The Flower Ornament Scripture

by Thomas Cleary

  While always contemplating the truth that transcends them.

  Some show themselves kneeling or standing on one foot,

  Some lie on thorns or in dust and dirt;

  Some lie on pounding stones, seeking release,

  And become teachers and leaders of such groups.

  Of such followers of heretical paths

  They observe the minds and understandings, and do the same things;

  The ascetic practices they demonstrate, worldlings cannot bear:

  They cause them to be tamed after seeing them.

  Sentient beings are deluded and accept false teachings;

  Sticking to wrong views, they suffer many pains:

  For them are expediently taught wonderful principles

  To cause them to understand the genuine truth.

  The four truths may be explained in local magical language,

  Or the four truths may be told in skillful esoteric language,

  Or the four truths may be spoken in direct human speech,

  Or the four truths may be told in the language of divine mystery;

  The four truths are explained through analysis of words,

  The four truths are explained through ascertainment of principles,

  The four truths are explained skillfully refuting others,

  The four truths are explained undisturbed by outsiders;

  The four truths may be explained in several languages,

  Or they may be explained in all languages.

  In whatever languages beings understand

  The four truths are explained for them, to liberate them.

  All the teachings of all Buddhas

  Are thus explained exhaustively,

  Knowing the realm of language is inconceivable:

  This is called the power of concentration of expounding the truth.

  There is a supreme concentration called peace and bliss

  Which can universally save and liberate all sentient beings,

  Radiating a great light, inconceivable,

  Causing those who see it to all be pacified.

  This light emanated is called “good manifestation”—

  If any sentient beings encounter this light,

  It will cause them to benefit, without fail:

  By this way they can attain unsurpassed knowledge;

  It first shows the Buddhas,

  Shows the Teaching, shows the Community, shows the Right Path,

  And also shows the Buddhas’ tombs and images—

  By this the light is formed.

  It also emits a light called “shining”

  Which outshines the lights of all the gods,

  Removing all barriers of darkness,

  Benefiting all living beings.

  This light awakens all sentient beings,

  Inducing them to offer lamps to the Buddhas;

  Because they present lamps to the Buddhas,

  They can become supreme lamps in the world.

  Burning oil lamps and butter lamps,

  As well as various bright torches,

  And lamps of finest jewels with fragrant herbs,

  And presenting them to the Buddhas, they attain this light.

  It also emits a light called “salvation”:

  This light can awaken all beings

  And cause them to develop great determination

  To liberate the living from the sea of desire.

  If one can universally produce this determination

  To liberate the living from the sea of desire,

  Then one can cross over the torrents of afflictions

  And lead the way to the sorrowless citadel of freedom.

  By building bridges and rafts

  Wherever there is water on the roads,

  Criticizing fabrication and praising dispassionate calm,

  Thereby is this light attained.

  It also emanates a light called “annihilating attachment”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to give up objects of desire

  And concentrate on the savor of the sublime teaching of liberation.

  If one can give up objects of desire

  And concentrate on the subtle true savor of liberation,

  One can, with the Buddha’s rain of sweet dew,

  Extinguish all the cravings in the world.

  By charitably giving ponds, wells, and springs,

  Only seeking the unsurpassed way of enlightenment,

  Criticizing desires and praising meditation,

  It is possible to produce this light.

  It also radiates a light called “joy”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to long for perfect enlightenment

  And determine to realize the teacherless path.

  Making statues of the Buddha of Great Compassion,

  Adorned with all distinguishing marks, sitting on a flower,

  And by always praising Buddha’s supreme virtues

  Can this light thereby be produced.

  It also emits a light called “appreciation”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing their minds to appreciate the Buddhas

  As well as their Teaching and Community.

  If they always appreciate the Buddhas,

  Their teachings and communities,

  Then in the congregations of the Buddhas

  They’ll attain acceptance of the profound truth of the emptiness of things.

  Enlightening sentient beings without number,

  Making them always remember the Buddha, Teaching, and Community,

  Is whereby this light is attained.

  It also emanates a light called “collection of virtues”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Inducing them to practice unlimited giving in various forms,

  Aspiring thereby to the unexcelled Path.

  Establishing great charitable functions without imposing limits,

  Satisfying the needs of all who come,

  Not letting their hearts feel any lack,

  Is whereby this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “full knowledge”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to instantly, in one principle,

  Understand innumerable teachings.

  Analyzing teachings for sentient beings

  And determining the real true meaning,

  Skillfully expounding the meanings of the teachings, without lack,

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “lamp of wisdom”:

  This light can awaken all beings

  And cause them to know sentient beings are inherently empty and at rest,

  And that all things have no existence.

  Explaining that all things are empty, with no controller, no self,

  Like illusions, like flames, like the moon reflected in the water,

  And also like dreams or reflected images,

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “mastery of the teachings”:

  This light can awaken all beings

  And cause them to attain inexhaustible mnemonic command

  To retain all the teachings of the Buddhas.

  Honoring and supporting the holders of the teachings,

  Serving and protecting the sages and saints,

  Handing on various teachings to beings,

  Is how this light is produced.

  It also emanates a light called “able to relinquish”:

  This light can awaken miserly people,

  Making them realize all wealth is impermanent,

  And enjoy giving, without attachment.

  Able to subdue stubborn stinginess,

  Understanding wealth is like dreams or floating clouds,

  Causing the pure mind of generosity to grow,

  Is how this light is attained.


  It also radiates a light called “removing heat”:

  This light can awaken the immoral

  And cause them to maintain pure precepts

  And determine to realize the teacherless path.

  Inducing sentient beings to accept moral precepts

  And to purify the practice of virtuous actions

  And causing them to be inspired to seek enlightenment

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “adornment of tolerance”:

  This light can awaken bad-tempered beings,

  Causing them to get rid of anger and divorce conceit,

  And gladly be tolerant and harmonious.

  When the violence of beings is hard to endure,

  To be unmoved in mind, for the sake of enlightenment,

  Always happily extolling the virtues of tolerance,

  Is how this light’s produced.

  It also radiates a light called “intrepitude”:

  This light can awaken the lazy,

  Causing them always to respect and support

  The Buddha, Teaching, and Community, without weariness.

  If they always support and respect

  The Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community,

  They can get beyond the realms of the four demons

  And quickly attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

  Exhorting sentient beings to progress,

  Always diligently supporting the Buddha, Teaching, and Community,

  Wholeheartedly guarding the Teaching when it’s about to perish,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emanates a light called “tranquility”:

  This light can awaken the scatter-minded,

  Causing them to detach from greed, anger, and folly,

  With their minds unstirring and properly stabilized.

  Abandoning all bad associates,

  Meaningless talk and impure action,

  Praising meditation and solitude:

  Thus is this light produced.

  It also radiates a light called “adornment of wisdom”:

  This light can awaken the ignorant and deluded,

  Causing them to realize the truth and understand conditional origination,

  Their faculties, knowledge, and wisdom penetrating thoroughly.

  If they can realize the truth and understand conditioned origination,

  Their faculties, knowledge, and wisdom penetrating,

  They’ll attain the state of “sun-lamp” mental focus

  With the light of wisdom and perfect the fruit of buddhahood.

  Being able to give away country and wealth

  For the sake of enlightenment, seeking the right teaching,

  Then, having heard it, single-mindedly applying it and explaining to others,

  Is how this light may be made.

  It also emits a light called “buddha-wisdom”:

  This light can awaken all conscious creatures,

  Causing them to see innumerable, boundless Buddhas,

  Each sitting on jewel lotus flowers.

  Praising the Buddhas’ powers and liberation,

  Telling of the Buddhas’ freedom without bound,

  Manifesting Buddhas’ powers and mystic abilities,

  Is how this light may be produced.

  It also emanates a light called “fearlessness”:

  This light shines on those in fear

  And causes the speedy annihilation

  Of all inhuman harmful things.

  Being able to give beings freedom from fear,

  Exhorting the ceasing of all affliction and injury encountered,

  Rescuing those in danger, the orphaned and the helpless,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also radiates a light called “peace”:

  This light can illumine those who are ill

  And cause all pains to be relieved

  So all can gain the bliss of right concentration.

  Dispensing medicine to cure afflictions,

  Anointing with precious life-prolonging perfume,

  Giving butter, oil, honey, and milk for nourishment,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emits a light called “seeing Buddha”:

  This light can awaken those about to die,

  Causing them to see any Buddha they think of,

  So when their life ends they can be born in that Buddha’s pure land.

  To exhort the dying to remembrance of Buddha,

  And show them icons for them to behold,

  Causing them to take refuge in the Buddha,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emanates a light called “delight in the Teaching”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to always delight in the true teaching,

  Listening to it, expounding it, writing and copying it.

  Being able to expound the teaching when it’s about to perish,

  Causing those who seek the teaching to be fulfilled,

  Appreciating the teaching and striving to practice it,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also radiates a light called “wondrous sound”:

  This light can awaken enlightening beings

  And cause all voices heard in the world

  To be to the hearer the voice of Buddha.

  Praising the Buddha out loud,

  And presenting music like bells and chimes,

  And causing all creatures to hear the sound of Buddha,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emits a light called “dispensing elixir”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to give up all indulgence

  And fully practice all virtues.

  Explaining the instability of created things

  And how they’re filled with countless vexations,

  Always happily extolling the bliss of dispassionate tranquility

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emanates a light called “supreme”:

  This light awakens all beings,

  Causing them to hear from the Buddhas,

  The supreme teachings of discipline, concentration, and knowledge.

  Always gladly praising all Buddhas’

  Supreme self-control, concentration, and knowledge,

  In this way seeking the unexcelled Path,

  Is how this light is attained.

  It also radiates a light called “jewel adornment”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing them to attain an inexhaustible treasury of jewels

  To offer to the enlightened ones.

  Presenting various excellent jewels

  To the Buddhas and Buddhas’ shrines,

  Also giving them generously to the poor,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emits a light called “adornment of fragrance”:

  This light can awaken all beings,

  Causing those who sense it to be pleased

  And assured of fulfilling enlightened virtues.

  Spreading the ground with exquisite incense

  To offer to the supreme Guides,

  And also therewith making shrines and icons,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emanates a light called “various adornments”

  With jewel pennants and canopies beyond number,

  Burning incense, scattering flowers, playing music,

  Filling cities, inside and out.

  Having originally presented the Buddhas with various adornments:

  Wonderful dancing and music,

  Perfumes, flowers, pennants, canopies, and such,

  Is how this light was made.

  It also radiates a light called “purification”

  Which causes the ground to be flat as a palm.

  Adorning the Buddhas’ shrines and their surroundings
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  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emits a light called “great clouds”

  Which can produce fragrant clouds and rain fragrant water.

  Sprinkling the shrines and their precincts

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emanates a light called “adornments”

  Which can cause the naked to be clothed.

  Giving fine things to adorn the body

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “excellent savor”

  Which can cause the hungry to get fine food.

  Giving various delicacies

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “great wealth”

  Which causes the poor to gain treasure.

  Giving unlimited things to the Buddha, Teaching, and Community,

  Is how this light can be made.

  It also emits a light called “clarity of eye”

  Which can cause the blind to see all forms and colors.

  Giving lamps to Buddhas or their shrines

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emanates a light called “clarity of ear”

  Which can cause the deaf to be able to hear.

  Playing music for Buddhas or at their shrines

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “clarity of nose”

  By which one can smell scents hitherto unnoticed.

  Giving incense to the Buddhas and their shrines

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “purity of tongue”

  Able to praise the Buddhas in beautiful tones.

  Forever getting rid of coarse, unwholesome speech

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “purity of body”

  Which causes the impaired to be fully restored.

  Prostrating the body to Buddhas and their shrines

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “purity of mind”

  Causing the absent-minded to gain right mindfulness.

  Practicing concentration till totally mastered

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emanates a light called “purity of form”

  Causing one to see the inconceivable forms of Buddhas.

  Adorning shrines in various beautiful forms

  Is how this light is made.

  It also emits a light called “purity of sound”

  Causing knowledge of the basic emptiness of the nature of sound.

  Contemplating the dependent origination of sound, like echoes in a valley

  Is how this light is made.

  It also radiates a light called “purity of scent”

  Causing all bad odors to be sweetly purified.

  Washing the shrines and enlightenment trees with fragrant water