“You should observe these great enlightening beings not giving up the practice of Universal Good, not stopping the path of enlightening beings, seeing all buddhas, realizing all knowledge, freely employing the elements of omniscience. Just as the elephant king goes to heaven without leaving its elephant body, is ridden by a god, experiences celestial bliss, romps in celestial play, serves the lord of the gods, and sports with the celestial nymphs the same as the gods, no different, in the same way, great enlightening beings, not giving up the practices of the Great Vehicle of Universal Goodness, not retreating from their vows, attain the freedom of Buddha, one imbued with universal knowledge, experience the liberation of buddhas, achieve thorough purity without hindrance or obstruction, have no attachments to any worlds, have no discriminatory concepts about the Buddha teaching; though they know all things are equal and nondual, yet they always clearly see all buddha-lands, though they are already equal to the buddhas of past, present, and future, yet they continue to cultivate the conduct of enlightening beings.
“Great enlightening beings live by this great principle of the undertaking of Universal Good: know that these people’s minds are pure.
“This is the great knowledge of the superior mind of the great concentration of the unimpeded wheel, the tenth concentration of great enlightening beings.
“These are the ten great spheres of concentration practiced by the Universally Good enlightening being, in which great enlightening beings abide.”
BOOK TWENTY-EIGHT
The Ten Superknowledges
THEN THE GREAT ENLIGHTENING BEING Universally Good said to the enlightening beings, “Offspring of Buddha, great enlightening beings have ten kinds of superknowledge. What are the ten? By means of knowledge of others’ minds, great enlightening beings know the differences of the minds of living beings in a world system: good minds, bad minds, broad minds, narrow minds, big minds, small minds, minds that go along with birth and death, minds that turn away from birth and death, minds of learners, minds of self-enlightened ones, minds of enlightening beings, celestial minds, water-spirit minds, yaksha minds, titan minds, garuda minds, kinnara minds, mahoraga minds, human minds, nonhuman minds, hellish minds, bestial minds, netherworld minds, hungry-ghost minds, minds of beings in difficult situations. They know distinctly such countless different sentient beings: as in one world, so in a hundred worlds, a thousand worlds, a hundred thousand worlds, a billion worlds, as many worlds as atoms in untold buddha-lands—they know distinctly the minds of all beings therein. This is called great enlightening beings’ first superknowledge, the spiritual power of accurate knowledge of others’ minds.
“By means of the superknowledge of the unobstructed pure celestial eye great enlightening beings see sentient beings in worlds as many as atoms in untold buddha-lands, dying in one place, being born in another, their good and bad tendencies and courses of action, their virtuous and sinful characteristics, whether they are beautiful or ugly, defiled or pure: they see innumerable sentient beings of such kinds—celestial beings, water spirits, demons, hobgoblins, titans, demigods, serpents, humans, nonhumans, microscopic creatures, gigantic creatures, small groups, and large groups. They clearly see various sentient beings with unobstructed eyes, unerringly seeing whatever deeds they have accumulated, whatever suffering and happiness they experience, whatever mentalities, thoughts, and views they have, whatever languages they speak, whatever their motives and acts, whatever their concerns and productions. This is called great enlightening beings’ superknowledge of the celestial eye.
“By means of the superknowledge of instant recall of past lives, great enlightening beings are able to know the events of past lives of themselves as well as of the beings in countless worlds over countless eons—where they were born, their names, their castes, their races, their diets, their pains and pleasures. The beginningless development of continuous cycles in the various states of existence through causes and conditions, various classes, various lands, various forms of life, various physical characteristics, various activities, various bonds and compulsions, various mentalities and thoughts, various differences in circumstances of birth—they know all such things as these.
“Also they remember the names, manner of emergence, congregations, parents, attendants, disciples, and foremost two disciples of as many buddhas as atoms in so many buddha-lands in worlds as many as atoms in so many buddha-lands, as many eons ago as atoms in so many buddha-lands, and the cities where they lived, how they left home, the enlightenment trees under which they attained true awakening, where they sat, what scriptures they preached, how they benefited so many beings, how long they lived, what buddha-works they performed, how they passed away into the realm of ultimate nirvana without residue, how long their teachings lasted after their demise—all this they can recall.
“Also they remember as many buddha-names as atoms in untold numbers of buddha-lands, there being to each name as many buddhas as atoms in untold buddha-lands, from their first determination establishing their vows, cultivating practices, honoring buddhas, taming sentient beings, their congregations, their teachings, their life spans, their spiritual powers and miracles, and so on, including their entry into nirvana without residue, how long their teaching lasted after their complete nirvana, the setting up of monuments to them, their various adornments, causing sentient beings to plant roots of goodness—all these they are able to know.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ third superknowledge, the spiritual faculty of knowing past lives.
“Great enlightening beings, by superknowledge of the eons of the entire future, know the ages in worlds as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands, the deaths and births of all the beings in each age, the continuity of existences, their actions, the results and consequences of their deeds—whether good or not, whether emancipated or not, whether certain or not, whether wrongly focused or rightly focused, whether their basic virtues are together with compulsions or not, whether they have fully embodied basic virtues or not, whether they absorb basic virtues or not, whether they accumulate basic virtues or not, whether they accumulate criminal qualities or not. All of these the enlightening beings are able to know.
“Also they know the whole future of worlds as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands, with as many eons, each eon with as many buddha-names, each name with as many buddhas; they are able to know all such things as the first inspiration and determination of each buddha, their practices, their service to buddhas, their education of beings, their congregations, their teachings, their life spans, their spiritual powers and miracles, and so on, up to their entry into nirvana without remainder, how long their teachings remain in the world after their ultimate nirvana, and the building of their monuments, with various adornments, causing sentient beings to plant roots of goodness.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ fourth superknowledge, the power of knowing the ages of the entire future.
“Great enlightening beings develop the unobstructed celestial ear, fully matured, far-reaching, penetratingly sensitive, free from blockage, perceiving without hindrance, thoroughly developed, able to hear or not hear all sounds at will.
“In the east there are as many buddhas as atoms in untold buddha-lands; the great enlightening beings are able to receive and hold the pure teachings explained, revealed, exposed, expounded, set up, taught, tuned, recollected, and analyzed by those buddhas, deep and vast, with various differences, their infinite means and skills. Also they are able to remember the meanings and expressions therein, addressed to one person or to many, according to their language, according to their wisdom, according to what they comprehend, according to what is shown, according to what is to be subdued, according to their realms, according to their bases, according to their paths of emancipation; the enlightening beings remember all this without forgetting, without halting, without retreating, without delusion, without confusion, explaining it to others to enable them to attain understanding, ultimately never missing a single point. As in the e
ast, the same is also true of the south, west, and north, the four intermediate directions, and the zenith and nadir.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ fifth superknowledge, that of the unobstructed pure celestial ear.
“Great enlightening beings abide in superknowledge of insubstantiality, effortless superknowledge, superknowledge of equality, far-reaching superknowledge, measureless superknowledge, independent superknowledge, superknowledge manifesting forms at will, creative superknowledge, superknowledge of nonorigination, undiminishing superknowledge, uninterrupted superknowledge, indestructible superknowledge, enriching superknowledge, superknowledge going anywhere.
“These great enlightening beings, hearing the names of buddhas in all worlds extremely distant—names of buddhas in countless worlds, measureless worlds, worlds as many as atoms in unspeakably many buddha-lands—immediately see themselves where those buddhas are. Some of those worlds are upright, some inverted; they have various forms, locations, differentiations, boundless, unobstructed, various lands, times, eons, infinite qualities, in different arrays; those buddhas appear therein, manifest miracles, and make known their names, infinitely countless, each different: as soon as the enlightening beings hear those buddhas’ names, without moving from where they are they see themselves where those buddhas are, paying respects to and attending those buddhas, asking about the principles of enlightening, entering buddha-knowledge; they are able to apprehend the buddhas’ lands, enlightenment sites, congregations, and teachings, up to the ultimate end, without any attachment.
“In this way they pass as many eons as atoms in untold buddha-lands, reaching everywhere in the ten directions without going anywhere, yet traveling to the lands, seeing the buddhas, hearing the teachings, inquiring after the Way, without stopping or giving up, without rest, without weariness, cultivating the practice of enlightening beings, accomplishing their great undertakings, causing them all to be fulfilled, without regressing, to cause the immense family of buddhas not to come to an end.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ sixth superknowledge, that of going to all buddha-lands while dwelling in insubstantiality, without motion or action.
“By the superknowledge that skillfully understands the speech of all living beings, the great enlightening beings know the various verbal expressions of beings in as many worlds as atoms in untold numbers of buddha-lands: the words of sages, the words of those who are not sages, celestial words, the words of water spirits, goblins, cherubim, titans, birds, hobgoblins, serpents, humans, nonhumans, and untold numbers of beings—all their words and speech, their individual expressions and various distinctions, the great enlightening beings can know completely.
“Whatever world these enlightening beings enter, they are able to know the natures and inclinations of all the beings therein, and speak to them in accord with their natures and inclinations so that they can understand completely without doubt or confusion. Just as the sunlight when it appears illumines all forms so that all with eyes can see them clearly, in the same way do great enlightening beings with knowledge understanding all speech enter into the masses of all verbal expressions and cause the intelligent to gain thorough understanding of all verbalization.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ seventh superknowledge, the power of understanding all language.
“Great enlightening beings, by the superknowledge of production of arrays of infinite physical forms, know that all phenomena are apart from physical forms, have no signs of distinction, have no signs of variety, have no signs of infinity, have no signs of discrimination, have no signs of color. Enlightening beings thus entering the realm of reality can manifest their bodies in various forms: that is, for example, boundless forms, infinite forms, pure forms, adorned forms, all-pervasive forms, incomparable forms, all-illumining forms, predominating forms, non-antagonistic forms, forms with various characteristics, forms free from all that is bad, majestic forms, honorable forms, inexhaustible forms, forms with myriad interwoven subtleties, extremely beautiful forms, immeasurable forms, well-guarded forms, forms able to bring about maturation, forms changing according to those who are taught, uninhibited forms, very clear forms, unsullied forms, extremely pure forms, forms of great strength, forms with inconceivable skills, incorruptible forms, flawless forms, unclouded forms, well-settled forms, superbly arrayed forms, forms with handsome features, forms with various minor refinements, forms of great nobility, forms of marvelous realms, well-polished forms, forms with pure determination, forms of blazing refulgence, forms of supreme grandeur, uninterrupted forms, independent forms, peerless forms, forms filling unspeakably many buddha-lands, increasing forms, steadfast, receptive forms, forms of supreme qualities, forms that accord with inclinations, forms of pure understanding, forms of accumulated splendors, forms of skillful ascertainment, forms without solidity, forms of spacious clarity, pure delightful forms, untainted forms, incalculable forms, forms wondrous to behold, forms seen everywhere, forms appearing according to the time, tranquil forms, dispassionate forms, forms of fields of blessings, forms able to create peace, forms removing all fear, forms free from foolish actions, forms of wisdom and courage, forms with physical characteristics free from resistance, forms traveling everywhere, forms with minds not relying on anything, forms created by great kindness, forms manifested by great compassion, impartially emancipating forms, forms replete with blessed qualities, forms according to thoughts in the mind, forms of boundless jewels, forms of the lights within jewels, forms trusted by sentient beings, forms in which omniscience appears, forms with happy eyes, forms of the foremost arrays of jewels, forms without location, forms freely manifested at will, forms of various spiritual powers, forms of those born in the family of buddhas, forms beyond all comparisons or metaphors, forms pervading the cosmos, forms to which the masses flock, various forms, forms of perfection, forms of emancipation, forms adapted to those to be taught, forms of dignified conduct, forms that one never tires of seeing, varied clear, pure forms, forms able to emanate countless webs of light, forms of untold various differentiations of light, forms of inconceivable fragrances and light beyond the world, forms of radiance of light of innumerable suns, forms showing incomparable lunar bodies, forms of clouds of innumerable pleasant flowers, forms producing arrays of clouds of garlands of all kinds of lotus blossoms, forms of fragrant flames beyond all worlds perfuming everywhere, forms producing all embryos of enlightenment, forms with untold voices revealing and expounding all truths, forms fulfilling all the practices of Universal Good.
“Great enlightening beings entering deeply into this formless cosmos of reality are able to manifest such various form bodies, to cause those to be taught to see, to cause those to be taught to remember, to operate the cycles of the Teaching for those to be taught in accord with proper timing for those to be taught, in accord with the characteristics of those to be taught, to cause those to be taught to draw near, to cause those to be taught to awaken, producing various miracles for those to be taught, manifesting various powers for those to be taught, doing whatever they can for those to be taught.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ eighth superknowledge, of countless form bodies, diligently cultivated and perfected for the purpose of liberating all living beings.
“By superknowledge of phenomena, enlightening beings know all phenomena are nameless, without essence, neither come nor go, are neither different nor not different, neither various nor not various, neither dual nor nondual, have no identity, have no compare, are not born, do not perish, do not shift, do not disintegrate, have no reality, have no falsehood, are of one form which is formless, are not nonexistent, are not existent, are not phenomenal, are not nonphenomenal, are not in conformity with conventions, are not not in conformity with conventions, are not actions, are not not actions, are not consequences, are not not consequences, are not compounded, are not uncompounded, are not absolute, are not nonabsolute, are not the path of enlightenment, are not not the path
of enlightenment, are not emancipation, are not not emancipation, are not a certain measure, are not measureless, are not mundane, are not not mundane, are not born from cause, are not not born from causes, are not definite, are not indefinite, are not complete, are not incomplete, are not emerging, are not not emerging, are not distinguished, are not indistinguishable, are not logical, are not illogical.
“These great enlightening beings do not grasp conventional truth, do not dwell in absolute truth, do not discriminate phenomena, do not set up words; they accord with the essence of extinction, yet they do not give up their undertakings. Seeing what is true and knowing the principles thereof, they spread clouds of teaching and shower rains of teaching. Though they know the character of reality cannot be verbally expressed, yet by expedient means and endless intellectual power they teach in an orderly fashion according to principles and according to meanings. Because they have mastered the skills of verbal explanation of phenomena and principles, their great kindness and compassion purified, they produce words for all things that are actually beyond words, according to their principles and meanings, without contradiction, explaining that all things arise from conditions. Though they do use words to explain, yet they are not attached to them at all. They explain all things, with endless intellectual power, analyzing, defining, revealing, guiding, causing the nature of all things to be fully revealed, cutting through the web of doubts, causing all to be clarified. Even while they take care of sentient beings, they do not abandon true reality. They do not regress from nonduality, and they are always able to expound the reality of nonobstruction. By means of myriad subtle nuances they adapt to the minds of sentient beings, showering the rain of truth on all according to proper timing.
“This is called great enlightening beings’ ninth superknowledge, knowledge of all phenomena.
“By the superknowledge of concentration on the extinction of all things, great enlightening beings enter into concentration on the extinction of all things in every moment; yet they do not retire from the Path of enlightening beings, they do not give up the tasks of enlightening beings, they do not abandon the heart of great kindness and compassion. They cultivate the transcendent ways unceasingly and investigate all buddha-lands tirelessly. They do not give up the vow to liberate sentient beings, do not stop the work of turning the wheel of the Teaching, do not abandon the activity of civilizing sentient beings, do not give up the practice of honoring and serving the buddhas, do not abandon the door of mastery of all teachings, do not give up seeing all buddhas, do not abandon always listening to all their teachings. They know all things are equal and do not hinder one another. They freely accomplish all Buddha teachings, and attain fulfillment of all their excellent vows. They know the differentiations of all lands. They enter the family of buddhas and reach the other shore. They are able to study all things in each world and comprehend that all things are signless; they know all things come from conditions and have no intrinsic being of their own, nevertheless they explain them expediently according to conventional usage. Though their minds do not dwell on anything, yet in accord with sentient beings’ faculties and dispositions they expediently explain all kinds of things.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 114