Avatamsaka Sutra Recitation Dharma Assembly

 

English: The Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra
Sanskrit: The Maha-Vaipulya-Buddha-Avatamsaka-Sutra
Chinese: Ta Fang Kuang Fo Hua Yen Ching

The Avatamsaka Sutra was spoken in the realm of humans and in the heavens. It is known as the "King of Kings" of all Buddhist texts. It elucidates the inconceivable state of the Buddhas and the conduct of Bodhisattvas.

"Unless you read the Avatamsaka Sutra,
you will not know of the Buddha's true Blessings and Honor.
The Avatamsaka Sutra is the Buddha's greatest store of Treasures."

Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua explains the title of the Sutra in this way:

1	Great	Greatness of Substance
2	Means	Greatness of Appearance
3	Expansive	Greatness of Function
4	Buddha	Greatness of Fruit
5	Flower	Greatness of Cause
6	Adornment	Greatness of Knowledge
7	Sutra	Greatness of Teaching

A verse from National Master Ching Liang's Preface to the Avatamsaka Sutra says:

"Opening and disclosing the mysterious and subtle,
Understanding and expanding the mind and its states;
Exhausting the principle and fathoming the nature,
Penetrating the result which includes the cause;
Deep and wide and interfused,
Vast and great and totally complete,
Surely this must be:
The Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra!"

In a lecture given in 1979, Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua praised the Avatamsaka Sutra:

"The Flower Adornment Sutra is the Sutra of the Dharma Realm and the Sutra of Empty Space. To the exhaustion of the Dharma Realm and empty space there is no place where the Flower Adornment Sutra is not present. Wherever the Flower Adornment Sutra is found, the Buddha is to be found, and also the Dharma and the Sangha of Worthy Sages. That is why when the Buddha accomplished Proper Enlightenment, he wished to speak the Great Flower Adornment Sutra to teach and transform the Great Knights of the Dharma Body. Since this Sutra was a Sutra of inconceivable wonder, it was then concealed within the Dragons' Palace for the Dragon King to protect. Afterwards, Nagarjuna—"Dragon Tree" Bodhisattva went to the Dragons' Palace, memorized it, and brought it back."

To read the entire talk, please click: The Mother of All Buddhas: The Flower Adornment Sutra

The Avatamsaka Sutra

Commentary to the Avatamsaka Sutra

National Master Ching Liang's Preface to the Avatamsaka Sutra with Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua's commentary

National Master Ching Liang's Prologue to the Avatamsaka Sutra with Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua's commentary.

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