The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Three

 

g. Garuda Kings

Sutra:

Moreover, Garuda King Swift and Powerful gained a passage into liberation of universally contemplating the realms of sentient beings with an eye free from attachment and obstruction.

Commentary:

Moreover, since the meaning of this entire passage has not been fully explained, the explanation continues here. The text continues to discuss the principles of the Flower Adornment Sutra and the oceanic multitudes present at the Dharma Assembly. Now the discussion focuses on the Garuda Kings, one of the eightfold division of ghosts and spirits. Garuda is Sanskrit and means “golden-winged bird.” Garudas are able to subdue dragons. When dragons happen to meet these birds, they immediately lose all their spiritual powers and can only wait for these great birds to eat them. In this world, one creature subdues another.

When a lion roars, all the animals are subdued. When the great golden-winged peng bird appears, the dragons are subdued. A garuda’s wings can extend to 330 yojanas. One small yojana is equal to forty miles, one middle yojana is equal to sixty miles, and one great yojana is equal to eighty miles. From this, we see that even 330 small yojanas cover a huge area. Therefore, with one flap of the garuda’s wings, all the water in the sea is gone. Since there isn’t any water left, all the dragons are exposed to view. The peng bird swoops down, picks up these several-hundred-foot-long dragons with his beak, and devours them in a single gulp, like a person eating noodles.

The dragon species was fast becoming extinct. The garuda, being extremely large, would eat a lot of dragons. There weren’t enough dragon sons and grandsons for him to eat, and if he were to swallow just one large dragon, he still wouldn’t get full. He would swallow two or three at a time. And since he kept on eating the dragons, it’s not surprising that the dragons were nearing extinction.

The Dragon King could not endure it anymore, and he went seeking for help, but to no avail. Finally, the dragon went to seek protection from the Buddha at the Dharma Assembly. The Buddha agreed to help by giving the Dragon King his precept sash. He told the dragon king to distribute it among the dragons, so that in the future, the peng bird would not be able eat them. And it really worked! Once they were covered by the Buddha’s sash, the peng bird was unable to see the dragons anymore. The peng bird, however, had nothing to eat and would soon starve to death.

The peng bird went to see the Buddha because he suspected that it might be the Buddha’s spiritual power that prevented him from eating the dragons. He asked the Buddha, “World Honored One, since you don’t allow me to eat the dragons, I will starve to death. You can’t call this a practice of compassion. You are compassionate towards the dragons, but not towards me. You have no compassion for me, and I will soon die of hunger. This proves that the Buddha’s compassion is not universal.” This is how the peng bird tried to reason with the Buddha.

The Buddha said, “Very well, from now on during lunch time, I will instruct my disciples to give you some of their food. You may eat their food, but only on the condition that you can’t eat any more dragons. You must become vegetarian and recite the Buddha’s name from now on.”

So the great golden-winged peng bird took refuge with the Buddha and became one of the eightfold division of Dharma-protectors. In this way, the dragons did not become extinct, and the garuda still has food to eat. That’s why during the meal offering ceremony, left-home people make offerings to the peng bird.

They recite a verse that goes like this:

To the great golden-winged peng bird,
To the multitude of ghosts and spirits in the wilderness,
and To the rakshasa mother and all her children:
May you all be filled with sweet dew.

This is the story behind our daily offering to the great golden-winged peng bird at noon.

Garuda King Swift and Powerful gained a passage into liberation of universally contemplating the realms of sentient beings with an eye free from attachment and obstruction. He has attained the Buddhas’ unattached and unobstructed eye. “Free from attachment and obstruction” means it is boundless and unhindered. This Buddha eye can contemplate throughout space and the Dharma Realm, and it can contemplate all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions. He can observe the causes and conditions of sentient beings everywhere. That is his passage into liberation.

Let me say some more about the Living Buddha of Gold Mountain. One time the Living Buddha went to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong there was a wealthy man who had one wife and five concubines. Because he simply had too much money, his household was Westernized. What does it mean to be Westernized? For example, in Chinese homes, people usually use chopsticks. In his household, however, they used knives and forks instead. They ate in the manner of Westerners. Everything they ate had to be absolutely fresh. For example, if they were to have chicken, the bird would be bought alive and killed just before it was to be cooked. Fish were also brought home alive and killed just before being eaten.

The manager of a certain Hong Kong monastery took the Living Buddha to this wealthy businessman’s home. This “boss” looked down on the Living Buddha of Gold Mountain, but his third concubine believed in the Living Buddha and insisted that he stay for a meal at their home. When invited, the Living Buddha accepted. For everyone else, the table was set with knives and forks, but for the Living Buddha they set chopsticks. The Living Buddha may have seen knives and forks before, but maybe he hadn’t and didn’t know what they were. The boss was sitting beside him, and the Living Buddha picked up the boss’s knife and fork and began to play with them. When the boss saw his eating utensils being handled by such dirty hands, he was extremely indignant and said, “Hey, monk, you should learn to have a little samadhi. Even if you have never seen these things before, still you can’t just casually act like a monkey that grabs things at random without the least bit of samadhi.”

The Living Buddha replied, “Yes, you are right. I have never seen these things before, and I don’t have any samadhi.” Everyone continued eating. After they finished eating, the Living Buddha put his legs up in the full lotus posture and began to meditate right there at the table. The things were all cleared from the table, and he continued to sit there. He sat until dinnertime. The table was set for supper and the Living Buddha was invited to eat. He did not respond. He just sat there. He sat through the night. The next morning he also did not eat. At noon he did not eat. He just kept sitting there.

By that time the household was in a panic. They thought he had died right there in their house. What should they do? No matter how they pushed at him, he did not move. No matter how they called to him, they could not rouse him. He just sat there with his eyes half open and half shut. He sat for a day and a night. The manager of the monastery came back and the members of the household said to him, “Has that monk that you brought here died on us? Why is he like that?”

The manager asked them, “What did you do? What did you say to him?” The boss admitted that he had criticized the Living Buddha for not having any samadhi.

“Aha!” replied the manager. “Since you said he didn’t have any samadhi, now he’s showing you a little of the kind of samadhi he has.”

Upon hearing that, the boss woke up and immediately knelt to repent before the Living Buddha, whereupon the Living Buddha came out of samadhi. He opened his eyes and gave a big laugh. Thereupon the entire household asked to take refuge with the Living Buddha. The Living Buddha said, “You can take refuge with me if you want to, but after you do, your entire household must become vegetarian.” Thereupon the entire household resolved to become vegetarian, and after that they never used knives and forks again!

Sutra:

Garuda King Indestructible Jeweled Crest gained a passage into liberation of universally dwelling throughout the Dharma Realm to teach and transform sentient beings.

Commentary:

The Garuda King by the name of Indestructible Jeweled Crest gained a passage into liberation of universally dwelling throughout the Dharma Realm. He makes all beings throughout the Dharma Realm peaceful and happy, free from afflictions and worries. The principle involved is that of the Buddha dwelling in the bodhimanda beneath the bodhi tree in all worlds of the ten directions to teach and transform sentient beings, helping all beings to be free from suffering and attain bliss. Sages set forth teachings in order to transform and rescue sentient beings. Garuda King Indestructible Jeweled Crest attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Garuda King Pure Swiftness gained a passage into liberation of achieving a universal strength of vigor that reached paramita.

Commentary:

The Garuda King whose name is Pure Swiftness gained a passage into liberation of achieving a universal strength of vigor that reached paramita. He helps all sentient beings achieve this, having achieved it first himself. His wish is for all sentient beings to have the same accomplishment that he himself has had. Here it refers to achieving paramita. Paramita is a Sanskrit word that means “gone to the other shore.” That is, from this shore, which is birth and death, one passes through the flow of afflictions, and reaches the other shore, which is nirvana. Sanskrit is an Indian language, and in India , when something had been achieved fully, it was described as paramita . Completing something was also called paramita. That’s why for cultivation to be brought to accomplishment is also described as paramita . By extension, if you have afflictions to start with, but later you manage to get rid of them, then you have gained paramita . The power of vigor is required to assist paramita . If you are not vigorous, you can’t attain paramita .

To reach paramita , that is, to achieve something, you must employ the strength of vigor. The Garuda King named Pure Swiftness achieved this kind of paramita and power of vigor, and so he entered this passage into liberation. Right in front of the Buddha, he attained this kind of state. Having attained it himself, he wanted all beings to obtain the advantages of this sort of paramita as well. That’s why his passage into liberation is called achieving a universal strength of vigor that reaches paramita .

The Garuda King gained this passage into liberation through seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and cultivating. All we sentient beings, upon hearing about the states in the Flower Adornment Sutra, should reflect upon ourselves for every phrase we hear. We should ask ourselves, “Is this dharma door right for me? Can I cultivate it? Am I able to gain this kind of passage into liberation? Do I want to gain passages into liberation, or passages into affliction?” If you prefer passages into affliction, you won’t achieve passages into liberation. To attain passages into liberation, you must first have no passages into affliction. If from morning to night you open the passages into affliction and close the passages into liberation, you will never achieve liberation.

After you listen to Dharma and hear sutras lectured, you have to cultivate according to the Dharma. Otherwise it’s futile to listen to sutra lectures and Dharma talks. Don’t fail to pay attention to the Dharma after having heard it for a long time. It’s a mistake to be inattentive to putting the Dharma into practice. Therefore, every time we hear of a passage into liberation or state, we have to pose the question, “Is this dharma doorsuitable for me? Which passage into liberation should I cultivate?” So many passages into liberation have been discussed so far, but if the more you hear the less you want to be liberated, you’re making an even greater mistake.

Sutra:

Garuda King Adorned with Steadfast Resolve gained a passage into liberation of developing a courageous might that brought entry into a state of a Thus Come One.

Commentary:

The Garuda King in this passage is named Adorned with Steadfast Resolve. He would not find a few flea bites intolerable. When you encounter a state, you must recognize it. Then you won’t be turned by the state. Otherwise, the state will turn you. No matter what unpleasant, adverse state this Garuda King faces, he doesn’t retreat. If people slander him, he doesn’t become afflicted or discouraged. As badly as people might treat him, he does not turn back from his resolve for bodhi. His determination to achieve bodhi is irreversible. His name includes the word “Adorned” because not only is he steadfast, he is vigorous. In addition, he wishes to adorn all Buddhas’ lands. Since he never turned back from his resolve, this Garuda King gained a passage into liberation of developing a courageous might, valiant vigor. However great the difficulty, he’s not afraid. He is determined to overcome it. He will come out victorious no matter what demon from the heavens or externalist proponent tries to fight with him. His valiant might and irreversible resolve enable him to have things be as he wishes. He is able to enter the state of a Thus Come One, the state of a Buddha. He obtained that passage into liberation.

Note that the Garuda Kings are not garudas. They watch over garudas, which is why they are called kings. Why do we say this? It is because they appear in the bodies of garudas to teach and transform garudas; but basically they are already Bodhisattvas. The Garuda Kings being discussed now and the Kinnara Kings discussed before are all manifestations of Bodhisattvas.

Sutra:

Garuda King Great Ocean’s Power to Gather and Sustain gained a passage into liberation of entering the immense ocean of wisdom of a Buddha’s conduct.

Commentary:

The next Garuda King is named Great Ocean’s Power to Gather in and Sustain. He has wisdom like the great sea, and he has the power to gather all sentient beings into the Buddhadharma and sustain them there. He gained a passage into liberation of entering the immense ocean of wisdom of a Buddha’s conduct. He can deeply enter the practices of a Buddha and cultivate the Buddha’s dharma doors, which are an ocean of vast, great wisdom. He attained the passage into liberation of cultivating a vast ocean of wisdom.

Sutra:

Garuda King Pure Light of Solid Dharma gained a passage into liberation of helping countless sentient beings to each perfect his unique wisdom.

Commentary:

When Garuda King Pure, Bright Light of Solid and Enduring Buddha dharma was at the level of planting causes, his resolve to seek the Dharma was especially solid. As the saying goes:

He was able to practice what is hard to practice,
And able to endure what is hard to endure.

Since he sought the Buddhadharma with that kind of solid resolve, he obtained pure light. That’s why his name is “Garuda King Pure Light of Solid Dharma. He gained a passage into liberation, a kind of state of samadhi, called helping countless sentient beings to each perfect his unique wisdom. Whatever sentient beings may be seeking, he is sure to fulfill their wishes and bring them to accomplishment. He does this not just for one sentient being, but for all sentient beings. What is accomplished is each being’s distinct wisdom. The Chinese character cha should be pronounced qi when it means “different” or “special,” as here. There are two interpretations of this wisdom. The first is that each sentient being has his or her own special kind of wisdom, the wisdom he or she should have. Since each type of being differs from the others, the wisdoms differ too, every category of being having the wisdom that belongs to that category. Another explanation is that each type of sentient being obtains a different kind of wisdom, the wisdom which each kind of being should obtain.

The Buddha speaks the Dharma with a single sound,
Sentient beings understand it according to their kind.

In these cases, the interpretation is “unique” in the sense of “special and different.” A further interpretation is possible, namely that the word should be “differentiating,” referring to the Dharma-selecting eye. One is able to use discernment, differentiating wisdom, to select the dharma doors which one likes and from which one obtains a response. Garuda King Pure Light of Solid Dharma achieved that kind of door of liberation.

Sutra:

Garuda King Wondrously Adorned Crown Cowl gained a passage into liberation of adorning the citadels of the Buddhadharma.

Commentary:

The next Garuda King is named Wondrously Adorned Crown Cowl. The reason for his name is that the crown that he wears on his cowl is extremely beautiful and adorned, and all sentient beings like to see it. This Garuda King gained a passage into liberation of adorning the citadels of the Buddhadharma. He is skilled at decorating the Dharma cities of all Buddhas. All bodhimandas are citadels of the Buddhadharma, including the following:

Bodhimandas where Sutras are lectured,
Bodhimandas where Sutras are recited,
Bodhimandas where one bows to the Buddhas,
Bodhimandas where one recites the Buddha’s name,
Bodhimandas where one bows repentances,
Bodhimandas where Sutras are translated,
Bodhimandas where Sutras are distributed.

In general, all places where one finds the Buddhadharma are citadels of the Buddhadharma. This Garuda King is very good at adorning the cities of Dharma of all Buddhas, making the bodhimandas especially pure, ornate, and supreme. He obtained this kind of state, entering this door of liberation.

Sutra:

Garuda King Adroitly Appearing Everywhere gained a passage into liberation of realizing the indestructible power of equanimity.

Commentary:

The Garuda King named Adroitly Appearing Everywhere manifests very rapidly in all places, which is why he has that name. This Garuda King gained a passage into liberation of realizing the indestructible power of impartiality which, like vajra, cannot be destroyed. He has impartial, great kindness, practicing great kindness towards those with whom he lacks affinities, and great compassion of identity in substance. He recognizes that all sentient beings will become Buddhas in the future, which is why he has the power of impartiality. He gained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Garuda King Universally Contemplating the Oceans gained a passage into liberation of thoroughly knowing the forms of life and manifesting for them accordingly.

Commentary:

The next Garuda King is named Universally Contemplating all the Oceans of sentient beings, there being so many sentient beings that they are like great oceans. His name also means “universally contemplating all the seas of sentient beings’ afflictions,” since beings also have so many afflictions they resemble vast oceans. Another interpretation of his name is “universally contemplating the oceans of sentient beings’ wisdom,” for the wisdom of all sentient beings is also as profuse as great oceans. Furthermore, his name means “universally contemplating the oceans of the power of sentient beings’ karma,” that karmic power of sentient beings also being like enormous oceans. In short, “universally contemplating oceans” means that he observes the oceans of sentient beings everywhere, the power of their karma, their afflictions, their wisdom, and their retributions as if they were vast oceans.

This king of the garudas, the great golden-winged peng birds, gained a passage into liberation of thoroughly knowing the forms of life and manifesting for them accordingly. From contemplating all the oceans of sentient beings, he gains comprehensive knowledge of sentient beings’ bodies, according to their individual categories. In turn he appears in appropriately individualized bodies for those sentient beings to teach and transform them. For example, he may contemplate the bodies of human beings and then appear in human form to speak Dharma for sentient beings. Or he may contemplate the bodies of gods, and appear in the body of a god to speak Dharma for sentient beings. He may see bodies of asuras, and appear in the body of an asura to speak Dharma for beings. He may observe the bodies of animals and manifest in animal bodies to speak Dharma for beings. He may contemplate the bodies of hell-beings and hungry ghosts, and appear in the form of a hell-being or a hungry ghost to speak Dharma for sentient beings. His speaking of Dharma for sentient beings enables them to become free from suffering and attain bliss, turn back from confusion, take refuge with enlightenment, and cultivate the Bodhi Way . He entered that door of liberation.

Sutra:

Garuda King Dragon Voice and Immense Eyes gained a passage into liberation of having the wisdom to understand all sentient beings’ activities of birth and death.

Commentary:

Because Garuda King Dragon Voice and Immense Eyes ate so many dragons, his voice started to resemble the voice of a dragon, which is very resonant. The outer aspect of his eyes, too, became similar to dragons’ eyes—very ugly. Due to his diet of dragons, he became dragon-like in all respects, hence his name. He gained a passage into liberation of having the wisdom to understand all sentient beings’ activities of birth and death. He can understand what sorts of karma sentient beings create once they are born, and what types of retributions they will endure after they die. He was able to have the contemplative wisdom to know the causes and effects behind all sentient beings’ retributions. The “activities” of their births and deaths means the kinds of karma they create after they are born and the retributions they undergo after dying. Because he understands those principles, he is very good at speaking Dharma for sentient beings to teach and transform them and to enable them to gain the passages into liberation suited to them.

Sutra:

At that time Garuda King Swift and Powerful received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of Garudas, and spoke the following verse.  

The Buddha’s eyes are boundlessly large.
He sees all lands throughout the ten directions.
The sentient beings within them are innumerable.
Displaying great spiritual penetrations, he tames them all.

Commentary:

Right at that time, after the passage into liberation of the Garuda King whose sound is like that of a dragon and who has huge eyes had been described, GardÉa King Swift and Powerful received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of citizen Garudas , and spoke the following verse.

He said: The Buddha’s eyes are boundlessly large. The eyes of the Buddha are not as small as ours. His eyes are vast and great. The Praise of Amitabha Buddha says:

Amitabha’s body is the color of gold.
The splendor of his hallmarks has no peer.
The light of his brow shines ‘round a hundred worlds.
Wide as the seas are his eyes pure and clear.

Amitabha Buddha’s eyes are as large as the four great seas; actually the Buddha’s eyes are far greater than that—so large one cannot find any boundaries to them. Why should he have such large eyes? The next line explains: He sees all lands throughout the ten directions. Because his eyes are so enormous, the countries he sees are many. He can regard all the lands in the ten directions. The sentient beings within them are innumerable. One doesn’t know how many sentient beings there are in all those Buddhalands extending in all ten directions. Since the beings are infinite in number, what does he do? Displaying great spiritual penetrations, he tames them all. By revealing such vast spiritual penetrations, he manages to teach and influence all those sentient beings, with the result that they take refuge with the Triple Jewel, bring forth the resolve for bodhi, and eventually realize the fruition of Buddhahood.

Next week on Tuesday and Thursday, Dharma Master Huiseng will come and teach you the ceremonial chants and recitations for formal sutra lectures. However, the ceremony is not all that fixed. He will tell you how it was done in China, but now we are in America, and the style in America doesn’t have to be the same as that in China. But since he’s coming to teach it, you can study it, so you can see how to adapt the Chinese ceremony to the United States. He also plans to teach you the Flower Adornment Syllabary, which is something you should study carefully. Very few left-home people in China can perform that ceremony. What’s the use of chanting it? It’s a very esoteric and wonderful chant within Buddhism. There is enormous merit and virtue from reciting the Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Syllabary. If you recite it well, the Youth Good Wealth will come and jump for joy like a little child.

The Youth Good Wealth has come to our Way-place many, many times. People who have opened their (spiritual) eyes have seen him singing and dancing in great happiness. Others haven’t seen him and don’t know. Sometimes he has come during the sutra lectures when he was happy with what he heard. Ours is a Flower Adornment Way-place with a Flower Adornment Assembly in progress, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions continually protect it. The reason I regularly tell you that there won’t be a major earthquake in San Francisco is that we have a Flower Adornment bodhimanda and the Great Dharma of the Flower Adornment is being spoken, and so San Francisco is sure to be peaceful. Most Bay Area residents have no idea that their peaceful and secure life is due to our lecture series on the Flower Adornment Sutra here, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no need to tell them and try to get them to be grateful to us.

Starting in 1968 [this lecture was delivered September 16, 1973], the seismologists and other scientists spread rumors that there would be a major earthquake in San Francisco. It’s true, there were supposed to be quakes, but they moved elsewhere each year and didn’t occur in San Francisco. That’s proof the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are protecting our pioneer Buddhist Way-place in America. Nevertheless the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would never say, “Don’t be afraid—we’re protecting your place.” They wouldn’t tell you, but this is a sure indication that they are keeping our bodhimanda safe. Right before lecture (7:15 p.m.) there was a slight tremor of the earth, so I spoke about this.

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