The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Two

 

2) Heavens of Bliss from Transformations

Sutra:

Moreover, Celestial King Skilled at Transformations gained a passage into liberation of explaining the transformational power of all karma.

Commentary:

Moreover, Celestial King Skilled at Transformations elaborates further on the principles. He is skilled at teaching and transforming beings, guiding them to return from confusion to enlightenment; to leave suffering and find bliss; to smash ignorance and reveal their Dharma nature. Beings live in ignorance, which means they do not understand the way things are. In their confused delusion, they create karma. They create karma when they are confused, but do they also create karma when they understand things? Yes, they create good karma.

Karma may be good, evil, or a mixture of both. For example, if we cultivate the Six Perfections (giving, morality, patience, vigor, Dhyana-samadhi, and wisdom) and the Ten Thousand Practices to benefit beings, we are creating good karma. If we do not practice giving, morality, patience, vigor, Dhyana-samadhi, and wisdom, but instead engage in all kinds of evil, we create evil karma. With good karma we ascend; with evil karma we descend. With karma that is a mixture of good and evil, we stay in the middle, perhaps being born in the human realm. There are many kinds of karma. If we abstain from all evil, we put an end to evil karma; and if we further practice all good, then we increase our good karma.

I have told the following story about good and evil karma before, but since some people have never heard it, I will tell it again.

This is when I was still a novice. I was quite mischievous. During Chinese New Year’s, we had a custom of writing out matched couplets. I wrote a line that said, “Wisdom like the sea.” Another novice liked my grass (cursive) script, and he also liked to recite the line, “Wisdom like the sea, wisdom like the sea, wisdom like the sea...” He recited the line over and over again, many times. Then I teased him: “It seems to me that your karma is like the sea!” The novice immediately flew into a rage and cried out, “How could you say that my karma is like the sea!”

I replied, “Of course, your karma is like the sea. But you haven’t heard me explain. Do you know what kind of karma I was referring to?”

“No, what kind of karma is like the sea?”

“Your good karma is like the sea.” After I said that, his anger subsided. A single word made all the difference: one word caused him to fly into a rage; another word caused his anger to subside. That shows that “Everything is made from the mind alone.” Sentient beings are attached to names. Change one word, and they are happy. If you don’t add just that one word, they become confused and upset—they fall into delusion. Once deluded, if they go on to scold others, they create karma. And having created karma, they will have to undergo retribution.

Now this Celestial King Skilled at Transformations gained the state of a passage into liberation of explaining the transformational power of all karma. “Explaining” means verbally expounding the principles. Karma may be good or evil. The power of transformation refers to how good and evil karma interchange and transform into each other. If our good karma has some evil in it, our retribution will be a mixture of good and bad. If our evil karma has some good in it, our retribution will also be a mixture of suffering and joy. That is the power stemming from mutual transformation. We receive the consequences of whatever causes we create. When we create a good cause, we get a good result. When we create an evil cause, and we experience the result of that evil. Celestial King Skilled at Transformations attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Silent Radiance gained a passage into liberation of renouncing all opportunistic tendencies.

Commentary:

Celestial King Silent Radiance gained a passage into liberation of renouncing all opportunistic tendencies. Sentient beings often try to exploit the circumstances. Such opportunistic tendencies come in many varieties, and so the text says “all.” For example, out of a desire for profit, we resort to all kinds of tactics to take advantage of opportunities to gain profit. Others seeking fame devise many ways to exploit the circumstances so they can get famous. There are only two kinds of people in the world: one kind exploits opportunities for the sake of fame, and the other kind exploits opportunities for the sake of profit.

Those who seek fame die on account of fame; that is, they will die in fire. Those who seek profit will die on account of profit; that is, they will drown in water. Profit is associated with water, and fame is associated with fire. People who strive for fame and profit will either be burned or drowned; therefore, taking advantage of circumstances leads to very bad consequences. If you don’t seek fame, you won’t die in a fire; if you don’t seek profit, you won’t drown.

Celestial King Silent Radiance has left behind all opportunistic tendencies. Having renounced them, he has attained ease and comfort. The hardest thing for cultivators to subdue is this tendency to exploit situations. True cultivators are free of that tendency. If we like to exploit situations, we won’t be able to cultivate. Such exploitative thoughts obstruct the Way and hinder our practice. Cultivation becomes impossible as soon as we entertain a thought such as, “A certain layperson is very wealthy, and he can help us.” We must give up all thoughts of exploiting situations before we will be able to cultivate the Way.

Sutra:

Celestial King Illumination of Powerful Transformations gained a passage into liberation of universally eradicating the dark and deluded thoughts of sentient beings, thus enabling them to perfect their wisdom.

Commentary:

Celestial King Illumination of Powerful Transformations gained a passage into liberation of universally eradicating the dark and deluded thoughts of sentient beings, thus enabling them to perfect their wisdom. He can dispel the foolish and dark thoughts of sentient beings. How does he do that? He enables them to perfect their wisdom. The reason we have foolish and dark thoughts is that we lack wisdom. Without wisdom, we become more and more dark and deluded every day. This Celestial King urges beings to cultivate prajña wisdom, so that as their prajña increases day by day, their delusion and dullness decrease accordingly. He causes them to perfect their wisdom, which means they become enlightened and naturally attain liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Lord of Adornment gained a passage into liberation of bringing forth boundless, delightful sounds. Celestial King Light of Mindfulness gained a passage into liberation of understanding all Buddhas’ infinite attributes of blessings and virtue.

Commentary:

Celestial King Lord of Adornment gained a passage into liberation of bringing forth boundless, delightful sounds. Since he awakened to the Way by means of sounds, he pleases beings with the sounds he makes. These sounds not only delight beings, they also enable beings to attain liberation. They have that kind of power.

Celestial King Light of Mindfulness gained a passage into liberation of understanding all Buddhas’—the Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time—infinite attributes of blessings and virtue. Every Buddha has Thirty-two Hallmarks and Eighty Subsidiary Characteristics, which he cultivated bit by bit while on the level of planting causes. Little by little the Buddha accumulated his merit until he finally achieved infinite blessings and infinite merit and virtue, and obtained the Thirty-two Hallmarks and Eighty Subsidiary Characteristics that adorn his person. Celestial King Light of Mindfulness gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Tremendous Thundercloud gained a passage into liberation of universally knowing the formation and decay of all past eons as well as their sequence. Celestial King Supreme Light gained a passage into liberation of awakening the wisdom of all sentient beings.

Commentary:

Celestial King Tremendous Thundercloud gained a passage into liberation of universally knowing—this means there is nothing he does not know. He knows the formation and decay of all past eons as well as their sequence. Countless eons have gone by, and each of them went through the four stages of formation, decay, dwelling, and emptiness. Each eon has its successive stages of development. Some eons come before others. For instance, our present eon is called the Worthy Eon, because many sages and worthy ones will appear in the world during this time.

The eon preceding this one was called the Eon of Adornment, and the eon following ours will be called Eon of Constellations. This Celestial King discerns very clearly which eon comes first and which comes later. He gained this passage into liberation.

Celestial King Supreme Light, so named because his brilliance excels all other light, gained a passage into liberation of awakening the wisdom of all sentient beings. An alternate interpretation of this phrase would be “awakening All-Wisdom (i.e. omniscience) in sentient beings.” “Awakening” includes opening the Buddhas’ knowledge and vision; revealing the Buddhas’ knowledge and vision; enlightening to the Buddhas’ knowledge and vision; and entering the Buddhas’ knowledge and vision as discussed in the Dharma Flower Sutra. Awakening sentient beings’ wisdom means enlightening them to the Buddhas’ knowledge and vision, and so the text says “All-Wisdom,” which means the Buddhas’ wisdom. This Celestial King gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Wonderful Cowl gained a passage into liberation of releasing light that quickly fills the ten directions of space. Celestial King Joyful Wisdom gained a passage into liberation of maintaining a powerful vigor that makes it impossible to destroy his accomplishments.

Commentary:

Celestial King Wonderful Cowl gained a passage into liberation of releasing light that quickly fills the ten directions of space. Very rapidly, this light illumines space throughout the ten directions of the Dharma Realm.

Celestial King Joyful Wisdom—he wants to have great wisdom—gained a passage into liberation of maintaining a powerful vigor that makes it impossible to destroy his accomplishments. Nothing can destroy his wholesome deeds. Nobody can destroy any of the merit and virtue he has created, and no one can destroy the practices he cultivates. He has the power of vigor. The more he cultivates, the more resolved he is in his vigor. The more good deeds he practices, the happier he is in practicing them. The more he creates merit and virtue, the happier he is in doing so. At all times, he has the power of vigor. He gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Flower Light Cowl gained a passage into liberation of knowing the retributions undergone by all sentient beings due to their karma. Celestial King Universally Viewing the Ten Directions gained a passage into liberation of manifesting the different shapes of inconceivably many kinds of sentient beings.

Commentary:

Celestial King Flower Light Cowl gained a passage into liberation of knowing the retributions undergone by all sentient beings due to their karma. He observes how beings receive the exact retribution for whatever karma they create. Killers undergo the retribution of being killed; thieves undergo the retribution of being robbed; those who are promiscuous undergo retributions involving sexual misconduct; and liars undergo the retribution for lying. This Celestial King gained the passage into liberation of knowing the retributions undergone by sentient beings for the karma they have done.

Celestial King Universally Viewing the Ten Directions gained a passage into liberation of manifesting the different shapes of inconceivably many kinds of sentient beings. Every kind of being has its own unique appearance. This Celestial King gained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

At that time, Celestial King Skilled at Transformations received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Skillful Transformation, and spoke the following verse:

The nature of karma of those in the world is unthinkable.
To the confused multitudes, the Buddha makes a thorough revelation.
He skillfully explains the true meaning underlying causes and conditions
As well as how karma differs with each and every being.

Commentary:

At that time, Celestial King Skilled at Transformations received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Skillful Transformation, and spoke the following verse.

The nature of karma of those in the world is unthinkable. It is extremely subtle and wonderful. To the confused multitudes, the Buddha makes a thorough revelation. For the masses of confused beings, the Buddha explains the inconceivable causes and conditions of karma’s nature. He skillfully explains the true meaning underlying causes and conditions. He uses expedient skill-in-means to explain the principle of causes and conditions, which says that one will reap the results of the causes one has created. The causes and conditions determine the results and retributions. This is a definite, unerring principle. The Buddha explains this, as well as how karma differs with each and every being. Each and every being falls into delusion, creates karma, and suffers the retribution in a unique way. The process is different for different beings.

Sutra:

They try to visualize the Buddha in many ways, but to no avail.
They seek him throughout the ten directions, but cannot find him.
The Dharma body manifests, but is not real and actual;
Silent Sound perceives this dharma.

Commentary:

They try to visualize the Buddha in many ways. They wish to contemplate and see the Buddha’s body, but to no avail. Although they make many attempts to see the Buddha, they always fail. Does that mean there is no Buddha? No. For instance, we cannot see space, because space has no shape or form. We may keep trying to see space, but we cannot do so. If it could be seen, it would not be space. The Buddha’s Dharma body is the same way. Although we cannot see space, we cannot deny its existence. Likewise, just because we cannot see the Buddha’s Dharma body, we cannot allege there is no Buddha. They seek him throughout the ten directions, looking everywhere for the Buddha, but cannot find him.

The Chinese character for “seek” (mi 覓) is composed of the words, “not see” (bu jian 不見). They seek throughout the ten directions, but cannot see the Buddha. Why? The Dharma body manifests, but is not real and actual. The Buddha’s Dharma body manifests, but it is nowhere and yet everywhere, just like space. Wherever there is space, the Buddha’s Dharma body is present. Yet the Dharma body has no reality. Celestial King Silent Sound perceives this dharma. He gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Throughout oceans of eons, the Buddha cultivated many practices,
Wishing to destroy the foolish and dark delusions in the world.
Therefore, his purity shines most brightly.
Powerful Illumination is enlightened thus.

Commentary:

Throughout oceans of eons, the Buddha cultivated many practices. Every Buddha achieved Buddhahood only after cultivating for infinite oceans of eons. Who has the greatest patience? The Buddha. Who is foremost in giving? The Buddha. Who is number one in holding the precepts? The Buddha. Who is the most vigorous? The Buddha. Who is the one who can constantly remain seated in samadhi? The Buddha, who constantly cultivates dhyana-samadhi. Who has the greatest wisdom? The Buddha. How did the Buddha attain such all-around excellence? He has the greatest patience. He can endure whatever situation comes along. He endures what others cannot endure. He can yield under all circumstances, yielding what others cannot yield. He can accept whatever situation comes his way, bearing what others cannot bear. The Buddha cultivated many practices in that way. The Buddha did not cultivate just one practice, but many kinds, and he perfected them all. From his cultivation of many practices, the Buddha acquired great patience, great ability to yield, great vigor, great giving, great morality, great dhyana-samadhi, and great wisdom.

Why did the Buddha cultivate all those practices? He was wishing to destroy the foolish and dark delusions in the world. “Delusions” means ignorance, which makes people foolish and therefore dark. If the delusions of foolishness and darkness are destroyed, what remains is bright and perfect wisdom. Therefore, his purity shines most brightly. The Buddha’s wisdom is foremost, and he enables all beings to attain foremost wisdom. His wisdom is pure and of the brightest clarity, causing beings to renounce foolish and dark delusions and gain the light of wisdom. Powerful Illumination is enlightened thus. Celestial King Illumination of Powerful Transformations realized the principle of this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

All the exquisite sounds in the world
Cannot rival the Thus Come One’s sound.
The Buddha fills the ten directions with a single sound.
Lord of Adornment enters this liberation.

Commentary:

All the exquisite sounds in the world...There are many sounds in the world, some of them very splendid and delightful to hear. Such sounds delude people.

As it is said,

The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors give people a jaded palate.

The five colors are green, yellow, red, white, and black. When these colors work together, they confuse our eyes and have a blinding effect. The five tones of the Chinese scale are: gong, shang, jiao, zhi, yu. People who listen to these tones get so carried away that they can no longer hear clearly and become as if deaf. When people hear an exquisite piece of music played or a beautiful song sung, they may be mesmerized to the point of losing their wisdom and forgetting themselves.

The five flavors are sour, sweet, bitter, hot, and salty, and they give people a jaded palate. People like to eat food seasoned with the five flavors, but such delicious food can confuse people and make them lose their wisdom.

Throughout the world, no matter how exquisite a piece of music or a song may be, still it cannot rival the Thus Come One’s sound. None of the world’s most sublime, wonderful sounds can compare with the Thus Come One’s sound. The Thus Come One’s sound is the most sublimely wonderful. The Buddha fills the ten directions with a single sound. Beings in the worlds of the ten directions can all hear this wonderful sound. Lord of Adornment enters this liberation. Celestial King Lord of Adornment attained this state.

Sutra:

The power of blessings amassed by those in the world
Cannot match even a single attribute of the Thus Come One.
The Thus Come One’s blessings and virtue are identical with space.
The god Light of Mindfulness perceives thus.

Commentary:

The power of blessings amassed by those in the world...Why do we people undergo suffering? We have failed to cultivate blessings. Why doesn’t the Buddha experience suffering? He cultivated blessings. “To endure suffering is to end suffering. To enjoy blessings is to use up blessings.” Blessings and virtue are accumulated bit by bit. If we constantly benefit others, we are cultivating blessings. If we always help others, we are cultivating blessings. If we are never selfish and never seek personal advantage, we are also cultivating blessings. In other words, at all times we should be cultivating various kinds of blessings.

However, worldly blessings cannot match even a single attribute of the Thus Come One. The power of worldly blessings cannot compare with even one of the Thirty-two Hallmarks of the Buddha. The Thus Come One’s blessings and virtue are identical with space. How immense are the Thus Come One’s blessings and virtue? They are as vast and limitless as space. The god Light of Mindfulness perceives thus. Celestial King Light of Mindfulness attained this state.

Sutra:

Countless eons throughout the three periods of time,
As well as the different features related to their formation and decay,
Are completely displayed in a single pore of the Buddha.
Tremendous Thundercloud knows this state.

Commentary:

Countless eons throughout the three periods of time...In the past, present and future, there are countless great eons, as well as the different features related to their formation and decay. Every eon goes through the stages of formation, decay, dwelling and emptiness, and each stage has its specific features. All of these are completely displayed in a single pore of the Buddha. All four stages can be seen within a single one of the Buddha’s pores. The past can be moved to the present; the future can be moved to the past, and the present can be moved to the past or the future. There are mutual changes and transformations, appearing right in the midst of the Buddha’s pore. Celestial King Tremendous Thundercloud knows and understands this state.

Sutra:

The volume of space throughout the ten directions can be known,
But the scope of the Buddha’s pores cannot be measured.
This inconceivable state of nonobstruction
Is understood by Celestial King Wonderful Cowl.

Commentary:

The volume of space throughout the ten directions can be known. Basically space cannot be measured, since it is so vast. However, let us suppose we can know its volume. But the scope of the Buddha’s pores cannot be measured. The number of the Buddha’s pores cannot be known or understood. This is an inconceivable state of nonobstruction. The scope of the Buddha’s pores cannot be known, and yet space and those pores are mutually nonobstructive. Although the scope of space can be measured, the scope of the Buddha’s pores cannot be known. This is because every one of the Buddha’s pores encompasses space throughout the ten directions. All of space is contained within one of the Buddha’s pores. That state is perfectly interpenetrating, unobstructed, and inconceivable. Who understands this state? This is understood by Celestial King Wonderful Cowl.

Sutra:

Throughout immeasurable eons in worlds long past,
The Buddha thoroughly cultivated vast, great paramitas,
Tirelessly practicing with ever-diligent vigor.
Joyful Wisdom knows this dharma door.

Commentary:

Throughout an immeasurable eons in worlds long past...The Buddha did not become a Buddha so easily. Over a period of limitless eons in the past, the Buddha thoroughly and perfectly cultivated vast, great paramitas. Those vast, great paramitas started out as small paramitas. Little by little they accumulated. When small paramitas add up, they become vast, great paramitas. It’s not the case that he started cultivating great paramitas, not small ones, lofty but not humble dharmas. The Buddha cultivated all of these paramitas—“dharmas for arriving at the other shore”—regardless of whether they were great or small, lofty or humble.

The Six Paramitas are the most important. And the Buddha cultivated even the tiniest, most insignificant dharmas among these. He did not reject a good dharma as being too trivial, nor did he cultivate a bad dharma just because it was minor. He did not say, “This evil dharma is insignificant. It won’t matter if I engage in it a little bit.” No, he did not allow himself to do the slightest evil, nor did he refrain from the slightest good. And as time went on, the Buddha thoroughly perfected his cultivation of the paramitas, tirelessly practicing with ever-diligent vigor. The Buddha was never lazy for even a moment. He was always vigorous, and he never rested or felt tired. Once you become tired, your cultivation starts to seem meaningless. Celestial King Joyful Wisdom knows this dharma door.

Sutra:

The causes and conditions that result in karma are hard to fathom,
Yet the Buddha explains them for everyone in the world.
The Dharma nature is fundamentally pure and undefiled.
This is the place of entry for Flower Light.

Commentary:

The causes and conditions that result in karma—karmic retribution—are hard to fathom. The nature of karma is basically empty; there’s nothing to it. However, sentient beings’ ignorance causes them to become deluded and create karma. When they are clear-headed, they create good karma. When they are muddled, they create evil karma. Good karma involves good causes and conditions; evil karma involves evil causes and conditions. But there’s nothing fixed, and so it is “hard to fathom.” Yet the Buddha explains them for everyone in the world. He constantly expounds the causes and conditions of karma for beings. The Dharma nature is fundamentally pure and undefiled. It is free from defilement. This is the place of entry for Flower Light. That Celestial King entered and enlightened to this state and gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

You should contemplate a single pore of the Buddha,
For all beings are found within it.
Yet they neither come nor go.
King Universally Viewing understands thus.

Commentary:

You should use some method to contemplate a single pore of the Buddha. You will see that all beings are found within it. Yet they neither come nor go. Beings have not come into the pore, nor has the Buddha gone to where those beings are. Nonetheless, all beings appear within the Buddha’s pores. The Buddha and beings have not come, and they have not gone, either. And yet this state appears. Celestial King Universally Viewing the Ten Directions, named thus because he can see everywhere in the ten directions, understands thus. He attained this inconceivable state.

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