The Flower Ornament Scripture
Page 133
“The ocean of omniscience is infinite, boundless, inconceivable, and inexpressible, but I will tell something of it by way of simile, so please listen carefully. The southern continent has 2,500 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the western continent has 5,000 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the eastern continent has 7,500 rivers, which flow into the ocean; the northern continent has 10,000 rivers, which flow into the ocean. These four continents thus have 25,000 rivers, which continuously flow into the ocean. What do you think—is that a lot of water?”
“Yes indeed.”
“There is also a water spirit Ten Light Beams, which rains even more water than that into the ocean; the water spirit Hundred Light Beams rains even more water than that into the ocean; the water spirits Magnificent Arrays, Thoughtful, Thundering, Joy, Infinite Light, Continuous Shower, Great Victory, Great Surge, and eight billion more such water spirits each rain more and more into the ocean; the son of the water spirit Ocean, named Rose Apple Banner, rains even more than that. The water in the abode of the water spirit Ten Light Beams flows into the ocean, even more than the aforementioned; the water in the palace of the water spirit Hundred Light Beams flows into the ocean, even more; the water of the palaces of each of the water spirits, each with more and more water, flows into the ocean, and the water in the palace of the water spirit Rose Apple Banner, son of the water spirit Ocean, which is yet more, also flows into the ocean. The water in the palace of the water spirit Ocean, which is even more, surges forth into the ocean; the water it produces is violet, and it surges forth at regular times, so the tide of the ocean is regular. Thus the ocean’s water is infinite, its treasures are infinite, its creatures are infinite, and the earth it rests on is infinite too. Do you think that the ocean is infinite or not?”
“It is truly infinite, incomparably so.”
“The infinity of this ocean does not come up to the smallest fraction of the infinity of the ocean of buddha-knowledge. Similes are made for beings according to their mentalities, but the sphere of Buddha is beyond similitude. Great enlightening beings should know that the ocean of knowledge of Buddha is infinite, because of ceaseless cultivation of all enlightening practices from the very first determination for enlightenment. They should know that the collection of treasures therein is infinite, because all elements of enlightenment, the seeds of the three treasures, continue unending. They should know the sentient beings in which it dwells are infinite, because it is used by all listeners and self-illuminates, those still learning and those beyond learning. They should know the ground it rests on is infinite, because it is the abode of all enlightening beings, from the first stage of Joy to the ultimate stage of Nonobstruction. Great enlightening beings, in order to enter infinite knowledge and benefit all sentient beings, should know the sphere of Buddha in this way.”
Then Universally Good uttered these verses to again explain his meaning:
As the sphere of mind is infinite,
So is the sphere of buddhas.
As the sphere of mind is born from intellect,
So should the sphere of Buddha be seen.
The water spirits, without leaving their places,
Shower rain by the power of mind;
Though the rain does not come from or go anywhere,
Yet it falls everywhere according to the minds of the spirits:
The Ten-Powered Sage, in like manner,
Does not come from anywhere or go anywhere,
To those with pure minds appearing physically,
Vast as the cosmos, yet fitting in a pore.
The treasures of the ocean are infinite,
So are its creatures and ground;
The nature of the water is one flavor, equal, without distinction,
While those born therein each receive benefit.
The ocean of buddha-knowledge is also thus;
All it contains is infinite;
Those in the stages of learning and no learning
All gain benefit therein.
“How should great enlightening beings know the conduct of Buddha? Great enlightening beings should know unobstructed action is the conduct of Buddha; they should know the conduct of true thusness is the conduct of Buddha. Just as True Thusness is not born in the past, does not move into the future, and does not arise in the present, likewise the conduct of Buddha is not born, does not move, and does not arise. Just as the realm of reality is not quantified or unquantified, because it has no form, likewise the conduct of Buddha is not quantified or unquantified, because it has no form. It is as if a bird flew through the sky for a hundred years, the places it passed and those it had not passed would both be immeasurable, because the realm of space has no boundaries: in the same way, if someone spent trillions of eons expounding the particulars of the conduct of Buddha, what was explained and what was not yet explained would both be immeasurable, because the action of Buddha has no bounds.
“Buddha, completely enlightened, engaged in unobstructed action, has no dwelling place, yet can show what he does to all beings and enables them to go beyond all obstructed paths once they have seen this. It is as when the golden-winged king of birds flies in the sky, it circles and hovers, observing the dragon palaces in the ocean with its clear eyes; exerting its forceful strength, it churns the ocean waters with its wings, causing the waters to part, and snatches dragons, male or female, whose life it knows is about to end. The ‘golden-winged bird king’ Buddha, in like manner, engaged in unimpeded action, observes all sentient beings in all abodes in the cosmos with the clear Buddha-eye; if any have planted roots of goodness that have developed to maturity, the Buddha exerts the forceful ten powers and with the two wings of tranquillity and insight churns the waters of emotion of the ocean of birth and death, causing the water to part, then snatches those beings, places them in the Buddha teaching, and causes them to stop all deluded notions and false descriptions and abide in the nondiscriminatory unobstructed action of the enlightened.
“Just as the sun and moon travel alone through the sky conferring benefit on sentient beings, with no notion of where they come from or where they are going, likewise the buddhas, by nature fundamentally silent and extinct, without discrimination, appear to course all universes, performing buddha-work to benefit sentient beings without cease, yet not producing false notions of coming from somewhere or going somewhere. Great enlightening beings should see and know the actions conducted by Buddha in terms of infinite such means, infinite natures and characteristics.”
Then Universally Good, to recapitulate, uttered these verses:
Just as True Thusness is not born, does not perish,
Has no location, and cannot be seen,
Likewise the action of the Great Benefactor
Transcends in the triple world and cannot be measured.
The reality realm is not the reality realm, yet not not the reality realm;
It is not quantified and not unquantified.
The action of the Great Worthy is also thus,
Neither quantified nor unquantified, because there is no body.
If a bird flies for billions of years,
The sky behind and ahead are equal, no different;
When Buddha’s conduct is expounded for eons,
The told and the untold cannot be measured.
The golden bird in the sky watches the sea,
Parts the waters and snatches dragons;
The Ten-Powered can pull out virtuous people,
Remove them from the sea of existence, and rid them of delusion.
Like sun and moon traversing the sky
Shining on all without distinction,
The World-Honored traverses the cosmos
Teaching beings without stirring a thought.
“How should great enlightening beings know the attainment of enlightenment of Buddha? They should know that Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment has no view of any phenomena, is impartial toward things, has no doubts, no duality, no signs, no activity, no cessation, no meas
ure, no boundaries; avoiding extremes, abiding in the middle way, it is beyond all verbal explanation. Buddha knows the thoughts and mental patterns of all sentient beings, their faculties, dispositions, inclinations, afflictions, obsessions, and habits; in sum, Buddha instantly knows all things in all times.
“It is as the ocean can reflect the physical forms of all sentient beings on earth, and therefore is called the ocean: the enlightenment of the buddhas is also like this, reflecting the thoughts, faculties, dispositions, and inclinations of all sentient beings, yet without reflecting anything—therefore it is called the enlightenment of the buddhas.
“The enlightenment of buddhas cannot be expressed in writing, cannot be reached by any verbal expression, cannot be explained in any language; but it is expediently elucidated according to need.
“When buddhas attain true awakening, they acquire a body equal in extent to all sentient beings, a body equal in extent to all phenomena, a body equal in extent to all lands, a body equal in extent to all times, a body equal in extent to all buddhas, a body equal in extent to all languages, a body equal in extent to True Thusness, a body equal in extent to the cosmos, a body equal in extent to space, a body equal in extent to the realm where there is no obstruction, a body equal in extent to all vows, a body equal in extent to all practices, and a body equal in extent to the ultimately calm realm of nirvana. As are the bodies they acquire, so is their speech and mind; they attain measureless, countless such pure spheres of body, speech, and mind.
“Upon attaining true awakening, buddhas see within their body all sentient beings attaining true awakening, and see all sentient beings enter nirvana, all of the same nature, which is no nature. No nature of what kind? That is, no nature of appearances, no nature of exhaustion, no nature of birth, no nature of destruction, no nature of self, no nature of nonself, no nature of living being, no nature of nonliving being, no nature of enlightenment, no nature of the cosmos, no nature of space, and also no nature of attaining true awakening. By knowing all things are natureless, a buddha attains omniscience, and by great compassion continues to save sentient beings.
“Just as space never increases or decreases whether all worlds become or disintegrate, because space has no birth, similarly the enlightenment of buddhas has no increase or decrease whether there is attainment of enlightenment or not, because enlightenment has no signs or countersigns, no unity and no variety.
“Suppose someone were able magically to produce as many minds as grains of sand in the Ganges River, and each mind also produced as many buddhas as grains of sand in the Ganges River, all featureless, formless, and signless, and continued to do so incessantly throughout as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River—how many buddhas do you think would be magically produced by that person’s magically produced minds?”
The enlightening being Wondrous Qualities of Natural Origination of Buddha said, “As I understand your meaning, magical production and nonproduction are equal and have no distinction—how can you ask how many there would be?”
The enlightening being Universally Good said, “Very good—it is as you say. Even if all sentient beings were to instantly attain enlightenment, that would be equal to not attaining enlightenment, no different. Why? Because enlightenment is signless. If it has no signs, it has no increase or decrease.
“Great enlightening beings should thus know that attainment of true awakening, the same as enlightenment, is uniformly formless. A buddha, attaining true awakening, by the means of unity, enters the concentration of thoroughly aware knowledge and, having entered it, manifests, in one vast body attaining true awakening, as many bodies as there are sentient beings dwelling in that body. As this is so of one vast body attaining true awakening, so it is of all vast bodies attaining true awakening.
“Buddha has infinite such doors of attainment of true awakening; therefore you should know that the bodies Buddha manifests are infinite, and because they are infinite we say the body of Buddha is infinite realms, equal to the realms of living beings.
“Great enlightening beings should know that in one pore of Buddha’s body are buddha-bodies as numerous as all sentient beings. Why? Because the body of the Buddha’s attainment of true awakening ultimately has no birth or destruction. And as this is so of one pore, so is it of every point in the entire cosmos. Know that there is not a bit of space where there is no buddha-body. Why? Because Buddha’s attainment of true awakening reaches everywhere. According to capability and power, on the lion seat under the enlightenment tree at the site of enlightenment, with various bodies, Buddha attains true awakening.
“Great enlightening beings should know that in each moment of thought of their own minds there are always buddhas attaining true awakening. Why? Because the buddhas do not attain true awakening apart from this mind. As this is true of one’s own mind, so is it also true of the minds of all sentient beings—in all are buddhas attaining true awakening, all-pervasive, existing everywhere, without separation or annihilation, without cease, entering the inconceivable doors or means of enlightenment. Great enlightening beings should know Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment this way.”
Then, to recapitulate, the enlightening being Universally Good spoke these verses:
The truly awake know all things
Are nondual, beyond duality, all equal,
Inherently pure as space,
Not distinguishing self and nonself.
As the ocean reflects beings’ bodies
And is therefore called the ocean,
Enlightenment reflects all mental patterns
And hence is called true awareness.
Just as worlds have formation and decay
While space does not increase or diminish,
While all buddhas appear in the world,
The one form of enlightenment is ever formless.
When someone emanates minds emanating buddhas,
Emanation and nonemanation are no different in essence;
Though all sentient beings attain enlightenment,
There is no increase or decrease, enlightenment or no.
Buddha has a concentration called well aware;
Entering this concentration under the enlightenment tree,
Buddha emits light beams as many as beings,
Awakening all kinds, like lotuses blooming.
As many thoughts, faculties, and desires
As are in beings in lands of all times,
That many bodies appear—
Hence true awareness is called infinite.
“How should great enlightening beings know Buddha’s turning of the wheel of teaching? They should know it thus: Buddha, by the free power of mind, turns the wheel of teaching without arising or turning, because of knowing that all things forever have no arising. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching by three kinds of turning, the cycles of the path of insight, the path of practice, and the path beyond learning, and stops what should be stopped, because of knowing that all things are apart from extremes of annihilation and eternity. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching apart from the realm of desire and the realm of negation, because of penetrating the spacelike limit of all things. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching without verbal explanation, because of knowing that all things are inexpressible. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching ultimately quiescently, because of knowing that all things are of the essence of nirvana. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching with all means of literature and language, because the voice of Buddha reaches everywhere. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching knowing that the voice is like an echo, because of comprehending the true nature of all things. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching producing all messages in one message, because there is ultimately no center. Buddha turns the wheel of teaching without omission or exhaustion, because of absence of clinging inside or outside.
“Just as all writing and speech cannot be exhaustively told of, the same is true of Buddha’s turning the wheel of teaching—all letters are arranged to express it, without cease, without e
ver exhausting it. The wheel of teaching of Buddha enters into all speech and writing, yet has no dwelling place. Just as writing enters into all business, all words, all calculations, all mundane and transmundane subjects, yet dwells nowhere, so also does the voice of Buddha enter into all points, all beings, all phenomena and principles, all works, and all consequences, yet does not dwell anywhere. All the various languages of all sentient beings are not apart from the wheel of teaching of Buddha, because the real aspect of speech and sound is identical to the wheel of teaching. Great enlightening beings should know the turning of the wheel of teaching of Buddha thus.
“Also, if great enlightening beings want to know the wheel of teaching that Buddha turns, they should know where Buddha’s wheel of teaching comes from. What is the provenance of the Buddha’s wheel of teaching? Buddha makes so many utterances, turning the wheel of teaching according to the innumerable differences in mental patterns and inclinations of all sentient beings. Buddhas, truly awake, have a concentration called ultimately unimpeded and fearless; having entered this concentration, with each mouth of each body of attainment of true enlightenment they produce as many utterances as there are sentient beings, each utterance containing all sounds, each different, turning the wheel of teaching, to make all sentient beings happy. Those who know the turning of the wheel of teaching thus are considered to be following all Buddha teachings. Those who do not know this are not following them. Great enlightening beings should know Buddha’s turning the wheel of teaching thus, because it universally enters the infinite realms of living beings.”
Then, to recapitulate, Universally Good said in verse,