Saradhvaja said, “There is a perfection of wisdom called equanimity of the universal eye, and this concentration is its light, called manifestation of universal purification. By the perfect accomplishment of the concentration of manifestation of universal purification, which springs from the light of the perfection of wisdom of equanimity of the universal eye, countless tens of hundreds of thousands of complete concentrations, beginning with the manifestation of universal purification, are born.”
Sudhana said, “Is this the greatest range of this concentration?”
Saradhvaja said, “One who has fully accomplished this concentration has the power to discern worlds, to enter worlds, to travel freely in worlds, to adorn worlds, to purify worlds, to beautify worlds, to see buddhas, to observe the grandeur of buddhas, to know the emanations of buddhas, to enter the powers of buddhas, to plunge into the ocean of virtues of buddhas, to receive the teachings of buddhas, to follow the knowledge of the unity of all buddhas’ teachings, to enter the ocean of congregations of buddhas, to go anywhere in the ten directions, to observe the teaching activity of the buddhas, to see the realms of the buddhas, to embrace all with great compassion, to pervade everywhere with love, to plunge tirelessly into the vision of buddhas everywhere, to enter into the ocean of all beings, to know the ocean of faculties of all beings, to know the distinction of faculties of all beings.
“I know this state of perfection of wisdom; but how can I know the practice, tell of the virtues, show the realm, reveal the sphere, describe the power of great vows, illumine the way of emancipation, elucidate the attainment, shed light on the path, follow the stream of concentration, know the range of mind, or reach equality with the knowledge, of the enlightening beings who have entered the ocean of states of perfection of wisdom, who have clarified the cosmic perspective, who know where all teachings lead, who pervade an infinite sphere with vast awareness, who command the light of great mental control, who have purified the light of all spheres of concentration, who issue from the magical power of mystic knowledge, who have entered the inexhaustible ocean of intelligence, who speak pleasantly of the stages of enlightenment, who are refuges for all beings?
“Go south, to a place called Samudravetadin, where there is a park called Samantavyuha, in front of the city Mahaprabha, where a lay woman named Asha, wife of king Suprabha, dwells; go to her and ask her how an enlightening being is to learn and apply the practice of enlightening beings.”
Then Sudhana, pleased, uplifted, transported, overjoyed, joyful and happy, invigorated and sustained by Sarasdhvaja, having entered the realm of concentration, having attained illumined knowledge, having attained the light of concentration, his consciousness illumined by the light of the principles of teaching pursuant to purifications of interest, seeing the way to purity, with knowledge emanating light in all directions, paid his respects to Saradhvaja and left, looking at him again and again, bowing to him, thinking and meditating on him, praising him, recalling his virtues and keeping them firmly in mind, joining in with his vow, seeking his vision, remembering his words, recalling his appearance, contemplating the excellence of his knowledge, plunging into his sphere of concentration, fixing his mind on his sphere of undertaking, reflecting on the scope of his experience, illumined by his knowledge.
Asha
Then Sudhana, uplifted by the virtues of the spiritual benefactor, sent forth by the spiritual benefactor, having gained access to the vision of the spiritual benefactor, putting the instructions of the spiritual benefactor into practice, remembering the words of the spiritual benefactor, kindly disposed toward spiritual benefactors, seeing spiritual benefactors as mines of the vision of buddhas, seeing spiritual benefactors as those who show the teachings of buddhas, seeing spiritual benefactors as teachers of the elements of omniscience, seeing spiritual benefactors as eyes to see the sky of buddhahood, gradually made his way to Samantavyuha Park in Samudravetadin.
He saw the park surrounded by fences made of all kinds of jewels, in the midst of rows of all kinds of jewel trees, adorned throughout with beautiful delicate flowers like sets of all kinds of jewels releasing pollen, adorned by all kinds of jewel trees, strewn with the various blossoms of the flowers of all kinds of jewel trees, with rows of trees of all kinds of fragrances giving off their scents in all directions, trees of garlands of all jewels with their flower buds bursting forth streaming a rain of garlands of various jewels, the ground beautifully spread with various decorations made of jewels from trees of all kinds of diamonds, the area well distributed with cloths of various colors hanging down from trees of flowers of various forms, with trees of all kinds of musical instruments making beautiful sounds surpassing the heavens when stirred by the wind, the ground level throughout, neither high nor low, adorned with various trailing streamers of ornaments welling forth from the flower buds of trees of all ornaments. In the park, furthermore, were ten hundred thousand arrays of turrets adorned with all kinds of precious jewels, extremely pure; ten hundred thousand towers covered with gold, ten hundred thousand mansions adorned with radiant jewels, ten hundred thousand lotus ponds made of all kinds of jewels, inlaid with jewel bricks, with varied stairways made of seven precious substances, surrounded by benches made of various gems, fragrant as pools of water scented with celestial sandalwood, the bottoms covered with golden sand, spread with ten layers of pure gold and jewels, stairways set on four sides, filled with water of eight qualities, vibrant with the beautiful sounds of the calls of various birds, surrounded by rows of jewel palms, covered by nets of gold bells chiming sweetly when stirred by the wind, with canopies of great jewels above, surrounded by enclosures of trees of various jewels, with banners and streamers flying from jewel nets. There were also ten hundred thousand pools, lined with sandalwood clay, covered with lotuses of various colors made of all kinds of jewels, with pure water shining with lotuses of huge gems.
In the middle of the park was a large mansion called Multicolored Banner standing on a ground of jewels, adorned with pillars of sapphire, roofed with gold, surfaced with arrays of world-illumining jewels, its base blazing with webs of countless jewels, graced by the scent of unsurpassed jewels of fragrance, perfumed by jewels of compounded fragrances, filled with jewels of awakening fragrance extinguishing the heat of the senses.
In that mansion were arranged infinite seats—the calyxes of lotuses, luminous jewel lotuses, radiant jewel lotuses, world-illumining jewel lotuses, lotuses of various treasures, lotuses of pure jewels, lotuses inlaid with jewels, lotuses of omnifaceted jewels, lotuses of jewels with auras of light, lotuses of jewels shining with the radiant lights of arrays of pure jewels of the ocean, jewel lotuses covered with diamond lions.
The many turrets of the mansion were made of inconceivably many jewels, arrayed with varicolored jewels, their forms resplendent with light of inconceivably many colors.
The park was also covered above by ten hundred thousand canopies, such as canopies of cloth, canopies of plant tendrils, canopies of flowers, canopies of garlands, canopies of fragrances, canopies of jewels, golden canopies, canopies of jewels glittering like diamonds, canopies of nymphs magically produced by the chief of the water spirits, canopies of jewels prized by the king of gods.
It was also covered by ten hundred thousand precious nets such as nets of bells with jewels inside, nets of jeweled streamers, nets of jewel figures, nets of pearls, nets of sapphires, nets of moonlike jewels, nets emanating fragrance, nets of jeweled crowns.
It was also illumined by ten hundred thousand great lights, such as starlight-jewel light, sun-filled-jewel light, moonlike-jewel light, scenting-flame-jewel light, luster-filled-jewel light, lotus-calyx-jewel light, starry-jewel light, great blazing jewel light, radiant jewel light, and the light of jewels like wreaths of lightning emitting great clouds of fragrance.
The park was also adorned by rain from ten hundred thousand great clouds of ornaments; ten hundred thousand sandalwood-scented clouds thundered; it was adorned by ten hundred thousand trailing cloud
s of garlands surpassing those in the heavens; ten hundred thousand clouds of varicolored cloths surpassing the celestials rained; it was adorned by ten hundred thousand clouds of ornaments surpassing those of the heavens; it was showered by ten hundred thousand celestial beings bowing their heads to see; it was showered by ten hundred thousand clouds of nymphs producing beings of their own kind who did the same things in the past, with bodies like their own; it was showered by ten hundred thousand clouds of enlightening beings who had come to hear the Teaching.
Innumerable living beings in all states of existence came from the ten directions to the laywoman Asha, who was seated on a golden throne, adorned with a net of pearls from the ocean, wearing a tiara, her wrists adorned with bracelets of gold more beautiful than that of the heavens, her arms resplendent with jewels of glorious light, wearing earrings of pure deep blue gems, her head adorned with a veil of all kinds of jewels, her neck draped with a string of wish-fulfilling jewels. Those who came to her, affected with various sicknesses, filled with various afflictions, immersed in various views, covered by obstructions caused by actions, had their sicknesses alleviated when they saw Asha. Their minds freed from the defilement of afflictions, the thorns of views removed, the mountains of obstructions disintegrated, they entered the sphere of unobstructed purity, in which sphere of purity all their roots of goodness were clarified, the sprouts of spiritual faculties grew, and they entered the ocean of principles of omniscience, they recited the ocean of all mystic spells leading to mental command, came face to face with the ocean of all concentration media, began all holy vows, set all means of practice into operation, purified the means of accomplishing all virtues, proceeded according to wisdom characterized by all higher knowledges with unregressing breadth of mind, and became physically unattached and unobstructed, able to go everywhere.
Then Sudhana entered the park, looking all over till he saw Asha sitting there. He went up to her, paid his respects, and said, “Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear you give instructions to enlightening beings, so please tell me how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”
She said, “I have attained an enlightening liberation called ‘characterized by sorrowless well-being.’ It is definitely beneficial to see me, hear me, attend me, live with me, remember me. I am not visible to those who have not developed the bases of goodness, who are not under the tutelage of spiritual benefactors, who are not in the care of the perfect buddhas. Those who see me thereupon become irreversible in progress toward supreme perfect enlightenment. Furthermore, the buddhas of the ten directions come here and sit on this jewel seat and expound the truth to me. I am always seeing buddhas, hearing the truth, and meeting enlightening beings. The eighty-four thousand quadrillion beings who live here in this park are all irreversible in progress toward supreme perfect enlightenment, having performed the same practices as I have. Any others who live here too will all be irreversible in progress toward supreme perfect enlightenment, as enlightening beings of the same practice as I who have entered the community of those who cannot regress.”
Sudhana said, “Noble one, how long ago did you set your mind on supreme perfect enlightenment?”
She said, “I remember a past state when I cultivated religious practice in the company of the buddha known as the Lamp, whom I served and from whom I received teaching. Before that was a buddha named Undefiled; I went forth from society into the tutelage of that buddha and held the wheel of teaching of that buddha. Before that was a buddha named Star; I propitiated that buddha. Before that was a buddha named Splendor of the Polar Mountain; before that was a buddha named Lotus Calyx; before that was a buddha named Illuminating; before that was a buddha named Universal Eye; before that was a buddha named Purified by Spiritual Knowledge; before that was a buddha named Diamond Navel; before that was a buddha named Deifying the Universe. Remembering back in this way lifetime to lifetime, age to age, as successive buddhas appeared in the world, I remember as many buddhas as grains of sand in thirty-six Ganges Rivers whom I propitiated, attended, served, and honored, from whom I heard spiritual teaching, under whose tutelage I carried out spiritual practice. Beyond this, only the buddhas know how many buddhas I propitiated. Enlightening beings are infinite because of the aspiration of enlightenment, because of pervading all universes; enlightening beings are infinite because of the guidance of great compassion, because of entry into the midst of all beings; enlightening beings are infinite because their great vows go to the end of all universes; enlightening beings are infinite because of great love, because of suffusing all beings with love; enlightening beings are infinite because of the practice of enlightening beings, because of entering into all ages in all lands; enlightening beings are infinite because of the power of concentration, because of not regressing on the path of enlightening beings; enlightening beings are infinite because of the power of mental command, because of attainment of the method of mystic spells able to hold the memory of truths for all beings; enlightening beings are infinite because of the power of the light of knowledge, because of retaining the realization of the knowledge and wisdom of past, present, and future; enlightening beings are infinite because of the power of mystic knowledge, because of ability to produce wheels of nets of light pleasing beings according to their mentalities; enlightening beings are infinite because of the power of intelligence, because of satisfying all beings with one utterance; enlightening beings are infinite because of purity of body, because of pervading all buddha-fields with their own body.”
Sudhana said, “Noble one, when will you realize supreme perfect enlightenment?”
Asha said, “Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment with the object of leading just one sentient being to perfection, nor for the sake of a hundred or a thousand or a million or a billion sentient beings, nor for any number of beings, nor for all the sentient beings in as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressibly vast numbers of billion-world universes. Enlightening beings aspire to enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings in all worlds, to lead them to perfection. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to propitiate, honor, and attend one buddha, or even as many buddhas as atoms in untold worlds, or to propitiate, honor, and attend the lineage of buddhas in one world or the lineage of buddhas in as many worlds as atoms in untold buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to purify one buddha-land, or even to purify as many buddha-lands as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of worlds. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to preserve the teaching of one buddha, or even to preserve the teachings of as many buddhas as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of worlds. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to enter into the diversity of vows which are the point of departure of one buddha, nor even to enter into the diversity of vows which are the points of departure of as many buddhas as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to enter into the array of the buddha-field of one buddha, nor even to enter into the arrays of buddha-fields of as many buddhas as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to take part in the assembly of one buddha, nor even to take part in the assemblies of as many buddhas as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to preserve the wheel of teaching of one buddha, nor to preserve the wheels of teaching of even as many buddhas as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to penetrate the ocean of mind of one sentient being, nor to penetrate the oceans of mind of even as many sentient beings as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to know the sphere of faculties of one sentient being, nor to know the faculties of even as many sentient beings as atoms in
untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to penetrate the ocean of faculties of one sentient being, nor to penetrate the oceans of faculties of even as many sentient beings as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to enter into the succession of ages in one world, nor to enter into the succession of ages in even as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to comprehend the continuity of actions and habits of the sentient beings in one world, nor to comprehend the continuity of actions and habits of the sentient beings even in as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to comprehend the ocean of afflictions of sentient beings in one world, nor to comprehend the oceans of afflictions of the sentient beings even in as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to comprehend the ocean of all actions of the beings in one world, nor even to comprehend the oceans of all actions of beings in as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Enlightening beings do not aspire to enlightenment to comprehend the ocean of all modes of behavior of all beings in one world, nor even to comprehend the ocean of all modes of behavior of all beings in as many worlds as atoms in untold, inexpressible numbers of buddha-fields. Rather, enlightening beings aspire to enlightenment to lead all sentient beings without exception to full development—they wish to propitiate and honor and attend all buddhas, to propitiate and honor and attend the successions of buddhas in all worlds; they are determined to purify all buddha-lands; they strive to hold the teachings of all buddhas; they are zealously devoted to following the variety of vows which are the points of departure of all buddhas; they are determined to enter into the arrays of all buddha-lands; they wish to enter the oceans of assemblies of all buddhas; they seek to go deeply into the ocean of mind of all sentient beings; they wish to know the spheres of faculties of all sentient beings; they aspire to penetrate the ocean of faculties of all sentient beings; they wish to enter into the succession of ages in all worlds; they are inspired with courage to cut off the continuity of afflictions and habit energies of all sentient beings; their sun of knowledge rises to evaporate the ocean of afflictions caused by actions of all sentient beings; their light of wisdom becomes manifest to know the ways of behavior of all sentient beings; their cloud of great compassion gathers to extinguish the mass of fire of suffering of all sentient beings.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 163