“Again, setting aside this example, suppose there is someone who can in one instant know the differences in faculties of all sentient beings in countless worlds in the eastern direction, and continues in this way for an incalculable eon; then suppose there is a second person who could know in one instant all the differences in faculties known by the first person, in each instant of an incalculable eon; extend this to the tenth person and apply it also to the other nine directions—the limit of the various differences in faculties of the sentient beings of the worlds of the ten directions might be known, but no one can know the limit of the virtues of the enlightening being’s initial determination for unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment. Why? Because enlightening beings do not set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment just to know the faculties of sentient beings in a given limited number of worlds. It is to know all the various differences in faculties of all beings in all worlds, wanting to know the network of all faculties, that they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Again setting this example aside, suppose there is someone who can in a single instant know inclinations of all the sentient beings in countless worlds in the eastern direction, thus knowing more and more instant after instant for an incalculable eon. Extend this as before to ten people, and to all ten directions: the limit of the inclinations of these sentient beings of the ten directions might be known, but a limit to the virtues of the enlightening being’s first determination for unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment cannot be known by anyone. Why? Because the enlightening being’s determination for enlightenment is not limited to just the purpose of knowing the inclinations of a limited number of sentient beings. It is to know all the inclinations of all beings in all worlds, wanting to know the network of all inclinations, that they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Again, setting this example aside, suppose there is someone who can in a single instant know the techniques of all the sentient beings in countless lands in the eastern direction, and extend this example as before to ten people and to all ten directions: the extent of the various techniques of these sentient beings of the ten directions may be known, but the extent of the virtues of the enlightening being’s initial determination for enlightenment cannot be known by anyone. Why? Because enlightening beings do not set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment just to know the various techniques of beings of a limited number of worlds. It is to know all the techniques of all beings of all worlds, wanting to know the network of all techniques, that they set their minds on unexcelled complete enlightenment.
“Again, setting this example aside, suppose there is someone who can in a single instant know the various different mentalities of sentient beings in countless worlds in the eastern direction, and extend this example as before to ten people and to all ten directions: the bounds of the various different mentalities of the sentient beings in all these worlds of the ten directions may be known, but the bounds of the virtues of the enlightening being’s first determination for unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment cannot be known to anyone. Why? Because enlightening beings do not set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment just to know the mentalities of a limited number of sentient beings; it is to know the various mentalities of the boundless sentient beings of the whole realm of space of the cosmos, wanting to completely know the network of all minds, that they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Again, setting this example aside, suppose there is someone who can in a single instant know the various different actions of the sentient beings in countless worlds in the eastern direction; as before, extend this to the tenth person and to the ten directions: the bounds of the various different actions of these sentient beings of the ten directions may be known, but the bounds of the virtues of the enlightening being’s initial determination for unexcelled enlightenment cannot be known. Why? Because enlightening beings do not set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment only to know the actions of the sentient beings of a limited number of places. They want to know the actions of all sentient beings of past, present, and future, and want to know the network of all actions—this is why they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Again, leaving this example aside, suppose there is someone who can in one instant know the various afflictions of the sentient beings of countless worlds in the eastern direction, and thus knows more and more instant by instant for an entire incalculable eon; no one could know the bounds of the various differences of these afflictions. Now suppose there is a second person who can in one instant know all the differences in afflictions of sentient beings known by the first person in an incalculable eon, and also went on like this knowing more and more instant by instant for an incalculable eon. Again, extend this to the tenth person and the ten directions: the bounds of the differences of afflictions of these sentient beings of the ten directions may be known, but the limits of the virtues of the enlightening being’s initial determination on enlightenment cannot be known. Why? Because enlightening beings do not set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment just to know the afflictions of sentient beings in a limited number of worlds; they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment to know all the differences in afflictions of all beings in all worlds. In other words, they want to thoroughly know light afflictions and heavy afflictions, afflictions of sleep and afflictions of waking, the various differences in the innumerable afflictions of each and every sentient being, and their various musings and ruminations, to clear away all their confusions and defilements; they want to thoroughly know all afflictions based on ignorance and afflictions connected with affection, to cut off all bonds of afflictions in all realms of being; they want to thoroughly know all afflictions of greed, all afflictions of hatred, all afflictions of folly, and all afflictions of greed, hatred, and folly in equal measure, to sever the root of all afflictions; they want to thoroughly know all afflictions of ego, afflictions of possessions, and afflictions of conceit, to be totally aware of all afflictions; they want to thoroughly know all basic and concomitant afflictions arising from misconceptions, and the sixty-two views arising from the idea of a real body existing, to vanquish all afflictions; they want to know thoroughly the afflictions of mental shrouds and hindrances; to develop a heart of great compassion to rescue and protect, to sunder the web of all afflictions and cause the nature of omniscience to be utterly pure—this is why they set their minds on unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Again, leaving this example aside, suppose there is someone who in the space of an instant presents countless Buddhas as well as sentient beings of innumerable worlds in the eastern direction with various fine foods and drinks, fragrant flowers and raiment, banners, pennants, canopies, parasols, sanctuaries with beautiful chambers, jeweled curtains and enclosures of nets, lion seats with various adornments, as well as all kinds of exquisite jewels, reverently honoring them, bowing to them and lauding them, humbly looking up to them, and continues thus unceasingly for countless eons, and also urges other sentient beings to make such offerings to the Buddhas, and after the Buddhas die sets up a monument for each one, the monuments high and wide, made of all kinds of precious substances from countless worlds, variously decorated, with countless statues of Buddhas in each monument, with radiance illuminating countless worlds, continuing this work for countless eons; and suppose the person did the same in the South, West, and North, the four intermediate directions, the zenith and the nadir: Do you think this person’s merit would be great?”
The king of gods said, “Only a Buddha could know this person’s merit—no one else could assess it.”
“Child of Buddha, this person’s merit, compared to the merit of the enlightening being’s initial determination for enlightenment, does not amount to a hundredth part, a thousandth, a hundred thousandth part, not even the smallest fraction.
“Having aroused this determination, they are able to know the first attainment of true awakening as well as the final release of all Buddhas of the past, are able to believe in the roots of goodness of all Buddhas of the future, and are able to know the knowledge and wisdom of all Buddhas of the present. The virtues of those Buddhas, these enlightening beings can believe in, can accept, can cultivate, can attain, can know, can witness, and can perfect; they can be equal, of the same nature, as the Buddhas. Why? Because these enlightening beings arouse their aspiration in order not to let the lineage of all enlightened ones die out; they arouse their aspiration in order to pervade all worlds; they arouse their determination in order to liberate the beings of all worlds; they arouse their aspiration in order to completely know the formation and disintegration of all worlds; they arouse their determination in order to completely know the defilement and purity of all beings; they arouse their minds in order to know the purity of the realms of desire, form, and formlessness in all worlds; they arouse their determination in order to completely know the inclinations, afflictions, and mental habits of all living beings; they arouse their aspiration in order to completely know the faculties and means of all beings; they arouse their determination in order to completely know the mental activities of all beings; they arouse their aspiration in order to know all beings’ knowledge of past, present, and future. Because they have set their minds on enlightenment, they are always remembered by all the Buddhas of past, present, and future, and will attain the unsurpassed enlightenment of all Buddhas of all times. Then they will be given the sublime teachings of all Buddhas of all times, and will be actually and essentially equal to all Buddhas of all times. Having cultivated the methods of fostering the Path used by all Buddhas of all times, consummated the powers and fearlessnesses of all Buddhas of all times, and adorned themselves with the unique qualities of all Buddhas of all times, they will thoroughly attain the knowledge and wisdom to explain the truth of all Buddhas of the cosmos. Why? Because by means of this determination they will attain Buddhahood.
“Know that such a person is thereupon the same as the Buddhas of all times, thereupon equal in perspective to the Buddhas of all times, thereupon equal in virtue to the Buddhas of all times, and attains the true knowledge of the ultimate equality of one body and infinite bodies of the Enlightened.
“As soon as one sets the mind on complete enlightenment, one is praised by all the Buddhas of all quarters and can thereupon expound the teaching, edify and purify the beings of all worlds, and can thereupon shake all worlds, and can thereupon illumine all worlds, and can thereupon extinguish the pains of the states of misery in all worlds, and can thereupon beautify and purify all lands, and can thereupon manifest attainment of Buddhahood in all worlds, and can thereupon cause all living things to rejoice, and can thereupon enter into the essence of all reality realms, and can thereupon maintain the lineage of all enlightened ones, and can thereupon attain the light of wisdom of all Buddhas.
“This enlightening being who has just aspired to enlightenment does not apprehend anything in the past, present, or future—whether Buddhas, Buddhas’ teachings, enlightening beings, principles of enlightening beings, solitary awakened ones, principles of solitary awakened ones, listeners, principles of listeners, the world, worldly things, the transmundane, transmundane things, sentient beings, or norms of sentient beings—the enlightening being only seeks omniscience and has no mental attachment to anything.”
At that point, by the spiritual power of the Buddha, worlds as numerous as the atoms in ten thousand buddha-lands in each of the ten directions all quaked in six ways, rained celestial flowers, perfumes, incenses, garlands, robes, jewels, and ornaments, produced celestial music and radiated celestial lights and sounds. Now in each of the ten directions, beyond as many worlds as atoms in ten buddha-lands, were as many Buddhas as atoms in ten thousand buddha-lands, all named Truth Wisdom; each of them appeared bodily before the enlightening being Truth Wisdom and said these words: “Good, good! Truth Wisdom, you are now able to expound this teaching; we Buddhas, as many in each of the ten directions as atoms in ten thousand buddha-lands, also expound this teaching. All Buddhas teach in this way. As you expounded this teaching, there were as many enlightening beings as atoms in ten thousand buddha-lands who were inspired with the determination for enlightenment: we now give them all the prediction of enlightenment, that in the future, after ten unspeakable numbers of boundless eons, they will alike attain buddhahood in the same eon, and, appearing in the world, will all be called Pure Mind Buddha. The worlds they live in will each be different. We will all protect and keep this teaching, so that all the enlightening beings of the future who have not heard it will be able to hear it.”
As in this world Endurance, atop the Mt. Sumerus of the four quarters, this teaching was spoken, to cause them to accept the teaching once they have heard it, so also was it spoken in all the countless worlds throughout the universe, to edify living beings. All those who expounded it were called Truth Wisdom. They spoke such a teaching by the spiritual power of the Buddhas, by the power of the Buddhas’ original vow, in order to reveal the Buddhas’ teaching, to illumine all with the light of knowledge, to expose the truth, to cause beings to realize the essence of things, to cause all congregations to rejoice, to reveal the causal basis of the Buddhas’ teaching, to realize the equality of all Buddhas, to comprehend the nonduality of the realm of reality.
Then the enlightening being Truth Wisdom looked over all the congregations in all lands in the ten directions of the entire realm of space, and because he desired to perfect the living beings, because he wanted to purify all actions, results, and consequences, because he wanted to reveal the realm of reality, because he wanted to extirpate the roots of defilement, because he wanted to increase great faith and resolution, because he wanted to cause all to know the faculties of infinite sentient beings, because he wanted to cause all to know the equality of past, present, and future phenomena, because he wanted to cause all to contemplate the realm of nirvana, and because he wanted to increase inherently pure roots of goodness, he spoke these verses by the power of Buddha:
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 50