“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure tolerance: pure tolerance calmly enduring slander and vilification, to protect sentient beings; pure tolerance calmly enduring weapons, to protect self and others; pure tolerance not arousing anger and viciousness, the mind being unshakable; pure tolerance not attacking the low, being magnanimous when above; pure tolerance saving all who come for refuge, giving up one’s own life; pure tolerance free from conceit, not slighting the uncultivated; pure tolerance not becoming angered at injury, because of observation of illusoriness; pure tolerance not revenging offenses, because of not seeing self and other; pure tolerance not following afflictions, being detached from all objects; pure tolerance knowing all things have no origin, in accord with the true knowledge of enlightening beings, entering the realm of universal knowledge without depending on the instruction of another. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain all buddhas’ supreme tolerance of truth, understanding without depending on another.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure energy: pure physical energy, to attend buddhas, enlightening beings, teachers, and elders, honoring fields of blessings, never retreating; pure verbal energy, extensively explaining to others whatever teachings they learn and praising the virtues of buddhahood, without wearying; pure mental energy, able to enter and exit kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, meditations, liberations, and concentrations, without cease; pure energy of honesty, being free from deceptiveness, flattery, deviousness, and dishonesty, not regressing in any of their efforts; pure energy of determination on increasing progress, always intent on seeking higher and higher knowledge, aspiring to embody all good and pure qualities; unwasteful pure energy, embodying charity, morality, tolerance, learning, and diligence, continuing unceasingly until enlightenment; pure energy conquering all demons, able to extirpate greed, hatred, delusion, false views, and all other bonds and veils of affliction; pure energy fully developing the light of knowledge, being carefully observant in all actions, consummating them all, preventing later regret, and attaining all the unique qualities of buddhahood; pure energy without coming or going, attaining true knowledge, entering the door of the realm of reality, body, speech, and mind all impartial, understanding forms are formless and having no attachments; pure energy developing the light of the Teaching, transcending all stages and attaining the coronation of buddhas, and with an uncontaminated body manifesting the appearances of death and birth, of leaving home and attaining enlightenment, of teaching and passing away, fulfilling such tasks of Universal Good. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supreme great energy of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure meditation: pure meditation always gladly leaving home, giving up all possessions; pure meditation finding genuine good companions, to teach the right way; pure meditation living in the forest enduring wind and rain and so on, being detached from self and possessions; pure meditation leaving clamorous sentient beings, always enjoying tranquil silence; pure meditation with harmonious mental activity, guarding the senses; pure meditation with mind and cognition silent, impervious to all sounds and nettles of meditational concentration; pure meditation aware of the methods of the Path of enlightenment, contemplating them all and actually realizing them; pure meditation detached from clinging to its experiences, neither grasping nor rejecting the realm of desire; pure meditation awakening psychic knowledge, knowing the faculties and natures of all sentient beings; pure meditation with freedom of action, entering into the concentration of buddhas and knowing there is no self. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supreme pure meditation of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure wisdom: pure wisdom knowing all causes, not denying consequences; pure wisdom knowing all conditions, not ignoring combination; pure wisdom knowing nonannihilation and nonpermanence, comprehending interdependent origination truly; pure wisdom extracting all views, neither grasping nor rejecting characteristics of sentient beings; pure wisdom observing the mental activities of all sentient beings, knowing they are illusory; pure wisdom with vast intellectual power, distinguishing all truths and being unhindered in dialogue; pure wisdom unknowable to demons, false teachers, or followers of the vehicles of individual salvation, deeply penetrating the knowledge of all buddhas; pure wisdom seeing the subtle reality body of all buddhas, seeing the essential purity of all sentient beings, seeing that all phenomena are quiescent, and seeing that all lands are the same as space, knowing all characteristics without impediment; pure wisdom with all powers of mental command, analytic abilities, liberative means, and ways of transcendence, fostering the attainment of all supreme knowledge; pure wisdom instantly uniting with adamantine knowledge comprehending the equality of all things, attaining the most honorable knowledge of all things. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the unobstructed great wisdom of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure benevolence: impartial pure benevolence, caring for all sentient beings without discrimination; helpful pure benevolence, bringing happiness by whatever they do; pure benevolence taking care of people in the same way as oneself, ultimately bringing about emancipation from birth and death; pure benevolence not abandoning the world, the mind always focused on accumulating roots of goodness; pure benevolence able to bring liberation, causing all sentient beings to annihilate all afflictions; pure benevolence generating enlightenment, inspiring all sentient beings to seek omniscience; pure benevolence unobstructed by the world, radiating great light illuminating everywhere equally; pure benevolence filling space, reaching everywhere to save sentient beings; pure benevolence focused on truth, realizing the truth of Thusness; pure benevolence without object, entering enlightening beings’ detachment from life. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supreme, vast, pure benevolence of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure compassion: pure compassion without companion, as they make their determination independently; tireless pure compassion, not considering it troublesome to endure pain on behalf of all sentient beings; pure compassion taking on birth in difficult situations, for the purpose of liberating sentient beings; pure compassion taking on birth in pleasant conditions, to show impermanence; pure compassion for the sake of wrongly fixated sentient beings, never giving up their vow of universal liberation; pure compassion not clinging to personal pleasure, giving happiness to all sentient beings; pure compassion not seeking reward, purifying their minds; pure compassion able to remove delusion by explaining the truth. Great enlightening beings know all things are in essence pure and have no clinging or irritation, but suffering is experienced because of afflictions of adventitious defilements: knowing this, they conceive great compassion for sentient beings. This is called essential purity, as they explain to them the principle of undefiled pure light. Great enlightening beings know that all phenomena are like the tracks of birds in the sky, but that sentient beings’ eyes are clouded by delusion and they cannot clearly realize this; observing them, enlightening beings conceive great compassion. This is called true knowledge, as they teach them the principle of nirvana. These are ten kinds of pure compassion, based on which enlightening beings attain the supremely great compassion of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure joy: the pure joy of aspiring to enlightenment; the pure joy of relinquishing all possessions; the pure joy of not rejecting undisciplined sentient beings but teaching them and maturing them; the pure joy of being able to tolerate evil-doing sentient beings and vowing to save and liberate them; the pure joy of giving one’s life in search of truth, without regret; the pure joy of giving up sensual pleasures and always taking pleasure in truth; the pure joy of inducing sentient beings to give up material pleasures and always take pleasure in truth; the pure joy of cosmic equanimity tirelessly honoring and serving all buddhas they see; the pure joy of teaching all sentient beings to enjoy meditations, liberations, and concentrations, and to fre
ely enter and emerge from them; the pure joy of gladly carrying out all austere practices that accord with the way of enlightening beings and realizing the tranquil, imperturbable supreme calmness and wisdom of the sage. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supremely great pure joy of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of pure equanimity: the pure equanimity of not becoming emotionally attached to sentient beings who honor and support them; the pure equanimity of not being angered at sentient beings who slight and revile them; the pure equanimity of always being in the world but not being affected by the vicissitudes of worldly things; the pure equanimity of instructing sentient beings who are fit for the Teaching at the appropriate times, while not conceiving aversion for sentient beings who are not fit for the Teaching; the pure equanimity of not seeking the states of learning or nonlearning of the two lesser vehicles; the pure equanimity of the mind always being aloof from all desires that are conducive to affliction; the pure equanimity of not praising the two lesser vehicles’ aversion to birth and death; the pure equanimity of avoiding worldly talk, talk that is not of nirvana, talk that is not dispassionate, talk that is not according to truth, talk that disturbs others, talk of individual salvation, and in general all talk that obstructs the Path of enlightening beings; the pure equanimity of waiting for the appropriate times to teach sentient beings whose faculties are mature and have developed mindfulness and precise awareness but do not yet know the supreme truth; the pure equanimity of waiting for the appropriate times to teach sentient beings whom the enlightening being has already instructed in the past but who cannot be tamed until the enlightening being reaches buddhahood; the pure equanimity of not considering people as higher or lower, being free from grasping and rejection, being aloof from all kinds of discriminatory notions, always being rightly concentrated, penetrating truth and attaining tolerance. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supremely pure equanimity of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of principle: the principle of great learning, steadfastly putting it into practice; the principle of truth, skillfully thinking about it and discerning it; the principle of emptiness, the ultimate truth being emptiness; the principle of silence and calm, being detached from the clamor and confusion of sentient beings; the principle of inexpressibility, not clinging to words; the principle of according with truth, realizing that past, present, and future are equal; the principle of the realm of reality, all things being one in essence; the principle of True Thusness, as all who realize Thusness enter it; the principle of the limit of reality, realizing ultimate truth; the principle of great ultimate nirvana, extinguishing all suffering yet carrying out the practices of enlightening beings. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supreme principle of omniscience.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of law: the law of truth, practicing what they teach; the law of detachment from clinging, detaching from both the clinger and that which is clung to; the law of noncontention, being free from all confusing conflicts; the law of silent extinction, extinguishing all irritations; the law of dispassion, all covetousness being ended; the law of freedom from false notions, all arbitrary conceptualization clinging to objects permanently ceasing; the law of birthlessness, being immovable as space; the law of the uncreated, being detached from appearances of origin, subsistence, and annihilation; the law of basic essence, being inherently pure; the law of abandoning all nirvana in which there is still suffering, to be able to generate all practices of enlightening beings and carry them out uninterruptedly. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can attain the supremely great law of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment: urging sentient beings to generate the aspiration for enlightenment is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, because it perpetuates the three treasures; following the ten kinds of dedication is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, because it stops all that is not good and accumulates all that is good; wisely guiding and teaching is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, because it transcends the virtues of the worlds of desire, form, and formlessness; indefatigability of mind is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, because thereby they finally liberate all sentient beings; relinquishing all internal and external possessions is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, because of having no attachments to anything at all; working unflaggingly to fully develop spiritual refinements is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, by opening the gate of great charity, without limit; dedicating all roots of goodness, superior, middling, or lesser, to supreme enlightenment without slighting any is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, being consonant with skill in means; generating great compassion for bad sentient beings who are mean and fixed on error, not despising them, is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, by virtue of always activating the heart of universal commitment of great people; honoring and serving all buddhas, thinking of all enlightening beings as buddhas, and bringing joy to all sentient beings, is one of enlightening beings’ virtues instrumental in fostering enlightenment, as they keep their original will most firm and steadfast. Great enlightening beings accumulate roots of goodness over measureless eons, wishing to attain realization of supreme enlightenment themselves, as though it were in their palm; yet they give away all their roots of goodness to all sentient beings without any grief or regret, their minds being as broad as space—this is a virtue of enlightening beings instrumental in fostering enlightenment, as they develop great wisdom and realize great truth. Based on these ten, enlightening beings can embody the supremely great mass of virtues of buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of knowledge instrumental in fostering enlightenment. They associate with learned, genuine teachers, and respectfully attend them, obeying them in every way, not deviating from their instructions; this is one, being totally honest, without falsehood. They give up conceit forever, they are always humble and respectful, their thoughts, words, and deeds are free from coarseness, they are harmonious and agreeable, and do not prevaricate; this is the second, as their beings become capable of bearing the Buddha teaching. They are mentally collected, aware, always alert, never distracted or confused; conscientious and agreeable, their minds are calm and imperturbable; they always remember the six thoughts, always practice the sixfold respect, and always abide by the six principles of steadfastness; this is the third, being a way to develop tenfold knowledge. They take pleasure in truth and principle, always enjoying listening to teaching of truth, abandoning worldly philosophies and theses, always concentrating on listening to transcendental talk, leaving the lesser vehicles of individual salvation behind and entering the wisdom of the Great Vehicle of universal salvation; this is the fourth, singlemindedly recollecting without distraction. They bear the six ways of transcendence in mind wholeheartedly, have already perfected the practice of the four immeasurable minds, follow the methods of illumination and skillfully put them into practice; they earnestly question intelligent people of knowledge, avoid bad tendencies, and aim for good ways; their minds always like contemplation with right recollection; they subdue their own feelings and protect the minds of others: this is the fifth, firmly executing true practice. They always appreciate emancipation and do not cling to the world; they are always aware of their own minds and never have any evil thoughts; they have done away with greed, anger, and malevolence, and their thoughts, words, and deeds are all good; they have certain knowledge of the inherent nature of mind: this is the sixth, able to purify one’s own and others’ minds. They observe the five clusters as being like illusory phenomena, the elements like poisonous snakes, the sense mediums like desolate villages, all
things as like illusions, flames, reflections, dreams, shadows, echoes, images, like paintings in the sky, like a turning wheel of fire, like the colors of the rainbow, like sunlight and moonlight, signless and formless, neither permanent nor ending, not coming or going, and not abiding either—contemplating in this way, they know all things have no origin and no destruction: this is the seventh, knowing that the essential nature of all things is empty and quiescent. When great enlightening beings hear that phenomena have no self, no being, no soul, no person, no mind, no object, no greed, no anger, no delusion, no body, no thing, no master, no sustenance, no attachment, and no action, all of these having no existence, being ultimately nil—having heard this, they deeply believe it, without doubt or repudiation: this is the eighth, being able to perfect complete understanding. Great enlightening beings tame their faculties well, and they cultivate action according to truth; they always abide in tranquillity and insight, and their minds are silent and calm, with no disturbing thoughts arising; they have no self, no person, no fabrication, no conditioning, no idea of self, no idea of self doing anything, no excess or lack, and no sense of attainment of this either; their physical, verbal, and mental actions have no coming or going, no energy, no vigor; they see all things and all beings impartially and do not dwell on anything; they are neither of this world nor beyond it, notions of ‘here’ and ‘there’ being inherently irrelevant; they come from nowhere and go nowhere—they always meditate in this way by means of knowledge and wisdom: this is the ninth, reaching transcendence of forms of discriminations. Because great enlightening beings see the principle of interdependent origination, they see the purity of phenomena; because they see the purity of phenomena, they see the purity of lands; because they see the purity of lands, they see the purity of space; because they see the purity of space, they see the purity of the realm of reality; because they see the purity of the realm of reality, they see the purity of knowledge; this is the tenth, cultivating and accumulating all-knowledge. These are enlightening beings’ ten kinds of knowledge instrumental in fostering enlightenment, based on which they can attain the buddhas’ store of un-impeded, pure, subtle knowledge of all truths.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 146