To this Sagaramegha replied, “It is good that you have set your mind on supreme perfect enlightenment. The will for enlightenment is not developed by people who have not planted roots of goodness; the will for enlightenment is produced by those who have attained the illumination of all-sided roots of goodness, who are illumined by the light of knowledge of concentration on the path containing the means of enlightenment, who have accumulated a vast ocean of virtue as provisions for the path to enlightenment, who ceaselessly practice all that is pure and good, who tirelessly apply the methods set up by all spiritual benefactors, who are not worried about their physical subsistence, who are free from clinging to material things, whose minds are equanimous as the earth, without high or low, who are by nature compassionate and friendly, who face up to all states of being, who seek the sphere of those who realize Thusness. In such people arises the mind of enlightenment—the mind of great compassion, for the salvation of all beings; the mind of great kindness, for unity with all beings; the mind of happiness, to stop the mass of misery of all beings; the altruistic mind, to repulse all that is not good; the mind of mercy, to protect from all fears; the unobstructed mind, to get rid of all obstacles; the broad mind, to pervade all universes; the infinite mind, to pervade all spaces; the undefiled mind, to manifest the vision of all buddhas; the purified mind, to penetrate all knowledge of past, present, and future; the mind of knowledge, to remove all obstructive knowledge and enter the ocean of all-knowing knowledge.
“Son, I have been living here in Sagaramukha (‘Ocean-Door’) for twelve years, having focused my mind on the ocean and kept it present in my awareness, reflecting on the measureless vastness of the great ocean, its pure clarity, its unfathomable depth, its gradual deepening, its variety of deposits of precious substances, the measurelessness of its body of water, its infinity, its being the dwelling place of various immense creatures, its being covered by great clouds, and how it neither increases nor decreases. I think: is there anything else in the world as vast as the great ocean, as broad, as measureless, as deep, as various? While I was engaged in these thoughts, an enormous lotus from the bottom of the ocean appeared before me. Its stem was of unsurpassed jewels, sapphires, and diamonds, with a wreath of agate; its broad leaves of pure gold, with an array of buds of yellow sandalwood and filaments of emerald, as measureless in breadth as the ocean; its calyx was on a stem held by a million titan chiefs, it was covered by a net of a million various jewels, sprinkled by rain from clouds of fragrant water by a million chief water spirits, with a million bird chiefs trailing silks and strings of jewels over it, a million centaur chiefs gazing at it benevolently, a million serpent chiefs bowing to it in respect, a million goblin chiefs honoring it with bowed bodies, a million celestial musician chiefs celebrating it with music and song, a million celestial leaders raining on it clouds of heavenly flowers, fragrances, garlands, incenses, perfumes, aromatic powders, cloths, parasols, banners, and pennants, a million Brahma chiefs bowing their heads in respect, a million celestial beings of the pure abodes paying respect with joined palms, a million human rulers making offerings of precious substances, a million ocean deities emerging to pay respect; it was illumined by arrays of light beams from a million luminous jewels, adorned with a million pure jewels in orderly arrays, containing a million radiant jewels, blazing with the great splendor of a million dazzling jewels, shining endlessly with a million jewels from various sources, adorned with a million jewels symbolic of earth arrayed all around, incomparably arrayed with a million of the finest diamonds, brilliantly covered with a million sun-containing jewels, decorated with a million beautiful jewels in various colors, blazing with the light of an endless array of a million wish-fulfilling jewels. That great lotus is born from the transcendental roots of goodness of the enlightened; it appears everywhere, directed to the will of enlightening beings; it comes forth from the principle of illusoriness; it is produced by pure deeds; it is adorned by the principle of the state of noncontention; it is a presentation of the nature of being equal to a dream; it is marked by the principle of nonfabrication; it accords with the principle of nonattachment; it pervades all universes everywhere; it is in the realm of illumination by the light of the sphere of Buddha. It would be impossible to reach the end of the array of characteristics, qualities, forms, and appearances of that lotus even in countless hundreds of thousands of eons. Also I saw an embodiment of Buddha clearly manifest sitting cross-legged on that great lotus, completely filling it; I saw that embodiment of Buddha reaching from here to the very summit of being. I also saw the inconceivable adornments of the Buddha’s throne, the inconceivable adornments of the Buddha’s congregation, the inconceivable adornments of his aura of light, his inconceivable marks of greatness, various embellishments, and inconceivable majesty, the inconceivable projection of Buddha, the inconceivable purity of appearance of the Buddha; I heard the Buddha’s inconceivable eloquence and drew near to the inconceivable infinity of Buddha’s power, the inconceivable purity of his adornments of expertise, and his inconceivable accomplishment of the power of analytic knowledge; I recalled his past consummation of practices as an enlightening being, I saw the inconceivable transformation of the attainment of enlightenment, I heard of the inconceivable array of senses conveying universal insight and saw the inconceivable infinite division of his body into left and right and his consummate attainment of physical being beneficial to all creatures.
“Then the Buddha extended his right hand, rubbed my head, and revealed to me a teaching called universal eye, which is the sphere of all buddhas, revealing the practice of enlightening beings, showing the differentiation of the planes of all universes, showing the spheres of all truths together, the light purifying all lands, dispersing all challengers, crushing all demons and devils, making all beings happy, illumining the hidden recesses of all beings’ minds, communicating to all beings in accord with their mentalities, illuminating the turning of the wheels of the senses of all beings. And I have taken up that teaching of the universal eye, keep it in mind, apply it, and contemplate it, taking it in this way—even if it were being written by a collection of pens the size of the polar mountains with as much ink as water in the oceans, it could never be finished; it would be impossible to finish even a part of a single line of a single formula of a single principle of a single doctrine of a single chapter of the teaching—it cannot be even partially exhausted, let alone fully exhausted or comprehended.
“So, son, having taken up this teaching of the universal eye for a full twelve years—taking it up in this way: in one day I master countless chapters by the light of mental command to retain what is heard; I penetrate countless chapters by the light of mental command that is a way of access to tranquillity; I plunge into countless chapters by the light of mental command that progresses endlessly; I contemplate and investigate countless chapters by the light of mental command that is imbued with fiery energy; I put countless chapters into practice by the light of mental command adorned with lotuses; I elucidate countless chapters by the light of mental command that is beyond words; I analyze countless chapters by the light of mental command that is a mass of brightness; I arrange countless chapters in order by the light of mental command containing the ocean—whatever beings come to me from the ten directions, I direct and introduce them all into this teaching of the universal eye, the manifestation of the practice of enlightened and enlightening beings; to all of them I elucidate, represent, illumine, describe, show, analyze, expound upon, open up, explain, unlock, and clarify the teaching of the universal eye.
“I know this teaching, son, but how can I know the practice or tell of the virtues of the enlightening beings who have entered into the ocean of all enlightening beings’ practices in accord with pure vows; who have entered into the ocean of all vows, to remain in the world through all ages; who have entered into the mundane whirl of all beings, to act appropriately according to their mentalities; who have entered the ocean of minds of all beings, to communicate knowledge; who h
ave entered the ocean of all virtues, to produce the vision of the knowledge of the ten powers without obstruction; who have entered the ocean of all beings’ faculties, to guide them to maturity and perfection with appropriate timing; who have entered the ocean of all lands, by carrying out the vow to purify all lands; who have entered the ocean of all buddhas, by the power of the vow to honor and attend all enlightened ones; who have entered the ocean of all truths, for the communication of knowledge; who have entered the ocean of all virtues by pursuing their realization; who have entered the ocean of languages of all beings, to carry out the turning of the wheel of the teaching in all languages?
“Go, son, to a place called Sagaratira, in the region of Sri Lanka, sixty leagues south of here. A monk named Supratishthita lives there; go to him and ask how a great enlightening being is to purify enlightening practice.”
Then Sudhana, paying his respects, departed from the presence of Sagaramegha.
Supratishthita
Then Sudhana, remembering that spiritual benefactor’s teaching of the universal eye, reflecting on that projection of buddhahood, keeping in mind those multitudes of statements of the Teaching, entering into those oceans of entries into the Teaching, pondering that method of teaching, plunging into the principles of that whirlpool of teaching, entering fully into the space of that teaching, clarifying that sphere of teaching, and contemplating that treasure island of teaching, gradually made his way to Sagaratira in Lanka, where he looked in all directions, desiring to see the monk Supratishthita. He saw Supratishthita walking in the sky, surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands of celestial beings. He also saw the sky covered with clouds of celestial flowers, with the sound of countless clouds of heavenly music and countless streamers and banners offered by the chief celestials to the monk Supratishthita as tokens of respect. He also saw inconceivable clouds of black aloe-scented water thundering in the sky, raised on high by the chief water spirits. He also heard countless sounds of pleasing celestial music and song coming from the sky with words of reverence and hymns of praise, performed by supernatural beings; he also saw inconceivable clouds of fine cloths spread out in the sky by joyous serpent chiefs out of respect for Supratishthita. He also saw inconceivable clouds of jewels set in the sky by the chief titans, with the light of the magnificent array of their inconceivable qualities. He also saw inconceivable hosts of bird girls, standing in the sky with their hands joined in gestures of respect, with noninjury uppermost in their minds. He also saw inconceivable hundreds of thousands of goblin chiefs in the sky with their retinues, their bodies transfigured, directed there by goodwill toward the monk Supratishthita. He also saw inconceivable numbers of demigod chiefs with their retinues circling in the sky to protect Supratishthita. He also saw inconceivable hundreds of thousands of Brahma chiefs in the sky making salutations, uttering pleasant words of respect and songs of praise. He also saw inconceivable hundreds of thousands of celestial beings of the pure abodes in their palaces in the sky, paying their respects to the monk Supratishthita.
Then Sudhana, seeing the monk Supratishthita walking in the sky, was pleased, enraptured, transported, overjoyed, happy; he saluted and greeted Supratishthita and said to him, “Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme enlightenment, but I do not know how an enlightening being is to seek the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to acquire the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to accumulate the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to cultivate the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to actualize the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to act in accord with the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to assemble the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to contemplate the qualities of buddhas, how an enlightening being is to clarify the qualities of buddhas in order to accomplish all the tasks of enlightening beings, how an enlightening being is to approach and follow the qualities of buddhas. Noble one, I hear that you give instructions to enlightening beings: please tell me how an enlightening being is to set to work on the Buddha teachings, not to lose sight of Buddha whatever one is doing, not to lose sight of enlightening beings so as to be always in contact with reality, always to be involved with the Buddha teachings so as to be at one with the roots of goodness of all enlightening beings, always to be involved with the vows of enlightening beings so as to accord with knowledge, always to be involved in the practices of enlightening beings so as to accomplish the task of all enlightening beings, always to be pervading all buddha-fields so as to live continuously through all ages, to remain in the conditional for the manifestation of the projections of all buddhas, always to be hearing the Teaching in order to visit in one’s own body the places of death and birth of all buddhas by the emanationlike action of enlightening beings, and to always be in contact with the light of knowledge so as to receive the teachings of all buddhas and accord with knowledge of past, present, and future.”
To this, Supratishthita replied, “It is good that you have set your mind on supreme perfect enlightenment and ask about the qualities of buddhahood, the qualities of omniscience, the qualities of independence. I have attained the enlightening liberation ‘unobstructed door.’ Going in and out of this ‘unobstructed door’ liberation, practicing it, analyzing it, examining it, investigating it, and clarifying it, I have attained a light of knowledge called ‘ultimate nonobstruction,’ whereby I am free from obstruction in awareness of the mental actions of all sentient beings, knowing where all sentient beings die and are born, entries into the channels to memory of past states, associations with all beings in future ages, communications to all sentient beings of the present time, knowledge of the conventions of languages of all sentient beings, cutting off the doubts of all sentient beings, comprehending the differences in the faculties of all sentient beings, approaching all sentient beings at appropriate times to guide them to full development, comprehension of time divisions as being conceptual, and in noncorporeal pervasion of the buddha-fields in the ten directions, all by the attainment of nonbeing, nonabiding, and nondoing. By the realization of this mystic power of nondoing I walk, stand, sit, and lie down in the sky, disappear and appear, produce smoke and flame. Being one, I become many; being many, I become one. I become now visible, now invisible. I go through walls unhindered, as through empty space. While sitting cross-legged I travel in space, like a bird on the wing. I go in and out of the earth as if in water. I walk on water unhindered as on the earth. I smoke and flame like a great conflagration. I cause even the earth to quake. With my hand I polish even the sun and moon, those bodies of great potency, power, and light. I envelop even up to the Brahma world in my body. Covering the world with clouds of lights the colors of all jewels, I emit clouds in the forms of all beings. Emanating clouds of webs of light of infinite colors, I go forth in all directions: in each moment of thought I pass one world to the east, I pass two worlds, three worlds, a hundred worlds, a thousand worlds, a hundred thousand worlds, a million worlds, a hundred millions worlds, a billion worlds, a hundred billion worlds, a quintillion worlds, countless, measureless, endless, incomparable, inconceivable, incalculable, untold, unspeakably unspeakable numbers of worlds; and in those worlds are buddhas living, in each of those oceans of worlds, in each of those streams of worlds, in each region of those worlds, in each age of those worlds, in each set of those worlds, in each occurrence of those worlds, in each expression of those worlds, in each medium of those worlds, in each particular of those worlds, in each sacred place in those worlds, in each site of enlightenment in those worlds, in each assembly in those worlds—I go to each of the buddhas teaching in those worlds with as many bodies as atoms in endless buddha-lands, each body raining as many clouds of offerings as atoms in endless buddha-lands. Going to the buddhas, I ceaselessly make offerings of all kinds of flowers, fragrances, garlands, unguents, robes, banners, pennants, canopies, nets, and ornaments. Those buddhas explain, reveal, and elucidate, and I acknowledge and take up all that they teach. I
also remember the purity of the buddha-lands of those buddhas. As in the east, so also in all directions do I go to innumerable worlds, see the buddhas teaching there, make offerings to them, acknowledge and take up what they say, and remember the purity of their buddha-lands. Also, all the beings who see me, to whom I come, are assured of supreme perfect enlightenment. Also, whatever beings I see, small or large, underdeveloped or well developed, happy or unhappy, I adopt a corresponding physical form, in order to guide them to maturity and perfection in the appropriate time. And all beings who come to me I establish in this enlightening liberation, which is everywhere at once and which is the consummation of unerring power.
“Son, I know this enlightening liberation ‘unobstructed door,’ which is everywhere at once engaged in the service of the buddhas, appropriate to the development of all beings. How can I know the practice, or tell the virtues, of the great enlightening beings who act on great compassion, who act in accord with the practice of the Great Vehicle, whose conduct never deviates from the path of enlightening beings, whose conduct is free from attachment, whose conduct always embodies the will of enlightening beings, who always act with the thought of enlightenment, whose action is focused on the way of the enlightened, who always act with the thought of omniscience, whose way of action is like the sky, whose conduct is independent of all mundane realms, whose conduct is flawless, whose conduct is uncorrupted, whose conduct is consistent, whose conduct is faultless, whose conduct is pure, whose conduct is unblemished, whose conduct is free from evil, whose conduct is honest, whose conduct is dispassionate, whose conduct is undefiled?
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