“These enlightening beings attain such knowledge, verify such principles, thoroughly abide by and clearly see such truths, acquire such spiritual powers, sojourn in such realms, manifest such mystical projections, produce such spiritual communications, always abide in great compassion, always help sentient beings, show sentient beings the true path of peace and serenity, set up the great banner of light of virtue and knowledge, experience inconceivable liberation, abide in the liberation of universal knowledge, reach the other shore of liberation of buddhas, have learned and mastered the aspects of expedient means of inconceivable liberation, enter the doors of differentiation of the cosmos without confusion, freely roam in the untold numbers of concentrations of Universal Good, and abide in rapidly expanding knowledge, their minds and intellects unimpeded.
“Their minds always abide in ten great metaphysical treasuries: remembering all buddhas; remembering all Buddha teachings; great compassion to pacify all beings; knowledge to reveal inconceivable pure lands; certain understanding entering deeply into the realm of buddhahood; enlightenment equal in all features in all buddhas, past, present, and future; nonimpediment and nonattachment; the signlessness of all things; the equal roots of goodness of all buddhas, past, present, and future; the guiding knowledge of the cosmic, nondiscriminatory physical, verbal, and mental action of all buddhas of past, present, and future; contemplation of all buddhas of all times being born, leaving home, going to the site of enlightenment, attaining true awakening, turning the wheel of the Teaching, and finally passing utterly away, all in the space of an instant. These ten great metaphysical treasuries are immensely vast, without measure, incalculable, unthinkable, inexplicable; they are inexhaustible, difficult to bear, impossible for any and all worldly knowledge to expound.
“These great enlightening beings have already reached the transcendental consummation of the practices of Universal Good and have witnessed the pure truth. Their willpower is immense. They teach sentient beings innumerable roots of goodness and increase all the powers of enlightening beings. In every succeeding moment they fulfill all the virtues of enlightening beings, accomplish all practices of enlightening beings, attain the methods of mental command of all buddhas, and absorb and hold the teachings of all buddhas. Though they always abide in the reality of True Thusness, yet they adapt to all conventional terms to show the ways to pacify and harmonize all sentient beings. Why? Because when great enlightening beings are in this concentration, they are naturally like this.
“By means of this concentration great enlightening beings acquire the vast knowledge of all buddhas; they gain the free intellectual powers to skillfully explain all great teachings; they attain the unhesitating expertise that is most excellent and pure in the world; they gain entry into knowledge of all concentrations; they master all enlightening beings’ skillful techniques; they find the door of illumination of all truths; they reach the final consummation of the way to comfort all worldly beings; they know what is timely and what is not for all sentient beings; they illumine everywhere in the worlds of the ten directions; they enable all living beings to attain higher knowledge; they are unexcelled teachers of all worlds; they persist in all virtues; they reveal pure concentration to all sentient beings and enable them to enter supreme knowledge.
“Why? When great enlightening beings cultivate practice in this way, they benefit living beings, so they increase great compassion, so they draw near to worthy associates, so they see all buddhas, so they comprehend all truths, so they go to all lands, so they enter all regions, so they enter all worlds, so they realize the equality of all things, so they know the equality of the buddhas, so they abide in the equanimity of universal knowledge.
“In this practice they carry out this kind of action, no other: they abide in the mind that is not complacent; they abide in the mind that is not distracted or confused; they abide in the mind that can concentrate on one point; they abide in the mind that diligently cultivates enlightenment; they abide in the certain mind; they abide in the nonchanging mind. In this manner do they think, act, and reach the ultimate end.
“Great enlightening beings have no different speech or action—they speak and act thus. Why? Just as, for example, adamant is unbreakable and gets its name from that, never being apart from unbreakability, in the same way, great enlightening beings get their name from their various practical principles and are never apart from them.
“Just as gold gets its name from its beautiful color and is never apart from its beautiful color, so do great enlightening beings get their name from their virtuous acts and are never apart from good deeds.
“Just as the sun gets its name from its orb of light and is never apart from the orb of light, so do great enlightening beings get their name from the light of wisdom and are never apart from the light of wisdom.
“Just as the polar mountain Wonderfully High gets its name from its four jewel peaks rising high over the ocean, never leaving its four peaks, in the same way, great enlightening beings get their name from their roots of goodness standing out loftily in the world, never giving up roots of goodness.
“Just as the ground gets its name from sustaining everything, never giving up its supportive ability, so do great enlightening beings get their name from liberating all, never leaving great compassion.
“Just as the ocean gets its name from taking in myriad waters, never rejecting water, so do great enlightening beings get their name from their great vows, never for a moment giving up the vow to liberate sentient beings.
“Just as a military leader gets his name from ability to learn and practice methods of battle, never abandoning this ability, so do great enlightening beings get their name from being able to learn and practice such concentration, until they accomplish omniscience, never abandoning this practice.
“Just as a world ruler commands the continents, always diligently protecting all living beings so they will always be happy and will not suffer unnatural death, so do great enlightening beings, entering such great concentrations, always strive to transform and liberate all sentient beings, until they effect their ultimate purification.
“Just as seeds planted in the ground can eventually grow stalks and leaves, so great enlightening beings cultivating the practice of Universal Good can cause all sentient beings’ good qualities to grow.
“Just as great clouds shower rain during the hot months of summer and cause all seeds to grow, similarly great enlightening beings, entering such great concentrations, cultivating enlightening practice, shower the rain of the great Teaching, which can cause all sentient beings to be ultimately purified, ultimately serene, ultimately peaceful, ultimately transcendent, ultimately happy, ultimately free from doubt. They are the ultimate field of blessings for sentient beings, enabling their actions to become purified, enabling them all to abide in the path of nonregression, enabling them alike to attain omniscience, enabling them to attain emancipation from the world, enabling them all to attain ultimate knowledge, enabling them all to attain the ultimate truth of the enlightened ones, placing all sentient beings in the realm of universal knowledge.
“Why? When enlightening beings accomplish this teaching, their knowledge and wisdom are clear and comprehensive; they enter the door to the cosmos of reality and are able to purify the inconceivably infinite practices of enlightening beings. That is to say, they are able to purify all knowledge because they seek omniscience; they are able to purify sentient beings because they cause them to be pacified; they are able to purify lands because of constant dedication; they are able to purify things because of perfect knowledge; they are able to purify fearlessness because they have no timidity; they are able to purify unhindered intellect because they teach skillfully; they are able to purify mental command because they have mastered all the teachings; they are able to purify the practice of association because they see all buddhas appearing in the world.
“Great enlightening beings in this concentration attain untold myriads of such pure qualities because they
gain mastery of such realms of concentration, because they are empowered by all buddhas, because they are borne along by the power of their own roots of goodness, because they enter the great magnificent force of the stage of knowledge and wisdom, because of the strength of guidance of worthy associates, because of crushing the power of all demons, because of the pure power of roots of goodness in proportion, because of the power of great vows, because of the power of the full development of the roots of goodness they have planted, and because of the unopposed power of inexhaustible virtue transcending all worlds.
“Great enlightening beings in this concentration attain ten things that are the same as in all buddhas, past, future, and present; they acquire the same variegated arrays of marks and refinements as all buddhas; they are able to emanate networks of pure light, the same as all buddhas; they perform miracles and displays of spiritual power to attune and pacify sentient beings, the same as all buddhas; their boundless physical bodies and universal voices are the same as those of all buddhas; they manifest pure buddha-lands according to the actions of sentient beings, the same as all buddhas; they are able to remember the speech of all sentient beings, the same as all buddhas; with inexhaustible intellectual powers they teach in accord with the mentalities of sentient beings, developing wisdom in them, the same as all buddhas; their lion’s roar is fearless as they enlighten living beings by innumerable teachings, the same as all buddhas; by great spiritual power they enter past, present, and future in a single instant, the same as all buddhas; they are able to show all sentient beings the adornments of the buddhas, the powers of the buddhas, and the states of the buddhas, the same as all buddhas.”
Then the enlightening being Universal Eye said to the enlightening being Universally Good, “If great enlightening beings attain such things the same as the buddhas, why are they not called Buddha? Why are they not called Ten-Powered? Why are they not called Omniscient? Why are they not called Those Enlightened in All Things? Why can they not be called Universal Eye? Why are they not called Unhindered Seers in All Realms? Why are they not called Aware of All Things? Why are they not called Those Who Abide in the State of Nonduality with the Buddhas of Past, Present, and Future? Why are they not called Those Who Dwell in Absolute Reality? Why do they still carry out the practical undertakings of Universal Good without rest? Why can they not find the ultimate end of the cosmos and give up the path of enlightening beings?”
Universally Good said to Universal Eye, “Very good, offspring of Buddha! As you say, if these great enlightening beings are the same as all buddhas, why are they not called Buddha and so on, and why can they not give up the path of enlightening beings?
“These great enlightening beings, having already ably practiced the various activities and undertakings of all enlightening beings of past, future, and present worlds, and entered the realm of knowledge, are then called Buddha; unceasingly cultivating the enlightening practices cultivated by the buddhas, they are called enlightening beings. Having completely entered the powers of the enlightened, they are called Ten-Powered; ceaselessly carrying out the activities of Universal Good after having attained the ten powers, they are called enlightening beings. Knowing all truths and being able to explain them, they are called Omniscient; though able to expound all truths, yet never ceasing to think about each truth with versatility, they are called enlightening beings. Knowing all things are nondual, they are called Enlightened in All Things; skillfully examining the path of differentiation of all things, dual and nondual, ceaselessly developing further and further, they are called enlightening beings. Able to clearly see the realm of the Universal Eye, they are called Universal Eye; though able to witness the realm of the Universal Eye, ceaselessly developing in every moment, they are called enlightening beings. Able to clearly perceive all things without any obscurity or barrier, they are called Unimpeded Seers; always diligently remembering the unimpeded seers, they are called enlightening beings. Having attained the eye of knowledge of all buddhas, they are called Aware of All Things; observing the buddhas’ correctly awakened eye of knowledge without slacking, they are called enlightening beings. Abiding in the abode of buddhas, not other than buddhas, they are called Those Who Abide in a State of Nonduality with the Buddhas; cultivating various knowledges in the care of the buddhas, they are called enlightening beings. Always observing the limit of reality of all worlds, they are called Those Who Dwell in Absolute Reality; though always observing absolute reality of all things, yet neither entering it experientally by extinction nor abandoning it, they are called enlightening beings. Not coming, not going, without sameness or difference, all such distinctions having ceased forever—such are called Those Who Have Set Their Undertakings to Rest; extensively cultivating fulfillment without turning back, they are called Those Who Have Not Ceased the Undertakings of Universal Good. Perfectly knowing the cosmos has no bounds and all things are one form, which is formless, this is called reaching the ultimate end of the cosmos and giving up the way of enlightening beings; though knowing the cosmos has no bounds, yet knowing all various different forms, evolving a mind of great compassion and liberating beings for ever and ever without wearying, this is called the Universally Good enlightening being.
“It is like the case of the king of elephants, who lives in a jewel cave in a gold mountain; the cave has jewel railings all around, jewel trees in rows, gold nets covering above. The elephant’s body is pure white, like jade or snow, and sports gold banners; it is ornamented with gold, and a jewel net covers its trunk, with jewel bells hanging down. Its limbs are fully developed, and it has six tusks; it is dignified and handsome, pleasing to all who see it. It is well trained and docile. If the emperor of gods wants to go somewhere, the elephant immediately knows his intention and disappears from the jewel cave to appear in heaven before the emperor of gods. By magical powers it transforms its appearance in various ways, causing its body to have thirty-three heads, magically producing seven tusks on each head, magically producing seven lakes on each tusk, with seven lotus blossoms in each lake, with seven nymphs on each blossom, simultaneously playing a hundred thousand celestial melodies. At this point the emperor of gods mounts this bejeweled elephant and proceeds from the unsurpassable palace to the flower garden, which is filled with white lotuses. When the emperor of gods gets to the flower garden, he dismounts from the elephant and enters a palace arrayed with all jewels. Attended by countless nymphs, he enjoys their singing and playing. At that point the elephant king again magically conceals his elephant form and appears as a god, having a good time in the lotus garden along with the other gods and the nymphs, his physical features, aura, clothing, comportment, speech, and looks being just like the other gods’, indistinguishable from them, so that it is impossible to tell whether it is the elephant or a god, so similar are they.
“That elephant king, in its jewel cave in the gold mountain, without any transformation, goes to heaven to make offerings to the emperor of gods, produces various enjoyable things, and experiences celestial pleasures no different from the gods. Similarly, for great enlightening beings, cultivation of the practice of the vows and concentrations of the Universally Good enlightening being are their ornaments of jewels; the seven limbs of enlightenment are the enlightening beings’ bodies; the lights they emanate are nets; they set up the banner of the great Teaching, ring the bells of the great Teaching. Great compassion is their cave, steadfast great vows are their tusks. Knowing and wise, fearless as lions, their heads are wrapped with the turban of truth. They reveal mysteries and reach the other shore of the practice of vows of enlightening beings. Wanting to sit on the seat of enlightenment, achieve universal knowledge, and attain perfect enlightenment, they develop and expand the great undertakings of Universal Good without retreating, without resting, without stopping, without giving up great compassion, energetically liberating suffering sentient beings for ever and ever, not giving up the path of Universal Good, actualizing perfect enlightenment. They manifest untold numbers of doors to attainment of t
rue awareness, reveal untold cycles of teaching, manifest untold doors of profound determination, and in untold vast lands show the door of manifestation of nirvana. They appear to live in untold different worlds cultivating the practice of Universal Good; they manifest untold buddhas attaining perfect enlightenment under enlightenment trees in untold lands, with untold congregations of enlightening beings drawing near and encircling them, sometimes attaining true enlightenment after cultivating Universally Good practice for an instant, or for a moment, or for an hour, or for a day, or for a fortnight, or for a month, or for a year, or for countless years, or for an eon, and so on, up to attaining true enlightenment after untold eons of cultivating Universally Good practice. Also they are leaders in all buddha-lands, approaching the buddhas, paying respects to them and presenting offerings to them and soliciting teaching. They examine the realm of illusion and purify enlightening beings’ infinite practices, infinite knowledges, various miracles, various powers, various kinds of wisdom, various states, various psychic faculties, various freedoms, various liberations, various understandings, and various methods of teaching and training.
“The great enlightening beings’ original bodies do not perish or vanish, but by the power of action and will they appear transfigured in these ways. Why? Because they want to pacify all sentient beings by the free spiritual powers of universal good; to enable untold numbers of sentient beings to attain purity; to cause them to forever cut off the cycle of birth and death; to purify and magnify the worlds; always to see all buddhas; to enter deeply into the stream of all Buddha teachings; to remember the lineage of buddhas of past, present, and future; to remember the teachings and the reality of all buddhas of the ten directions; to cultivate all practices of enlightening beings to fulfillment; to enter the stream of Universal Good and be able to realize omniscience independently.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 113