“Just as wherever a magnet is used, all metals that it expels are repelled and do not remain there or join with it, in the same way wherever the determination for omniscience is used, whether in the midst of actions or afflictions or the liberation of hearers and individual illuminates, those actions and afflictions and individual liberation are expelled and do not remain or join with it.
“Just as a fisher with knowledge of sea monsters is free from fear of any creatures of the sea and is safe from harm even in the mouth of a whale, in the same way the enlightening being with the knowledge of the powerful determination of the aspiration for enlightenment is free from fear of all the actions and afflictions of the mundane whirl and cannot be annihilated even in the midst of realization of individual liberation, because of not falling into the extinction produced by witness of ultimate reality.
“Just as one who has drunk the elixir of immortality does not die from the attacks of others, in the same way the enlightening being who has drunk the immortality elixir of the aspiration for omniscience does not die in the stages of learners of individual salvation and does not cease acting on the vow of universal compassion of enlightening beings.
“Just as a man who has perfected the ointment of invisibility can wander through people’s houses unseen by anyone, the enlightening being grounded on the wisdom and commitment of the determination for enlightenment can roam in the realms of all demons without being seen by any demons.
“Just as a person who cleaves to a great king does not fear ordinary people, the enlightening being who cleaves to the spiritual king of the determination for omniscience does not fear any obstacles, hindrances, or states of misery.
“Just as someone in water is in no danger from fire, the enlightening being who is soaked in the virtue of the aspiration for enlightenment is in no danger from the fire of knowledge of individual liberation.
“Just as a person who cleaves to a heroic warrior does not fear enemies, the enlightening being who cleaves to the heroic warrior of the determination for omniscience does not fear the enemies that are evil actions.
“Just as the king of gods with the thunderbolt weapon crushes all the titans, the enlightening being with the thunderbolt of the steadfast will of the aspiration for omniscience crushes all the titans of demons and false teachers.
“Just as a person who takes the elixir of life lives for a long time and does not grow weak, the enlightening being who uses the elixir of the aspiration for omniscience goes around in the mundane whirl for countless eons without becoming exhausted and without being stained by the ills of the mundane whirl.
“Just as in all compounds of herbal extracts potable water is primary, never spoiling, in the same way in the application of preparations of all enlightening beings’ practices and vows the determination for omniscience is primary, never becoming corrupt.
“Just as in all of a person’s doing the faculty of life is the primary necessity, for an enlightening being to absorb the buddha-teachings the aspiration for enlightenment is the primary necessity.
“Just as a person who has lost the faculty of life has no way to live, being unable to do anything for his people, in the same way an enlightening being without the life root of the determination for omniscience has no way to live, being unable to obtain enlightened knowledge for all beings.
“Just as the ocean cannot be ruined by any poisons, the ocean of aspiration for omniscience cannot be ruined by any of the poisons of compulsive actions, afflictions, or aspirations for personal liberation alone.
“Just as the sun is not outshone by the lights of all the stars, the sun of aspiration to omniscience is not outshone by the taintless virtues of those who are personally liberated.
“Just as a newborn prince is not inferior to fully grown ministers, because of his superior birth, a beginning enlightening being, born in the family of the enlightened spiritual kings, is not inferior to Buddhist disciples with long experience in religious practice, because of the superiority of universal compassion of the aspiration for enlightenment.
“Just as a minister, no matter how old, should pay respect to a prince, no matter how young, and a prince need not honor a minister, in the same way Buddhist disciples and self-illuminates, no matter how long they have performed religious practice, should pay respect to even a beginning enlightening being, and the enlightening being need not honor those who are enlightened only for themselves.
“Just as a prince, without any power yet never without the character of royalty, is not equaled even by the ministers who have gained eminence, because of his superior birth, in the same way a beginning enlightening being, no matter how much under the sway of action and affliction, is never without the character of the aspiration for omniscience, and is not equaled even by eminent Buddhist disciples and self-illuminates, because of being of the family of enlightened ones.
“Just as a clear jewel appears impure to a clouded eye, the inherently pure jewel of the aspiration to omniscience is perceived as impure by those whose eye of unbelief is beclouded by ignorance.
“Just as a body of medicine endowed with all medical knowledge and medicinal herbs curse the diseases of sentient beings by sight, contact, and association, in the same way the body of vows and knowledge of enlightening beings, sustained by the knowledge and medicine of wisdom and means assembling all roots of goodness, endowed with the will for enlightenment, cures sentient beings’ diseases of afflictions by hearing, seeing, association, recollection, and application.
“Just as a goose-feather robe is not stained by any dirt, the goose-feather robe of the aspiration for enlightenment is not stained by the dirt of afflictions of the mundane whirl.
“Just as a wooden figure held together by the main pin does not fall apart and can perform any kind of movement, in the same way the body of the vow and knowledge of omniscience, held together by the main pin of the vow of enlightenment, can perform the tasks of enlightening beings, and does not fall apart as the embodiment of the vow of omniscience.
“Just as a machine without its pins cannot work, even though the parts are the same, similarly, the enlightening being without the commanding will of the aspiration to omniscience cannot attain buddhahood, even though the preparations of the parts of enlightenment be the same.
“Just as a sovereign ruler has a precious incense by the perfume of which his four armies are levitated into the air, in the same way the roots of goodness of an enlightening being, perfumed by the incense of the determination for omniscience, leave the mundane and end up in the unconditioned realm of the sky of enlightened knowledge.
“Just as diamond comes from nowhere else but a jewel mine, from a diamond or gold mine, in the same way the diamondlike aspiration for omniscience comes from nowhere else but the jewel mine of roots of goodness in sentient beings’ minds, from the diamond mine of universal compassion saving all beings, or from the gold mine of concentration on omniscience.
“Just as there is a kind of tree called ‘rootless’ whose roots cannot be found, yet branches, leaves, and flowers appear luxuriantly on the tree, in the same way the root of the aspiration for omniscience cannot be found, yet it appears in all worlds, blooming with all virtues, knowledge, and mystic capacities, forming a web of vows.
“Just as a diamond does not shine beautifully in another kind of vessel, and cannot be held in an imperfect, perforated vessel, only in a perfect vessel, in the same way the diamond of the aspiration for omniscience does not shine in the vessels of people with inferior resolutions, in the envious, in the immoral, in the mentally corrupt, in the lazy, in the heedless, or in the stupid, and it cannot be held by a vessel of a wavering, inconstant mind with defective will, only in the precious vessel of the powerful will of an enlightening being.
“Just as diamond pierces all jewels, the diamond of the determination for omniscience pierces the jewels of all truth.
“Just as adamant splits all mountains, the adamant of the aspiration for omniscience splits the mountai
ns of all views.
“Just as even a cracked diamond is better than an ornament of gold, the finest of precious metals, in the same way the diamond of the aspiration for omniscience is better than the gold ornaments of the virtues of hearers and individual illuminates, even if the will is broken by adversity.
“Just as a diamond, even if cracked, relieves poverty, in the same way the diamond of the determination for omniscience, even if split, relieves the poverty of the mundane whirl.
“Just as a diamond, however little, breaks all gems and stones, in the same way the diamond of the aspiration for omniscience, focused on however small an object, breaks all ignorance.
“Just as a diamond does not come into the hands of an ordinary man, the diamond of the determination for omniscience does not come into the hands of those of low intentions and poor roots of goodness.
“Just as someone who has no knowledge of gems does not recognize the qualities of diamonds or understand their excellence, in the same way a stupid person does not know the qualities of the diamond of wisdom of the aspiration for enlightenment and does not understand its excellence.
“Just as a diamond cannot be worn out, the diamond of the aspiration for enlightenment, the basis of omniscience, cannot be worn out.
“Just as the thunderbolt weapon cannot be held even by a strong man unless he has superhuman strength, likewise the thunderbolt of the aspiration for enlightenment cannot be held even by the mighty saints and sages, only by the great enlightening beings with great illumination, excelling in the superhuman might of infinite roots of goodness based on the power of the cause of omniscience.
“Just as a thunderbolt can prevail where all other weapons cannot, and will not be destroyed, in the same way where the weapons of vows and knowledge of all Buddhist disciples and self-enlightened ones cannot prevail, in developing and guiding people or living through the toils of practice through the ages of past, present, and future, there the enlightening being who holds the great thunderbolt weapon of the determination for omniscience, indefatigable, prevails unharmed.
“Just as adamant cannot be held on any spot on the earth except on an adamantine surface, in the same way the adamant vows of emancipation of enlightening beings cannot be held by those whose goal is personal salvation only; it can only be supported by the adamantine ground of the resolute determination for universal enlightenment.
“Just as the ocean does not leak any water because it is a solid container with an unyielding ground, in the same way the roots of goodness of an enlightening being, grounded on adamant, solid, unyielding dedication to enlightening, do not die out in any states of existence.
“Just as earth set on an adamantine base does not collapse or sink, in the same way the vows of enlightening beings, grounded on the adamantine base of the determination for enlightenment, are not rent apart and do not collapse in any mundane realm.
“Just as a diamond does not rot in water, the diamond of the aspiration for enlightenment does not decompose or soften even though it remain in the water of action and affliction for all ages.
“Just as a diamond is not burnt or heated by fire, the diamond of the determination for omniscience is not burnt by the fires of suffering of the mundane whirl and is not heated up by the fires of afflictions.
“Just as the seat of buddhas sitting on the site of enlightenment battling the devil and awakening to omniscience cannot be supported by any spot on earth except the earth surface of the adamantine center of the universe, in the same way the great force of power of the roots of goodness of enlightening beings aspiring to perfect enlightenment, carrying out the practice, fulfilling the transcendent ways, entering into tolerance, attaining spiritual station, dedicating roots of goodness, receiving assurance of buddahood, providing the necessities for the path of enlightening beings, and holding the multitudes of teachings of all buddhas, cannot be sustained by mind other than the mind set on omniscience, the adamantine core of all vows and knowledge.
“The aspiration for omniscience has these and untold other extraordinary virtues; and those who have set their minds on supreme perfect enlightenment are, have been, and will be endowed with such virtues. Therefore you have made a great gain in having aspired to supreme perfect enlightenment and seeking the practice of enlightening beings, because of attainment of these virtues.
“Also, you ask how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. Go into this great tower containing the adornments of Vairocana and look—then you will know how to learn the practice of enlightening beings, and what kind of virtues are perfected in those who learn this.”
Then Sudhana respectfully circumbulated the enlightening being Maitreya and said, “Please open the door of the tower, and I will enter.” Then Maitreya went up to the door of the tower containing the adornments of Vairocana, and with his right hand snapped his fingers; the door of the tower opened, and Maitreya bade Sudhana to enter. Then Sudhana, in greatest wonder, went into the tower. As soon as he had entered, the door shut.
He saw the tower immensely vast and wide, hundreds of thousands of leagues wide, as measureless as the sky, as vast as all of space, adorned with countless attributes; countless canopies, banners, pennants, jewels, garlands of pearls and gems, moons and half moons, multicolored streamers, jewel nets, gold nets, strings of jewels, jewels on golden threads, sweetly ringing bells and nets of chimes, flowers showering, celestial garlands and streamers, censers giving off fragrant fumes, showers of gold dust, networks of upper chambers, round windows, arches, turrets, mirrors, jewel figurines of women, jewel chips, pillars, clouds of precious cloths, jewel trees, jewel railings, jeweled pathways, jeweled awnings, various arrays of the floor, chambers of jewels, jeweled promenades, rows of golden banana trees, statues made of all kinds of jewels, images of enlightening beings, singing birds, jewel lotuses, lotus ponds, jewel stairways, ground of masses of various jewels, radiant gems, arrays of all kinds of jewels. Also, inside the great tower he saw hundreds of thousands of other towers similarly arrayed; he saw those towers as infinitely vast as space, evenly arrayed in all directions, yet these towers were not mixed up with one another, being each mutually distinct, while appearing reflected in each and every object of all the other towers.
Then Sudhana, seeing this miraculous manifestation of the inconceivable realm of the great tower containing the adornments of Vairocana, was flooded with joy and bliss; his mind was cleared of all conceptions and freed from all obstructions. Stripped of all delusion, he became clairvoyant without distortion, and could hear all sounds with unimpeded mindfulness. He was freed from all scattering of attention, and his intellect followed the unobstructed eye of liberation. With physical tranquillity, seeing all objects without hindrance, by the power of production everywhere he bowed in all directions with his whole body.
The moment he bowed, by the power of Maitreya, Sudhana perceived himself in all of those towers; and in all those towers he saw various diverse inconceivable miraculous scenes. In one tower he saw where the enlightening being Maitreya first aspired to supreme perfect enlightenment, what his family was, what his basic goodness was, how he was inspired, how he was encouraged by spiritual friends, how long he lived, what age he lived in, what buddha he met, what land he adorned, what assembly he was in, and what kind of special vows he undertook. He also perceived the length of life of the beings and the buddha of that time, and saw himself in the presence of that buddha, and saw all of his works.
In one tower he saw where Maitreya first attained absorption in love, whence came his name, “The Loving One.” In another he saw where he carried out spiritual practice; in another, where he fulfilled the transcendent ways; in another, where he attained acceptance of things as unoriginated; in another, where he was assured of supreme perfect enlightenment, how he was assured, by whom, and how long it was predicted it would be before he was enlightened.
In one tower he saw Maitreya as a sovereign king directing people to virtuous action;
in another he saw Maitreya as a world guardian bestowing well-being and happiness on the world; in another he saw Maitreya as Indra, fostering detachment in those obsessed with pleasure; in another he saw Maitreya as Brahma, describing to people the measureless pleasure of meditation; in another he saw Maitreya as the chief of the gods of timely portion, describing to people the virtues of attentiveness and diligence; in another he saw Maitreya as the chief of the heaven of contentment, revealin the virtues of enlightening beings bound to become buddhas in one lifetime; in another he saw Maitreya as a king of the heaven of good emanations, showing a company of celestials the array of emanations of all enlightening beings; in another he saw Maitreya as a lord of the heaven of control, explaining to the gods control over all phenomena; in another he saw Maitreya causing the devil to act, showing the gods the impermanence of all states of being; in another he saw Maitreya born in the palace of titans, teaching the titans truth so that they might do away with all conceit, pride, and arrogance, plunge into the ocean of knowledge, enter the ocean of spiritual knowledge, and attain the magic of knowledge of truth.
In one tower he saw the underworld and saw Maitreya illumine the great hells with light and relieve the hellish pains of the beings in hell. In another tower he saw the ghost world and saw Maitreya giving much food and drink to the ghosts, relieving their hunger and thirst. In another tower he saw Maitreya guiding the beings in the animal realm.
In one tower he saw Maitreya expounding the Teaching to world guardians in an assembly of celestial kings; in another he saw him in a group of chief gods of the thirty-three-fold heavens; in another he saw him in a group of chiefs of the heaven of timely portion; in another he saw him in a group of lords of the heaven of contentment; in another he saw him in a group of chiefs of the heaven of good emanations; in another he saw him in a group of kings, of the heaven of control; in another tower he saw Maitreya as a Great Brahma in a group of Brahma lords, expounding the Teaching.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 205