“Great enlightening beings have ten determinations: to liberate all beings; to cause all beings to get rid of their afflictions; to cause all sentient beings to extinguish their habit energies; to eliminate all doubts; to remove all sentient beings’s miseries; to extirpate the difficulties of the states of woe; to respectfully follow all buddhas; to study what all enlightening beings should learn; to show the enlightenment of all buddhas at each point in all worlds; to beat the drum of the highest teaching in all worlds, to cause all sentient beings to gain understanding in accord with their faculties and inclinations. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain buddhas’ mind of great determination and competence.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of comprehensive mind: a mind comprehending all spaces, their intentions far-reaching; a mind comprehending all realms of reality, deeply penetrating infinity; a mind comprehending all past, present, and future, knowing them all in a single thought; a mind comprehending the manifestation of all buddhas, clearly understanding their entry into the womb, birth, leaving home, attainment of enlightenment, teaching activity, and ultimate nirvana; a mind comprehending all sentient beings, knowing their faculties, inclinations, and habit energies; a mind comprehending all knowledge, knowing the realms of reality everywhere; a mind comprehending all infinities, knowing the differentiations of the networks of illusions; a mind comprehending all nonorigination, not apprehending any intrinsic nature in any thing; a mind comprehending all nonobstruction, not dwelling on the mind of self or the mind of other; a mind comprehending all freedoms, manifesting realization of buddhahood everywhere in a single instant. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain the comprehensive adornments of supreme buddhahood.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of faculties: joyful faculties, seeing all buddhas, with faith indestructible; hopeful faculties, understanding whatever Buddha teachings they hear; nonregressing faculties, consummating all their tasks; steadfast faculties, not stopping the practices of enlightening beings; subtle faculties, entering the subtle principle of transcendent wisdom; unceasing faculties, consummating the tasks of all sentient beings; adamantine faculties, realizing the nature of all things; indestructible glowing faculties, illumining all spheres of buddhahood; undifferentiated faculties, being the same one body as all buddhas; unobstructed faculties, deeply penetrating the ten powers of the enlightened. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain the supreme faculties of fulfillment of great knowledge of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of profound mind: a profound mind not stained by any worldly things; a profound mind not alloyed with the ways of the lesser vehicles of individual salvation; a profound mind comprehending the enlightenment of all buddhas of past, present, and future; a profound mind following the path of omniscience; a profound mind unmoved by any demons or heretics; a profound mind clarifying the comprehensive knowledge of all enlightened ones; a profound mind accepting and holding all truths heard; a profound mind not clinging to any state of life; a profound mind imbued with all subtle knowledge; a profound mind cultivating all qualities of buddhahood. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain the supreme, pure, profound mind of omniscience.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of intense profound mind: an intense profound mind not backsliding, because they accumulate all roots of goodness; an intense, profound mind removing doubt, because they understand the esoteric sayings of all buddhas; an intense profound mind holding truth, being born by great vows and great deeds; a supremely intense profound mind, deeply penetrating all Buddha teachings; a masterful intense profound mind, mastering all Buddha teachings; a vast intense profound mind, entering into various ways of access to truth; a leading intense profound mind, accomplishing all tasks; a free intense profound mind, adorned by all concentrations, spiritual powers, and mystical transformations; an abiding intense profound mind, embracing their past vows; an unceasing intense profound mind, developing all sentient beings to maturity. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain the supremely pure intense profound mind of all buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of diligent practice: diligent practice of giving, relinquishing all without seeking reward; diligent practice of self-control, practicing austerities, having few desires, and being content; diligent practice of forbearance, detaching from notions of self and other, tolerating all evils without anger or malice; diligent practice of vigor, their thoughts, words, and deeds never confused, not regressing in what they do, reaching the ultimate end; diligent practice of meditations, liberations, and concentrations, discovering spiritual powers, leaving behind all desires, afflictions, contention, and their congeners; diligent practice of wisdom, tirelessly cultivating and accumulating virtues; diligent practice of great benevolence, knowing that all sentient beings have no nature of their own; diligent practice of great compassion, knowing that all things are empty, accepting suffering in place of all sentient beings without wearying; diligent practice to awaken the ten powers of enlightenment, realizing them without obstruction, manifesting them for sentient beings; diligent practice of the nonreceding wheel of teaching, proceeding to reach all sentient beings. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supreme practice of great knowledge and wisdom of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of certain understanding: certain understanding of the supreme, planting roots of goodness of respect; certain understanding of adornment, producing various adornments; certain understanding of breadth and magnanimity, their minds never narrow or mean; certain understanding of quiescence, able to penetrate the most profound essence of things; certain understanding of universality, their determination for enlightenment extending everywhere; certain understanding of capacity, able to receive the support of the power of Buddha; certain understanding of strength, able to crush all demon activities; certain understanding of clear decision, knowing the consequences of all actions; certain understanding of presence, able to manifest spiritual powers at will; certain understanding of succession, receiving the prediction of buddhahood from all buddhas; certain understanding of freedom, attaining buddhahood at will at any time. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain the supreme certain understanding of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of definitive understanding of worlds: they know all worlds penetrate one world; they know one world penetrates all worlds; they know the body and lotus throne of one buddha pervades all worlds; they know all worlds are like space; they know all worlds are endowed with the adornments of buddhas; they know all worlds are filled with enlightening beings; they know all worlds enter one pore; they know all worlds enter the body of a single sentient being; they know the enlightenment tree and site of enlightenment of one buddha pervade all worlds; they know all worlds are pervaded by one message that allows sentient beings to hear it differently, to their delight. Based on these, enlightening beings can attain buddhas’ supreme great understanding of buddha-lands.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of certain understanding of the realm of sentient beings: they know that all realms of sentient beings essentially have no reality; they know that all realms of sentient beings enter the body of one sentient being; they know that all realms of sentient beings enter the body of an enlightening being; they know that all realms of sentient beings enter the matrix of enlightenment; they know the body of one sentient being enters all realms of sentient beings; they know that all realms of sentient beings can be vessels of the buddhas’ teachings; they know all realms of sentient beings and manifest the bodies of celestial beings for them according to their desires; they know all realms of sentient beings and manifest the tranquil, composed behavior of saints and individual illuminates for them, according to their inclinations; they know all realms of sentient beings and manifest to them the bodies of enlightening beings adorned with virtues; they know all realms of sentient beings and show them the marks and embellishments and the tranquil comportme
nt of buddhas, and enlighten sentient beings. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supremely powerful certain understanding of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of habit energy: the habit energy of determination for enlightenment; the habit energy of roots of goodness; the habit energy of edifying sentient beings; the habit energy of seeing Buddha; the habit energy of undertaking birth in pure worlds; the habit energy of enlightening practice; the habit energy of vows; the habit energy of transcendence; the habit energy of meditation on equality; the habit energy of various differentiations of state. Based on these, enlightening beings can forever get rid of all afflictive habit energies and attain buddhas’ habit energy of great knowledge, the knowledge that is not energized by habit.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of grasping, by which they perpetuate the practices of enlightening beings: they grasp all realms of sentient beings, to ultimately enlighten them; they grasp all worlds, to ultimately purify them; they grasp Buddha, cultivating the practices of enlightening beings as offerings; they grasp roots of goodness, accumulating the virtues that mark and embellish the buddhas; they grasp great compassion, to extinguish the pains of all sentient beings; they grasp great benevolence, to bestow on all beings the happiness of omniscience; they grasp the transcendent ways, to accumulate the adornments of enlightening beings; they grasp skill in means, to demonstrate them everywhere; they grasp enlightenment, to attain unobstructed knowledge; in sum, enlightening beings grasp all things, to comprehend them everywhere with clear knowledge. Based on these, enlightening beings can perpetuate the practices of enlightening beings and attain the buddhas’ supreme state of not grasping anything.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of cultivation: they cultivate the ways of transcendence, learning, wisdom, purpose, righteousness, emancipation, manifestation, diligence, accomplishment of true awakening, and operation of right teaching. Based on these, enlightening beings achieve supreme cultivation and practice all truths.
“Great enlightening beings have ten ways of fulfillment of the Buddha teachings: not leaving wise associates; deeply believing in the words of buddhas; not repudiating truth; dedicating unlimited roots of goodness; focusing on the infinity of the sphere of Buddha; knowing the realms of all worlds; not abandoning the realm of cosmic reality; avoiding all realms of demons; correctly recollecting the realm of all buddhas; seeking the realm of the ten powers of buddhas. Based on these, enlightening beings can achieve the supreme great wisdom of buddhas.
“There are ten things that cause enlightening beings to regress from the Buddha teachings, which they should avoid: slighting the wise; fearing the pains of birth and death; getting tired of practicing the acts of enlightening beings; not caring to remain in the world; addiction to concentration; clinging to roots of goodness; liking the ways of individual liberation; having aversion to enlightening beings. If enlightening beings avoid these ten things, they will enter the enlightening beings’ paths of emancipation.
“Great enlightening beings have ten paths of emancipation: evoking transcendent wisdom, yet always observing all sentient beings; detaching from all views, yet liberating all sentient beings bound by views; not minding any appearances, yet not abandoning sentient beings attached to appearances; transcending the triple world, yet always being in all worlds; forever leaving afflictions, yet living together with all sentient beings; attaining desirelessness, yet always most compassionately pitying all sentient beings attached to desires; always enjoying tranquillity and serenity, yet always appearing to be in company; being free from birth in the world, yet dying in one place and being reborn in another, carrying on the activities of enlightening beings; not being affected by any worldly things, yet not stopping work in the world; actually realizing full enlightenment, yet not abandoning the vows and practices of enlightening beings. These are enlightening beings’ ten ways of emancipation, which are not common to worldlings, and also are not alloyed with the practices of the two vehicles of individual liberation; if enlightening beings live by these principles, they will attain the qualities of certainty of enlightening beings.
“Great enlightening beings have ten qualities of certainty: they are certainly born in the family of buddhas; they certainly live in the realm of buddhas; they certainly know the tasks of enlightening beings; they certainly persist in the transcendent ways; they certainly get to join the assemblies of buddhas; they certainly can reveal the nature of buddhahood; they certainly abide in the powers of the enlightened; they certainly enter the enlightenment of buddhas; they certainly are one and the same body as all buddhas; their abode is certainly none other than that of all buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten ways of generating the qualities of buddhahood: following good friends is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because they plant roots of goodness together; profound devotion is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because they know the masteries of buddhas; making great vows is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because their minds become broad; recognizing their own roots of goodness is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because they know their action is not wrong; tirelessly cultivating practice in all ages is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because it comprehends the future; appearing in countless worlds is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, by maturing sentient beings; not stopping the practices of enlightening beings is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, by increasing great compassion; infinite awareness is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, by pervading all of space in a single moment of thought; excellent action is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, because what has been put into practice is not lost; the potential of enlightenment is a way of generating qualities of buddhahood, causing all sentient beings to gladly set their minds on enlightenment and sustain this will by all virtues. Based on these, enlightening beings gain ten appellations of greatness.
“Great enlightening beings have ten appellations of greatness: they are called beings of enlightenment because they are born of knowledge of enlightenment; they are called great beings because they dwell in the Great Vehicle; they are called foremost beings because they realize the foremost truth; they are called superior beings because they are aware of higher laws; they are called supreme beings because their knowledge is supreme; they are called exalted beings because they reveal the unexcelled teaching; they are called beings of power because they have extensive knowledge of the ten powers; they are called incomparable beings because they have no peer in the world; they are called inconceivable beings because they become buddhas in an instant. If enlightening beings win these appellations, they accomplish the paths of enlightening beings.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of path. One path is a path of enlightening beings because they do not give up the sole determination for enlightenment. Two paths are a path of enlightening beings because they develop wisdom and skill in means. Three paths are a path of enlightening beings because they practice emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, and are not attached to the three worlds. Four practices are a path of enlightening beings: ceaselessly removing the barriers of wrongdoing by repentance, rejoicing in virtue, honoring the enlightened and requesting them to teach, and skillfully practicing dedication. The five faculties are a path of enlightening beings: they rest on pure faith, steadfast and imperturbable; they generate great energy, finishing their tasks; they are single-minded in right recollection, without wandering attention; they know the techniques for entering and emerging from concentration; they are able to distinguish spheres of knowledge. The six psychic powers are a path of enlightening beings: with the celestial eye they see all forms in all worlds and know where sentient beings die and are born; with the celestial ear they hear all buddhas teaching, absorb and remember their teachings, and expound them widely to sentient beings according to their faculties; with telepathic knowledge they are able to know the minds of others freely, without i
nterference; with recollection of past life they are able to remember all ages of the past and increase roots of goodness; with the power of psychic travel they are able to appear variously to beings capable of being enlightened, to induce them to delight in truth; with knowledge of extinction of contamination they actually realize the ultimate truth, while carrying out the deeds of enlightening beings without cease. Seven remembrances are a path of enlightening beings: they remember buddhas because they see infinite buddhas in a single pore opening the minds of all sentient beings; they remember the Teaching because they do not leave the assemblies of all buddhas—they personally receive the sublime Teaching in the assemblies of all buddhas and expound it to sentient beings according to their faculties, temperaments, and inclinations, to enlighten them; they remember the harmonious Community because they continually see enlightening beings in all worlds; they remember relinquishment because they know all enlightening beings’ practices of relinquishment increase magnanimous generosity; they remember the precepts because they do not give up the aspiration for enlightenment, and dedicate all roots of goodness to sentient beings; they remember heaven because they always keep in mind the enlightening beings in the heaven of happiness who are to become buddhas in the next lifetime; they remember sentient beings because they teach and tame them with wisdom and skill in means, reaching them all, without interruption. Following the holy Eightfold Path to enlightenment is a path of enlightening beings: they travel the path of right insight, getting rid of all false views; they exercise right thought, abandoning arbitrary conceptions, their mind always following universal knowledge; they always practice right speech, getting rid of faults of speech and following the words of sages; they always cultivate right action, teaching sentient beings to make them peaceful and harmonious; they abide by right livelihood, being frugal and content, careful and correct in behavior, eating, dressing, sleeping, eliminating evil, and practicing good, all in accord with enlightenment, forever getting rid of all faults; they arouse right energy, diligently cultivating all the difficult practices of enlightening beings, entering the ten powers of buddhas without hindrance; their minds always recollect correctly, able to remember all messages, eliminating all mundane distraction; their minds are always correctly concentrated, they enter the door of inconceivable liberation of enlightening beings, and in one concentration they produce all concentrations. Entering the nine successive concentrations is a path of enlightening beings: they detach from craving and ill-will, and expound the truth without inhibition in all they say; they extinguish thought and reflection, yet teach sentient beings with the thought and reflection of omniscience; they give up joy and emotion, yet they are most joyful when they see all buddhas; they give up worldly enjoyments and follow the transcendent enjoyment of the Path of enlightening beings; henceforth they are unshakable and enter formless concentration, yet without abandoning life in the realms of desire and form; though they abide in concentration in which all perception and sensation are extinguished, they do not stop the activity of enlightening beings. Learning the ten powers is a path of enlightening beings: knowledge of what is so and what is not so; knowledge of the causes and effects, deeds and consequences, past, future, and present, of all sentient beings; knowledge of the differences in faculties of all sentient beings and explaining the truth to them as is appropriate; knowledge of the infinite different natures of sentient beings; knowledge of the differences in weak, middling, and superior understanding of all sentient beings, and means of introducing them to truth; knowledge of manifesting the appearance and conduct of Buddha throughout all worlds, all lands, all times, all ages, without abandoning the practices of enlightening beings; knowledge of all meditations, liberations, and concentrations, whether defiled or pure, timely or not, expediently producing doors of liberation for enlightening beings; knowledge of distinctions in all sentient beings’ death in one place and birth in another in the various states of existence; instantaneous knowledge of all ages in past, present, and future; knowledge of extinction of all sentient beings’ desires, compulsions, delusions, and habits, without abandoning the practices of enlightening beings. Based on these ten paths, enlightening beings can attain the path of unexcelled skill in means of all buddhas.
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