“What is more, enlightening beings reflect, ignorant creatures, because of continually slipping into erroneous views, because of minds shrouded by the darkness of ignorance, because of being puffed up with pride, because of conceptions, because of mental fixations of desires caught in the net of craving, because of hopes pursued by actions in the tangle of deceit and falsehood, because of deeds connected with envy and jealousy producing mundane states, because of accumulation of actions rife with passion, hatred, and folly, because of the flames of mind ignited by anger and resentment, because of undertakings of actions bound up with delusion, because of seeds in the mind, intellect, and consciousness bound to the flows of lust, existence, and ignorance, therefore produce sprouts of subsequent life in the world. That is to say, name and form are born together, inseparable; and by the development of name and form, the assembly of six sense mediums takes place; once the mediums are formed, from their mutual contact sensation comes to be; and that sensation being enjoyed and sought more and more, the operation of craving grows; craving being developed, existence comes to be; once there is existence, birth, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, sadness, and anxiety appear. Thus does the mass of suffering of sentient beings arise. Seeing these beings’ inability to escape from this mass of suffering—not realizing it is without self or anything pertaining to self, that it is unreal, insubstantial, void, inert, ineffective, insensate as wood and stone, like a reflection—the enlightening beings develop great compassion to rescue them and free them from their miseries, and develop great kindness to bring them to endless bliss and nirvana.
“Thus, abiding in the first stage, by sympathy and kindness and by supreme will the enlightening beings, relinquishing all things with an equanimous mind, cultivate great relinquishments in a spirit of most urgent quest for enlightened knowledge. These relinquishments are: relinquishment of goods, food, stores, houses, gold, jewels, all kinds of treasure and money, jewelry and adornments, animals and vehicles, pleasant ponds, parks, forest retreats and monasteries, servants and employees, spouses and children, home, city, town, society, homeland, metropolis, and all parts of the body. Thus, having become indifferent to these, the intellect most ardently seeking enlightened knowledge relinquishes all things. Thus does the great relinquishment of those in the first stage of enlightening beings come to be.
“Thus, based on compassion, kindness, and relinquishment, the enlightening beings, for the sake of the salvation and liberation of all beings, more and more seek mundane and transcendental benefits for them, and while seeking arouse an unwearying mind. Thus do the enlightening beings become indefatigable and, being indefatigable, become expert in all learning. Thus in possession of learning, by intelligent consideration of what should and should not be done, the enlightening beings arrive at what is variously appropriate for inferior, mediocre, and superior beings, according to their power and endowments, thus attaining knowledge of the world and humanity. And the enlightening beings, knowing the world, acting in accord with time and measure, adorned with constant modesty and conscience, strive for the benefit of self and others. Thus the enlightening beings become modest and conscientious. And in those efforts the enlightening beings become uninterested in mundane satisfactions and attain nonreceding, undiminishing power; hence the arising of enlightening beings’ stable support of power. Thus stably empowered, the enlightening beings work on service to buddhas and receive their instructions. Hence arise in the enlightening beings the elements that purify the ten stages—faith, compassion, kindness, relinquishment, indefatigability, knowledge of the teachings, knowledge of the world and humanity, modesty and conscience, stable power, and attendance on buddhas.
“Enlightening beings in this stage of Joy get to see many buddhas, by broad vision and by the power of vows seeing many hundreds of buddhas, many thousands of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, many millions, many billions, many trillions of buddhas. Having seen those buddhas, those saints, those completely enlightened ones, by broad vision and the power of vows, the enlightening beings honor and serve them with supreme zeal, presenting them with the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, drink, vessels, bedding, and medicines, and they also bring comforts for enlightening beings, and they also respect and support the religious community. These supreme roots of goodness the enlightening beings dedicate to consummate enlightenment.
“From this service of buddhas arise means of development of beings, and the enlightening beings develop sentient beings to maturity by giving and by kind speech, the other two means of salvation helping out by the power of faith, though as yet without complete knowledge and attainment. Of the ten transcendent ways, the transcendent way of giving is foremost; not that the others are not cultivated, but they are practiced according to the enlightening beings’ power and endowment. And as the enlightening beings serve the buddhas and work for the development of sentient beings, practicing to accumulate these elements that purify the stages, thus do the enlightening beings’ roots of goodness, dedicated to universal knowledge, become more and more purified and capable of application as desired. Just as when gold is plunged into fire over and over by a skilled smith, it becomes more and more purified and workable and can be made into various ornaments as desired, in the same way as the enlightening beings attend buddhas and work for the perfection of sentient beings and cultivate the factors that purify the stages, so do their roots of goodness become more and more purified and useful.
“Then the enlightening beings in this stage should ask buddhas, enlightening beings, and spiritual friends about the characteristics and attainments of this first stage and should be tireless in seeking fulfillment of the components of this stage. In the same way, in order to fulfill the components of the stages of enlightening beings up to the tenth, the enlightening beings should become versed in the problems and solutions of the stages, in the formation and dissolution of the stages, in the forms and actions of the stages, in the attainments and cultivation of the stages, in the purification of the elements of the stages, in the progression from stage to stage, in the attainment of each stage without regression, in the purification of all stages of enlightening, and in the accession to the stage of enlightened knowledge.
“There is no cease in the ascent of the enlightening beings who are skilled in fostering the forms of practice of the stages up to accession to the tenth stage; by unceasing progress on the Path and by the light of knowledge of the stages, the enlightening beings attain the light of buddha-knowledge. It is like a skilled caravan leader who, wanting to lead a large caravan to a great city, first finds out about the qualities of the road to be traveled, the defects of the road, the best places to stop along the way, the places not to stop, and what is to be done about provisions for the trip, thus knowing well how to get to the great city, from the beginning to the end of the journey. Thus, by fully preparing for the way by this intelligent consideration, the caravan leader finally reaches the great city along with the caravan, without the caravan or himself being beset by difficulties in desolate places. In the same way the enlightening beings, as clever caravan leaders, when established in the first stage of enlightening beings, become familiar with the issues and solutions of the stages, the formation and dissolution of the stages, the practical aspects of the stages, the attainments and cultivation of the stages, the purification of the elements of the stages, the progression from one stage to another, the consolidation of each stage, the special knowledge of each stage, attainment of each stage without regression, and accession to the stage of buddha-knowledge by means of the quality of purification of all the stages of enlightening beings. Then the enlightening beings, having gotten together provisions of great virtue and knowledge, and having well established a store of knowledge, wishing to lead the great caravan of sentient beings to the city of omniscience, first inquire into and find out the qualities of the path of the stages, deviations from the path of the stages, errors on the path of the stages, the best of stations along the path of the
stages, and what is to be done about the provisions of virtue and knowledge for the path of the stages, asking buddhas, enlightening beings, and spiritual friends about this to become versed in how to reach the great city of omniscience. Thus, by intelligent consideration of the way before proceeding and by thus fully preparing provisions of virtue and knowledge, the enlightening beings lead the great caravan of sentient beings according to their maturity across the wasteland of the mundane whirl to the great city of omniscience, without either the caravan or the enlightening beings being beset by the ills of the wasteland. Thus enlightening beings should work tirelessly on the cultivation of stages.
“This is a brief explanation of enlightening beings’ entry into the first stage of Extreme Joy. Enlightening beings in this stage are mostly monarchs of a continent, having attained great power and sovereignty, guardians of right, wise and capable, taking good care of beings with great generosity, undertaking unlimited acts of charity to rid beings of the taint of envy and discontent. And whatever acts the enlightening beings undertake, whether by giving, or by kind speech, or by beneficial action, or by cooperation, those acts are never apart from thoughts of Buddha, of the Teaching, of the Community, of enlightening being, of the practices of enlightening beings, of the transcendent ways, of the stages, of the expertise and unique qualities of buddhas, of omniscience complete in all respects. To what purpose? To become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.
“Those who seek to be thus undertake the appropriate effort, by which they give up all comforts and go forth in conformity with the teaching of Buddha. Having gone forth, enlightening beings instantly attain a hundred concentrations and see a hundred buddhas and acknowledge their power; they stir a hundred worlds, go to a hundred lands, illumine a hundred worlds, mature a hundred beings, live for a hundred eons, penetrate a hundred eons past and future, contemplate a hundred teachings, and manifest a hundred bodies, each body manifesting a company of a hundred enlightening beings. Then enlightening beings with superior power of commitment, by the quality of excellence of vows, transform their bodies, auras, mystic powers, vision, spheres of operation, voices, conduct, adornments, power, resolutions, and performances in countless ways.”
Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses explaining the meaning of this stage:
Having accumulated pure qualities and attained virtues,
Done service, following enlightened kindness and compassion,
Embodying supreme faith and pure goodwill,
They produce an incomparable mind for enlightened knowledge.
Intent on the power, purification, and energy of the all-knowing buddhas,
To attain the state of the Victorious and save the world,
The supreme will arises to develop great compassion,
Turn the wheel of the teaching, and purify the buddha-lands.
To know all times in an instant without discriminating thought,
To clarify good timing in the world in its variety,
Seeking, in short, all the qualities of the Guides,
This noble mind, immeasurable as space, is born.
Commanded by wisdom, led by compassion, endowed with skill in means,
Pure in resolution and intent, measureless in power,
Unobstructed, direct, not relying on another’s guidance,
Knowledge of the supreme mind equal to the enlightened,
With the birth of this mind-jewel of enlightening beings
One transcends the sphere of the ignorant and reaches the sphere of buddhas,
Is born in the family of the enlightened, impeccable,
Gone to equality with buddhas, certain of highest enlightenment.
Once one produces this mind, one attains this stage,
The will immovable as a mountain,
Joyful and happy, serene, resolute, and forceful,
With a buoyant mind,
Nonviolent, harmless, free from anger,
Modest and respectful, with superior honesty, self-controlled;
One remembers the immeasurable knowledge that saves the world
And becomes joyful in anticipation of that state.
When one attains this stage, five fears depart—
Not being able to make a living, dying, reputation, misery, fear of groups—
Thus fear is gone: why?
Because there is no attachment to self.
Those free from fear and full of compassion and kindness,
With faith, respect, and modesty, rich in virtues,
Practicing good day and night, seek the teaching for the sake of truth
And not for enjoyment of mundane desires.
Considering well the teachings they have heard with unattached minds,
Their will for enlightenment directed without desire for gain,
Seeking knowledge and power, the purifying teachings of buddhas,
They work on the ways of transcendence, free from delusion and conceit.
Acting in accord with their words, steadfast in truthful speech,
They do not sully the family of buddhas, carrying out the study of enlightenment;
Detached from mundane doings, wishing benefit for the world,
Tireless in good works, they climb ever higher.
Thus seeking the truth, intent on the quest for virtue,
They undertake the vow to behold the buddhas;
To preserve the true teaching and approach the seers,
They undertake the vows of those whose acts are supreme.
To develop beings and purify the buddha-land,
To populate their land with enlightening beings,
With unity of purpose, not in vain,
They seek enlightenment everywhere.
They undertake many such vows, which are infinitely extensive,
Enduring as space, beings, time, the nature of things, nirvana,
The world, the emergence of buddhas,
And the ground of knowledge.
They will their vows to last as long as there are mental objects
And access to knowledge, endless in the world as long as it operates:
“When these end, may my undertakings end too—
May I attain practice enduring as these.”
Thus thoroughly dedicated, with harmonious, flexible minds,
They put faith in the virtues of buddhas and observe sentient beings:
Knowing beings are conditioned, out of compassion they feel
They should rescue suffering beings from afflictions.
For that purpose they undertake various kinds of giving—
Of kingship, all kinds of treasures, horses and elephants,
Their heads, hands, feet, eyes, even their blood and flesh—
All they give away, without becoming distressed in mind.
They seek out various teachings, indefatigable;
Learned, they accord with the ways of the world.
Knowing the world, modest and steadfast,
They serve innumerable buddhas with reverence and respect.
Thus they practice constantly, day and night,
Their virtue refined as gold in fire;
Thus having made the preparations for the ten stages,
They attain freedom from hindrance, having destroyed the obstacles.
Just as a caravan leader, for the benefit of the great caravan,
Asks about the features of the road and then goes safely,
So do enlightening beings in the first stage setting out
Reach enlightenment unhindered, by way of the ten stages.
Stationed here, they become virtuous sovereigns,
Guiding aright, nonviolent and benevolent;
Leaders of the whole continent, they bring all people
To relinquishment and the highest buddha-knowledge.
Having boldly abandoned rulership in search of truth,
They betake themselves to Buddha’s teaching and begin to practice it;
&
nbsp; Attaining a hundred concentrations and seeing a hundred buddhas,
They shake a hundred lands and travel as illuminators.
They purify a hundred beings, seek out a hundred doors of truth,
And penetrate a hundred eons, manifesting a hundred bodies;
They manifest a hundred enlightening beings, or even more,
The power of their supreme vows immeasurable.
“This is an explanation of the excellent first stage of enlightening beings seeking benefit for all worlds. Such is the first stage of enlightening beings, which is called Extreme Joy.”
Having heard about the supreme felicitous realm of this stage, the enlightening beings were delighted, their minds and thoughts pure: getting up from their seats and rising into the air, they scattered flowers all around, uttering words of praise:
Excellent, Diamond Matrix, replete with great wisdom and expertise;
You have explained well this stage practiced by enlightening beings.
The assembly pure in mind, Moon of Liberation asks
To hear about the next highest, second stage.
How should the mind be directed to see the second stage?
Speak forth, O wise one—the enlightening beings desire to hear.
The enlightening being Diamond Matrix said, “The enlightening beings who have successfully accomplished the requirements of the first stage and seek the second stage should activate ten mental dispositions: honesty, gentleness, capability, docility, tranquillity, goodness, nondefilement, nonattachment, broad-mindedness, and magnanimity. When these ten dispositions are operative, one is established in the second stage of enlightening beings, the stage of Purity.
“Enlightening beings in the stage of Purity naturally become imbued with ten virtuous ways of acting: they avoid taking life, they abandon weapons and hostility, they have conscience and sympathy and are compassionate and kind to all living beings, wishing for their welfare. They do not harm living beings even in their fantasies, much less injure other beings by gross physical harm with the conception of beings as such.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 91