The Flower Ornament Scripture

by Thomas Cleary

  “The enlightening beings know the embodiments of the bodies of beings as a mass of action, as a mass of consequences, as a mass of afflictions, as a mass of form, and they know formless embodiment. They know the smallness and greatness of bodies of lands, their measurelessness, their defilement and purity, their confusion, their inversion, their evenness, their interaction, and their differentiation of place and time. They know conventional distinctions of bodies of fruition of action; in the same way they know the conventions of distinctions of realization of bodies of Buddhist followers, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings. They know the bodies of buddhas as the embodiment of perfect enlightenment, as the embodiment of vows, as the emanation body, as the embodiment of empowerment, as the body arrayed with marks and embellishments of greatness, as the body of light, as the mentally produced body, as the embodiment of virtue, as the body of reality, and as the body of knowledge. They know the well-considered nature of the bodies of knowledge, their derivation from truth, their inclusion in fruition and effort, their division into mundane and supramundane, their establishment of the Three Vehicles, their generality and uniqueness, their liberative or nonliberative qualities, whether they are proper to those undergoing training or to those beyond it. They know the equality of reality bodies, their indestructibility, their conventional definitions according to situation and agreed usage, their definition in terms of animate and inanimate, and their definition in terms of the realities of Buddha and the realities of the holy community. They know the infinity of bodies of space, their all-pervasiveness, their incorporality, their absence of falsity, and their revelation of bodies of form.

  “Having realized such knowledge of bodies, the enlightening beings become powerful; they acquire control over life span among all beings, by virtue of the power to live endlessly, for untold eons. They acquire control of mind, by virtue of immersion in knowledge of measureless, countless concentrations and contemplations. They acquire control over implements, in terms of demonstration of the creation of many magnificently adorned sites in all worlds. They acquire control over action, in terms of showing the power of fruition of deeds according to the time. They acquire power over birth, in terms of manifesting birth in all worlds. They acquire control over inclination, in terms of showing all worlds filled with buddhas. They acquire control over vows, in terms of manifesting perfect enlightenment in any buddha-land in any time desired. They acquire control over mystic powers, in terms of showing miracles by mystic powers in all buddha-lands. They acquire control of the Teaching, in terms of showing the light of the Teaching in its infinite aspects. They acquire control of knowledge, in terms of showing the power, expertise, unique qualities, special marks and embellishments, and actualization of perfect enlightenment of buddhas. With the attainment of these ten controlling powers of enlightening beings, they are imbued with inconceivable knowledge, incomparable knowledge, immeasurable knowledge, vast knowledge, insuperable knowledge.

  “In the enlightening beings who have attained this stage and are imbued with such knowledge, ultimately impeccable conduct of physical, verbal, and mental action operates, led by knowledge, following knowledge, ruled by the ten transcendent ways, with great compassion in the forefront, skill in means well articulated, determination well developed, completely stabilized by the empowerment of Buddha, ceaselessly working for knowledge to benefit beings, aware of the endless distinction in realms of worlds. In sum, the physical, verbal, and mental actions of the enlightening beings who have attained this stage of Immovability operate for the concerted development of all aspects of buddhahood.

  “Thus having attained this stage of Immovability, the enlightening beings become well established in willpower, through freedom from the activity of all afflictions; they become firmly established in the power of determination, never deviating from the Path; they become well established in the power of great compassion, not giving up the benefit of sentient beings; they become well established in the power of great kindness, being saviors of sentient beings; they become well established in the power of mnemonic control, not forgetting the teachings; they become well established in the power of elocution, through skill in examination of the distinctions of all the Buddha teachings; they become well established in the power of mystic knowledge, through familiarity with the actions in endless worldly realms; they become well established in the power of vows, never giving up all enlightening practices; they become well established in the power of the transcendent ways, through concerted cultivation of all the Buddha teachings; they become well established in the power of the support of buddhas, confronting omniscient knowledge in all its aspects. Having attained the support of these powers of knowledge, they show all activities, impeccable and undefiled in all acts.

  “This eighth stage of enlightening beings is called Immovable because the enlightening beings cannot be deflected from their course; it is called the stage of nonregression because of the nonregression of knowledge; it is called the stage difficult to reach because of being difficult for any worldlings to know; it is called the stage of youth, because of innocence; it is called the stage of birth, because of power to effect whatever is wished; it is called the stage of perfection, there being nothing further to do; it is called the stage of completion because of having thoroughly accomplished ascertainment by knowledge; it is called the stage of nirvana because of having thoroughly accomplished vows; it is called the stage of empowerment because of being invulnerable to others; it is called the stage of effortlessness because of having been effected by what went before.

  “Furthermore, having developed such knowledge, the enlightening beings enter the family of buddhas, are illumined by the light of the virtues of buddhas, accord with the conduct of buddhas, come face to face with the realm of buddhahood, and are constantly sustained by the power of buddhas. They are welcomed by Indra, Brahma, and the world guardians, constantly attended by the thunderbolt bearers; they are never without the power of concentration, able to produce infinite different embodiments, imbued with the power of action in all bodies, consummate in development of great mystic knowledge, in control of endless concentration, receivers of infinite indications of enlightenment, and demonstrators of attainment of perfect enlightenment according to the maturity of sentient beings.

  “Having attained such knowledge of this stage and entered the circle of the Great Vehicle, with well-considered wisdom and mystic knowledge, constantly emanating the light of wisdom, having entered the unobstructed path of the realm of reality, able to distinguish many paths in the world, showing all aspects of virtue, in control of their own resolutions, with perspicacious knowledge of past and future, endowed with the knowledge to turn back all demons, having entered the realm and sphere of all enlightened ones, they carry out the conduct of enlightening beings in endless places in the realms of the world, with nonregressing application; thus are they said to have attained the eighth stage of enlightening beings, Immovable.

  “Then, having attained the Immovable stage of enlightening beings, they are never without the constant vision of endless buddhas, because of accomplishment of the power of concentration. Yet they never give up extensive meeting and attendance on buddhas: in every age, in every world, they honor, respect, serve, and provide in all ways for many buddhas, many hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions of buddhas; they attend those buddhas and receive from them provisions of illumination through their teachings, beginning with light on the differentiations of worldly realms. They further acquire the treasury of teachings of the buddhas, and become invincible in answering questions in the world.

  “Those roots of goodness of theirs, forged and purified over many eons, become more radiant; over many hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions of eons their roots of goodness are further forged, purified, and become more radiant. Just as well-refined gold made by a good goldsmith into an ornament and fastened on the neck or head of an emperor cannot be outshone by the ornaments of a
ll the people in the realm, in the same way the roots of goodness of enlightening beings in this Immovable stage cannot be outshone by all listeners, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings up to the seventh stage.

  “The light of wisdom and knowledge of enlightening beings who have reached this stage annihilates the darkness of afflictions of sentient beings, through accomplishment of accurate discernment of the means of knowledge. Just as a great Brahma god of a thousand worlds, pervading the thousand worlds with benevolence, illumines them with light, in the same way enlightening beings in this Immovable stage, pervading up to as many worlds as atoms in a million buddha-lands with the light of goodwill, progressively extinguish the fires of beings’ afflictions and cool them off.

  “Among the ten transcendent ways, transcendent vowing becomes predominant in these enlightening beings, while they practice the others as best they can.

  “This is a summary of the eighth stage of enlightening beings, called Immovable, the details of which would take forever to explain. Most of the enlightening beings in this stage become great Brahmas, lords of a thousand worlds, supreme, invincible, seeing what is beneficial, imbued with controlling power, capable, mighty, skilled in the presentation of explanation of the transcendent ways of all listeners, individual illuminates, and enlightening beings, insuperable in answering questions about the differentiations of worldly realms. Whatever they do, whether by way of giving, or kind speech, or beneficial action, or cooperation, is never apart from thoughts of Buddha, the Teaching, the Community, enlightening beings, the practices of enlightening beings, the ways of transcendence, the stages, the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas, and ultimately of omniscience in all its aspects. Why? That they may become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately all-knowing refuges.

  “Accordingly, they bring forth such energy, by which they instantly attain as many concentrations as atoms in a million billion-world systems, see as many buddhas as atoms in a million billion-world systems and acknowledge their power, shake as many lands as atoms in a million billion-world systems, illumine as many worlds as atoms in a million billion-world systems, mature as many beings as atoms in a million billion-world systems, abide for as many eons as atoms in a million billion-world systems, penetrate as many eons past and future as atoms in a million billion-world systems, ascertain as many ways into the Teaching as atoms in a million billion-world systems, and manifest as many bodies as atoms in a million billion-world systems, manifesting each body with a company of as many enlightening beings as atoms in a million billion-world systems; beyond that, enlightening beings with the power of vowing produce, by the excellence of their vows, countless transformations of the body, aura, light, mystic powers, vision, sphere of action, voice, activity, adornment, power, resolution, or performances.”

  Then Diamond Matrix spoke these verses describing this stage:

  Having purified wisdom and means in the seventh stage,

  Well provided for the Way, committed to great vows,

  Firmly established, the best of humans, imbued with goodness,

  Seeking knowledge, they enter the eighth stage.

  With virtue and knowledge, compassion and benevolence,

  Going on infinite paths of knowledge, with awareness like space,

  With the power of certain understanding of the teachings they hear,

  The great sages attain acceptance of nonorigination, tranquil and subtle.

  Primordially unborn, unoriginated, signless, all is

  Imperishable, not having become, unproduced,

  Void of essence of being, thus, beyond conception;

  So they are freed from thought and mentation, just like space.

  Accepting all things as such, free from idle fancy,

  Profoundly immovable, they arrive at peace of mind.

  It can hardly be known by worldlings, by their analytic reasoning,

  Because it is beyond concepts grasping mental images.

  Thus stabilized, there is no thinking in their minds,

  Like a monk who has reached extinction and attained nonthought,

  Like one dreaming of being in a river freed from concern on awakening,

  Like being in pure heaven, aloof of attachment to pleasure.

  On the basis of their previous resolution, the buddhas further exhort them:

  “This tolerance is higher than coronation by the buddhas,

  But our vast knowledge and supreme buddhahood

  Is not yet yours, so begin heroic effort.

  “Though you have extinguished the burning of the fire of affliction,

  Having seen the world still afflicted, remember your past vows;

  Having thought of the welfare of the world, work in quest

  Of the cause of knowledge, for the liberation of the world.

  “The real essence of things is permanent, suchness, beyond thought,

  In all buddhas, buddhas’ disciples, and individual illuminates—

  It is not by this that the buddhas appear in the world with ten powers,

  But only by vast knowledge, unattached to past, present, or future.”

  Thus do the incomparable ones, worthy of the honor of humans and gods,

  Provoke in the enlightening beings thoughts of many aspects of knowledge,

  Endless entry into consummation of the Buddha teachings,

  Of which past enlightening practice was not even a fraction.

  Having thereby reached this stage of knowledge, these majestic people

  Pervade everywhere in an instant, having gained entry into knowledge

  And having reached higher mystic knowledge,

  Like a ship on the ocean being borne along by the wind.

  Free from mental effort, established in the work of knowledge,

  They discern the becoming, decay, and subsistence of lands

  And penetrate the differentiations of the elements,

  Their fineness, grossness, and distinctions.

  They go into every atom in the billion-world system,

  The differentiation of the elements and bodies of beings,

  The distinctions and particles of precious substances in the realms of bliss:

  Knowing these, by their range of knowledge they calculate them all.

  Their minds developed in knowledge, they bring all bodies

  Into their own body, for the benefit of the beings;

  Pervading the billion worlds with various forms,

  They manifest various bodies in endless worlds.

  Just as the sun and moon, while in the sky,

  Appear as reflections in water,

  Remaining in the highest knowledge of the unmoving essence of Thusness,

  Enlightening beings appear, as reflections, intending to purify the world.

  According to beings’ dispositions, and the differences in their forms,

  Enlightening beings appear in all groups, in all worlds:

  They appear as disciples, as self-enlightened, as enlightening beings,

  And in the glorified form of buddhas.

  Beings, lands, as well as bodies of fruition of deeds,

  The various bodies—of reality, of knowledge—the bodies of sages,

  The body of space, majestic, all equal,

  They manifest, with various mystic powers, to satisfy the world.

  With tenfold control and reflection based on pure knowledge,

  Acting in accord with knowledge, following kindness and compassion,

  Doing whatever produces the qualities of all buddhas,

  Physically, verbally, mentally, they are stable as a mountain.

  All the ten powers of enlightening beings, unshakable,

  They attain to, invulnerable to all demons.

  Empowered by buddhas, they are honored by the gods

  And always attended by thunderbolt-bearers.

  The virtues of those who have attained this stage are endless

  And could not be exhausted in
a billion eons.

  Furthermore, they associate with millions of buddhas

  And become radiant as regal crowns.

  The enlightening beings who have attained this stage

  Become great Brahmas, lords of a thousand worlds, rich in virtue.

  Able to expound the three vehicles inexhaustibly,

  Their pure light of benevolence destroys the afflictions of the world.

  In a single instant they attain concentrations

  Numerous as atoms in a million world systems, steadfast,

  And see that many abodes of beings in the ten directions;

  And those with superior will go even beyond this.

  “This has been a summary of the eighth stage of enlightening beings, the details of which would take forever to tell.”

  When this stage had been explained, the Buddha’s power shook millions of lands, incalculable, unthinkable. Shining light emanated from the body of the All-Seer; the lands illumined by the light, the beings therein were enraptured. A thousand enlightening beings hovering in the sky presented the Buddha with gifts surpassing those of the gods. The gods of the higher heavens, ecstatic, honored the Ocean of Virtue with a variety of offerings. Then a thousand goddesses, thrilled, their senses all delighted, honored the Teacher with celestial song:

  These enlightening beings are all free from defects and defilement,

  Impeccably practicing whatever stage they are in;

  Considering the weal of the world, they go to all regions,

  Showing the way of the Victor, their minds equal to space.

  In the realms of humans, celestials, and dragon kings,

  The adornments in the ten directions are stamped with higher blessings;

  Greater still, incomparable, is what the enlightening beings show—