The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Two

 

b. Heavens of the Desire Realm
1) Heavens of Mastery Over Others’ Transformations

Sutra:

Moreover, Celestial King Self-Mastery gained a passage into liberation of making use of a treasure trove of freedom and ease in appearing before countless sentient beings and bringing them to maturation.

Commentary:

Moreover is just moreover. Let’s not say anything more. Celestial King Self-Mastery is very much at ease, without worries or afflictions. He doesn’t contend with anyone, and so he is at ease. If you fight with others, you won’t be at ease. If you have worries and afflictions, you won’t be at ease, either. If you cry, you won’t be at ease; if you laugh, you are even less at ease. If you neither cry nor laugh, then you’ll be at ease. That’s how it is. Is it good? “Self-mastery” means things are really fine, not bad. This Celestial King feels fine.

He gained a passage into liberation of making use of a treasure trove of freedom and ease inappearing before countless sentient beings and bringing them to maturation. He can appear before beings and bring them to maturity. Since he himself is at ease, he  causes all beings to be at ease. Beings get to hear the Dharma, become enlightened, and gain this passage into liberation of having a treasure trove of freedom and ease. This Celestial King has limitless kindness and compassion and is a great Dharma protector in Buddhism.

Sutra:

Celestial King Lord Good Eyes gained a passage into liberation of contemplating the joys of all sentient beings and then helping them to experience the joy found in the realm of sages.

Commentary:

What does Celestial King Lord Good Eyes’ name mean? Some people’s eyes are not wholesome. One look at their eyes lets you know they’re not good, and causes fear to well up in you. This Celestial King is also called Lord Wondrous Eyes, Lord Wondrous Adornment, and also Lord Supreme Eyes, since his eyes surpass everyone else’s. How did he get his name? He regards all beings with eyes of kindness.

He gained a passage into liberation of contemplating the joys of all sentient beings and then helping them to experience the joy found in the realm of sages. He contemplates their joys, not their suffering. Since he himself does not suffer, he is unaware of the suffering of beings. What kinds of things give beings joy? Fame brings joy, and so does profit. When beings get everything they want and their wishes are fulfilled, they are happy. Happiness comes from having one’s prayers for a son or daughter answered. Happiness also comes from obtaining the wealth and honor that one seeks. No one wants to be poor and lowly.

This Celestial King observes to see what beings like and what gives them joy. “Oh, he likes that kind of happiness. He’s fond of music!” Then he makes some music or sings a song for that person. The person is impressed with the music and asks, “Where did you learn that fine song?” And the Celestial King answers, “I learned it through Buddhism. I met a good teacher and learned it from him.” The person says, “I’d also like to learn that song.” Thereupon he takes refuge with the Triple Jewel.

In general, no matter what beings like, this Celestial King will comply with their wishes and give them whatever brings them happiness. It’s said, “If you wish to lead beings to the Buddha’s wisdom, first bait the hook with something they like.” If you want beings to understand the Buddhadharma, first you should fulfill their wishes. This discussion could go on and on. In general, this Celestial King gives beings whatever makes them happy and then leads them into a supreme state—that of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Sages Enlightened by Conditions, and Hearers—the state of sages, which is true bliss. What kind of bliss is true bliss? It is the bliss that is one of the four virtues of nirvana: eternity, bliss, true self, and purity. He enables all beings to attain that ultimate kind of joy. The joys of the world contain the seeds of suffering. Transcendental bliss is the only true bliss. Why are the joys of the world an underlying cause for suffering? Think it over. For most people, getting rich is the greatest happiness.

However, if you were to pay attention to every penny, nickel, and dime, you would exhaust your energy. You tax your brain with calculations. You can’t finish calculating in the daytime, so you continue at night, but you still can’t finish. You toss and turn all night, flipping back and forth like a flapjack, and don’t get any sleep. Would you say that was happiness or suffering?

Another thing that makes people happy is being a government official. However, there are many vicissitudes in the world of politics. Suddenly you are promoted, and suddenly you get demoted. And sometimes you even lose your life in the process—you might be executed.

Nothing makes people happier than wearing beautiful clothes. However, when you dress up in an extravagant outfit, it’s as if you have put on chains and shackles. You don’t dare to casually sit or stand anywhere, fearing your clothing might get smudged. Isn’t that like being in chains and shackles? And if you are a little careless and spill some soup or oil on your clothing, then you start berating yourself, “How could I be so careless? Such an expensive dress, and I’ve dirtied it!” You might even say to yourself, “Oh, you really deserve a beating!” And you smack yourself across the face. You slap your left cheek twice, and the right cheek says, “That won’t do. You only slapped the left cheek. I’m jealous!” And so you slap your right cheek as well. All for the sake of putting on some new clothes, you end up slapping yourself. Would you say that was happiness or suffering?

We could go on speaking at great length about this. The joys of the world contain the seeds of suffering. Transcendental bliss, on the other hand, is true bliss. Eternity, bliss, true self, and purity are the qualities of genuine joy. This Celestial King helps beings to attain ultimate happiness. This is a passage into liberation that brings ultimate ease.

Sutra:

Celestial King Crown like a Banner of Wonderful Jewels gained a passage into liberation of rousing sentient beings to action by complying with their various desires and understandings.

Commentary:

Celestial King Crown like a Banner of Wonderful Jewels wears a jeweled crown adorned with wondrous gems arranged like a glowing banner. He gained a passage into liberation of rousing sentient beings to action by complying with their various desires and understandings. He complies with sentient beings’ desiresby speaking wonderful Dharma that delights them and causes them to practice the Dharma.

He motivates them to cultivate the teaching so they can realize Buddhahood soon. He gained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Courageous Wisdom gained a passage into liberation of universally gathering in all sentient beings and explaining principles to them.

Commentary:

Celestial King Courageous Wisdom gained a passage into liberation of universally gathering in all sentient beings and explaining principles to them. He uses his heroic, matchless, mighty wisdom to gather in and offer support to sentient beings everywhere. He is like a magnet that draws those with sharp roots and dull roots alike into the Buddhadharma. Once they are there, he explains the true principles of the Thus Come One. For those with sharp roots, he explicates the truth, meaning the doctrine of the Middle Way that discusses True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence. For those with dull roots, he uses provisional teaching, first explaining the principle of emptiness and then the principle of existence and then gradually leading them into the truth of the teaching.

Sutra:

Celestial King Phrases of Sublime Sounds gained a passage into liberation of advancing in his own practice by recollecting the Thus Come Ones’ vast kindness. Celestial King Banner of Splendid Light gained a passage into liberation of revealing the gate of great compassion that can subjugate the arrogance of some beings, who wear it like a banner.Celestial King Realm of Quiescence gained a passage into liberation of subduing all hatred and malice among beings in the world. Celestial King Banner Embellished with Wonderful Wheels gained a passage into liberation of being able, by remembering countless Buddhas of the ten directions, tohave them come to where he is.

Commentary:

Celestial King Phrases of Sublime Sounds. From his name, we can know that this Celestial King is skilled in speaking Dharma. With sublime and inconceivable sounds, he speaks sublime and inconceivable phrases. He gained a passage into liberation of advancing in his own practice by recollecting the Thus Come Ones’ vast kindness. “Recollecting” means never forgetting. In thought after thought he reflects on the Buddha’s vast kindness, which is infinite like space. Not to mention ordinary people or those of externalist sects, even sages cannot match the Buddha’s kindness and compassion. Even sages who have realized levels of fruition cannot measure up to the vastness of the Buddha’s kindness and compassion.

“Advancing in your own practice” means being more vigorous in your cultivation with each passing day. If you are vigorous, you will have some success. If you are lazy and let the time pass in vain without getting anything done, you won’t advance in your practice. To advance in your practice, you must increase your vigor, and then you will come to success with your cultivation. This is the state of liberation attained by this Celestial King.

The next Celestial King is named Banner of Splendid Light. He gained a passage into liberation of revealing the gate of great compassion. “Gained” can mean that this Celestial King attained the ability to manifest the gate of great compassion. It can also mean that he understands the Buddha’s ability to manifest the gate of great compassion. Compassion can eradicate suffering. Great compassion is able to eradicate the suffering of all beings, so that they will naturally be happy. They will leave suffering, attain happiness, turn away from confusion and return to enlightenment. That’s the gate of great compassion. That gate can subjugate the arrogance of some beings, who wear it like a banner.

Students of the Buddhadharma must put away the banner of arrogance. We should avoid pride and arrogance. We ought to cherish others as we would ourselves, instead of being mean to others and nice to ourselves. We must not harm others so as to benefit ourselves. Instead, we should be impartial, showing kindness to those with whom we have no affinity, and being compassionate to everyone by regarding them as one with ourselves.

When we see someone going hungry, it should be just as if we ourselves had no food to eat. If we see someone who has no clothes to wear, it should be just as if we ourselves had no clothes to wear. When we see someone suffering, it should be just as if we ourselves were suffering. We should develop great kindness, which includes those with whom we have no affinities; and great compassion, which regards everyone as being the same as ourselves. We shouldn’t be arrogant and look down on others, thinking, “You are poor. You lack good roots. You are bad. I don’t want to draw near you.” Let us avoid such discriminations and treat all beings equally instead.

People often ask me, “What’s meant by equality?” This is how I answer them. “Next to someone of the highest status, you don’t feel inferior. Next to someone of the lowest rank, you don’t feel superior. That’s equality.”

Others ask me this question: “How old are you?” This is how I answer them, “When I see a hundred-year-old, I’m 101 years old. When I see a one-month old infant, I’m 29 days old.” Among seniors, I’m a little older than they; among youth, I am a little younger than they. That’s also equality. Basically, I’m not really older or younger than anyone, because I have my own age. However, we can practice impartial compassion by making that kind of contemplation. That is a passage into liberation of subjugating arrogance.

The next Celestial King is named Realm of Quiescence. His name refers to a state of samadhi. He abides in a constant state of unmoving samadhi. He gained a passage into liberation of subduing all hatred and malice among beings in the world. “Subduing” means transforming hatred into compassion.

“Hatred” refers to repressed rage. You are upset with someone, but you don’t let it show. Instead you hold your hate and resentment inside. Since you harbor hatred, you start having malicious thoughts of hurting that person. This Celestial King is able to subdue hatred and malice. Hatred is associated with asuras, belligerent beings who like to make war. Asuras are prone to hatred. They are always contending with others to see who will be the winner. There are asuras both in the heavens and in the human realm. There are yang asuras and yin asuras. For example, soldiers and military people are yang asuras, and bandits and bullies are yin asuras. These two kinds of asuras spar constantly with each other.

There are asuras among animals. For example, why do horned creatures, such as bulls, have horns? In their past reincarnations as humans, they used to contend with others, as if colliding with or butting into them, and so now when they are reborn as animals, they use their horns to do battle. Their horns are weapons of war. Those are the asuras among animals. There are also asuras among ghosts, and they battle with other ghosts. To subdue hatred and malice means to transform them—to transform hatred into kindness and compassion, and malice into thoughts of not killing. That is this passage into liberation of subduing all hatred and malice among beings in the world.

The Celestial King named Banner Embellished with Wonderful Wheels gained a passage into liberation of being able, by remembering countless Buddhas of the ten directions, tohave them come to where he is.  The ten directions were explained previously. “Countless Buddhas” refers to a number of Buddhas far beyond reckoning. When this Celestial King recollects the Buddhas of the ten directions, they emit light and arrive at the Way-place. He gained that passage into liberation.

The Surangama Sutra says, “If one recollects and is mindful of the Buddha, then now or in the future, one is bound to see the Buddha.” If you recollect the Buddhas of the ten directions, the Buddhas of the ten directions will recollect you. If you don’t recollect the Buddhas, do they recollect you? Yes, they do.

However, such communication would be a one-sided. The Buddhas are always mindful of sentient beings and have vowed to save them. If they didn’t recollect beings, they wouldn’t vow to save them. In our recollection of the Buddhas, we should make offerings, revere, and draw near to the Buddhas. “When the strength of the mutual recollection is deep, there will be a response.” One will receive the Buddha’s light. Therefore, the Buddhas will “come to where he is.” Whenever someone recollects the Buddhas, the Buddhas arrive in his mind. Celestial King Banner Embellished with Wonderful Wheels gained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Flower Light Wisdom gained a passage into liberation of universally manifesting the realization of Proper Enlightenment according to the thoughts of sentient beings.

Commentary:

The Celestial King named Flower Light Wisdom accords with beings’ thoughts. “The Thus Come One completely knows and sees all the various thoughts of beings.” He gained a passage into liberation of universally manifesting the realization of Proper Enlightenment according to the thoughts of sentient beings. “Manifesting” means making something appear that wasn’t there originally. This Celestial King makes the state of all Buddhas’ cultivation of ascetic practices, their realization of Proper Enlightenment, and their teaching and transforming of sentient beings appear everywhere. Celestial King Flower Light Wisdom gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Indra’s Wonderful Brightness gained a passage into liberation of entering all worlds by means of great awesome strength and masterful methods.

Commentary:

Celestial King Indra’s Wonderful Brightness. Indra is a Sanskrit word and means “able to be the Celestial Lord.” In the Amitabha Sutra he is referred to as Sakra, and in the Surangama Mantra he is referred to in the line, “Na mo yin tuo la ye.” He gained a passage into liberation of entering all worlds by means of great awesome strength and masterful methods. By means of his awesome virtue and spiritual powers, he enters profoundly into all worlds everywhere. He also uses methods based on his freedom and ease. When the Buddha speaks Dharma, he neither comes nor goes. It’s not that the Buddha comes to where you are to speak Dharma for you, and that he leaves after he finishes speaking. Rather, the Buddha neither comes nor goes, and yet universally and profoundly enters all worlds. With great awesome strength, he can subdue all celestial demons and externalist sects, and all stubborn beings. “Masterful” means the Buddha neither comes nor goes while speaking the measureless and boundless Dharma. This Celestial King has attained that state of freedom and mastery.

Sutra:

At that time, Celestial King Self-Mastery received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Self-Mastery, and spoke the following verse:

Commentary:

At that time, Celestial King Self-Mastery received the Buddha’s awesome virtue and mighty spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Self-Mastery, and spoke the following verse to reiterate the meaning of the prose section.

Every year we celebrate two Happy New Years: the Western New Year and the Chinese New Year.

As the saying goes,

The plans of a lifetime are based on diligence.
One must be diligent and not lazy in making and carrying out one’s life plans.
The plans of the year are made in the springtime.

Springtime refers especially to the first day of the first lunar month. If we bow to the Buddhas on this day, everything will go smoothly for us throughout the year. Cantonese people have a saying for this occasion, “achievement in the east and success in the west,” and “everything is as you wish and auspicious.” Therefore, we should bow to the Buddhas on New Year’s day.

The plans of a day are made in the early morning.
We should plan our day early in the morning.

Sutra:

The Buddha’s body is pervasive and equal to the Dharma Realm.
Universally responding to beings, he appears before them all,
Offering various ways to enter the teachings as he transforms and guides them,
So that they will attain ease in the Dharma and reach enlightenment.

Commentary:

Celestial King Self-Mastery speaks a verse similar to the verses spoken by the other Celestial Kings. The Buddha’s body is pervasive and equal to the Dharma Realm. It is identical to the Dharma Realm. No matter how large the Dharma Realm is, the Buddha’s body is just that large. No matter how small the Dharma Realm is, the Buddha’s body is just that small. Large as it is, the Dharma Realm is not larger than the Buddha’s body. Therefore, the Buddha’s body is equal to the Dharma Realm. If you can understand the Dharma Realm, then you will understand the Buddha’s body as well.

Universally responding to beings, he appears before them all. Every being is illumined by the Buddha’s light. The Buddha’s body appears before every being. He everywhere responds to beings’ thoughts and appears before them. The Buddha’s body resembles a mirror, and all beings are reflected in that mirror. Offering various ways to enter the teachings, the Buddha did not set up just one entry into the teachings, but many ways to enter into the teachings. These include Buddhism, as well as non-Buddhist religions.

All religions are included within Buddhism. “Various ways to enter the teachings” includes all religions, not just one. You might not have believed it when I told you this before. But now if you read the Flower Adornment Sutra, you will know that what I have spoken is true. Why else would the sutra talk about “various ways to enter the teachings”? That just means various religions. Not only Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, and Taoism are included; even unorthodox beliefs and cults are included. They constitute a tiny part of Buddhism.

He transforms and guides them, causing beings to make a commitment to bodhi, seek the Unsurpassed Way, and attain the unsurpassed fruit of enlightenment, so that they will attain ease in the Dharma and reach enlightenment. He enables beings to attain ease and comfort in the Dharma, to attain liberation, and to become enlightened. Since beings attain ease in the Dharma, they become enlightened. Since they are enlightened, they are at ease. They attain the benefits of enlightenment and ease.

Sutra:

Among the different joys in the world,
The quiescent bliss of the sages is the most supreme.
Abiding in the profuse vastness of the Dharma nature,
Celestial King Wondrous Eyes perceives thus.

Commentary:

What things are included among the different joys in the world? Those who are fond of drinking consider it to be a great pleasure. When they get drunk, they go into a daze and assume they have reached the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought. They feel that kind of state is not bad. In a single thought, they reach the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought. But when they awaken from their drunken stupor, they experience a hangover and feel uncomfortable all over. Their bones ache, their heads ache; they feel uncomfortable all over. When they are drunk, they feel great, but when they wake up, they are not at ease. Would you say that was joy or suffering?

For some people, gambling is the greatest pleasure. They take a bus ride to Reno. The bus fare is $12, but they get reimbursed $13, which means not only do they not have to spend money on the bus ride, they make an extra dollar. When they get there, they immediately dive into the slot machines, which they find a lot of fun. They put in one dollar, and maybe five dollars come out. They put in the five dollars, pushing in the tokens one by one, but this time nothing comes out. Like stones sinking into the depths of the ocean, the money never comes out again. Then these people put out another ten dollars, trading them for tokens, which they push into the slot machine. This time, again, the coins disappear like clay cows sinking into the ocean. Formerly, it was stones sinking into the ocean, never to be seen again. This time, the clay cows also vanish without a trace after entering the sea. And so, from morning to night and from night to the next morning, these people pass through a long time without eating or sleeping. Their lips become parched; their tongues are dry. They have lost their appetite. Is that joy or suffering?

Some people like to play sports such as football, basketball, or tennis. They enjoy themselves during the game, but afterwards they are exhausted. Is that joy or suffering?

All the other pleasures of the world are the same way. Joy is invariably followed by suffering. That’s why I say that worldly joy is the cause for suffering.

The quiescent bliss of the sages is the most supreme. The quiescent bliss of sages is world-transcending bliss, making it the greatest joy, the most supreme kind of joy. Abiding in the profuse vastness of the Dharma nature, one dwells in the vast, great, boundless Dharma nature. Celestial King Wondrous Eyes perceives thus. He gained this passage into liberation and achieved this state himself.

Sutra:

The Thus Come One appears throughout the ten directions.
He speaks Dharma by universally responding to the  hearts of the masses.
All doubts are vanquished and severed:
This is the passage into liberation of Wonderful Banner-like Crown.

Commentary:

The Thus Come One appears throughout the ten directions. The Buddha does not appear in only one place. He appears pervasively in the ten directions of space and the Dharma Realm. He speaks Dharma by universally responding to the hearts of the masses. Responding to the potentials of beings everywhere, he speaks Dharma for them. When beings should be saved by the provisional teaching, the Buddha proclaims the provisional teaching for them. When they should be saved by the actual teaching, the Buddha speaks the actual teaching for them. When beings are suited for the Great Vehicle, the Buddha speaks the Great Vehicle Dharma for them. When they are suited for the Lesser Vehicle, the Buddha speaks Lesser Vehicle Dharma for them.

To beings who have not yet planted good roots, the Buddha speaks the Dharma for planting good roots. To those who have already planted good roots, the Buddha speaks the Dharma for increasing those good roots. To those who have already increased their good roots, the Buddha speaks the Dharma for bringing those good roots to maturity. To those whose good roots are already mature, the Buddha speaks the Dharma of liberation. Observing beings’ faculties and dispositions, the Buddha speaks the appropriate Dharma for each of them.

All doubts are vanquished and severed. If beings have doubts, the Buddha speaks Dharma for them to dispel their doubts and disbelief, enabling them to give rise to faith.

This is the passage into liberation of Wonderful Banner-like Crown. Celestial King Wonderful Banner-like Crown attains this state.

Sutra:

Buddhas throughout all worlds communicate with wondrous sounds.
The Dharma spoken throughout countless eons
Can be wholly expressed in a single sentence.
Courageous Wisdom god is liberated thus.

Commentary:

Buddhas of the ten directions throughout all worlds communicate with wondrous sounds. These sounds are not necessarily confined to language and words, as in our human realm. Rather, the wondrous sounds of the Buddhas pervade space and the Dharma Realm. What has sound or is soundless, what has form or is formless, what is proclaimed or not proclaimed—all of these are the wondrous sounds of the Buddhas. Hence an ancient poet [Su Dongpo] once said:

The sounds from the gurgling brooks
are the vast, long tongue.
The colors of the mountains
are none other than the pure, clear body.

The sounds of the flowing streams are the Buddha’s vast, long tongue speaking Dharma. And the colors of the mountains are the Buddha’s pure Dharma body. The poet Su Dongpo said those lines. Not only are the sounds of the gurgling brooks part of the vast, long tongue, in fact, all the sounds in the world are part of the Buddha’s vast, long tongue. And everything that has shape and form is part of the Buddha’s pure Dharma body. The Dharma body is nowhere and yet everywhere; the Buddha’s wondrous sounds are not proclaimed, and yet proclaimed in all. For this reason these are “wondrous sounds.” If you can understand these wondrous sounds and forms when you hear and see them, you will become enlightened. If you are confused by these states and fail to understand them, you will remain unenlightened. The difference between enlightenment and nonenlightenment lies in a single thought.

The Dharma spoken throughout countless eons / Can be wholly expressed in a single sentence. For countless eons until now, the Buddha has constantly spoken the Dharma without a break. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, the Buddha speaks the Dharma. There isn’t a single day, hour, or minute when the Buddha is not speaking the wonderful Dharma for beings.

Although the Buddha has been speaking for countless eons, nonetheless, this Dharma can be completely expressed in a single phrase. The Buddha employed provisional skill-in-means throughout eons to speak the Dharma. If he were to say everything in a single sentence, most beings would not be able to understand. For example, after I wrote the Standless Verse Commentary to the Heart Sutra, one of my disciples said the title was not understandable. She wanted to add an explanatory note that said, “The bright mirror is not a stand.” [A famous line from the Sixth Patriarch’s Sutra.] Basically, according to the Actual Teaching, there is no Dharma that can be spoken. However, if no Dharma were spoken, beings wouldn’t get to hear anything. Therefore, the Buddha uses expedient, provisional means to speak Dharma in order to skillfully guide beings step by step.

Courageous Wisdom god is liberated thus. That Celestial King has attained this state of liberation.

Sutra:

The immense kindness of all those in the world
Does not measure up to the tiniest fraction of the Thus Come One’s kindness.
Like space, the Buddha’s kindness is inexhaustible.
This is the achievement of the god Sublime Sounds.

Commentary:

The immense kindness of all those in the world...Kindness motivates one to make others happy. There is no greater kindness than the affectionate concern parents have for their children. In raising her child, a mother is afraid that it will go hungry, or get cold, or get sick, or not get enough sleep. Good food that she begrudges eating herself, she will give willingly to her child. Clothes she begrudges using herself, she will give to her child. She is willing to put herself out in the cold so her child can stay warm. In all aspects, she protects her child with all her strength and energy. If the child is in some sort of accident, the mother is overcome with distress to the point that she breaks out in a cold sweat. She will ask the Buddha to protect her child and also ask the Bodhisattvas to help. She will do anything to save her child from disaster. That is the kindness parents have for their children.

I will illustrate the genuine, earnest affection parents have for their children with the following example. A set of parents might take their child, an intelligent individual, on a boat for fishing or a trip out at sea. However, the child will not be aware of how high the sky is, how thick the earth is, and how deep the waters of the ocean are and that he could drown in there. The child is having a lot of fun. He climbs to the edge of the boat and falls into the ocean. At that time, what do you think happens? Both the father and mother will without hesitation jump into the water to save their child. If they know how to swim, it’s not a big deal. But even if they don’t know how to swim, they will still jump into the ocean in an attempt to save their son or daughter. They will not begrudge their own lives in order to save their child. That is an expression of true kindness and affection. The extremely genuine and earnest love parents have for their children could be called “immense kindness.”

If, on the other hand, the father or mother falls into the ocean, a child on the boat might stick out a hook and try to retrieve his father or mother, or maybe stretch out his arm in an attempt to save them. However, if the child did not know how to swim, he most certainly would not jump into the waves to try and save his parent. Why not? A child does not have as great a love for his parents as parents do for their children. Someone says, “I would do it. If my parents fell into the ocean, I would jump in and save them!” You might say that now, but if you actually found yourself in such a situation, you might have second thoughts. “Well, will I get drowned in the process?” Once you have that thought, even if your initial urge was to jump into the water to save your parents, you will not have the courage to do so.

Why are parents able to muster such courage to save their children? Parents will forget everything else. They do not think, “Will I drown if I try to save my child?” They have no time to consider such things.  This point alone attests to the greatness of parental love.

However, such parental kindness does not come up to one hair’s worth of the Buddha’s kindness. One hair’s worth of the Buddha’s tremendous kindness for beings far surpasses the great kindness parents have for their children, which includes being willing to lay down their lives for their children.

Someone says, “I don’t buy that. Parental kindness to the point of self-sacrifice is already ultimate, even extreme, and nothing can exceed it. There is no greater kindness than that. How could the Buddha’s kindness be greater?”

Of course the Buddha’s kindness is greater, for not only is the Buddha willing to sacrifice his life to save his own children, he extends that spirit of sacrifice to saving all beings. That makes his kindness millions of times broader in scope than the kindness of parents in saving their children.

The Buddha will lay down his own life to save any and every being. Earth Store Bodhisattva is like that, too. He made this vow:

Until the hells are empty, I will not become a Buddha.
Only after all beings are saved will I realize bodhi.

Earth Store Bodhisattva, in practicing the Bodhisattva Path, keeps making this vow. The Buddhas of the ten directions, in life after life for countless eons, all keep making vows like that. Seen in this light, how could the great kindness of parents come up to the great kindness the Buddha has for all beings? Certain causes and conditions have led to your having these particular parents in this lifetime. The Buddha, however, treats all beings with compassion and gives up his own life to save, teach, and transform beings in life after life and in every eon.

Suppose someone says, “I’m thinking of studying Buddhism, but I haven’t seen any evidence that you really wish to save me. If you really wish to save me, you should prove it. How? The most difficult thing to give up is life. If you can chop off your own head to win my faith, then I will believe.” At that point, one who practices the Bodhisattva Path will happily chop off his own head, thus influencing the other person to believe the Buddhadharma. All the Buddhas of the past met challenges like that, which helped bring them to realization. The greatness of such kindness and compassion cannot be measured. That’s why the text says that worldly kindness does not measure up to the tiniest fraction of the Thus Come One’s kindness, not even one hair’s worth. If it does not come up to even one hair’s worth, how much less many hairs’ worth.

Like space, the Buddha’s kindness is inexhaustible. How great is the Buddha’s kindness? It is as great as space; there is no end to it. Who said this? This is the achievement of the god Sublime Sounds. He understands this state. He knows that the Buddha is truly compassionate to beings. Actually, there is no way to finish talking about it. However, if we don’t talk about it, then we are finished. And this is where I will stop in explaining this four-line verse.

Someone is thinking, “I don’t believe what the Dharma Master brought up about parents’ kindness towards their children.  I don’t believe that if a child falls into the ocean, his parents will leap in after him. That’s not reasonable.”

You certainly are intelligent. There is no way I can trick you. Let me give you another example. A few months ago I read in the newspapers that in the Philippines, a tiger caught a four- or five-year-old girl in its mouth and was about to bite into her. What do you suppose the girl’s mother did? She kicked the tiger, hit it with her fists, and even bit it with her teeth, thereby managing to drive it away. She saved her daughter. If the mother had thought, “How can I fight such a fierce tiger?” then her child would certainly have been eaten by the tiger. That was a true story carried in the newspaper. So, if you insist that parents won’t jump into the ocean after their child, we will let it go at that. However, when a tiger comes, they are not afraid of the tiger, and that’s a fact. That’s an incident that happened in the human realm.

Not only are human parents that compassionate towards their children, even animals will protect their offspring. Among animals, chickens are rather small creatures. Imagine the mother hen leading her brood of chicks, maybe ten or twenty of them. Mother hen says, “Goo, goo, goo,” which means, “Follow me!” and the chicks reply, “Goo, goo, goo,” which means, “Yes, we’re coming along!”

A hawk flying above hears this, and thinks, “Oh, you should follow me instead!” And he dives like a helicopter and tries to make off with one of the chicks. When the mother hen sees this, she becomes fierce, spreading out her wings and launching a battle with the hawk, in an attempt to protect her chicks. Now, is the mother hen an equal match for the hawk? Basically not. However, because she wants to save her little chicks, she is determined to fight the hawk.

Now that happens to be a fact. Do you believe it or not? You were skeptical about the story of parents jumping into the ocean,  but perhaps you will find this example of the hen and the hawk, which is a situation that happens on land, more credible. A mother hen will disregard her own life in protecting her chicks, and that is an expression of her kindness. And so, not only do human parents have great kindness for their children, even animals have great kindness for their offspring. But when this is compared to the kindness of the Buddha, then it does not come up to even one-half, not to mention one, hair’s worth of the Buddha’s kindness.

We have been rambling on and speaking only on a theoretical basis, since most people have never witnessed such things. Even if people have witnessed such events, they will consider them coincidences. People who have never seen such things will say that my examples are purely hypothetical.

Now I want to tell you a true story that happened right here at a few months ago. It’s about one of my disciples, a wee tot who only knows how to eat. When this incident happened, she did not even know how to talk yet; she couldn’t even manage to say “yes” or “no.” But she liked to eat candy. Since I am very fond of this little disciple, I gave her some candy. The candy was about the size of a nickel, but round instead of flat. I hadn’t expected the child to be so greedy. I thought she would suck on the candy, but instead she swallowed it whole. Since her throat and esophagus were small, it was not a lot of fun for her to have swallowed such a big piece of candy. She couldn’t make a sound even though she tried to cry. Her face began to turn green. Her parents got scared and came running to tell me that her daughter was choking. They were in a panic.

Fortunately the Bodhisattvas at Gold Mountain Monastery did not stand by with their eyes closed. They were wide awake and quickly found a method to dissolve the candy into the child’s stomach. After the candy dissolved, the child recovered. That is another example of the great concern and kindness parents have for their children. Those parents were on the verge of tears. However, this kind of parental kindness does not come up to even a fraction of the Buddha’s kindness.

Sutra:

The arrogance of sentient beings, towering as a mountain,
Is completely vanquished without residue by the
     Ten Powers.
This function of the Thus Come One’s great compassion
Is the way practiced by the King Banner of Splendid Light.

Commentary:

The arrogance of sentient beings, towering as a mountain, / Is completely vanquished without residue by the Ten Powers. Sentient beings are all prone to  conceit and arrogance. The Thus Come One’s Ten Powers are able to level the high mountains of sentient beings’ arrogance. This function of the Thus Come One’s great compassion—compassion that enables one to give others happiness—is the way practiced by the King Banner of Splendid Light. This is the principle that Celestial King understood.

Sutra:

Pure light of wisdom fills beings in all worlds.
Those who see it cast out ignorance and darkness,
Which enables them to leave all evil paths.
Celestial King Quiescence awakens to this Dharma.

Commentary:

This verse is spoken by Celestial King Quiescence. Pure light of wisdom fills beings in all  worlds. The Buddha’s wisdom light is pure and undefiled, filling all worlds. Those who see it cast out their ignorance and darkness. Beings who have the affinities will see this wisdom-light, and their foolishness and darkness will disappear. Darkness denotes lack of understanding; ignorance denotes lack of wisdom. When we see the Buddha’s wisdom-light, our ignorance and darkness will vanish. Those who see it cast out their delusion and darkness, their ignorance and afflictions, which enables them to leave all evil paths.The Buddha guides beings to cultivate this dharma door so they can stay out of the evil paths. Evil paths are paths that lead one to evil, or you could say they are the Three Evil Paths of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. You want to be far removed from them. Celestial King Quiescence awakens to this Dharma.He understands the principle set forth in these verses.

Sutra:

The light streaming from the Buddhas’ pores proclaims
Names of Buddhas as many as the number of beings.
Sentient beings may hear whatever they enjoy hearing.
Banner with Wonderful Wheels is liberated thus.

Commentary:

The light streaming from pores proclaims. The Buddhas of the ten directions can emit light from the pores of their bodies, cause the earth to quake, turn the great Dharma wheel, and save countless beings. Light issues forth from every pore of the Buddhas’ bodies. Not only do these pores release light, they also proclaim wonderful Dharma, including names of Buddhas as many as the number of beings. For as many beings there are, there is an equal number of Buddhas. Sentient beings may hear whatever they enjoy hearing.Beings, according to their faculties, get to hear the Buddhas’ wonderful Dharma. Celestial King Banner with Wonderful Wheels is liberated thus. He attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

The Thus Come One’s freedom and ease cannot be measured.
It entirely fills space and the Dharma Realm.
The myriad assemblies behold it clearly:
Flower Wisdom enters this passage to liberation.

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s freedom and ease cannot be measured. The power of the Buddha’s great spiritual penetrations is immeasurable and inconceivable. It is more wonderful than words can tell. It entirely fills space and the Dharma Realm. This great spiritual power fills the Dharma Realm and space. The myriad assemblies behold it clearly. Beings in all the various Dharma assemblies throughout the worlds of the ten directions can see the Buddha’s free and comfortable spiritual powers very clearly, without impediment. Flower Wisdom enters this passage into liberation. Celestial King Flower Wisdom has attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Throughout oceans of countless, boundless great eons,
Buddhas manifest everywhere in the ten directions to speak the Dharma,
Yet no one ever sees them come or go.
The god Wonderful Brightness enlightens to this.

Commentary:

Throughout oceans of countless, boundless great eons, / Buddhas manifest everywhere in the ten directions to speak the Dharma, / Yet no one ever sees them come or go.We don’t see the Buddhas traveling out in the ten directions, and we don’t see them returning here from ten directions. What does this mean? It is like the moon’s reflection appearing in all bodies of water. Those reflections of the moon all derive from the moon in the sky. Although the moon is reflected in the bodies of water, the original moon has not moved from the sky. The moonlight in the water is reflected from the original moon, but the moon itself has not gone to the water. The Buddha is like the moon, in that he shines everywhere throughout the ten directions and yet neither comes nor goes. The Buddha manifests in the ten directions to speak Dharma, and yet he neither comes nor goes. The god Wonderful Brightness enlightens to this. The god Indra’s Wonderful Brightness attained this passage into liberation.

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