The Flower Ornament Scripture

by Thomas Cleary

  “I served ten decillion buddhas with faith while desiring celestial and human enjoyments in the mundane. The first buddha was Ocean of Glory, next was Lamp of Virtue, third was Jewel Brightness, fourth was Spacelike Wisdom, fifth was Flower Calyx, sixth was Moon of Unattached Intellect, seventh was Power King of the Moon of Truth, eighth was Light of the Sphere of Knowledge; ninth was Jewel Flame Mountain Lamp, and tenth was Light and Sound of All Times. I served all the buddhas, beginning with these, but had not yet attained the eye to enter this ocean of wisdom.

  “After that a land called Jewel Light came into existence; the age was called Celestial Glory, and five hundred buddhas emerged therein. The first buddha was Light of the Lunar Sphere, second was Solar Lamp, third was Star Banner, fourth was Jewel Mountain, fifth was Flower Flame Ocean Lamp, sixth was Blazing Glory, seventh was Filled with Heavenly Glory, eighth was Shining King, ninth was Radiant Clarity, and tenth was King of Light of Universal Knowledge. Beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas, but I was still attached to body and mind, my intellect dwelling on what really has no abode.

  “After that there was a world named Myriad Lights of the Lamp of Truth; the world was beautiful, the age was called Light of Brahma: the buddhas in that world were numberless, and I served them and their retinues, and reverently heard the teachings of all those buddhas. The first buddha was Jewel Mountain, second was Ocean of Virtues, third was Clarity of the Cosmic Voice, fourth was Roar of the Ocean of Truth, fifth was Banner of Truth, sixth was Energy of Mystic Spells, seventh was Light of the Power of Truth, eighth was Spacelike Awareness, ninth was Light of the Peak of the Polar Mountain of Flames of Truth, and tenth was Massive Radiance; beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas, yet I did not awaken to the real nature whereby I could enter the ocean of buddhas.

  “After that was a buddha named Sun Lamp Brilliance; the land was called Enlightened Mind, and there was an age there called Glory of Soma. Therein were eight hundred octillion buddhas whom I served, with an endless variety of fine offerings. First was King of Celestial Musicians, second was Tree King, third was Polar Mountain of Virtue, fourth was Jewel Eye, fifth was Array of Shining Lights, sixth was Radiance of the Ocean of Truth, seventh was Lord of the World, eighth was Blazing Glory, ninth was Virtuous, and tenth was King of Light of All Laws; beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas, yet still did not attain the knowledge to enter the ocean of truth.

  “After that there was a pure land of indestructible energy, Omnipotent Cloud of Light, arrayed with various adornments; therein were many purified beings, mostly healthy, with few afflictions. In the age Energy of the Tranquil Mind, a thousand buddhas came forth: the first was Diamond Navel, second was Bearer of Unattached Power, third was Reflection of the Cosmos, fourth was King of Light Illumining All Quarters, fifth was Energy of Compassion, sixth was Ocean of Vows, seventh was Lamp of the Sphere of Patience, eighth was Light of the Sphere of Truth, ninth was Array of Oceans of Light, tenth was King of Tranquil Light. Beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas, yet I did not awaken to the real nature which is spacelike, inherently pure, based on which I could carry on spiritual practices in all lands.

  “Then there was a pleasant land called Radiance of a Multitude of Fragrant Lamps, both defiled and pure, where there was an age called Good Possibility, in which one hundred trillion buddhas appeared, by whom it was adorned for ten eons; I held in memory the teachings spoken by those Guides. The first one was Vast Renown, second was King of Powerful Radiance of the Ocean of Truth, third was Sovereign of Truth, fourth was Voice of Virtue, fifth was Glory of Truth, sixth was Celestial Crown, seventh was Radiance of Energy of the Flame of Knowledge, eighth was Sound of the Sky, ninth was Lamp Appearing Everywhere, and tenth was Mind of Light Radiating from the Brow. I served all those buddhas, but did not purify the unhindered path.

  “After that was a land called Supreme Mind, constructed of jewels, in fine arrays, well proportioned; in the age Luminous there, five hundred buddhas emerged. I honored all those buddhas, seeking this liberation: Host of Virtues was first, second was Silent Sound, third was Oceanic Glory, fourth was Sun Energy, fifth was Mountain King, sixth was Thunder on a Polar Mountain of Distinctive Marks, seventh was King of Law, eighth was King of Virtues, ninth was Mountain of Merit, and tenth was King of Silent Light; I served all those buddhas, beginning with these ten, but though the path of the buddhas, into which all buddhas enter, was purified, I still had not attained the forbearance to enter into this way of the buddhas.

  “After that was a land of beautiful light called Mind Wreathed with Silent Sounds; that world was inhabited by purified beings with little affliction. In the age called Delightful Pleasure there were eight hundred octillion buddhas; I attended and served them all and clarified the path of the supreme buddhas. The first buddha was Mass of Flowers, second was Ocean Womb, third was Mountain of Being, fourth was Crest of the Lord of Gods, fifth was Jewel Matrix, sixth was Gold Mountain, seventh was Heap of Gems, eighth was Banner of Justice, ninth was Glory of Speech, tenth was Mind of Knowledge; beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas.

  “After that was a land called Lamp Emblematic of Beautiful Creations; in the age called A Thousand Glories were one hundred decillion buddhas: Quiescent Star of Tranquility, Supreme Glory of Myriad Silent Lamps, Illuminating King, Trailing Cloud, Solar Radiance, Light of the Lamp of Truth, Flaming Brilliance, Filled with Celestial Glory, Lamp of Wisdom Roaring Like a Lion; beginning with these ten, I served all those buddhas, but did not attain the forbearance to enter this ocean of wisdom.

  “After that was a land called Splendor of Universal Light, in an age called Independent Array, in which were twenty-six octillion buddhas: first was Mass of All Virtues, then Spacelike Mind, Array of Good Capacities, Thunder of the Ocean of Truths, Voice of the Cosmos, Blissful Light of Myriad Emanations, Universal Energy, Sound Born of the Ocean of Truths, Mountainous Lamp in an Ocean of Virtues; and the last of them I propitiated was Paragon of Virtue Radiant As a Jewel. When that buddha emerged in the world, I was a queen, Moonlike Face, going to honor the buddha. He expounded a scripture on the supernal manifestations originating in an ocean of independent vows, which I listened to and remembered. I attained tranquil concentration of broad vision, and the power of mental command. I see oceans of buddhas in one land after another, from moment to moment. I have borne a cloud of universal light from the womb of compassion by means of kindness, a will for enlightenment as vast as space, with the measureless light of the powers of buddhas.

  “Seeing the world in error, engrossed in the glitter of permanence and pleasure, shrouded in the darkness of delusion and ignorance, filled with afflictions, thinking falsely, given to views, wandering in obscurity, controlled by craving and evildoing, accumulating a variety of deeds in mundane conditions, going from one state to another, suffering the physical and mental pains of birth, old age, and death, I have therefore wished above all for their welfare and happiness: in all places where there were buddhas, I produced a multitude of vows, to be as a source of happiness for all beings, with endless preparation and development according to the myriad methods of the path; and I emanated vast multitudes of projections of the transcendent ways throughout the cosmos, speeding to gladden the beings in all paths of existence. Progressing through the stages with great speed into the wisdom of all times, traversing the stages unhindered, I went to all buddhas in a moment of thought; and having entered the practice of universal good, I realized the myriad principles of the differentiations of the ten universes.

  “That king named Lord of the People, the world ruler who was determined to prevent the dying out of the lineage of buddhas, was none other than Manjushri, who had become a king, successful in perpetuating the family of buddhas. The night goddess by whom I was awakened was emanated by the enlightening being Universally Good. The wife of the king was me. When I was awakened by the night goddess, I was caused to see Buddha; this was when I first aspired to enlightenment.
Ever since that inspiration, for as many eons as atoms in a buddha-land, I have never fallen into bad states but have always wound up in celestial and human states. Wherever I have been, I have never been apart from the sight of buddhas; then when I saw the buddha Paragon of Virtue Radiant As a Jewel, I attained this enlightening liberation characterized by the immense pure energy of the joy of universal good, by the attainment of which I have come to develop and guide all sentient beings in this way.

  “I just know this enlightening liberation characterized by the immense pure energy of the joy of universal good. How can I know the virtues or tell of the practice of the enlightening beings who have attained the ocean of great speed setting out for omniscience in the presence of all buddhas in each instant, who enter unceasingly into the ocean of great vows at every moment in the beginning of all undertakings, who are skilled in carrying out a multitude of practices in every moment of thought over endless eons in the ways shown by the ocean of all vows, and who are skilled in producing in each practice as many bodies as atoms in all buddha-lands, and who pervade the systems of all universes with each body, and who are skilled in demonstrating practices according to the mentality of sentient beings in each universe, and skilled in comprehending the ocean of ways of transformation of all buddhas of past, present, and future?

  “There is a night goddess named Samantasattvatranojahshri who lives right here in the Buddha’s circle. Go ask her how an enlightening being is to enter and purify the sphere of practice of enlightening beings.”

  So then Sudhana paid his respects to the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocana and left her.

  Samantasattvatranojahshri

  Entering with intense absorption into the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocana’s liberation of immense pure energy of the joy of universal good, understanding it, plunging into it, penetrating it, following it throughout its full range, going along with it, cultivating it, accomplishing it, encompassing it, carrying out the instructions of the spiritual benefactors, recollecting the teachings projected by the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocana for the continuity of teaching and instruction, with all faculties turned in all directions following the sight of spiritual benefactors, with the intention to get to see spiritual benefactors, free from all conceits, with attention focused on seeking spiritual benefactors, with determination to develop the great provisions of virtue and knowledge, with vigorous initiative to harmonize with spiritual benefactors, with all roots of goodness one with those of spiritual benefactors, firmly intent on the practice of all skill in means of spiritual benefactors, having generated an ocean of energy fostered by spiritual benefactors, Sudhana went to the night goddess Samantasattvatranojahshri.

  When Sudhana came to her, the night goddess, in order to show him the majesty of the endless enlightening liberation manifesting guidance for sentient beings in all works, showed him a body replete with beautiful features and embellishments, and emanated a light from the circle of hair between her brows called “emblem of pure stars of the lamp of flames of universal knowledge,” with infinite light beams; the light illumined the whole world, then descended into Sudhana and pervaded his entire body. As soon as Sudhana was touched by the light, he attained a concentration called “sphere of ultimate dispassion,” whereby he saw as many worlds as atoms in a buddha-land forming and dissolving in each particle of fire, water, earth, diamond, various jewels, flowers, perfumes, incenses, arrays of gems, and all objects in between the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocana and the night goddess Samantasattvatranojahshri. He also saw clusters of water, fire, air, and earth, and the sentient beings in all the worlds, with the various abodes they dwell in and the various arrays of the lands—various mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, oceans, heavens, trees, adornments of the skies, adornments of the habitations of all kinds of beings, the realms of hells, animals, ghosts, the realms of death and birth among humans, all the various conditions of existence being interconnected, infinite different courses of being interrelated. He also saw the difference in those worlds—he saw some worlds to be defiled, some pure, some wholly defiled, some with purified states of being, some with purity in the midst of defilement, some with defilement in the midst of purity, some wholly pure, some level, some inverted, some askew.

  He saw the night goddess Samantasattvatranojahshri in all realms of being in those worlds, facing every sentient being capable of being guided; by seeing all worlds together at once, he saw her standing, without division, before all sentient beings, adapting to their life spans, their various spheres of belief, their physical forms, their conventions of verbal communication, and their mastery, in order to guide them to full development. That is to say, he saw her standing before all sentient beings without division to free beings in hells from the pains and fears of hell, to free beings in brutish states from the perils of mutual predation, to free beings in the realm of ghosts from the pains and perils of hunger and thirst, to free beings in the realm of dragons from all the pains and perils of the dragon realm, to free all beings in the realm of desire from all the pains and perils of the realm of desire, to free all beings in the human realm from all the fears and perils of darkness, to free beings from all fear of ill repute, to free beings from intimidation by groups, to free beings from fear of death, to free beings from fear of falling into states of misery, to free beings from fear of not being able to make a living, to free beings from fear of loss of virtue, to free beings from fear of loss of the determination for enlightenment, to free beings from the danger of association with bad companions, to free beings from fear of separation from spiritual benefactors, to free beings from fear of falling into the stages of individual salvation, to free beings from fear of suffering the pains of the various mundane states, to free beings from fear of all association with the uncongenial, to free beings from fear of coming on bad times, to free beings from fear of being born among bad people, to free beings from fear of doing evil, to free beings from fear of obstruction by deeds, to free beings from fear of bondage by attachment to various notions.

  That is to say, he saw her confronting the purification of all lands by undertaking the vow to save all beings, whether corporeal or incorporeal, thinking, nonthinking, and neither thinking nor nonthinking, by the immense power of the vigorous exercise of the energy of concentration of enlightening beings, by exertion of the power of the great mystic knowledges of enlightening beings, by the power of execution of the vow to practice the conduct of universally good enlightening beings, by having generated the energy of the ocean of means of great compassion, to suffuse all beings with desireless universal love, to increase the energy of joy, which is the origin of happiness for all beings, to apply the knowledge of how to take care of all beings, by embodiment of the vast spiritual power of enlightening liberation. He saw her confronting realization of knowledge of all things, attendance of all buddhas, preservation of the teachings of all buddhas, accumulation of all roots of goodness, development of all enlightening practices, unhindered penetration of the minds of all beings, maturation of the faculties of all beings, purification of the ocean of interests of all beings, removal of obstructing elements for all beings, dispersal of the darkness of nescience of all beings, and the implementation of all good, to generate the light of omniscience.