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Light Enlightenment

At that time, light passed through a hundred thousand worlds and everywhere illumined a million worlds to the east. It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, as well as above and below.

Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas, reaching up to a billion ultimate form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light.

Just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his lotus flower treasury lion’s throne, with Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him, so too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place.

Their names were Manjushri and others. They came from countries called Golden Colored world and others and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses:

“The Thus Come One is the most sovereign
and he transcends the world and relies on nothing.
He has perfected all merit and virtue,
and crosses over and liberates all realms of existence.

He is without defilement and attachments
and is without thought and dependence.
His substance and nature cannot be measured
and all those who see him speak in praise.

His brilliance is pervasively clear and pure
and he has completely washed away the wearisome dust.
Unmoving, he leaves the two extremes.
This is the wisdom of the Thus Come One.

If one sees the Thus Come One
with body and mind apart from discriminations,
then with regard to all Dharmas
one forever transcends all doubts and obstructions.

Within all worlds, and
in all places, he turns the Dharma wheel,
yet it is without a nature and without a turning.
Thus the guiding master speaks expediently.

To be without doubt or delusion with regard to Dharmas,
to eternally sever all irrelevant discussion,
and to not give rise to discriminating thoughts,
is called being mindful of Buddha’s bodhi.

To understand and know differentiating Dharmas,
not to be attached to words or speech,
and to be without one or many
is called according with the Buddha’s teaching.

The many does not have the nature of one,
the one is also without the many.
To cast both aside completely,
is to universally enter the Buddha’s merit and virtue.

When living beings and lands
are entirely still and quiescent
and without reliance or discrimination,
then they are able to enter into Buddha’s bodhi.

Of living beings and lands
Neither one nor many can be obtained.
To well contemplate and observe in this way
is knowing the meaning of the Buddhadharma.”

At that time, light passed through a million worlds and everywhere illumined a million worlds to the east. It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions as well as above and below. Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas, reaching up to a billion ultimate form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light.

Just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his lotus flower treasury lion’s throne, with Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him, so too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place.

Their names were Manjushri and others. They came from countries called Golden Colored world and others and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses:

“With unequalled wisdom and boundless Dharma,
He transcends the sea of all existence and arrives at the other shore,
And his lifespan and brilliance are beyond compare.
This is the power of expedients of the one with merit and virtue.

With a clear understanding of all the Buddhadharma.
He constantly contemplates the three periods of time without weariness,
Although he accords with states he does not discriminate.
This is the power of expedients of the one who is difficult to conceive of.

Delighting in contemplation of living beings without the thought of beings,
Universally viewing all destinies without the thought of destinies,
He constantly dwells in the stillness of dhyana, his mind unfettered.
This is the power of expedients of unobstructed wisdom.

He penetrates all Dharmas by means of good and clever means,
Diligently cultivates the Way of Nirvana with proper mindfulness,
And, by being separate from inequality, delights in liberation.
This is the power of expedients of still quiescence.

He has the ability to exhort others to go towards the Buddha’s bodhi;
He tends toward and enters all wisdom which is like the Dharma realm,
And uses goodness to transform beings so that they enter into the truth.
This is the power of expedients of the mind that dwells in Buddhahood.

He accords with and enters all the Dharma that the Buddhas speak.
His vast, great wisdom is without obstruction,
And he has already completely understood all places of practice.
This is the power of expedients of the cultivation of self-mastery.

He constantly dwells in Nirvana, which is like empty space:
Appearing by transformation according to minds, there is nowhere that he does not encompass.
He relies on the unmarked and yet takes on conditioned marks.
This is the power of expedients of the one who has arrived at what is difficult to arrive at.

He recollects and completely understands and knows
Morning and night, days and months, years and kalpas,
As well as worlds characterized by beginnings and ends, creation and destruction.
This is the power of expedients of the mastery over time and numbers.

Living beings undergo production and extinction.
Their form or formlessness, their thought or lack of thought.
All names such as these, he completely understands.
This is the power of expedients of dwelling in that which is inconceivable.

He can understand all that has been spoken
Throughout past, present, and future times,
And he knows that the three periods of time are completely equal.
This is the power of expedients of incomparable liberation.”

At that time, the light passed through ten million worlds and everywhere illumined a billion worlds to the east. It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, as well as above and below. Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas, reaching up to a billion ultimate form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light.

Just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his lotus flower treasury lion’s throne, with Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him, so too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place.

Their names were Manjushri and others. They came from countries called Golden Colored world and others and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses:

“He cultivated all the profuse and great bitter practices
Vigorously throughout the day and night without weariness or fatigue.
He has already rescued those who are difficult to rescue by means of his lion’s roar.
Because universally transforming living beings is his practice.

Living beings flow and turn in the sea of love and desire,
Covered over by the net of ignorance and greatly worried and oppressed.
The one of utmost humaneness and courage completely pulls them out.
Vowing that it will be this way is his practice.

We in the world are remiss and attached to the five desires.
We make unreal discriminations and thereby receive a score of suffering.
We should uphold and practice the Buddha’s teachings and always gather in our minds.
Vowing to save all such as these is his practice.

Living beings become attached to a “self” and enter birth and death.
They seek its boundaries but cannot obtain it.
We should wholeheartedly serve the Thus Come One and obtain the wonderful Dharma.
Expounding it to others is his practice.

Living beings have no recourse and are bound up with sickness.
They sink into the evil destinies by giving rise to the three poisons,
And are continually scorched by great raging flames.
Using a pure mind to save them is his practice.

Living beings are confused and deluded, and lose the proper Path.
By constantly walking on deviant paths they enter dark places.
For their sakes the lamp of proper Dharma is lit.
Eternally being a brilliant illumination is his practice.

Living beings bob and sink in the ocean of existence,
Their distress and difficulties are limitless and without end.
For their sakes he builds the mighty Dharma boat.
Taking them all across is his practice.

Living beings are without knowledge and cannot see their origin.
They are bewildered, confounded, stupid, and crazed by the danger and hardships they are in.
The Buddha pities them and so he constructs a Dharma bridge.
Causing them to mount it through proper thought is his practice.

He sees all living beings on a perilous path,
Constantly oppressed by birth, old age, sickness, and death.
He cultivates limitless, measureless expedients
And vows to completely save them all, for this is his practice.

After hearing the Dharma, they believe and understand it without doubt or delusion.
And without fear they understand that the nature is empty and still.
He accordingly appears in the six paths throughout the ten directions,
Universally instructing the perplexed masses, for this is his practice.”

At that time, the light passed through a hundred million worlds and everywhere illumined a billion worlds to the east. It illumined ten billion worlds, hundreds of thousands of millions of worlds, nayutas of millions of worlds, hundreds of nayutas of millions of worlds, thousands of nayutas of millions of worlds, hundreds of thousands of nayutas of millions of worlds. Also there were numberless, limitless, boundless, unequalled uncountable, incalculable, unthinkable, immeasurable, ineffable worlds to the ends of the Dharma realm and empty space. It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, as well as above and below. Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas, reaching up to a billion ultimate form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light.

Just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his lotus flower treasury lion’s throne, with Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him, so too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha. In each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place.

Their names were Manjushri and others. They came from countries called Golden Colored world and others, and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses:

“In one thought he contemplates limitless kalpas. He does so without going, without coming, and without dwelling anywhere.

In this way he is able to understand and know what goes on in the three periods of time, And he transcends all expedients and accomplishes the ten powers.

In the ten directions he is incomparable and of wholesome renown.
He has forever left all difficulties and is always happy.
He goes everywhere and visits all lands
To broadly proclaim the Dharma which is thus.

For the sake of benefiting living beings, he makes offerings to the Buddhas,
And he obtains a fruit that corresponds to his intent.
He completely accords with and knows all Dharmas,
And pervasively throughout the ten directions he manifests spiritual powers.

From the first time he made offerings to the Buddhas, his mind has been pliant and patient.
He enters deeply into Chan samadhi and contemplates the Dharma nature.
He universally encourages living beings to bring forth the mind for the Way.
By such means as these, he quickly accomplishes the unsurpassed fruit.

Anyone in the ten directions who seeks the Dharma with unchanging zeal
And cultivates merit and virtue to the fullest extent.
Can completely eliminate the two marks of existence and non-existence.
Such a person is one who truly sees the Buddha.

Anyone who goes to all lands everywhere in the ten directions,

broadly speaking the wonderful Dharma to cause its meaning and benefit to flourish,
Who dwells in reality’s limit, without being moved or shaken,
Is a person whose merit and virtue is equal to the Buddhas’.

The Thus Come One turns the sublime Dharma wheel.
Each turning is a share of Bodhi.
Anyone who hears it and can enlighten to the Dharma nature
Is a person who will constantly see the Buddhas.  

If one does not see the ten powers as empty like an illusion
Then although seeing them, one does notsee, but gazes like a blind person.
The Buddha cannot be seen by one who discriminates and grasps at marks.
Only when one finally relinquishes attachments will one be able to truly see.  

Living beings follow their karma with its multitude of differences.
In and beyond the ten directions it is difficult to see them all.
The Buddha’s body is unobstructed and pervades the ten directions.
It also cannot be entirely seen.

For example, in emptiness there are limitless lands
Which pervade the ten directions and do not come or go.
Their production, dwelling, destruction, and extinction are all without a place of reliance.
The Buddha pervades all emptiness in much the same way.  

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