“It occurs to the enlightening beings that the spheres of the buddhas, those who have realized Thusness, the perfectly enlightened ones, are infinite and could not be counted even in hundreds of millions of billions of trillions of eons, and that they themselves should develop these spheres of buddhas and fulfill them, effortlessly, without vain thought, without false discrimination.
“Thus with perspicacious mystic knowledge, continuous application, replete with skill in means and wisdom, they become well established in these special undertakings on the Path, by unshakable application. While undertaking the accomplishment of the Path, they do not leave it for a moment; even while walking, standing, sitting, reclining, and even sleeping they are devoted to the accomplishment of knowledge. They are free from all obstruction, they maintain proper conduct, and they keep in mind such thoughts, by the inspiration of which they collectively fulfill the ten transcendent ways of enlightening beings. How so? In that way do the enlightening beings dedicate each thought, led by great compassion, to the fulfillment of buddhahood and enlightened knowledge.
“The giving to beings of their own roots of goodness by those attending to living beings compassionately while seeking enlightened knowledge is their transcendent generosity. The extinguishing of the burning of all afflictions is their transcendent discipline. Tolerance toward all beings out of kindness and compassion is their transcendent forbearance. Strength in tireless undertaking of ultimately good practices is their transcendent vigor. Proceeding toward omniscient knowledge without distraction is transcendent meditation. Tolerance in face of the essential nonorigination of all things is their transcendent wisdom. The accomplishment of unlimited knowledge is their transcendent skill in means. The realization of the penetration of knowledge of the ultimate undertaking is their transcendent vowing. Not suffering their path to be cut off by any opponents or gangs of demons is their transcendent power. The accomplishment of knowledge of all things as they are is their transcendent knowledge. Thus are the ten transcendent ways of enlightening beings fulfilled in every instant in this stage, which is called Far-Going. In the same way the four means of salvation, the four powers, the thirty-seven elements of enlightenment, the three doors of liberation—in sum, all aspects of enlightenment—are fulfilled moment to moment.”
When Diamond Matrix had said this, the enlightening being Moon of Liberation said to him, “Are all the elements of enlightenment fulfilled moment to moment only by enlightening beings in the seventh stage, or in all ten stages?”
Diamond Matrix said, “All the elements of enlightenment are fulfilled moment to moment by enlightening beings in all ten stages, but especially in this seventh stage. Why? This stage of enlightening beings fulfills practice that involves appropriate efforts and accedes to the practice of knowledge and mystic knowledge. Now in the first stage of enlightening beings the elements of enlightenment are fulfilled in the enlightening beings moment to moment by focus on all vows; in the second, by removal of mental defilements; in the third, by increase in commitment and attainment of the illumination of the Teaching; in the fourth, by entry into the Path; in the fifth, by going along with worldly occupations; in the sixth, by entry into the door of the teaching of profundity; and in this seventh stage all elements of enlightenment are fulfilled moment to moment by the establishment of all qualities of buddhahood. What is the reason for this? All the elements of effort to evoke knowledge that are accomplished by enlightening beings in the first through seventh stages are accomplished without effort beginning in the eighth stage, and on until the final end.
“It is as if there are two worlds, one defiled and impure, and one thoroughly pure; it is difficult to cross over the gap between these two worlds, except by the great power of higher knowledge: in the same way it is hard to cross over the gap between alloyed and pure practice of enlightening beings, and it is impossible to do so except by the empowerment of great vows, skill in means, and higher mystic knowledge.”
Moon of Liberation said, “Then is the practice of enlightening beings in this seventh stage to be considered alloyed with afflictions, or pure?”
Diamond Matrix said, “From the first stage of enlightening, all enlightening beings’ practices should be considered free from the blemishes of afflictions, due to the dominance of dedication to enlightenment, but because of being even with the path that accords to their station, up to the seventh stage it cannot be called practice which has completely transcended afflictions. It is like a king riding around on an elephant, recognizing people’s afflictions of suffering and poverty without himself being affected thereby—yet he has not thus far totally gone beyond the human condition. Then if he is born in the Brahma heaven, having relinquished the human body, and ascends to the Brahma palace, with little effort he goes around looking at the universe and shows the radiance of Brahma, he then cannot be called human. In the same way, from the first stage enlightening beings, mounted on the vehicle of the transcendent ways, course through all worlds, recognizing the ills of afflictions, but are not affected by them because of being on the right Path, but thus far cannot be said to have completely gone beyond the ills afflicting all beings. Having given up the practices of the seventh stage, they enter the eighth, and then, mounted on the completely pure vehicle of enlightening beings, traveling around all worlds, they recognize the ills afflicting all worldly beings, but they are not affected by those ills, having totally transcended worldly actions.
“Yet the enlightening beings in this seventh stage have mostly transcended the mass of all afflictions, beginning with greed; enlightening beings practicing this seventh stage, Far-Going, cannot be said either to be defiled with affliction or to be free of affliction. Why? Because they do not act out any afflictions, they cannot be said to be afflicted; because they are seeking buddha-knowledge and have not yet completely fulfilled their aspiration, they cannot be said to be without affliction.
“Enlightening beings in this seventh stage become endowed with physical, verbal, and mental action that is pure in intent; and they get beyond all bad courses of action that are disapproved of by the enlightened, and continually act in accord with the virtuous paths of conduct recognized by the enlightened. Also, whatever worldly arts and crafts and businesses they do in the fifth stage all operate without effort in the seventh stage. They become universally accepted as teachers, except of perfect buddhas and enlightening beings from the eighth stage on, who have no peer, whether in terms of will or practice. All their meditations, concentrations, attainments, mystic knowledges, and liberations become present to them, in terms of cultivation, but not as yet as mature accomplishments, just as in the eighth stage the power of cultivation of wisdom and means in every thought by enlightening beings in the seventh stage is fulfilled. They attain all the elements of enlightenment to an even greater degree than before.
“In this seventh stage enlightening beings attain an enlightening concentration called perfect conscious ascertainment, one called careful consideration of meaning, one called preeminent intellect, one called store of differentiation of meanings, one called ascertainment of all meanings, one called ascertainment of meanings of things as they are, one called firmly established root, one called door of knowledge and mystic power, one called purification and adornment of the phenomenal realm, one called praise of the enlightened, and a concentration called door of existence and nirvana concealing various meanings. In this way, beginning with these, fulfilling the ways of ingress into great mystic knowledge, they attain a hundred thousand sets of ten concentrations that purify the stages. By attainment of these concentrations in which means and wisdom are purified, and by the power of great compassion, they go beyond the stages of listeners and individual illuminates, and encounter the stage of contemplation with wisdom and knowledge. The unlimited actions of enlightening beings in the seventh stage are carried on without specific marks, as are their unlimited speech and thought. Thoroughly purified is the manifestation of acceptance of the nonorigination of all things.”
Moon of Liberation said, “Are not the unlimited physical, verbal, and mental actions of enlightening beings in the first stage beyond the practice of listeners and individual illuminates?”
Diamond Matrix said, “They are, but that is because of the magnitude of their intense focus on the Buddha Way, not by their own conscious contemplation. But in this seventh stage of enlightening beings they become insuperable because of realization through contemplation in their own sphere of awareness. It is like a prince born of a king and queen, who has the marks of kingship and as soon as he is born is superior to the ministers—that is because of the lordship of the king, not due to thought by his own intellectual power. Then when he grows up, he goes beyond the works of all the ministers because of his own intellectual power. In the same way, enlightening beings excel all listeners and individual illuminates as soon as they are inspired, because of the greatness of their determination, not because of contemplation by their own intelligence. But enlightening beings in this seventh stage go beyond all listeners and individual illuminates by establishment in greatness and preeminence of their own experiential knowledge. Furthermore, enlightening beings in this seventh stage attain profound, unattached, inconspicuous physical, verbal, and mental action, yet they do not give up intense effort seeking greater excellence, by which questing effort they reach extinction but do not make it their final realization.”
Moon of Liberation said, “From what stage do enlightening beings arrive at extinction?”
Diamond Matrix said, “They arrive at extinction from the sixth stage. In the seventh stage they enter and emerge from extinction in each mental instant, but they may not be said to actually experience extinction. Because of that they are said to have inconceivable physical, verbal, and mental action. It is a marvel how enlightening beings abide in ultimate reality without actually experiencing extinction. Just as a person with good knowledge of the characteristics of the waters of the ocean, educated, wise, and intelligent, with consideration relevant to every point, when on board a ship in the ocean becomes familiar with the winds and the currents and is unscathed by the ocean waters, in the same way enlightening beings in the seventh stage, having entered the ocean of omniscience of the great vehicle on board the vessel of the transcendent ways, abide in the sphere of ultimate reality, the limit of existence, yet do not experience extinction, and are not affected by the ills of thoughts of complete ultimate extinction of the compounded.
“Having attained this power and support of knowledge, by means or great awareness in which concentration, knowledge, and power are developed, by the power of skill in means and wisdom, they also show the face of mundane existence, while their minds are gone to nirvana. They are also surrounded by a great company, yet they have attained to constant detachment of mind. They undertake birth in the world by will power for the sake of development of beings, but they are not stained by the ills of the world. They also become tranquil, extremely calm and serene, yet by expedient means they ‘burn,’ without, however, being burned by burning. They are born in the knowledge of buddhas and leave the stages of listeners and individual illuminates. While they come to reach the storehouse of the realm of buddha-knowledge, yet they appear to have entered the realm of demons. Though they have completely transcended the paths of the four demons, yet they show the sphere of operation of the demons. They appear to practice the ways of non-Buddhists, yet their minds have not abandoned Buddhism. They appear to follow all worldly occupations, yet they attain the way to transcendence of the world. They acquire adornments surpassing those of all creatures, human, celestial, or fabulous, but they do not take their attention off delight in the way of the enlightened.
“To the enlightening beings in this seventh stage of Far-Going, many buddhas become visible, by great vision and willpower—many hundreds of buddhas, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands, many hundreds of thousands of millions, many hundreds of thousands of billions, many hundreds of thousands of trillions of buddhas. Having seen those buddhas, they honor and serve them with great zeal, providing them with food and drink, clothing, bedding, medicines, and furnishings, and also providing comforts for enlightening beings and paying respect to the religious community. Those roots of goodness they dedicate to perfect enlightenment. They attend those buddhas and listen to their teachings, take them up and remember them. Having heard the teachings, they put them into practice by means of the light of true attainment, wisdom, and knowledge, and protect them by accomplishing them, and become preservers of the teachings of the buddhas, unfazed by the intelligent questions of all listeners and individual illuminates. Their acceptance of the profound teaching, for the salvation of beings, becomes yet more purified.
“The roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this stage of Far-Going are forged over many eons, are purified, and become workable; they become immaculately pure over hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of trillions of eons. Just as gold studded with all kinds of jewels becomes yet more radiant, more luminous, and all the more outclasses all other ornaments, in the same way the roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this seventh stage of Far-Going, produced by skill in means, wisdom, and knowledge, become all the more radiant, luminous, and immaculate, and cannot be outshone by listeners and individual illuminates. Just as the light of the sun cannot be outshone by the lights of the stars and moon, and dries up most of the swamps and ripens the crops, in the same way those roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this stage of Far-Going cannot be outshone by listeners and individual illuminates, and mostly dry up delusions and their swamps of afflictions, and cause bodies defiled by afflictions to become wholesome.
“For these enlightening beings, among the ten transcendent ways, transcendent skill in means becomes paramount, while they practice the rest as best they can.
“This is a summary exposition of the seventh stage of enlightening beings, called Far-Going, most of the enlightening beings in which become celestial sovereigns with command of others’ emanations, competent and powerful, inexhaustible in evoking clear understanding in beings, and in answering the questions of listeners and individual illuminates, skilled at leading beings into certainty. Whatever acts they undertake, whether by giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, all of it is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practice of enlightening beings, the transcendent ways, the stages, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas, including omniscience complete in all respects. Why? Because they want to become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.
“Wishing to be thus, they undertake appropriate effort, by whose energy they instantly attain a quadrillion concentrations, see a quadrillion buddhas and recognize their power, shake a quadrillion worlds, go to a quadrillion lands, illumine a quadrillion worlds, develop a quadrillion beings to maturity, live for a quadrillion eons, penetrate a quadrillion eons past and future, contemplate a quadrillion means of teaching, manifest a quadrillion bodies, manifesting each body with a company of a quadrillion enlightening beings. Beyond that, enlightening beings with the power of vows can, by the excellence of their vows, perform countless transformations, of body, aura, mystic powers, vision, sphere of action, voice, conduct, adornment, empowerment, resolution, and performances.”
Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses describing this stage:
With profound knowledge following the trail of ultimate truth,
Mind stabilized in the sixth stage, perfectly concentrated,
Accomplishing the union of wisdom and means,
They enter the seventh stage of superior practice.
Empty, signless, wishless, yet with compassion and kindness,
Gone to the state of felicity, yet honoring the buddhas,
Tireless in virtue and power, while knowing them to be empty,
They enter the realm of the seventh stage.
In the world, with great forbearance,
they’ve acquired detachment,
Extinguished the flames of afflictions and stilled worldly cravings,
Coursing in the nonduality of things as like reflections, illusions, dreams,
Yet they show compassion, and enter the seventh stage.
They purify the land, while their own minds, equanimous, are without discriminatory thought;
They’re endowed with the marks of a buddha, while immovable in the essence of truth.
They speak for the benefit of the world, while detached from
And in an instant enter the mind of knowledge of buddhas.
Illumined, they contemplate these teachings.
Entering the higher stage desiring to benefit the world.
In this stage they do endless works for living beings,
Doing the deeds of buddhas, immeasurable.
They understand lands, their various orders and ages,
Inclinations, intentions, various states of mind,
And teach without end, faithfully,
To develop all to maturity.
Those who have reached the supreme Path by this mind of knowledge,
Combining wisdom and means in all their actions,
Having attained in each moment of thought herein the virtues of the Path,
Fulfill the ten transcendent states.
The seeking of good for all beings is giving;
Discipline is the cessation of afflictions, tolerance is noninjury;
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 98