At this point, because of the great spiritual power of the Buddha, because of the effluence of past roots of goodness, and because of his inconceivable mystic powers, all the gods and goddesses in the Tushita palace saw the Buddha from afar as though he were right before them. They all had the same thoughts: “The appearance of an Enlightened One in the world is rarely encountered—now we are getting to see an omniscient one, who has unimpeded true awareness of all things.” Thus thinking, thus observing, together with the other groups they all welcomed the Buddha, each heaping celestial robes with all kinds of flowers, fragrances, jewels, ornaments, heavenly sandalwood and aloe incense, celestial jewel incenses, flowers of all heavenly fragrances, and mandarava flowers from all the heavens, and spread them as offerings to the Buddha.
Hundreds of trillions of infinities of Tushita deities hovered in the air; all considering the Buddha the realm of wisdom and knowledge, they burnt all kinds of incenses, producing aromatic clouds, adorning the sky. Also, thinking of the Buddha with joy, they showered clouds of celestial flowers, adorning the sky. Also, thinking of the Buddha with respect, they showered clouds of celestial canopies, adorning the sky. Also, desirous of making offerings to the Buddha, they scattered clouds of all kinds of celestial garlands, adorning the sky. Also, engendering resolute faith in the Buddha, they cast countless nets of gold through the sky, with chimes of all kinds of jewels continuously producing beautiful tones. Also, considering the Buddha the supreme field of blessings, they adorned the sky with countless drapes and showered clouds of all kinds of jewelry endlessly. Also, conceiving profound faith in the Buddha, they adorned the sky with countless celestial mansions, playing all manner of celestial music, producing subtle, melodious tones. Also, considering how rare it is to meet a Buddha, they adorned the sky with clouds of celestial raiment of all kinds of colors, showering various incomparably beautiful robes. Also, their hearts leaping with boundless joy at the Buddha, they adorned the sky with countless celestial jewel crowns, raining countless celestial crowns forming great clouds. Also, conceiving great joy in regarding the Buddha, they adorned the sky with countless jewels of various colors, ceaselessly raining clouds of all kinds of jewelry.
Hundreds of trillions of infinities of celestial beings, all conceiving pure faith in the Buddha, scattered countless heavenly flowers of various colors and burned various celestial incenses as offerings to the Buddha. Also, thinking of the Buddha as a magnificent miraculous appearance, they brought celestial sandalwood incenses of innumerable various colors and reverently scattered them before the Buddha. Also, their hearts leaping with joy in regarding the Buddha, they followed the Buddha holding countless precious celestial robes of various colors and spread them on the roads as offerings to the Buddha. Also, regarding the Buddha with purity of mind, they greeted the Buddha carrying countless banners of celestial jewels of various colors. Also, conceiving supreme joy at the thought of the Buddha, they brought countless celestial adornments of various colors to present to the Buddha. Also, engendering unbreakable faith in the Buddha, they brought countless garlands of celestial jewels to present to the Buddha. Also, incomparably joyful at the thought of the Buddha, they brought countless pennants of celestial jewels of various colors to offer to the Buddha. A hundred trillion infinities of celestial beings, with tamed, tranquil minds free from indulgence, brought countless celestial musical instruments of various forms producing sublime tones to present to the Buddha.
A hundred trillion infinities of enlightening beings already living in the palace of the Tushita heaven, with offerings surpassing those of all the gods, produced by the teaching transcending the worlds of desire, form, and formlessness, produced by infinitely broad knowledge, developed by steadfast pure faith, produced by action free from afflictions, produced by the all-pervading unobstructed mind, produced by the profound principle of adaptable methodology, produced by inconceivable roots of goodness, perfected by countless displays of skill in means, revealed by the will to make offerings to the Buddha, stamped by the teaching of noncreation, made gifts of these offerings to the Buddha. They presented to the Buddha canopies of all precious substances born in the transcendent ways, drapes of all kinds of flowers born of pure understanding of the realm of all Buddhas, all kinds of garments born of acceptance of the nonorigination of things, all kinds of nets of chimes born of the unimpeded mind entering into the state of indestructibility, all kinds of solid fragrance born of the mind understanding all things are like apparitions, beautiful thrones of myriad precious substances of all Buddhas, born of the mind omnipresent at the thrones of Buddhas in all realms of enlightenment, banners of all jewels, born of the mind tirelessly make offerings to the Buddhas, palaces of all jewels, dwelt in by the Buddhas, born of the joyful mind that understands that all things are like dreams, clouds of lotus blossoms of all jewels, born of roots of goodness without attachment and uncreated roots of goodness, clouds of all solid incenses, clouds of boundless flowers of all colors, clouds of exquisite raiment of all various colors, clouds of infinite pure sandalwood incenses, clouds of precious canopies with all kinds of embellishments, clouds of all burning incenses, clouds of all kinds of beautiful garlands, clouds of all kinds of pure decorations, all filling the cosmos, going beyond all the heavens.
Those enlightening beings each produced from their bodies unspeakable hundreds of trillions of infinities of enlightening beings, filling the space of the cosmos, their minds all equal to the Buddhas of all times; by means of development from the delusion-free teaching and strengthening by the power of infinite enlightened ones, they revealed to sentient beings the path of peace; equipped with unspeakably many meaningful expressions, they entered into the seeds of all concentration formulae containing infinite teachings, and produced inexhaustible treasuries of intellectual powers; their minds without fear, they conceived great joy, and with unspeakable infinities of points of truthful praise they tirelessly eulogized the Enlightened One.
Then all the celestial beings and all the enlightening beings saw the Buddha, the perfectly enlightened one, the inconceivable hero of humanity, his bodies infinite, uncountable, manifesting inconceivably many different varieties of mystical transfigurations, causing the minds of countless sentient beings to be full of joy, pervading all universes throughout space, adorned with the embellishments of buddhahood, causing all sentient beings to abide in roots of goodness, displaying infinite spiritual powers of the Buddhas, beyond all manners of speaking, admired and respected by all great enlightening beings, causing them all to rejoice in accord with what they need to be taught, abiding in the immense body of the Buddhas, all virtues and roots of goodness purified, most excellent in appearance, not to be outshone by anyone.
The sphere of the Buddha’s knowledge was inexhaustible, born of incomparable concentration. His body was boundless, omnipresent in the bodies of all sentient beings. He caused great joy to infinite beings. He caused the lineage of omniscient ones to continue unbroken. Dwelling in the ultimate abode of the Buddhas, born in the family of the Buddhas of past, present, and future, he caused the faith of countless sentient beings to be purified, and caused the knowledge and wisdom of all enlightening beings to be perfected. All his senses were joyful. The clouds of his teaching covered all universes in space, teaching and taming without omission, fulfilling all sentient beings according to their mentalities, causing them to abide in nondiscriminatory knowledge. He was beyond all sentient beings.
Having attained omniscience, he radiated a great light. Causing his roots of goodness of past ages to be clearly manifest, he inspired great determination in everyone and caused all sentient beings to abide in the indestructible knowledge of universal good. Abiding everywhere in all lands of sentient beings, born of the nonregressing true teaching, he dwelt in the totally impartial realm of reality. Clearly understanding what was appropriate to the minds of sentient beings, he manifested unspeakably many different buddha-bodies, beyond the power of worldly speech to extol, able to cause all to always think
of the Buddha, filling the cosmos, liberating vast numbers of living beings. According to the aid they required, he bestowed the teaching on them, causing them to be pacified and their faith to be pure, manifesting inconceivable physical forms.
Regarding all living beings impartially, his mind had no attachments. He dwelt in the abode of nonobstruction and had attained the ten powers of buddhahood without impediment. His mind was always quiet and stable, never distracted or disturbed. Abiding in omniscience, he was able to express all kinds of truths. Able to enter completely into the boundless ocean of knowledge, he produced infinite treasuries of virtue and wisdom. With the sun of enlightenment he constantly illumined the entire cosmos.
In accord with the power of his original vows, he was always manifest, never disappearing, always dwelling in the realm of reality, abiding in the abode of Buddhas, without change. He had no attachment to self or to possessions. He dwelt in the transmundane state and was not affected by mundane things. In all worlds he set up the banner of knowledge and wisdom, his knowledge vast and great, transcending the world, with no attachments. He rescued sentient beings from the mire, placing them on the highest ground of wisdom. All his blessings and virtues benefited sentient beings yet were never exhausted.
He was fully aware of the knowledge and wisdom of all enlightening beings, their faith and direction certain, sure to attain enlightenment. By great compassion he manifested infinite adornments of the buddha-body. With a wondrous voice he expounded infinite teachings, satisfying sentient beings according to their mentalities. In the past, future, and present, his mind was always pure. He caused all sentient beings to be unattached to objects. He constantly forecast the enlightenment of all the enlightening beings, causing them to enter the family of Buddhas to be born in the house of Buddhas, and attain the coronation of Buddhas.
He always traveled throughout the ten directions, never resting, never craving for or clinging to anything. Able to live in all buddha-lands in the cosmos, he knew the minds of all sentient beings. All his virtues were unworldly and pure. He did not dwell in birth and death, yet appeared throughout the world, like a reflection. He illumined the whole cosmos by the moon of knowledge and realized that everything is ungraspable. By his wisdom he was constantly aware that all worlds are like illusions, like reflections, like dreams, like magic tricks, that all have mind as their inherent nature. Abiding in this way, he manifested buddha-bodies in accord with the dissimilarities of the actions and consequences of sentient beings, the distinctions in their mental inclinations, and the individual differences in their faculties.
The Enlightened One was always relating to countless sentient beings, explaining to them that everything in the world derives from conditional, interdependent origination. He knew that the signs of all things are signless, this being their sole characteristic, the basis of wisdom. He wanted to cause all sentient beings to detach from all signs, forms, and characteristics. He showed clearly all natures and characteristics of the world, thus traversing the world; to reveal to them unexcelled enlightenment, desiring to rescue all sentient beings, he appeared in the world and showed the way of the enlightened. He caused them to perceive the features of the body of the enlightened one, to concentrate on them and meditate on them, to diligently cultivate and develop themselves to annihilate mundane afflictions, cultivate enlightening practice with unwavering minds, and attain fulfillment of all aspects of the Great Vehicle, attaining the rewards of the Buddhas.
He was able to observe the roots of goodness of sentient beings, and did not allow the results of their pure deeds to die out. His knowledge was clear and complete entering into all times, forever detached from all mundane discrimination. He radiated networks of light beams, fully illuminating all worlds in the ten directions.
Those who saw him never tired of beholding the sublime refinements of his physical form. By means of great virtue, knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual power, he produced all kinds of enlightening practices. The spheres of his senses were free and complete, round and full. He did Buddha-work, and when he finished doing it he disappeared.
He was able to show the path of all knowledge of past, present, and future. For the enlightening beings he showered a rain of innumerable concentration formulae, causing them to develop great rapture, to take them up, hold them, and practice them, and perfect the virtues of all Buddhas, in their full glory, with boundless wonderful forms, to adorn their beings.
He saw everything in all worlds, and was forever rid of all obstruction. He had attained the pure true meaning of all verities. He had attained mastery of virtuous qualities, and was a great king of truth, like the sun illumining everywhere. Being a field of blessings for the world, he had great dignity, influence, and virtue.
He manifested emanation bodies in all worlds, radiating the light of wisdom, causing all to be enlightened. Wanting to cause all sentient beings to know the boundless virtues possessed by the Buddha, he took the turban of nonobstruction, tied it on his head, and assumed the rank of Budhahood. Adapting to the world, he guided by means of expedient methods, comforting beings with the hand of wisdom. As a great physician, he skillfully cured all sickness, able to go to all the countless lands in all worlds, without rest.
His clear, pure eye of wisdom was free from all obstructions, able to clearly see all. Evil-doing sentient beings he tamed in various ways, causing them to enter the Path, skillfully seizing appropriate opportunities to civilize and teach them, never ceasing. If sentient beings developed equanimous, impartial minds, he would then show them the consequences of impartial deeds. In accord with their inclinations and in accord with their actions and results thereof, he manifested various spiritual powers of the buddha-body for them, to expound the truth and enlighten them, that they may attain the knowledge and wisdom of the teaching, and that their minds be joyful and their senses ecstatic, that they see innumerable Buddhas, develop profound faith, and produce roots of goodness, never regressing.
All sentient beings, in accord with their involvement and entrapment by actions, sleep forever in birth-and-death; the Enlightened One, appearing in the world, can awaken them all, comfort their minds, and cause them to be without anxiety or fear. Any who see him he causes to realize independent knowledge of truth. With knowledge and skill in means he comprehends the objective world. His embellishing marks and adornments cannot be overshadowed. His mountain of wisdom and talons of teaching are all purified.
Sometimes he manifests as an enlightening being, sometimes he appears as a Buddha, causing all sentient beings to arrive at the realm of sorrowlessness. Adorned by countless virtues, developed by practical action, he appears in the world. The adornment and purity of all Buddhas are accomplished by the works of omniscience.
Always keeping his original vow, he does not abandon the world, being a steadfast benefactor of sentient beings. His supreme pure light makes itself visible to all sentient beings. By means of spiritual power, the Buddha always follows the sentient beings of the six realms of mundane existence, boundless and countless, never abandoning them. If there are any who have planted similar roots of goodness in the past, he causes them all to be purified, yet without giving up his original vow with regard to all sentient beings of the six paths of mundane existence. He deceives no one, appropriately dealing with them in virtuous ways, causing them to practice pure acts and break up demonic conflicts.
From the realm of nonobstruction he produces great power. Nothing blocks his supreme treasury of light. He manifests reflections in the realm of pure minds, which all worlds see. He bestows many various teachings on sentient beings. Buddha is a boundless treasury of light; his powers, knowledge, and wisdom are all fully complete. He constantly illumines all sentient beings with great light, causing them all to be fulfilled in accordance with their aspirations. Beyond all enmity, he is the highest field of blessings, relied upon by all sentient beings; if any give anything, he causes them to be pure, and to receive boundless blessings from doing a little bit of good. He causes all
to be able to enter the stage of inexhaustible knowledge. He is the pure-minded master, planting roots of goodness for all sentient beings. He is the most excellent fertile field producing blessings and merit for sentient beings. His knowledge and wisdom is exceedingly deep; with skill in means he can rescue all from the pains of the woeful states of greed, anger, and ignorance.
Thus believing, thus observing, thus entering the depths of knowledge, thus sporting in the ocean of virtues, thus arriving at spacelike wisdom, thus cognizing sentient beings’ field of blessings, thus contemplating with presence of mind, thus observing the deeds, marks and embellishments of Buddha, thus observing the Buddha appearing throughout the world, thus observing the Buddha’s mystical power, the great congregation at that time saw each pore of the Buddha’s body emit a hundred trillion infinities of light beams, each beam of light having countless hues, countless purities, countless radiances, causing countless beings to watch, countless beings to rejoice, countless beings to be happy, countless beings to grow in faith, countless beings’ aspiration to be pure, countless beings’ senses to be pure and cool, and causing countless beings to develop respect and honor.
Then the great assembly all saw the Buddha’s body emit a hundred trillion infinities of inconceivable great lights, each light with inconceivably many hues and inconceivable many beams illumining inconceivably many realms of phenomena, by the Buddha’s spiritual power producing great subtle sound conveying infinites of eulogies in words transcending all worlds, perfected by transmundane virtues. He also manifested hundreds of trillions of quadrillions of inconceivable numbers of subtle adornments, which could never be fully described even in a hundred trillion quadrillion inconceivable number of eons, all of them produced by the inexhaustible spiritual power of the Buddha. He also manifested unspeakably many enlightened ones arising in the world and leading sentient beings into the door of wisdom to understand the most profound truth. He also manifested the docetic metamorphoses of the enlightened ones throughout the space of the cosmos, causing all worldly beings to be impartial and purified. All of this sprung from the unhindered omniscience in which the Buddha dwelt. It was also born of the inconceivable superlative virtues which the Buddha cultivated. He also manifested a hundred trillion quadrillion inconceivable numbers of beautiful jewel light flames, originating from the good roots of his ancient great vows. He did so because he had presented offerings to and served countless enlightened ones, because he had cultivated pure practices without slacking, because his omniscient mind, without impediment, produced roots of virtue, in order to reveal the universality of the powers of the enlightened, to cut off the doubts of all sentient beings, to cause all of them to be able to see the enlightened one, to cause infinite sentient beings to abide in virtue, to show the enlightened one’s spiritual powers cannot be outshone, to cause all sentient beings to be able to enter into the ocean of the ultimate, to cause the enlightening beings of all buddha-lands to assemble, and because he wanted to reveal the inconceivable teachings of the Buddha.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 63