“Thus do enlightening beings perfect tranquil, peaceful physical, verbal, and mental action, never regressing, till they reach omniscience. They skillfully enter all manner of meditative concentrations and know that all concentrations are of the same one essence. They comprehend that all things have no bounds and attain true knowledge of all things. They attain profound concentration detached from all sounds. They attain countless kinds of concentration. They increasingly develop a boundlessly vast mind of great compassion.
“At this point enlightening beings attain countless concentrations in a single instant, and, hearing such sounds, are not disturbed—they gradually increase and broaden their concentration. They form this thought: I should get all beings to abide peacefully in unsurpassed pure mindfulness, so they may attain nonregression on the way to omniscience, and ultimately attain to nirvana without remainder.’
“This is called the enlightening beings’ fifth practice, leaving confusion behind.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ practice of good manifestation? Here the enlightening beings are pure in thought, word, and deed; they abide in nonacquisition, and demonstrate nonacquisitive thought, word, and deed. They know that physical, verbal, and mental actions have no absolute existence. Because they are free from falsehood, they are free from bondage. What they demonstrate is without inherent nature and depends on nothing. They abide in mental accord with reality. They know the intrinsic nature of infinite minds. They know the inherent nature of all things is ungraspable, formless, exceedingly profound and difficult to penetrate. They abide in the absolute state, true thusness, the essence of things; they appear in life by way of expedients, yet have no retribution for actions. Unborn and undying, they abide in the dispassionate, tranquil nature of the realm of nirvana. They abide in the nature of true reality, absence of inherent reality or own-being. They are beyond the power of speech to fully describe, they transcend all worlds and do not depend on anything. They enter into the truth that is free from discrimination, bondage, and attachment. They enter the true principle of supreme knowledge. They enter the transcendental truth which cannot be understood or known by any worldlings. Such are the characteristics of the enlightening beings’ expedient manifestations of life.
“These enlightening beings formulate this thought: ‘The nature of all sentient beings is naturelessness; the nature of all phenomena is uncreated; the form of all lands of formlessness—in all worlds there only exists verbal expression, and verbal expression has no basis in facts. Furthermore, facts have no basis in words.’ Thus do enlightening beings understand that all things are void, and all worlds are silent: all the Buddha teachings add nothing—the Buddha teachings are no different from the phenomena of the world, and the phenomena of the world are no different from the Buddha teachings. The Buddha teachings and worldly phenomena are neither mixed up nor differentiated. Knowing that the nature of elements is equal, entering everywhere into the triple world, never giving up the determination for great enlightenment, never retreating from the will to transform sentient beings, ever expanding and increasing the heart of great compassion, they are a reliance for all living beings.
“Then enlightening beings also form this thought: ‘If I do not develop and mature sentient beings, who will? If I do not pacify and civilize sentient beings, who will? If I do not teach and renew sentient beings, who will? If I do not awaken sentient beings, who will? If I do not purify sentient beings, who will? This is my duty, my task.’ They also form this thought: ‘If I alone understand this profound teaching, then only I will attain liberation in unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, while all sentient beings, being blind, will enter perilous paths, bound by afflictions, like people seriously ill constantly suffering pains. In the prison of craving and attachment, they are unable to get out by themselves. They will not leave the realms of hells, hungry ghosts, animals, or the netherworld; they cannot extinguish suffering or abandon evil deeds. Forever in the darkness of ignorance, they do not see reality. Revolving in birth and death, they have no means of emancipation. Living in the eight difficult situations, encrusted by all sorts of defilements, all manner of afflictions cover their minds. Deluded by false views, they do not travel the right path.’ Thus observing sentient beings, enlightening beings think, ‘It would not be proper for me to abandon these sentient beings while they are still undeveloped, immature, and unruly, and myself attain unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment. I should first transform these sentient beings, practicing enlightening deeds for unspeakably many eons, first developing the undeveloped, and taming the unruly.’
“When these enlightening beings abide by this practice, if gods, demons, ascetics, priests, or inhabitants of any worlds—cherubim, titans, etc.—should get to see them, or sojourn with them for awhile, and honor and respect them, serve them and give them offerings, or even hear of them, once having crossed their minds these deeds will not be in vain—they shall surely attain perfect enlightenment.
“This is called the great enlightening beings’ sixth practice, the practice of good manifestation.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ practice of nonattachment? These great enlightening beings, with minds free from attachment, can in every successive instant enter into countless worlds and adorn and purify these countless worlds, their minds free from attachment to anything in these worlds. They visit countless Buddhas, pay their respects, wait on them, and present them with offerings of countless flowers, perfumes, garlands, fragrant ointments, powdered incenses, clothes, jewels, banners, parasols, and various other adornments, all without number. These offerings are for the sake of the ultimate uncreated truth, for the sake of abiding in the inconceivable truth. In every instant they see countless Buddhas; their minds are free from attachment to the Buddha’s places, and they have no attachment to the buddha-lands either. They also have no attachment to the distinguishing marks of the Buddhas, and while they see the Buddhas’ auras of light and hear the Buddha’s sermons, yet they have no attachment. They also have no attachment to the congregations of the Buddhas and enlightening beings of the worlds of the ten directions.
“Having heard the Buddhas’ teachings, their minds are joyful, and the power of their will is greatly increased, so that they are able to encompass and carry out the practices of enlightening beings; yet they have no attachments.
“These enlightening beings, through unspeakably many eons, see untold Buddhas appear in the world; they attend and supply each Buddha for untold eons, never wearying of this. Seeing the Buddhas, hearing their teachings, and seeing the magnificent arrays of the assemblies of enlightening beings, they are unattached to any of them. And when they see impure worlds, they have no aversion. Why? Because these enlightening beings observe according to the Buddha teachings. In the teaching of the Buddhas, there is neither defilement nor purity, neither darkness nor light, neither difference nor unity, neither truth nor falsehood, neither security nor danger, no right path and no wrong path.
“Thus do enlightening beings enter deeply into the realm of reality, teaching and transforming sentient beings without forming attachments to sentient beings. They accept and hold the teaching, yet they do not form attachments to the teaching. They arouse the will for enlightenment and abide in the abode of the Buddhas, yet they do not form attachments to the abode of Buddhas. Though they speak, their minds have no attachment to speech. They enter the various realms of life with minds unattached to those realms. They comprehend concentration, can enter and can dwell in concentration, but they have no attachment to concentration. Going to visit countless buddha-lands, they may enter, see, or sojourn therein, but their minds have no attachment to buddha-lands, and when they leave they do not miss them.
“Because great enlightening beings are able to be without attachment in this way, their minds have no barriers to the Buddha teaching. They comprehend the enlightenment of Buddhas, they realize the discipline of the teaching, they abide by the right teaching of the Buddhas and cultivate
the practices of enlightening beings, they contemplate the enlightening beings’ methods of liberation. Their minds are free from attachment to the dwelling places of enlightening beings, and they also have no attachments to the practices of enlightening beings. They clear the way of enlightening beings and receive the prediction of enlightenment which is given to enlightening beings. Having received the prediction, they reflect, ‘Sentient beings are foolish and ignorant, without knowledge or vision, without faith or understanding, lacking in intelligent action, greedy and dishonest, covetous and grasping, revolving in the flow of birth and death—they do not seek to see the Buddha, they do not follow enlightened guides, they do not trust the Buddha; they are lost in error, mistakenly entering dangerous paths; they do not respect the Soviereign of the Ten Powers, they do not realize the benevolence of the enlightening beings. They are attached to their dwelling places, and when they hear that all things are empty, their minds are startled and frightened, and they shy away from the true teaching and abide in false teachings; they abandon the level, even path and enter perilous, difficult paths. They reject the ideas of the Buddha and pursue the ideas of demons. They are firmly and relentlessly attached to existents’. Thus observing sentient beings, enlightening beings increase in great compassion and develop roots of goodness—and yet they are unattached.
“At this point enlightening beings also think, ‘I should, for the sake of a single sentient being, in each land in the worlds in the ten directions, spend countless eons teaching and developing, and should do the same for all sentient beings, without on this account wearying or giving up.’
“Furthermore, measuring the entire universe with a hairtip, at a single point they pass unspeakably many unspeakable numbers of eons teaching, edifying, and civilizing all beings, and also do likewise at each and every point in the universe. Never for a moment do they cling to self or entertain any conception of self or possession. At each point they cultivate enlightening practice throughout the eons of the future, not attached to the body, not attached to phenomena, not attached to recollection, not attached to vows, not attached to concentration, not attached to contemplation, not attached to tranquil stabilization, not attached to spheres or objects, not attached to teaching and training sentient beings, and not attached to entering the realm of reality.
“Why? The enlightening beings form this thought: ‘I should look upon all objective realms as like phantoms, all Buddhas as like reflections, enlightening practices as like dreams, Buddhas’ sermons as like echoes; all worlds are like illusions, because they are upheld by the consequences of actions; differentiated bodies are like apparitions, because they are produced by the power of deeds; all sentient beings are like mind, because they are defiled by various influences; all things are like the limit of reality, because they cannot change.’
“They also form this thought: ‘I should carry on enlightening practices in all lands, in all worlds throughout space, moment after moment clearly realizing all truths taught by the Buddha, with precise presence of mind, free from attachments.’
“Thus do enlightening beings observe that the body has no self, and they see the Buddha without hindrance. In order to transform sentient beings, they expound various teachings, to cause them to have unlimited joy and pure faith in the Buddha’s teaching. They rescue all without weariness of mind. Because they are unwearied, if there are any sentient beings in any world who are not mature or unruly in any way, they go there and employ expedient methods to transform and liberate them. By virtue of great commitment and will they remain secure among those beings, various kinds of speech, deeds, attachments, devices, associations, routines, activities, perspectives, births, and deaths, and teach them, not letting their minds be disturbed or discouraged, and never for a moment forming any thought of attachment. Why? Because they have attained nonattachment and independence. Their own benefit and the benefit of others is fulfilled with purity.
This is called the great enlightening beings’ seventh practice, of nonattachment.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ practice of that which is difficult to attain? Here the enlightening beings perfect roots of goodness which are difficult to attain, invincible roots of goodness, supreme roots of goodness, indestructible roots of goodness, unsurpassable roots of goodness, inconceivable roots of goodness, inexhaustible roots of goodness, independently powered roots of goodness, greatly influential roots of goodness, roots of goodness which are of the same essence as all Buddhas.
“When these enlightening beings carry out their practice, they attain supreme understanding of the Buddha-teaching, they attain broad understanding of the Buddhas’ enlightenment. They never give up the vows of enlightening beings, and for all ages their minds never weary. They do not shrink from suffering, and they cannot be moved by any demons. Under the care of all Buddhas, they fully carry out all the difficult undertakings of enlightening beings. In cultivating enlightening practices, they are diligent and energetic, never lazy. They never retreat from the vow of universal salvation.
“Once the enlightening beings abide in these difficult to accomplish practices, they are able to transmute immeasurable ages of birth and death in every instant, without giving up the great vow of enlightening beings. If any sentient beings serve and support them, or even see or hear of them, they all will attain nonregression on the way to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Though the enlightening beings understand that sentient beings are not existent, yet they do not abandon the realms of sentient beings. They are like ship captains, not staying on this shore, not staying on the other shore, not staying midway, yet able to ferry sentient beings from this shore over to the other shore, because they are always traveling back and forth. In the same way enlightening beings do not stay in birth and death, do not stay in nirvana, and also do not stay in midstream of birth and death, while they are able to deliver sentient beings from this shore to the other shore, where it is safe and secure, without sorrow or trouble. And they have no attachment to the numbers of sentient beings—they do not abandon one being for attachment to many beings, and do not abandon many beings for attachment to one being. They neither increase nor decrease the realms of sentient beings; they neither exhaust nor perpetuate the realms of sentient beings; they neither discriminate nor bifurcate the realms of sentient beings. Why? Enlightening beings enter deeply into the realms of sentient beings as the realm of truth; the realms of sentient beings and the realm of truth are nondual. In the nondual there is no increase or decrease, no origination or destruction, no existence or nonexistence, no grasping and no reliance, no attachment and no duality. Why? Because enlightening beings realize that all things and the realm of truth are nondual.
“Thus do enlightening beings, by means of appropriate techniques, enter into the profound realm of truth and abide in formlessness while adorning their bodies with pure forms. They understand that things have no intrinsic nature, yet they are able to distinguish the characteristics of all things. They do not grasp sentient beings, yet they are able to know the numbers of sentient beings. They are not attached to worlds, yet they appear physically in Buddha-lands. They do not discriminate principles, yet they enter skillfully into the Buddha teachings; they profoundly understand their meanings and principles and extensively expound the verbal teachings. They comprehend the dispassionate reality of all things, yet do not cease the path of enlightening. They do not withdraw from enlightening, they always diligently cultivate inexhaustible practice. They freely enter the pure realm of reality.
“It may be likened to drilling wood to produce fire: fires may be unlimited but the fire doesn’t go out. In the same way do enlightening beings liberate people without end, yet they remain in the world forever without becoming extinct. They neither do nor do not reach an ultimate end; neither do nor do not grasp, neither do nor do not rely, are neither worldlings or Buddhists, neither ordinary people nor realized people.
“When enlightening beings accomplish this difficult
-to-attain state of mind, and cultivate enlightening practice, they do not preach the doctrines of the two vehicles, they do not preach buddhism, they do not talk about the world, they do not expound worldly doctrines, they don’t explain sentient beings, they don’t say there are no sentient beings, they don’t talk about purity or defilement. Why? Because enlightening beings know all things have no defilement and no grasping, do not proceed and do not recede.
“When enlightening beings practice this dispassionate, subtle, extremely deep and all-surpassing teaching, they do not think ‘I am cultivating this practice, have cultivated this practice, will cultivate this practice.’ They are not attached to physical or mental elements, or to sense faculties, sense consciousness, or sense data, or to inner or outer worlds. The great vows they undertake, their transcendent ways, and all their methods are without attachments. Why? Because in the realm of truth there are no names corresponding to reality; in the vehicle of listeners and the vehicle of the self-awakened there are no real names; in the vehicle of enlightening beings there are no real names; in perfect enlightenment there are no real names; in the world of ordinary people there are no real names, nor in purity or impurity, in birth and death or nirvana. Why? Because all things are nondual, yet none are not dual. They are like space, which anywhere in the universe, whether past, present, or future, cannot be apprehended, yet it is not that there is no space. Thus do enlightening beings observe all things to be ungraspable, yet not nonexistent. They see things as they are, without neglecting their tasks, everywhere demonstrating the practices of enlightening activities; they do not give up their great vows, civilizing sentient beings, turning the wheel of true teaching. They do not violate cause and effect and do not deny it, and do not deviate from the impartial truth. Equal to the Buddhas of all times, they do not cut off the lineage of buddhahood, they do not violate the character of reality. Entering deeply into the teaching, their expository ability is endless. They hear the teaching without attachment; reaching the profound depths of the teaching, they are able to expound it skillfully, hearts without fear. They do not give up the abode of Buddhas, but they do not violate natural laws; they appear throughout the world, yet are not attached to the world.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 57