The Flower Ornament Scripture

by Thomas Cleary

  “I know this means of access to perfect wisdom which is the array of total mindfulness; how can I know the practice orteil the virtues of the enlightening beings whose minds are like space, whose intellects are broad as the cosmos, whose mental flow is based on accumulated virtue, who have attained transmundane understanding, who do not practice worldly ways, who have attained the eye of the light of knowledge without obscurity, who clearly discern all realms of reality, whose awareness is infinite as space, whose eyes are mindful of all objects, who are filled with the light of the state of nonobstruction, who are skilled in analyzing all doctrines, meanings, and statements, who are not overcome by any world, who conduct themselves well according to worldly standards and are irreproachable in any worldly state, who are intent on the well-being of all worlds, who are a refuge for all beings, who know the manners and courtesies of speech of all worlds, who can give the appearances of dress and habitation of all worlds as they wish, and who are masters of all wheels of time?

  “Go south, to the land called Trinayana, where a monk named Sudarshana lives. Go ask him how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

  Then Sudhana paid his respects to Maitrayani and left.

  Sudarshana

  Then, contemplating the profound discernment of enlightening beings’ knowledge, the profound attainment of the base of the reality realm, the profound knowledge of all subtleties, the profundity of the conceptuality of the world, the profundity of the base of nondoing, the profundity of the base of the mental stream, the profundity of the base of interdependent origination, the profundity of the plane of truth in terms of inherent nature, the profundity of the plane of truth in terms of the conventions of sentient beings, the profundity of the ground of adornment of the cosmos, the profundity of the plane of observation of the operation of the body, and the profundity of the ground of the world of action and thought, Sudhana made his way to the land of Trinayana.

  Looking for the monk Sudarshana in towns and cities, marketplaces and villages, in herding stations, in hermitages, in the provinces, in mountains, caves, and forests, he saw Sudarshana walking around in a certain woods, young and handsome, with the physical marks and embellishments of a great man, his gaze steady, mindful, of vast intelligence, intent on the sphere of insuperable knowledge, his mind free from all vacillation, vain imagination, idle fancies, and false ideas, abiding in pure knowledge, aware of the vast range of enlightened knowledge, firmly resolved to guide all beings to full development, with a vast sphere of great compassion, aiming to bear the eye of the teachings of all buddhas, aiming to produce the light of knowledge in all sentient beings, ever-mindful of the way of the enlightened, treading it for the sake of all sentient beings, walking quietly and steadily, neither quickly nor slowly, dressed like the deities of the pure abodes, surrounded by all kinds of beings.

  Furthermore, in front of Sudarshana as he walked were deities of direction who caused the world to turn; footstep-following deities received his steps on jewel lotuses; fire deities with inexhaustible spheres of light dispelled the darkness; forest deities showered rain of flowering plants; earth deities, the source of stability, revealed jewel mines; sky deities, their splendor illumining everywhere, adorned the sky; glorious ocean deities scattered great jewels over him; polar mountain deities, full of purity, folded their hands in respectful salutation; wind deities of unobstructed power gave off a fragrant flowery breeze; springlike night deities prostrated their beautifully adorned bodies in respect; ever-awakening daylight deities hovered in the sky holding banners of radiant jewels to produce light.

  Sudhana went up to the monk Sudarshana, paid his respects, and said, “Noble one, I have set out for supreme perfect enlightenment and seek the practice of enlightening beings. I have heard you give enlightening beings instruction, and I ask you to tell me how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

  Sudarshana said, “I am young, and have only recently become a monk. At that, in one life I have performed religious practice in the company of as many buddhas as grains of sand in thirty-eight Ganges Rivers. With some I performed spiritual practice for a day and a night, with some for a week, with some for a fortnight, with some for a month, with some for a year, with some for a century, with some for a millennium, with some for a hundred millennia, with some for a million years, with some for a trillion years, with some for untold, inexpressible numbers of years, with some for an intermediate eon, with some for half an eon, with some for an eon, with some for as long as untold, inexpressible numbers of eons, and from all those buddhas I heard explanation of the Teaching and received instruction. My vows were purified, my sphere of practice entering into the realm of realization was purified, the oceans of transcendent ways were fulfilled, I perceived their mystical transformations on attainment of enlightenment, I remembered their successive cycles of teaching without confusion, I realized the equality of their powers, and I preserved their instructions till the end of the right doctrine.

  “I also realized all those buddhas’ past vows for the purification of their buddha-lands, by the power of accomplishment of concentration on the sphere of vows. I also realized all those buddhas past enlightening practices for the purification of their own practice, by the power of attainment of concentration entering into all practices. I realized all those buddhas’ purification of the transcendent ways, by the power of setting out on universally good practice.

  “Furthermore, as I walk here, all realms flow toward me because of keenly observant knowledge being brought to the fore: all worlds flow away from me for the purification of passing over untold worlds in a single thought, by the power of accomplishment of great vows. In a single thought untold practical principles for sentient beings appear to me, for the fulfillment of the knowledge of the ten powers, by the power of carrying out the vows of practice of universally good enlightening beings. In a single thought the purities of visions of untold buddha-lands appear to me, so I may honor, attend, and serve as many buddhas as atoms in untold buddha-lands, by the power of carrying out the vow to serve former and future buddhas. In a single thought the teachings of untold buddhas occur to my mind, by the power of carrying out the vow to remember wheels of teaching accompanied by countless ways of proceeding with the teachings in action. In a single thought, untold oceans of enlightening practices appear to me, for the purification of all spheres of practice, by the power of carrying out the vow to fulfill the practices of enlightening beings, which are all interrelated. In a single thought, untold oceans of concentrations become manifest to me, for the purification of all spheres of concentration, by the power of carrying out the vow to comprehend all ways of concentration in one way of concentration. In a single thought untold oceans of faculties appear to me, for adaptation to all faculties and times, by the power of carrying out the vow to attain the faculty of ultimate mindfulness. In a single thought, untold wheels of time are manifest to me, for conveying timely teachings, by the power of carrying out the endless vow to continue till the end of sentient beings. In a single thought, untold oceans of all pasts, presents, and futures appear to me, for the definition of past, present, and future in all worlds, by the power of carrying out the vow for illumination of comprehensive knowledge.

  “So I know the enlightening liberation ‘the lamp of knowledge which is never extinguished.’ How can I know the practice or tell the virtues of the enlightening beings with adamantine will, who are born in the families of all buddhas, who have undying life-roots, whose light of knowledge is never extinguished, who have indestructible bodies, whose magical forms are without end, who embody the principle of relativity, who appear to sentient beings according to their mentalities, whose bodies appear like those of all beings in color, form, and size, whose bodies are not harmed by fire, poisons, or weapons, whose beings are invulnerable as adamantine mountains, who vitiate the power of all demons and opponents, who shine like mountains of gold, whose bodies s
tand out among all beings, whose bodies are perceived by all beings, who are heard of everywhere, who are looked up to by all sentient beings, who are mines of the earth of all truths, who illumine all quarters, who are seen without opposition because they have destroyed the mountains of obstructions, who are seen as supreme heroes because they extirpate all roots of evil, who are a welcome sight because they are products of many virtues, who are like udumbara flowers because they very rarely appear?

  “South of here, in the land of Shramanamandala, is a city called Sumukha, where a boy named Indriyeshvara lives. Go ask him how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

  Then, intent on purifying attainment of the valor of enlightening beings, his mind illumined by the light of the power of enlightening beings, with the invincible energy of enlightening beings in his heart, his mind girded with the armor of the steadfast vows of enlightening beings, the breadth of the firm basis of intent of enlightening beings on his mind, determined to maintain the multitude of practices of enlightening beings, never tiring of the ways of enlightening beings, resolved to attain all qualities of enlightening beings, desiring to offer himself as a charioteer for all beings, desiring to bring all beings across the wasteland of the mundane whirl, never tiring of seeing, listening to, and attending spiritual benefactors, with immeasurable respect for the Teaching, Sudhana paid his respects to the monk Sudarshana and left.

  Indriyeshvara

  Thinking about the instruction of Sudarshana, applying it, passing it on, investigating it, talking about it, revealing it, contemplating it, approaching it, following it, reflecting on the principle of his teaching, entering into it, bringing it near, analyzing it, explaining it, elucidating it, pondering it, Sudhana, surrounded by celestial beings, spirits, and cherubim, made his way to the city of Sumukha in the land of Shramanamandala, looking for the boy Indriyeshvara.

  Then, when Sudhana got to the city Sumukha, near a river junction, he saw Indriyeshvara, surrounded by ten thousand boys, playing in the sand. He went up to Indriyeshvara, paid his respects, and said, “Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

  Indriyeshvara said, “I have been taught writing and mathematics by Manjushri, and have been led into the door of knowledge encompassing higher knowledge of all practical arts. So I know all the various arts and crafts and sciences in the world dealing with writing, mathematics and symbols, physiology, rhetoric, physical and mental health, city planning, architecture and construction, mechanics and engineering, divination, agriculture and commerce, conduct and manners, good and bad actions, good and bad principles, what makes for felicity and what for misery, what is necessary for the vehicles of buddhas, disciples, and individual illuminates, what is necessary for buddhahood, and behavior linking reason and action. I know all these sciences, and I also introduce and teach them to people, and get people to study and practice them, to master and develop them, using these as means to purify, refine, and broaden people.

  “I myself know enlightening beings’ method of reckoning, which goes like this: a hundred hundred thousand is a koti; a koti squared is an ayuta; an ayuta squared is a niyuta; a niyuta squared is a bimbara; a bimbara squared is a kinkara; a kinkara squared is an agara; an agara squared is a pravara; a pravara squared is a mapara; a mapara squared is a tapara; a tapara squared is a sima; a sima squared is a yama; a yama squared is a nema; a nema squared is an avaga; an avaga squared is a mrgava; a mrgava squared is a viraga; a viraga squared is a vigava; a vigava squared is a samkrama; a samkrama squared is a visara; a visara squared is a vibhaja; a vibhaja squared is a vijangha; a vijangha squared is a vishoda; a vishoda squared is a vivaha; a vivaha squared is a vibhakta; a vibhakta squared is a vikhata; a vikhata squared is an ilana; an ilana squared is an avana; an avana squared is a thavana; a thavana squared is a viparya; a viparya squared is a samaya; a samaya squared is a viturna; a viturna squared is a hetura; a hetura squared is a vicara; a vicara squared is a vyavasta; a vyavasta squared is an abhyudgata; an abhyudgata squared is a vishishta; a vishishta squared is a nilamba; a nilamba squared is a harita; a harita squared is a vikshoba; a vikshoba squared is a halita; a halita squared is a hari; a hari squared is an aloka; an aloka squared is a drshvanta; a drshvanta squared is a hetuna; a hetuna squared is an ela; an ela squared is a dumela; a dumela squared is a kshemu; a kshemu squared is an eluda; an eluda squared is a bhaluda; a bhaluda squared is a samata; a samata squared is a visada; a visada squared is a pramatra; a pramatra squared is an amantra; an amantra squared is a bhramantra; a bhramantra squared is a gamantra; a gamantra squared is a namantra; a namantra squared is a nahimantra; a nahimantra squared is a vimantra; a vimantra squared is a paramantra; a paramantra squared is a shivamantra; a shivamantra squared is a delu; a delu squared is a velu; a velu squared is a gelu; a gelu squared is a khelu; a khelu squared is a nelu; a nelu squared is a bhelu; a bhelu squared is a kelu; a kelu squared is a selu; a selu squared is a pelu; a pelu squared is a melu; a melu squared is a sarada; a sarada squared is a bherudu; a bherudu squared is a kheludu; a kheludu squared is a maludu; a maludu squared is a samalu; a samalu squared is an athava; an athava squared is a kamala; a kamala squared is an agava; an agava squared is an ataru; an ataru squared is a helura; a helura squared is a mirahu; a mirahu squared is a carana; a carana squared is a dhana; a dhana squared is a pramada; a pramada squared is a nigama; a nigama squared is an upavarta; an upavarta squared is a nirdesha; a nirdesha squared is an akshaya; an akshaya squared is a sambhuta; a sambhuta squared is a mamama; a mamama squared is an avada; an avada squared is an utpala; an utpala squared is a padma; a padma squared is a sankhya; a sankhya squared is a gati; a gati squared is an upama; an upama squared is an aupamya; an aupamya squared is incalculable; an incalculable to the fourth power is measureless; a measureless to the fourth power is boundless; a boundless to the fourth power is incomparable; an incomparable to the fourth power is uncountable; an uncountable to the fourth power is unequaled; an unequaled to the fourth power is inconceivable; an inconceivable to the fourth power is immeasurable; an immeasureable to the fourth power is unspeakable; an unspeakable to the fourth power is unspeakably unspeakable; and unspeakably unspeakable squared is untold.”

  He counted out the grains of sand in the miles-wide mass of sand before him, telling how many grains of sand there were, and how many unspeakable numbers of grains of sand there were; then, having indicated this by these conventions of enumeration, he said, “This counting device serves enlightening beings for the succession of worlds; by this method of counting they count the multitudes of worlds in the ten directions. This method of counting serves enlightening beings in indicating the worlds in the ten directions in an orderly continuum. By this method of counting, enlightening beings count the string of names of the worlds in the ten directions. As in the case of indications of the string of names of worlds, in the same way this method of counting serves enlightening beings in indicating the successions of names of eons, buddhas, doctrines, sentient beings, actions, and indeed everything in the ten directions.

  “I know this light of knowledge of enlightening beings which is characterized by higher knowledge of all arts and sciences. How can I know the practice, tell of the virtues, indicate the range, show the sphere, describe the power, show the will, elucidate the preparation, explain the commitment, show the conduct, illumine the purity of transcendent ways, expound the purity of accomplishment, tell of the sphere of concentration, or approach the light of knowledge of the enlightening beings who know the number of all worlds, who know the number of all modes of spiritual practice, who know the number of pasts, presents, and futures, who know the number of all sentient beings, who know the number of all bodies of doctrine, who know the number of enlightenments of all buddhas, and who command the wheel of names of all the teachings?”