The Flower Ornament Scripture

by Thomas Cleary

  heaven of enjoyment of emanations—In the realm of desire; the inhabitants enjoy themselves by emanating sense experiences with which they amuse themselves.

  heaven of free access to, or control of, others’ enjoyments or emanations—Highest of the heavens in the realm of desire, where the inhabitants enjoy the emanations of other heavens in the realm of desire.

  heaven of good manifestation—In the fourth meditation.

  heaven of good sight—In the fourth meditation.

  heaven of great freedom—The realm of Maheshvara, the Great Lord, at the summit of the realm of form, presiding over the world system.

  heaven of infinite light—In the realm of form, perceived in the third meditation.

  heaven of infinite purity—In the realm of form, perceived in the third meditation.

  heaven of little light—In the realm of form, perceived in the second meditation.

  heaven of minor purity—In the realm of form, perceived in the third meditation.

  heaven of minor vastness—In the fourth meditation.

  heaven of no heat—In the fourth meditation.

  heaven of no troubles—In the fourth meditation, the abode of nonreturners.

  heavens of the four world guardians—Abodes of guardian deities of the four quarters.

  heaven of the ultimate of form—Highest of the heavens in the realm of form, at the peak of the fourth meditation.

  heaven of thirty-three celestial realms—Or thirty-three heavens; in the realm of desire, ruled by Indra, envisioned as atop the polar mountain Sumeru, with the thirty-three realms of celestial cities surrounding Indra’s palace.

  heaven of universal purity—In the realm of form, perceived in the third meditation.

  heaven of vast results—In the realm of form, perceived in the fourth meditation.

  heaven of vastness—In the fourth meditation.

  light-sound heaven—Also called heaven of ultimate light purity; in the realm of form, there is no sound and speech is done by means of light.

  Suyama heaven—The “heaven of timely portion,” in the realm of desire, representing knowledge of suitable time and amount of enjoyment.

  Tushita heaven—The “heaven of happiness” or contentment, in the realm of desire, said to be the abode of the buddha-to-be.

  Honored One—An epithet of Buddha.

  Human Tamer—An epithet of Buddha, as a teacher.

  immortality—Refers to nirvana, freedom from bondage to life and death.

  indestructible body—Refers to the realization of the identity of existence and emptiness, and to the unity of being, transcending ephemeral particulars.

  Indra—A particular god, ruler of the gods of the thirty-threefold heaven, sometimes called the king or emperor of goods.

  invisible crown—Refers to the inconceivability of the ultimate realization of enlightenment.

  Jambudvipa—The southern of the four continents of Indian Buddhist geography, sometimes identified with India.

  kalavinka—A mythical bird with a beautiful voice.

  kinnara—A fantastic creature with a human body and a horse head.

  knot of flesh on the head—One of the supposed physical marks of Buddha.

  limbs of enlightenment—Seven aspects of enlightenment: discrimination of true and false, energy, joy, ease, relinquishment, stability, mindfulness.

  lion—A term used to refer to Buddhas as the best of humans.

  lion throne/seat—Seats of honor for Buddhas and enlightening beings.

  lion’s roar—The realization or explanation of the ultimate emptiness of conditional things.

  Maheshvara—“Great Lord,” applied to Indra and other gods.

  mahoraga—A great serpent; a fantastic creature.

  methods of fostering the path—Thirty-seven aids to enlightenment consisting of the four points of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual powers, five faculties, and five powers (all of the foregoing are glossed separately), the seven branches of enlightenment (analysis of things, vigor, joy, ease, equanimity, stability and concentration, and mindfulness), and the eightfold path (right seeing, thinking, speech, action, livelihood, effort, recollection, and concentration).

  moon—A symbol of truth or reality, being reflected everywhere while itself remaining undivided.

  most honorable human—Buddha.

  naga—A mythical creature; a “dragon” or rain spirit.

  nature—Sometimes used in the conventional sense of character or quality, more usually refers to absolute or intrinsic nature, which is naturelessness or emptiness.

  nature of things—Emptiness, or relativity.

  nine successive stages of meditation—These consist of the four basic stages of meditation, the four formless attainments, and the stage of passing away of all sensation. (Cf. “The Ten Stages,” Book 26)

  oceanic reflection concentration—A metaphor for holistic awareness; the mind is likened to an ocean which, when the waves are stilled, clearly reflects everything at once. The Flower Ornament Scripture supposed emerges from the oceanic reflection concentration.

  one sound—Or “one voice,” refers to universal truth, such as the truth of the relativity of all conditional things.

  other shore—Transcendence, or ultimate perfection or consummation.

  path of ten virtues—Not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, not speaking divisively, not slandering others, not speaking frivolously, not being greedy, not being moved to anger or hatred, not entertaining false views.

  perdurance—Refers to unity of emptiness and existence, so that there is really nothing which disintegrates, having no independent reality to begin with.

  points of mindfulness—Mindfulness of the body, sensations, mind, and phenomena; these are basic meditation practices.

  points of totality—Yogic practices involving total absorption in ten objects of concentration, which are expanded to cover the total field of awareness: absorption in the color blue, the color yellow, the color red, the color white, earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness.

  principles of great people—Having few desires, being content, enjoying peace and quiet, being vigorous in effort, being heedful and mindful, cultivating meditation concentration, cultivating knowledge and wisdom, and not indulging in idle speculation.

  purity—Essential purity means emptiness; relative purity means purity as opposed to defilement. Asking about purity is part of the ordination ceremony and refers to asking the novice whether he is pure, or innocent, in regard to the precepts.

  Purvavideha—The eastern of the four continents of Indian Buddhist geography.

  quakes—Representation of the “shaking” or breaking down of fixed views, the shattering of the habitual world view.

  rakshasa—A fantastic creature, may refer to evil goblins or to benevolent demigods.

  real character—The identity of emptiness and existence.

  reliances—Four basic principles for understanding Buddhism: rely on the teaching, not on the person; rely on the meaning, not on the letter; rely on the complete teaching, not on partial teaching; rely on knowledge, not on conditioned consciousness.

  religious faculties and powers—Faith, vigor, recollection, concentration, discernment. (Also five faculties, five powers)

  roots of goodness—Also bases of goodness, foundations of goodness; refers to virtues firmly established in one’s character, or to virtues in general, or good deeds, or higher developments of human faculties.

  seven branches of enlightenment—Factors involved in attaining enlightenment: discernment, energy, joy, comfort, recollection, concentration, equanimity.

  seven jewels of awakening—The seven branches, or limbs, of enlightenment. See thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.

  seven kinds of wealth—The spiritual wealth of sages—faith, discipline, learning, conscience, shame, detachment, and wisdom.

  seventh sage—The historical Buddha Shakyamuni was said to be the seventh of
a succession of ancient Buddhas.

  shrouds—Another term for afflictions or hindrances to enlightenment; also refers to obstructions to meditation such as agitation and torpor, anxiety and craving.

  six dispositions—The states of being of heavens, hells, animals, ghosts, humans, and titans; a way of referring to the mundane existence in general and in particular.

  six paranormal powers—Six spiritual powers: psychic travel, or projection of awareness; clairvoyance (celestial eye); clairaudience (celestial ear); mental telepathy or mind-reading; recollection of past states; awareness of the ending of mental contaminations.

  six principles of harmony and respect—Six bases of organization of a religious community: the same acts of devotion, the same recitations, the same faith, the same precepts, the same views, and the same livelihood.

  six principles of steadfastness—Steadfastness in faith, steadfastness in the midst of phenomena, steadfastness in practice, steadfastness in virtue, steadfastness in highest attainment, and steadfastness in awareness.

  six thoughts—Thought of Buddha, of the Teaching, of the spiritual Community, of discipline, of charity, and of heaven.

  sixfold respect—Principles for a spiritual community—respect in behavior, speech, and thought; sharing the same ethics, the same views, and the same material goods.

  sixteen knowledges of refined meditation—This refers to the so-called eight recognitions and eight knowledges, which are recognition of and knowledge of the four holy truths as they apply to the realm of desire, and as they apply to the realms of form and formlessness.

  sixty-two views—This refers to all the various opinions and doctrines of the philosophers of India, and by extension to all dogmas and fixed ideas.

  sweet dew—Or ambrosia, or elixir; the elixir of immortality, an epithet of nirvana, by which one overcomes the dread and sorrow of death; also used generally for realization of eternal truth.

  teacherless path/teacherless knowledge—Autonomous knowledge or inherent knowledge which cannot in itself be taught or learned, but is to be awakened from latency.

  ten eyes—The physical eye, the celestial eye, the eye of wisdom, the objective eye, the Buddha-eye, the eye of knowledge, the eye of light, the eye leaving birth and death, the unobstructed eye, the eye of omniscience.

  Ten Powered—An epithet of Buddhas.

  ten powers—These are ten kinds of enlightened knowledge. One description of the ten powers according to the Chinese tradition is given in the Introduction to this volume. They are also described as knowledge of the following ten things: (1) what is so and what is not so; (2) results of actions; (3) various interests; (4) various realms; (5) higher and lower faculties; (6) all destinations; (7) all states of meditation and concentration, how they are defiled, how they are purified, and how to emerge from them; (8) past states of being; (9) the conditions of death and birth of other beings; (10) the end of contamination. These ten kinds of knowledge power are sometimes equated with the comprehensive omniscience of Buddhas, the knowledge of all particulars. The term “ten powers” typically refers to these ten powers of Buddhas, but there are also ten powers of enlightening beings: (1) resolution; (2) deliberation; (3) becoming; (4) patience; (5) knowledge; (6) extirpation; (7) concentration; (8) presence of mind; (9) virtue; (10) action. Another enumeration of the ten powers of enlightening beings gives (1) intent; (2) will; (3) application; (4) wisdom; (5) commitment; (6) means; (7) practice; (8) magic; (9) awakening; (10) teaching.

  ten universes—Prototypes of existence: realms of animals, ghosts, hells, titans, humans, celestials, hearers, individual illuminates, enlightening beings, and buddhas.

  tenfold knowledge—Knowledge of facts, inferential knowledge, knowledge of others’ minds, knowledge of the world, knowledge of the Four Truths (of the existence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the way to end suffering), knowledge of extinction, and knowledge of nonorigination.

  thirty-seven aids to enlightenment—Elements of the Path of enlightenment—four points of mindfulness (mindfulness of the body, sensations, mind, and phenomena); four right efforts (to eliminate existing bad states, prevent future arising of bad states, foster good states, and further develop existing good states); four bases of psychic powers (desire, effort, concentration, contemplation); five faculties and five powers (faith, perseverance, mindfulness, concentration, precise awareness); seven branches of enlightenment (discernment, diligence, joy, alleviation, relinquishment, stability, attention); the eightfold right path (right insight, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right recollection, right meditation).

  thirty-two marks—An ancient Indian idea that a great man has thirty-two special physical features was also applied to the idealized image of Buddha; here they are symbols of qualities attained by cultivation of good practices.

  three doors of liberation—See three liberations.

  three fires—The fires of craving, hatred, and folly.

  three kinds, or bodies, of pure precepts—Discipline or self-control developed in the realm of desire, discipline arising from meditation, and discipline arising from entry into uncontaminated concentration. Also, precepts designed to get rid of evil, precepts designed to embody virtue, and precepts related to helping others.

  three levels of truth—Imaginary or mentally constructed truth; relative truth, or the conditional, interdependent existence of things; and absolute truth, the ultimate emptiness of the imagined and relative truths.

  three liberations—Liberation through realization of signlessness, wishlessness, and emptiness; that is, by realizing that things are not as they appear, have no inherent aim, and have no inherent existence.

  three modes of conduct—Behavioral discipline, discipline concomitant with concentration, and discipline concomitant with the path of enlightenment.

  three spheres pure—Emptiness of absolute existence of subject, object, and medium; usually applied specifically to giving without attachment to the giver, the receiver, or the gift.

  three superknowledges—Knowledge of past states of self and others; seeing the future life and death of self and others; and knowledge of the end of afflictions and contaminations.

  three times—Past, present, and future.

  three tolerances—Tolerance of opposition and injury, tolerance of suffering, and tolerance of truth.

  Three Treasuries—The Buddha, the Teaching, and the religious community.

  Three Vehicles—Vehicles of salvation: the vehicle of “hearers” or disciples; the vehicle of individual illuminates; the vehicle of enlightening beings. The first two, called the small or lesser vehicles, culminate in lesser nirvana, or dispassion; the third, called the Great Vehicle, includes both self- and other-enlightenment, and both mundane and transmundane welfare.

  three worlds/triple world—The realms of desire, form, and formlessness. The realm of desire is the realm of passion of the ordinary person. The realm of form is the realm of the four meditations (q.v.). The formless realm is the realm of the four formless concentrations (q.v.). These realms are psychically, not spatially, distinct; they are usually cited together as the totality of the mundane, and emancipation is referred to as liberation from, or nonattachment to, any of these realms.

  threefold repetition—This refers to repetition during the ceremony of ordination and giving monastic precepts, where the novice is required to affirm his commitment three times.

  titan—A kind of being, representing anger, jealousy, pride, and arrogance.

  torrents—The four torrents are the torrent of passion, involving great anger, folly, and suspicion, in the realm of desire; the torrent of existence, involving greed and pride in the form and formless realms; the torrent of views, involving delusive views; and the torrent of ignorance.

  twelve sense media—The six sense faculties and six fields of sense data.

  two kinds of nirvana—Nirvana with remainder, being the extinction of afflictions and views whi
le in this life; and nirvana without remainder, being final extinction upon physical death.

  uncreated—This means void or empty of absolute inherent nature; it is also used of what are known as uncompounded phenomena (space and extinction), but again corresponds as well to the uncompounded or uncreated essence—emptiness—within the compounded.

  universal tongue—Refers to the expounding of universal truth or all-pervasive principles such as emptiness.

  Uttara—The northern of the four continents of Indian Buddhist geography.

  walking seven steps—This refers to the myth of the birth of the Buddha, who is said to have walked seven steps in each direction upon coming into the world.

  water of eight qualities—The ideal water of pure lands, which is cool, clear, sweet, soft, lustrous, settled, nourishing, and able to allay hunger and thirst.

  wish-fulfilling gem—A mythical jewel that grants all wishes; used as a symbol of the mind, especially in terms of its powers of adaptation.

  yaksha—A kind of being, sometimes thought of as a ghost or spirit, sometimes benign, sometimes malignant.

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