To purify your mind
I will tell you freely
Of the infinite realm of Vairocana
By the inconceivable power of Buddha.
The goddess continued, “Long ago, past eons as many as atoms in an ocean of worlds, there was an ocean of worlds called Sun on the Summit of a Mountain of Gold and Jewels. Therein, furthermore, was a buddha called Supreme Light Illumining the Realm of Truth at the Summit of Knowledge, who purified that ocean of worlds while carrying out the practice of enlightening beings in the past. In that ocean of worlds were as many world systems as atoms in all the mountains on earth, each system containing as many worlds as atoms in a galaxy. In each world there were as many sets of eons as atoms in a world, each containing many eons, in each of which there were many events, including buddhas appearing in the world and displaying miracles. Each buddha that appeared expounded as many scriptures as atoms in a world, in each of which scriptures were outlined as many instructions for enlightening beings as atoms in the world, with infinitely various indications of how to guide sentient beings, operated by the principles of various vehicles of liberation, guided by the buddhas’ various mystic powers of perception and prescription.
“Within that ocean of worlds was a central world-system called Array of Markers of Doors Facing All Directions, in which there was a world called Ubiquitous Light the Color of All Jewels. The borders of that world were arrayed with jewels reflecting images of the enlightenment sites of all buddhas; it rested on an ocean of flowers made of all kinds of jewels, it was composed of jewels showing the appearances of emanations of all buddhas, it was shaped like a celestial palace, and it was pure with an admixture of defilement. Furthermore, in that world there were as many world-regions with four continents as atoms in the polar mountain; at the center was a set of four continents called Mountain Peak of All Jewels, whose four continents were innumerable hundreds of thousands of leagues in extent. On each continent were ten thousand great cities. In the middle of the southern continent was a great metropolis called the Light of Myriad Arrays of Jewel Trees, surrounded by ten thousand cities. On that continent, furthermore, the life span of the people was ten thousand years. The king in that metropolis was named Encompassing Sound of the Proclamation of All Laws, a sovereign ruler. The king had five hundred ministers, six thousand concubines, and seven hundred sons all of whom were brave and manly, well built and handsome, dignified and strong. The whole continent was under the protection of that king, and he had no enemies or opponents.
“At that time the end of the eon was approaching in that world; the five corruptions were in evidence, people had stopped acting virtuously and had taken to bad ways, most of them were headed for misery. Because of their wrongdoings their lives were short, they had scanty means of subsistence, they were ugly, they experienced little pleasure and much pain, they were in the habit of argument and dissent, they were given to foul and incoherent speech, they were overcome by acquisitiveness, they were corrupt in mind and thought, they were lost in the jungle of various views. As they were obsessed with unreasonable desires and dominated by unwholesome acquisitiveness, the rain that would cause the crops to grow did not fall in the proper season. For that reason, furthermore, with all the vegetation withered, the people suffered from various diseases and scattered to the eight directions, without resort. They all went to the capital city Light of Myriad Arrays of Jewel Trees, surrounded it, and with various gestures of supplication raised a great outcry to the king—‘We are oppressed, abandoned, tormented by hunger and thirst, dismayed and distressed, without any savior, without refuge or resort, in a cage of suffering; our livelihood is threatened, and we are on the brink of death.’ The people in the city who were suffering from hunger and thirst, who were naked and homeless, who were in misery, despondent, and depressed, also were sick and tired of suffering. They betook themselves to the king as a man of great knowledge and a protector, thinking they had found a source of comfort, happiness, and livelihood, a guide to the way out, a great ship, an island of jewels of knowledge, a great benefit, thinking they had found all the delights of heaven.
“The king, hearing their outcry, was filled with countless tens of hundreds of thousands of facets of great compassion. Meditating on the principle of great compassion, in a moment he became single-minded and uttered ten statements of great compassion: ‘Alas, these people, without support, have fallen into the great pitfall of the mundane whirl—how can I be a refuge for them, leading them to the state of repose of the enlightened? Alas, these people have no savior and are oppressed by all kinds of afflictions—how can I become their savior, leading them to impeccable behavior? Alas, these people have no refuge in the world and are terrorized by old age and death—how can I become a refuge for them, removing all their fears of life and death? Alas, these people have no resort and are oppressed by various kinds of worldly distress—how can I become a resort for them, leading them to ultimate safety on the path of omniscience? Alas, everyone is in the darkness of ignorance, shrouded in the darkness of uncertainty and doubt—how can I become a light, dispelling the darkness of ignorance for them? Alas, these people are without illumination—how can I spread the light of great knowledge, showing them all the way into unobscured knowledge? Alas, the world of these people lacks the light of knowledge, and their minds are polluted by envy, jealousy, guile, and deceit—how can I produce the light of supreme knowledge, leading them all to cultivate purity? Alas, the world is without a guide and has plunged into a dangerous current in the ocean of the mundane whirl—how can I become a guide, to show them what to do? Alas, everyone lacks a teacher, all are misguided—how can I become a teacher for everyone, with the proper timing commanded by a buddha to guide people to complete maturity in all qualities? Alas, everyone lacks a leader, all are as though blind—how can I become a leader, to lead everyone on the way to unobstructed omniscience?’
“Having made these expressions of compassion, the king announced that he would undertake a great sacrifice, that he would satisfy everyone, giving them whatever they needed. With that the storehouses in every city and town on the continent were opened and all kinds of goods were placed on the streets, all the necessities of life were set out, all treasuries were opened, all stores of valuables were displayed; and the king projected a likeness of himself to every house to fulfill their wishes.
“Having arranged this act of giving things away, he had a great place of sacrifice prepared east of the city, in front of the city gate called Jewel Mountain Light. That place was equal in length and width, covering a most extensive area. It was level and clean, without potholes, clear of brambles, dust, and gravel. It was made of all precious elements, and the surface was spread with jewels. It was adorned with many arrays of jewels and strewn with flowers of various jewels. There was an abundance of all the finest aromatic powders, and it was perfumed with all kinds of scents. There were lamps giving off jewel lights, and the sky was covered with radiant clouds of incense. The place was adorned with orderly rows of trees of all kinds of jewels as well as various mansions, palaces, and towers. Overhead were parasols, banners, and pennants, flashing with trailing strings of various jewels. It was covered with nets of various jewel flowers, encircled with parasols made of webs of fragrant jewels. Jewel bells on nets of gold rang. It was shaded by canopies shining with various jewels, spread with aromatic powders of all the finest fragrances, and beautifully strewn with flowers made of all kinds of jewels, while pleasant music sounded from innumerable instruments. It was purified with arrays of various ornaments of all kinds of jewels, produced as a result of the deeds of enlightening beings.
“In the middle was a great lion throne, standing on a surface made of a variegated collection of ten kinds of jewels, surrounded by shining railings made of ten kinds of jewels, beautified with trees of ten kinds of jewels arrayed evenly between the railings, its feet firmly set on unbreakable diamond. The throne was set with jewel figurines and was adorned with hundreds of jewel protuberance
s. It was embellished with variegated arrays of jewels, jewel banners and streamers were raised all around it, and it was covered with nets of jewel bells, nets of celestial jewels, and nets of jewel flowers. It gave off clouds of fragrance and was arrayed with many-colored cloths of pleasant texture, finer than those of the heavens. Sweet music and song were heard all around. There were stairs of various jewels, arrayed with banners and railings, and shining jewel statues depicting various spiritual transfigurations. Here the king sat, handsome, serene, endowed with the pure marks of a great man, strong, robust, good, kind, and virtuous in all ways, endowed with all the best qualities, born of a line of great rulers, in command of all goods, pure in control of the law, master of his own mind, eloquent, endowed with unshakable knowledge, correctly applying well-constructed laws, showing endless virtues.
“Furthermore, as the king sat there, in the sky above him there appeared a great parasol, on a long, brilliant jewel pole, its hundred thousand ribs made of all kinds of jewels, brilliantly adorned with blazing lights, covered with lustrous gold, arrayed with nets of jewels, hung with bells of gold and jewels on strings of jewels, adorned with garlands of jewels twirling all around, producing sweet heavenly sounds, the ringing of the bells urging all beings to act virtuously. The king, moreover, fanned with jewel wisp fans, shone with a splendor surpassing that of the king of gods. As soon as the king sat on this throne, all the people stood before him with their palms joined and paid their respects.
“Then, seeing the assembly of countless petitioners, with various needs and desires, from various places, speaking various languages, all looking up to the king as the pole of prosperity, each thinking of him as a man of great knowledge, looking up to him as a great man of goodness and charity, considering him to have undertaken the vows of enlightening beings, the king felt as if he were seeing good friends and was flooded with immense compassion. There arose in him the dauntless energy to satisfy all petitioners forever and the all-pervasive will to give to everyone impartially.
“Furthermore, when the king saw all those petitioners, he became happier than if he had acquired rule over the galaxy for boundless eons, more than if he had acquired the throne of lordship over the gods for countless eons. His joy upon seeing those petitioners was as that of someone in the wilderness, long separated from family and friends, upon being united with them. His mind was filled with happiness, he was uplifted with joy and flooded with delight. The power of his faith in the enlightenment of buddhas increased, his budding faith in omniscience grew, the power of his purity of determination for all the qualities of buddhahood swelled, his faculties as an enlightening being became fit for use, he was flooded with a feeling of contentment and well-being, and by the force of great joy his senses and will as a benefactor became flexible. Why? Because the king, who was intent on omniscience, had betaken himself to the nature of omniscience, stood before the door to the path of omniscience, had engaged his attention on the satisfaction of all living beings, was on the verge of entry into the ocean of all enlightened virtues, was intent on shattering the mountains of obstructions caused by demons, actions, and afflictions, was absorbed in properly taking up the instructions of all buddhas, was endeavoring to embody all roots of goodness, was free from all attachments, was unattached to any objects in the world, and realized that all things are in essence like space, thought of all those petitioners as like an only son, as like his parents, as worthy of gifts, as spiritual benefactors, as precious, as doers of what is difficult, as useful in many ways, as supreme benefactors, as supporting the path of enlightenment, as guides and teachers.
“The king then fulfilled the needs and wishes of all the petitioners with unmitigated kindness, without turning his back on anyone, giving impartially to everyone, according to their needs. He gave away whatever he had to whoever required it, impartial toward all living beings.
“At that time, in that gathering at the sacrificial ground, there was a grandee’s daughter, named Jewel Light, with a retinue of sixty girls. She was beautiful, with a clear, healthy complexion, dark hair and eyes, a pleasant scent, and a clear voice. She was well dressed and wore fine ornaments. She was alert and intelligent, modest, stable, and well behaved. She was respectful to the worthy, most circumspect and clear-headed in conduct, profound in action, endowed with wisdom. She had already accomplished basic skills involved in grasping, practicing, and realizing enlightening teachings, and she had attained clarity and serenity through the teachings. Her intentions were pure and good, and she was dedicated to the welfare of others. She was aiming for the vision of Buddha and was seeking omniscient knowledge. She stood near the king’s throne in an attitude of respect, but she did not take anything from among the goods the king was distributing. Just standing there, she thought, ‘I have gained a true boon in getting to see such a spiritual friend as this.’ Thinking of the king as a spiritual friend, a sympathizer, a protector, and an enlightened one, with a mind free from deceit or guile, flooded with supreme joy and happiness, she took off her jewelry and tossed it before the king, so that it lay on the ground between the railings around the throne. Having scattered her jewelry, she made these vows: ‘Just as the king Encompassing Sound of the Proclamation of All Laws is a refuge for leaderless people in the dark, so may I also become one such in the future. The reality he knows, may I also know. By the means through which he attains emancipation, may I also be emancipated. The path he practices, may I also practice. Just as he is fair to behold, has endless wealth and assistants, and is invulnerable and invincible, may I also become like this. Wherever he is born, may I also be born.’
“Perceiving her involved in such thoughts, the king looked at her and said, ‘Take what you need. I am giving away all I have to satisfy everyone.’ Made this offer by the king, she gained even more faith; with a serene mind, energized by lofty, far-reaching virtue, she spoke these verses to the king:
Before you were here in this city, great king,
It was joyless, lifeless, horrible as the realm of ghosts.
People were murderous, thieving, unrestrained,
Deceitful, harsh, and foul in speech.
They were covetous, malicious, and opinionated;
By their wrongdoing they fell into states of woe.
Because of the ills of the views of these unjust, ignorant people,
For many years there was no rain.
Because of drought the seeds died, crops and trees did not grow:
Lakes and streams dried up, plants and forests withered.
The rivers all went dry, the parks were like deserts;
Before you appeared, clear-eyed, the earth was strewn with bleached bones.
Now you have joined with the needy, and all are satisfied—
Coming forth, you shower gifts on the four quarters, fulfilling all, low and high.
There are no more thieves, mercenaries, or frauds—no one is killed or injured;
None go hopelessly to death, the world is leaderless no more.
People who like to kill used to drink the blood of their victims—
Those who used to eat each other’s flesh have become kindly due to your charities.
People used to wear rags and leaves,
And were hungry and homeless.
With you here, the grains grow by themselves and the trees give forth their bounty;
Wise women and men appear too, now that you have been born, leader of the world.
Those who were formerly all on wrong paths
Are now well adorned and dressed, sporting like gods in paradise.
Men were wrongly obsessed with desires, delighting in unruly passion,
Given to raping women and girls in their own care and the care of others.
Now, though others’ wives be like goddesses, well dressed, adorned, and perfumed,
When men see them they are satisfied with their own wives, as in the heaven of content.
People used to be deceitful, cruel, coarse, and dishonest in speech;
&n
bsp; Having given this up, now they act justly, freed from wrong views.
No music or celestial song, nor even the voice of Brahma or the singing of birds
Can match your voice, O leader.
Above you stands a jewel parasol with webs of gold,
On a jewel cane, radiant, with nets of jewelry all around.
The notes of its bells surpass all sounds in the world:
Like the tones of Buddha’s voice, they intone the tranquil sound of truth.
Those in all lands who hear this put an end to afflictions,
Hearing the names of the buddhas over the ages and the oceans of the wise.
By your power the bells bespeak the successive lands since the past,
The names of the lands, and the cycles of true teaching everywhere.
The sound of the bells, liquid, free-flowing, rings throughout the continent,
Telling of the manners of action of the gods and the lords of the worlds.
Hearing the bells tell of the accumulations of their deeds, gods and people
Give up evil, practice good, and rely on the enlightenment of the buddhas.
Your father was Starlight, the king, your mother queen Lotus Light;
You were born in a corrupt age and acquired the rulership.
There was a large park, arrayed with flowers and precious lamps,
Adorned with five hundred lotus ponds, and surrounded with hundreds of trees.
On the bank of each pond was a villa, with a thousand pillars,
Resplendent with a thousand balustrades, with radiant nets and crescents all around.
When it had not rained for years, with lawlessness prevailing everywhere,
The water in the ponds evaporated and the trees withered.
Seven nights before your birth there were innumerable wonders,
Convincing all who saw them that a savior was surely to be born.
In the middle of the night the earth quaked,
And a light like the sun appeared in the pond called Impeccable.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 186