of mind and will
Turns the w
heel of truth.
In the vast assemblies of beings
In all lands
His names are not the same;
He expounds the truth according to need.
Buddha’s majestic powers
Were made by the vows of universal goodness and wisdom;
In all lands
That wondrous sound reaches everywhere.
Buddha’s bodies are numerous as atoms in lands,
Showering the rain of truth everywhere;
Unborn, without distinction,
Appearing in all worlds.
What he practiced in the past
Over countless billions of eons
In all lands, many as atoms,
That wondrous sound can fully tell.
Nets of lights pervade
All the numberless lands;
In the lights are Buddhas
Teaching all beings everywhere.
The Buddha-body, without distinction,
Fills the cosmos,
Able to manifest physical forms,
Teaching according to potentials.
Different are the various names
Of all the guides
In all worlds of all times;
They are spoken so all may see.
The cycles of sublime teachings
Of all the Buddhas
Of past and present
All gathered here can hear.
Then another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Treasury of Qualities of Wisdom of the Ocean of Truth, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
Buddha children in this assembly
Cultivate all knowledge and wisdom;
These people can enter
Such gates of means.
In each and every land
They speak the great sound
Telling of the Buddha’s sphere
Making it heard through all quarters.
In each mental moment
They observe all things
Abiding in the state of true thusness;
They comprehend the ocean of all phenomena.
In every buddha-body
For billions of ages, inconceivable,
They practiced ways of transcendence
And purified all the lands.
In each atom
They can witness all things;
Thus without obstruction
They go to all lands.
To every buddha-field
They go without exception;
Seeing the Buddhas’ mystic power,
They enter the Buddhas’ realm.
The far-reaching sound of the Buddhas
Is heard throughout the cosmos;
Enlightening beings can understand,
And enter the ocean of sound.
Intoning subtle sounds through the eons,
Those sounds equal, without distinction,
Those with knowledge of sounds
Can completely comprehend.
Reaching stage after stage,
Dwelling in the stage of power,
They diligently worked for eons,
And such is their attainment.
Then another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Universal Light of the Lamp of Wisdom, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
All the Buddhas
Are beyond all forms;
Who can understand this truth
Sees the Guide of the World.
Enlightening beings in meditation,
The light of wisdom illumining all,
Can know the independent essence
Of all the Buddhas.
Seeing the Buddha’s real body,
They awake to the profound truth;
Observing everywhere the cosmos,
They assume bodies at will.
Born from the sea of blessings,
Abiding in the stage of wisdom,
They investigate all things
And cultivate the supreme path.
In all buddha-lands
Where all Buddhas are,
Thus throughout the cosmos,
They see the real true body.
In immense lands in all quarters,
For billions of eons diligently practicing,
They are able to roam in true knowledge
Of the sea of all phenomena.
There is only one indestructible immanent body
Seen in all particles:
Unborn, signless,
It’s manifest in all lands.
According to the mentalities of beings
It appears everywhere before them;
Showing various means of training,
It turns them to the Buddha-way.
By the spiritual power of the Buddha
Are enlightening beings born;
Sustained by the strength of the Buddha,
They see all enlightened ones.
All the guides
With boundless spiritual powers
Awaken enlightening beings
Throughout the entire cosmos.
Then there was another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Flower Flame Topknot with Universally Illumining Knowledge, who, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
In all lands
Uttering subtle sounds
Extolling Buddha’s virtues,
The cosmos is all filled.
Buddha has reality for his body,
Pure as space itself;
All the physical forms that appear
He includes in this reality.
If anyone has deep faith and joy
And is accepted by the Buddhas,
Know that such a person
Can engender knowledge comprehending Buddha.
Those with little knowledge
Cannot know these truths;
Those whose wisdom eye is pure
Alone are able to see.
By the Buddha’s power
They examine all phenomena;
As they enter, abide, and leave,
All they see is clear.
In all things
Boundless are the aspects of teaching;
Developing omniscience,
One enters the deep ocean of reality.
Abiding in the buddha-land
Appearing in all places,
No coming and no going:
All Buddha’s teachings are thus.
In the ocean of sentient beings
The buddha-body appears like a reflection;
According to the differences in their understandings
Thus do they see the Guide.
In each and every hair pore
He manifests mystical powers;
The pure ones who practice the vow
Of universal wisdom can see.
Buddha, with each of his bodies,
Teaches in every place,
Pervading the whole cosmos,
Beyond the reach of thought.
Then another great enlightening being in the congregation, named Inexhaustible Light of Majestic Wisdom, empowered by the Buddha, surveyed the ten directions and said,
In each and every buddha-land
Sits Buddha on all enlightenment sites,
Surrounded by assembled groups,
Conquering the armies of demons.
The Buddha’s body radiates light
Filling the ten directions;
Appearing in accord with need,
In forms that are not the same.
Every single atom
Is filled with light;
It’s seen in all lands in the ten directions,
Variously, different in each.
The countless various lands
In the oceans of lands of all quarters
All are level and pure,
Made of royal sapphires.
Some inverted, some sideways,
Some like lotus buds,
Some round, some
square:
They are of various forms.
Traveling unimpeded to all lands
Throughout the universe,
In all groups of beings
Buddha always teaches.
The buddha-body is inconceivable;
All lands exist therein:
In all places there
He guides the worlds, teaching truth.
In the subtle teaching he expounds
The essence of things is undifferentiated;
Based on the one real truth,
He expounds various characteristics of things.
Buddha, with a round, complete sound,
Exposes the genuine truth;
According to differences in understanding,
He manifests infinite teachings.
In all lands we see
Buddha sitting on the enlightenment site;
Buddha’s body appears like reflections:
Its birth or death cannot be found.
Then another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Wisdom Illumining the Universe, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
Inconceivable is the form
Of the Buddha’s subtle body;
Those who see it rejoice,
Respecting and believing the teaching.
All the features of the Buddha’s body
Each manifest innumerable Buddhas
Entering all worlds everywhere,
Into each atom therein.
The infinite, boundless Buddhas
Of all oceans of lands
Each, in every instant,
Display their spiritual powers.
Enlightening beings of great knowledge
Enter deeply into the ocean of truth;
Sustained by the power of the Buddha,
They can know his techniques.
If any be already established
In the practical vows of universal goodness and wisdom,
They see in all those lands
The mystic powers of all Buddhas.
If anyone has certain faith
As well as great determination,
They’ll have profound wisdom
And comprehend all things.
Able to observe
All the Buddhas’ bodies,
Form and sound unhindered,
They’ll understand all realms.
Able to abide in the sphere of knowledge
Of all buddha bodies,
They’ll plunge into buddhahood
Embracing the whole cosmos.
As many as atoms in buddha-lands,
This many lands
They can cause in an instant
To appear in every atom.
All lands
And deeds of mystic power
All appear in a single land:
Such is the power of enlightening beings.
Then another great enlightening being in the assembly, named Unobstructed Wisdom with Vigorous Power, empowered by the Buddha, looked over the ten directions and said,
Buddha speaks one subtle sound