The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Four and Five

 

Sutra:

At that time, City-ruling Spirit Jeweled Peak Illumination received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual might, universally contemplated the multitudes of City-ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse.  

The Guiding Master is thus inconceivable.
His light pervasively illumines the ten directions.
Every sentient being sees the Buddha appear before him.
Innumerable beings are taught, transformed, and brought to maturity.  

Commentary:

The Guiding Master is one who guides sentient beings to the attainment of Buddhahood. As one who first became enlightened himself, he leads the way for sentient beings. The Buddha has already gone through the experience. Based on the practices he cultivated, he realized Buddhahood and then set about to teach sentient beings to attain Buddhahood as well. Hence, he is called “Guiding Master.” He is thus inconceivable.

The word “thus” contains many principles. It refers to the method of cultivation—namely, the Middle Way. Those who understand the Middle Way are “thus,” while those who do not understand are not “thus.” The Middle Way is that basis for the realization of Buddhahood. It is inconceivable. The Middle Way gives rise to innumerable Buddhas, innumerable Bodhisattvas, innumerable Arhats, and innumerable Patriarchs. All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Sages are born from the Middle Way. And so it is said to be conceivable. You can never finish describing the wonders of the Middle Way, nor can you ever fully understand them. You cannot realize Buddhahood without cultivating the Middle Way. The Middle Way is just true emptiness and wonderful existence.

True emptiness is not empty, which is why it can produce wonderful existence. Wonderful existence does not exist, which is why it is called true emptiness. The transformations of the Middle Way are infinite; its esoteric mystery is incomparable. All Buddhas cultivate the Middle Way, and because of that, they have powerful samadhi and wisdom. Due to his powerful wisdom and his successful cultivation of the Middle Way, his light pervasively illumines the ten directions of the Dharma Realm. Every sentient being in the ten directions sees the Buddha appear before him and feels that the Buddha is speaking Dharma directly to him. Innumerable beings are taught, transformed and brought to maturity. The Buddha has taught and transformed sentient beings beyond number, leading them to attain Buddhahood. “Innumerable” means their number cannot be known; it is unspeakably, unspeakably many. 

Sutra:

Every sentient being’s disposition is unique.
The Buddha understands them all without exception.
City-ruling Spirit Wondrously Adorning Palaces
Enters this Dharma door and rejoices in her heart.  

The Thus Come One cultivated through measureless eons,
Protecting and upholding the Dharma of past Buddhas.
Constantly focusing on reverent practice brought him joy.
The City Spirit Wondrous Jewels awakens to this passage.  

Commentary:

Every sentient being’s disposition is unique. Every sentient being has his own individual karma. Each one plants his own causes and reaps his own results. Consider human beings, for example. No two people have identical faces. Just as their faces are different, so are their karmic retributions and causes and effects. There are sentient beings with deep good roots and those with shallow good roots. Some have already cultivated for a very long time, whereas others have just started. Therefore, each sentient being has a distinct disposition. This makes it difficult to know all their dispositions. Nevertheless, the Buddha understands them all very, very clearly without exception. Knowing their temperaments, he can speak the appropriate Dharma for them. City-ruling Spirit Wondrously Adorning Palaces attains this state of the Buddha. She enters this Dharma door and rejoices in her heart. She is very happy.

The Thus Come One cultivated through measureless eons in the past. How did he cultivate? He acted as a Dharma protector, protecting and upholding the Dharma of past Buddhas. He did his best to protect the Buddhadharma. There are various kinds of Dharma protectors. In protecting the Dharma, the Buddha was constantly focusing on reverent practice, and it brought him joy. He revered the Dharma and cultivated in accord with it, and this made him very happy.

Those who protect the Dharma use all sorts of expedient means to teach and transform sentient beings. One of the Buddha’s disciples, the Venerable Mahakatyayana, often taught and transformed sentient beings by appearing in their dreams to cause them to become enlightened and bring forth the Bodhi resolve.

What proof is there that he taught through dreams? He once accepted a disciple who was a king named Xila. After King Xila left the home-life, he went to the mountains and engaged in dhuta or ascetic practices, eating one meal a day and not sleeping under the same tree two nights in a row. Not bothering to cut his hair or shave, he assumed a very “natural” appearance comparable to that of modern-day hippies. As he was cultivating there, another king went to the mountains to hunt, accompanied by a large entourage of lovely concubines. Tired out from hunting, that king fell asleep. Meanwhile, his beautiful women grew restless and decided to take a walk. They happened upon the ascetic King Xila, who looked like a freak. The ascetic explained the Buddhadharma for them.

When the other king woke up and found his women gone, he searched around and found them chatting with a freak. Provoked by jealousy, he beat up King Xila. Although King Xila had studied martial arts in former days, he had forgotten those skills from lack of use and was sorely defeated. This so infuriated him that he vowed, “I’m going to return to the throne, and then I’m going to make war on you and defeat you.” Out of anger, he decided to return to lay life. Before doing so, however, he had to tell his teacher. He said, “I must take revenge on this king who defeated me.” His teacher, the Venerable Mahakatyayana, tried to dissuade him, saying, “Forget it. This is just cause and effect. In a past life you probably beat up this king, and that’s why he’s beaten you up. Just regard it as paying back a debt.”

“You muddle-headed teacher,” said King Xila. “How can you tell me I have to pay a debt when he’s the one who beat me up? The facts are clear. You sure don’t know how to teach. You’re really confused.” He scolded his teacher like that.

“Fine,” said his teacher. “If you want to return to lay life, go ahead. But why don’t you stay overnight and go back tomorrow?” Since it was getting late, the disciple reasoned that he might as well leave the next morning. That night, the Venerable Mahakatyayana appeared in his dream to teach him. In his dream, he returned to lay life and mobilized the country’s troops for war. He chose several great generals and led several tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the other king’s country. He lost every battle. At the end of every battle, his troops fled in defeat. Finally, all the troops and generals were dead, and he was the only one left. He was captured by the enemy king and interrogated, “Why did you invade my country? As a prisoner of war, you must die.” He was bound and taken to be executed. Right before his execution, he remembered his teacher and thought in remorse, “Teacher, I scolded you for being muddled. If only I had listened to you, I would not have suffered such utter defeat. Teacher, please be compassionate and save me.” Just as he was pleading, the executioner swung the knife and chopped his head off. Right then, he woke up and realized it was all a dream.

The next day he told his teacher, “I’m not going back to lay life. I had this dream and saw that I would be defeated and beheaded. I’d better cultivate the Way instead.” That’s how the Venerable Mahakatyayana taught and transformed his disciple in a dream. Since his disciple refused to listen to him when awake, he instructed him through a dream, making him come to his senses.

There are many different ways of teaching and transforming sentient beings.

The City -ruling Spirit Wondrous Jewels understands this state of the Buddha and awakens to and enters thispassage into liberation.  

Sutra:

The Thus Come One has long had the ability
To rid all sentient beings of fear and terror
And to feel constant kindness and compassion for them.
The Spirit Free from Worry has this joyful awakening.  

Commentary:

The Thus Come One has long had the ability / To rid all sentient beings of fear and terror and rescue them from worry, affliction, and frightening situations. He can take sentient beings away from all delusion and fear. And the Buddha is able to feel constant kindness and compassion for them. Out of pity, the Buddha guides sentient beings to separate from grief, sorrow, suffering, and vexation. His heart is filled with great kindness and compassion. Kindness enables one to make others happy, and compassion makes one try to alleviate suffering. Sometimes the Buddha uses a visible form of kindness and compassion to allay sentient beings’ distress and misery. At other times he employs compassion invisibly, without letting them know that he is removing their pain and making them glad.

It is hard for sentient beings to understand this state of the Buddha. However, the City-ruling Spirit Free from Worry understands this state and has this joyful awakening. She is immensely happy. 

Sutra:

The wisdom of the Buddha is vast and boundless.
Like the void, it cannot be measured.
The City Spirit Flower Eyes has this blissful insight
And learns the Thus Come One’s wondrous wisdom.  

Commentary:

The wisdom of the Buddha is vast and boundless. No person or sage has greater wisdom than the Buddha. The Buddha’s wisdom is like the limitless void; it cannot be measured. There is no way to measure how great the void is. The City-ruling Spirit Flower Eyes sees this state of the Buddha and has this blissful insight. She understands this with joy andlearns the Thus Come One’s wondrous wisdom, which is infinitely great. 

Sutra:

The Thus Come One’s forms are equal to the number of sentient beings.
According to their inclinations all are caused to see him.
Clear Manifestation of Blazing Banners realizes this.
Practicing this expedient makes her happy.  

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s forms are equal to the number of sentient beings. The Thus Come One appears in all places. As long as sentient beings wish to see him, the Buddha fulfills their wish. The Buddha’s physical forms are as numerous as sentient beings. According to their inclinations all are caused to see him. Whatever sentient beings want to see, they get to see. City-ruling Spirit Clear Manifestation of Blazing Banners realizes this state and principle. Studying and practicing this expedient Dharma door makes her happy. She enjoys cultivating this Dharma door.  

Sutra:

The Thus Come One cultivated a sea of many blessings,
Pure, vast, great and without boundaries.
Blessings and Virtue Banner Light
Contemplates and understands this passage with joy.  

Deluded beings in the realms of existence
Are like those born blind in the world who see nothing at all.
For their benefit, the Buddha appears in the world.
Pure Radiance spirit enters this passage.  

Commentary:

When the Thus Come One was cultivating blessings and wisdom in the past, he would not neglect to cultivate even blessings as minute as a strand of hair or a speck of dust. In everything he did, he made sentient beings happy and did not upset them. He cultivated a sea of many blessings, blessings as profuse as an ocean. The Thus Come One’s blessings are pure, vast, great and without boundaries. City-ruling Spirit Blessings and Virtue Banner Light attains this state and passage into liberation. She carefully contemplates this state and understands this passage with joy.

Deluded beings in the realms of existence . All sentient beings drift and revolve in the Three Realms and Twenty-five Levels of Existence, not knowing how to escape. They are like those born blind in the world who see nothing at all. They can hear sounds, but cannot see anything. If you ask them what the sun looks like, they might say that it is triangular. If you ask them about the moon, they may say, “I know the moon is square.” If asked to describe people, they might say, “People all have a nose, eyes, a mouth, and ears, but their eyes cannot see.” Since they themselves are blind, they assume that everyone else is, too. People who are born blind are in a miserable plight. But not knowing the Buddhadharma, not knowing how to escape the Three Realms and cultivate, is the most miserable situation to be in. To understand how to cultivate and be accepted into monastic life is not an easy accomplishment.

Never say that leaving home is easy.
It is only possible due to good roots planted in many past lives.

If you lack good roots, then even if you wish to leave home, you won’t be able to. If you possess good roots but the circumstances are unfavorable, you still won’t be able to fulfill your wish. Some people say things like, “So-and-so is supposed to leave home, and so he has. I’m not supposed to, and so I haven’t.” What does “supposed to” mean? It simply means if you do leave home, then you’re supposed to. If you don’t leave home, then you’re not supposed to. If you’re supposed to leave home and you don’t, then you’re actually not supposed to leave home. If you’re not supposed to leave home but you do leave home, then you’re really supposed to. So, with the Path, it all depends on whether or not you walk it. Take Guo Lian [a young disciple under ten years of age], for example. He was supposed to leave home, but some people wouldn’t let him, so he couldn’t. Today he was in a car accident. You could say that’s a warning for him. He often talked about committing suicide. He should have been killed in the car accident, but he survived. On the other hand, he was supposed to leave home, but he didn’t. Therefore, nothing is definite. As the sutras say, “There are no fixed dharmas.” If a person is supposed to die, but he cultivates, then he won’t die. If someone is not supposed to die, but he doesn’t cultivate, then he might meet his death.

This reminds of when I was in Manchuria and I went with the Abbot of my temple to a village called Erdaogou (Double Trench) to solicit offerings. There was a boy named Sheng, whose father was named Wang. The boy was eleven or twelve years old—I don’t remember exactly because it was so long ago. He suffered from chronic stomach aches, and all the doctors’ treatments were to no avail. When we went to his house, the father knelt down, blocking the doorway, so we couldn’t go inside. Some people thought he didn’t want to give us offerings and was trying to make us leave. When we asked him why he was kneeling, he said, “My son, Sheng, has been ill for a long time. Now that the Elder Good One is here, he can save him.” Buddhists called the Abbot “Elder Abbot,” whereas those who did not understand the Buddhadharma addressed him as “Elder Good One,” “Old Cultivator,” or “Filial Son Wang.” He had many names.

This man begged the Abbot to save his son’s life and cure him. The Abbot turned to me and told me to do something. I said, “What can I do?”

He said, “When we were at Daba, you saved the life of a dying child. Why don’t you take a look at him?”

“Tell your boy to come here,” I told the father. The father called the son, and both of them knelt before me. I saw at once that the boy looked just like a monk. “If you want him to get well, send him to the temple to leave home. He will certainly get well.”

“If he gets well, I will certainly send him to leave home,” said the father.

“Fine,” I said. “He will get well in less than half a month.” The father was very happy. Basically he was very poor, but he gave an offering of ten dollars. We took our leave. Later, the son did get well. I kept my eye out for the boy, hoping he would leave the home-life. After a month, I passed through his village again and made a special visit to his home. When I asked his father, the father said the boy was well, and I said, “You’d better send him to the temple to leave home.”

“In a few days,” said the father. I left. After another month passed, I went to see them again. “Is the boy well?” I asked.

“He is,” said the father.

“Then you’d better send him to the monastery to leave home right away. Otherwise, his sickness will recur. This is the second time I have come to see you. If he gets sick again, I will not pay any attention.” The father thought I was trying to scare me and didn’t take me seriously. Once his son was well, he could not bear to give him up.

The third time I passed by their village, I heard that the boy had fallen ill again more than ten days earlier. That time, I did not visit their home. However, the boy knew—he saw—when I passed by his home and said to his father, “This time I’m not going to get well. Today the monk from Three Conditions Temple passed our house but didn’t come to see us. I probably won’t get well.”

“Don’t worry,” said the father. “Tomorrow I’ll go find him at the temple and take you to leave the home-life.” The father walked three or four miles to the temple. The boy stayed home, but strangely enough, his spirit followed the father to the temple. He saw which room his father was sitting in, the people he met, and everything that was in the temple. He saw it all very clearly. I was out that day, and so the father did not find me. When the father returned, the boy told him, “I followed you to the temple today.”

“But I didn’t see you,” said the father.

“But I saw you,” said the boy. “You talked to the Abbot, then you went to the Merit and Virtue Hall where there were a lot of plaques.” And he described the people who had been at the temple.

“Strange!” said the father. “You didn’t go, and yet you know exactly what I said and who I met, and all the people who were there.”

On my way back to the temple, I passed by their village again, and again the boy was aware of it. He told his father, “So-and-so from Three Conditions Temple has passed by our house again without coming to call on us. It probably means I can’t leave home.” That evening, the boy called out, “Father, light the lamp and see if I’m sitting properly.” The father lit the lamp and saw the boy sitting there in full lotus posture. He was sitting very erect, but he had already died. He was supposed to leave the home-life and someone told him to leave home, but after he got well his father could not bear to give him up. In the end, he died. This goes to show that whether or not a person leaves home is not fixed. Basically he was supposed to leave home; I saw that he had the appearance of a monk. However, his parents could not bear to let him go. Consequently, he didn’t get to leave home. This child, even after his death, still follows me all the time. Although he did not leave home when he was alive, after death he understood that he should cultivate the Way. The problem of birth and death is not easy to resolve.

For their benefit, for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha appears in the world. Body of Pure Radiance spiritenters this passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

The Thus Come One’s self-mastery is boundless.
Like a cloud, it spreads pervasively through all worlds.
He even appears in dreams to tame and subdue beings.
Fragrant Banner thus observes.  

Dark and deluded sentient beings are as if blind,
Shrouded by various obstacles and coverings.
The Buddha’s light shines through, opening their wisdom.
Jeweled Peak enters thus.  

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s self-mastery, his wonderful functioning of spiritual penetrations, by which he teaches and transforms all sentient beings, pervades the ten directions of the Dharma Realm. Therefore, it is boundless and without limits. An analogy is given. It is like a cloud in the sky, in that it spreads pervasively through all worlds. The Buddha teaches and transforms sentient beings when they are awake and conscious. What is more, he even appears in dreams to teach, transform, tame and subdue those beings who have affinities with him, leading them to bring forth the resolve for bodhi. City-ruling Spirit Fragrant Banner thus observes this state of the Buddha. She attains this passage into liberation.

Dark and deluded sentient beings are as if blind and sightless. In their ignorance, they are shrouded by various obstacles and coverings. They are like monkeys always getting into mischief. Have you noticed how monkeys are always carrying something in each hand? They are never idle, but they never accomplish anything either. Sentient beings are the same way. They cannot relinquish their desires. For example, money-grubbers crave wealth. If they realized that money is not such a good thing, they’d be able to relinquish it. But once they cease to crave money, they start desiring beautiful forms or other things. “Various obstacles and coverings” includes the desires for wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. All these obstacles and coverings bind them up and cover them over so they cannot get free.

The Buddha’s light shines through, opening their wisdom. The Buddha sends out rays of brilliant wisdom, which penetrates and destroys sentient beings’ delusion and darkness. This wisdom-light resembles the sun shining in a clear blue sky, causing the wisdom of foolish beings to unfold. City-ruling Spirit Jeweled Peak enters and understands this state thus.

Sutra:

Moreover, Bodhimanda Spirit Banner of Pure Adornment gained a passage into liberation of manifesting great power of vows to make offerings of vast, great adornments to Buddhas.  

Commentary:

The Flower Adornment Sutra is infinitely multi-layered and inexhaustible. The word “moreover ” signifies that the text will continue discussing principles of the sutra which have not yet been fully explained. Bodhimanda Spirit Banner of Pure Adornment is pure and adorned, like a precious banner. There are precious banners in bodhimandas, or Way-places. This spirit protects Way-places, of which there are numerous kinds. There are Chan Way-places, where people investigate Chan meditation. There are also Way-places where people study and explain the teachings. There are Way-places where one specializes in observing the Vinaya or precepts, Way-places where one cultivates secret practices, and Way-places where Pure Land practices are cultivated. There are infinitely many kinds of Way-places. Cultivators need to have a place where they can cultivate the Way. They also need Dharma protectors, spirits that protect the Way-place.

This Bodhimanda Spirit gained a passage into liberation of manifesting great power of vows to make offerings of vast, great adornments to Buddhas. She attained a state in which he saw the bodhi practices cultivated by the Buddha in former lifetimes. She witnessed the Buddha cultivating the paramitas of vigor, dhyana concentration, patience, holding precepts, giving, and prajna. The Buddha cultivated the Six Paramitas and the myriad practices. And she saw that what the Buddha liked best was to make offerings to Buddhas. He made offerings not just to one Buddha, but to all Buddhas of the ten directions throughout the three periods of time, to the ends of space throughout the Dharma Realm. He brought forth a vast, great resolve to make offerings to the Buddhas and adorn the Buddhas’ Way-places, thereby perfecting his merit and virtue. Such was the great power of his vows—his bodhi resolve—to extensively save sentient beings and guide them all to Buddhahood. Bodhimanda Spirit Banner of Pure Adornment attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Sumeru Jeweled Brilliance gained a passage into liberation of appearing before all sentient beings and accomplishing vast practices of bodhi.  

Commentary:

Sumeru is a Sanskrit word meaning “wonderfully tall.” Thenext Bodhimanda Spirit is named Sumeru Jeweled Brilliance, Wonderfully Tall Jeweled Brilliance. She gained a state of the Buddha, a passage into liberation of appearing before all sentient beings and accomplishing vast practices of bodhi. The Buddha does not forsake any sentient being. While at the level of planting causes, the Buddha cultivated the Six Paramitas and myriad practices, vowing to help sentient beings cultivate and realize the Buddha Path. Vast practices of bodhi refer to lengthy practices that ordinary sentient beings must cultivate in order to realize Buddhahood. This spirit attained this passage into liberation.

Nobody has had a question for many days. If anyone has a question today, you can ask it now. If there are no questions, you should look for one to ask.

Q: Should we try to remember our dreams?

A: It depends on the dream. Some dreams are muddled; some are clear; some are stupid; some are wise. It depends on the kind of dream. If it ought to be remembered, one can remember it. If it shouldn’t be remembered, and one can forget it, that’s pretty good too.

Q: Should we look for a function or significance in our dreams?

A: People who are greedy for food often dream about eating. In their dream, they stuff their bellies eating their favorite food, and then they wake up with the taste still in their mouth. “What was I eating that was so sweet and delicious?” they wonder. “I wish I could have that dream again.” Would you call that a useful dream? I’d say it’s a most useful dream—you get full without having eaten anything! You eat your fill in your dream, and then you’re not hungry. You should always have this kind of dream. Then you don’t need to eat. Other dreams are pretty much the same.

When people feel hot, they dream of fire. Those who are cold have dreams about ice or water. For example, if you get chilled as you sleep because your blanket falls away, you might dream that someone poured cold water over you. If you like to meditate, then in your dream you might sit very still and motionless in meditation, sitting even better than when you are awake. If you like to recite the Buddha’s name, you might do that in your dreams. If you enjoy bowing in repentance, you may find yourself bowing in your dreams. If you like to hold the precepts, you won’t break the precepts even in your dreams. These are good dreams, because they help you cultivate. If your dreams are not beneficial to your cultivation, then you should not attach much significance to them. Tomorrow’s Sutra text talks about dreams, so we won’t say too much today.

As for these Dharma doors, you can cultivate all of them or just one. Whether you cultivate all of them or concentrate on just one, you can be successful. The purpose of cultivating a Dharma door is help us get rid of idle thinking and renounce all attachments. Once you are free of attachments and idle thinking, you will gain a response in whatever Dharma door you cultivate. If you become attached to the Dharma, creating a concept of “Dharma” in addition to the Dharma itself, you will not succeed at any Dharma you cultivate.

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Thunderclap and Banner-like Characteristics gained a passage into liberation of according with what sentient beings like and enabling them to see the Buddhas speak Dharma for them in their dreams.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Thunderclap and Banner-like Characteristics gained a state of the Buddha, a passage into liberation of according with what sentient beings like, what makes their hearts happy, and enabling them to see the Buddhas speak Dharma for them in their dreams. All sentient beings get to see the Buddhas in their dreams, and the Buddhas speak Dharma for them. People have all kinds of dreams. The states they see and encounter during the day sometimes appear in their dreams. These are dreams of recollection. Sometimes events that have not yet happened appear in dreams. These dreams are premonitions. All these various dreams involving the past, the present, or the future are impure. Pure dreams are dreams in which you see Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Arhats speak Dharma for you, enabling you to develop great wisdom.

Dreams are basically unreal. Occasionally, however, they may manifest something real. There are different kinds of dreams. Therefore, the very best thing is to awaken as you are dreaming. If you see the Buddha and he speaks Dharma for you, your dream is a good one.

Bodhimanda Spirit Thunder-Sound and Banner-like Characteristics attained this passage into liberation.  

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Raining Down Flowers Wondrous Eyes gained a passage into liberation of raining down all kinds of adornments made of a myriad treasures that are hard to give up.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Raining Down Flowers Wondrous Eyes gained a passage into liberation of raining down all kinds of adornments made of a myriad treasures that are hard to give up. She made offerings of a myriad treasures in such profusion that they resembled rain. These treasures were the rarest of precious things, so rare that they could not be acquired at any price. Therefore, once one possesses them, one holds them very dear and cannot bear to give them up. In this state of the Buddha, she could give away these cherished treasures which most people cannot bear to give. She gave away all kinds of adorned articles made of these precious things.

Bodhimanda Spirit Raining Down Flowers Wondrous Eyes understood the Buddha’s state of being able to renounce that which is difficult to renounce. For example, she was able to give away external things such as her material possessions, properties, and family members. She was also able to give away her internal wealth—her body, mind, and life, including her head, eyes, brain, and marrow. She attained that passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Pure Blazing Form gained a passage into liberation of displaying marvelously adorned bodhimandas for the sake of extensively transforming sentient beings and bringing them to maturity. Bodhimanda Spirit Flower Garlands Draped from the Cowl gained a passage into liberation of speaking Dharma according to beings’ faculties so that they produce proper thoughts. Bodhimanda Spirit Raining Down Jeweled Ornaments gained a passage into liberation of everywhere raining down boundless aspects of happiness by means of eloquence.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Pure Blazing Form gained astate of the Buddha, a passage into liberation of everywhere displaying marvelously adorned bodhimandas for the sake of extensively transforming all sentient beings and bringing them to maturity, that is, helping them quickly attain the Buddha Way. She attained this passage into liberation.

Bodhimanda Spirit Flower Garlands Draped from the Cowl gained a passage into liberation of speaking Dharma according to beings’ faculties and dispositions. For those with great faculties and wisdom, the Buddha speaks the Dharma of the Great Vehicle, which is superior. For people of average faculties and wisdom, the Buddha speaks the Dharma of the Middle Vehicle. For people of inferior faculties and wisdom, the Buddha speaks the Dharma of the Small Vehicle. The Buddha speaks Dharma according to sentient beings’ faculties, so that they produce proper thoughts, renouncing the deviant and returning to the proper. What are deviant thoughts? They are thoughts of attachment to greed, anger, and delusion. Proper thoughts involve diligent cultivation of precepts, concentration, and wisdom. So, the Buddha enables all sentient beings to extinguish greed, anger, and delusion; and to diligently cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom. This Bodhimanda Spirit attained this passage into liberation.

Bodhimanda Spirit Raining Down Jeweled Ornaments, similar to one of the previous Bodhimanda Spirits, rains down myriads of wondrous treasures to adorn every Way-place. She gained a passage into liberation of everywhere raining down and sprinkling boundless aspects of happiness by means of her unobstructed eloquence, making all sentient beings happy and joyful. This spirit speaks this kind of Dharma and attains this passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Heroic Fragrance and Vision gained a passage into liberation of extensively praising the merit and virtue of the Buddhas.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Heroic Fragrance and Vision understood the state of the Buddha and gained a passage into liberation of extensively praising the merit and virtue of the Buddhas. “Extensively praising” means extolling the Buddhas’ merit and virtue not only in one place, but in all Buddhalands throughout the ten directions, to the ends of space and the Dharma Realm.

When some people hear this explanation, they interpret it in a worldly way, thinking, “Oh, so the Buddhas like to be praised, too! Liking to be praised is a quality of sentient, emotional beings. This proves that the Buddhas also have emotions.” There is a type of pseudo-Buddhism that says, “Buddhas are sentient beings, and sentient beings are Buddhas.” But is this the case? No. Buddhas do not really enjoy being praised by sentient beings. You may praise them, but they won’t be delighted. You may slander them, but they won’t be upset. Praise and slander do not affect them. In both favorable and adverse circumstances, they remain totally unperturbed, for they thoroughly understand the true state of things.

The Buddhas are individuals possessed of all-encompassing understanding. They understand all principles. Therefore, they are serene and unperturbed, enlightened and always clear. They are unlike sentient beings, for whom a word of praise is as delightful as candy, and a negative comment is more bitter than huanglian [the most bitter of Chinese herbs] and more pungent than hot pepper. That’s how sentient beings take things.

“Well, why should we praise the Buddhas, then?” you ask. When we praise the Buddhas, our merit and virtue grows. In praising the Buddhas, we are actually affirming ourselves. Affirmation of the individual is also praise of the Buddhas.

“In that case, I’ll just praise myself all the time,” you say. “I will say: ‘In the heavens and below, I alone am honored. I am the most intelligent and wise person in the world.’” If you really are, then it’s alright to say that. If you aren’t and you hope to create a false reputation by praising yourself, it won’t work. You must have genuine gongfu [spiritual skill]. Then you will be victorious in every battle, no matter who your opponent is. If you lack gongfu, you may claim to be a hero and a martial arts champion, but as soon as someone challenges you, you will be defeated. You will lose every battle. And so, such false claims are useless.

How did the Buddha get to be a Buddha? He extensively praised the merit and virtue of all Buddhas, and so, later on, he himself realized Buddhahood. Bodhimanda Spirit Heroic Fragrance and Vision attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Bodhimnda Spirit Vajra-colored Cloud gained a passage into liberation of making appear trees of boundless shapes and colors to adorn bodhimandas. 

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Vajra-colored Cloud gained astate of the Buddha, a passage into liberation of making appear trees of boundless shapes and colors to adorn bodhimandas. She made these trees appear out of nowhere. These trees have various shapes and everyone can see them. All these beautiful, ornamental trees appeared beneath the Bodhi tree. For what purpose did they appear? They embellish the Way-place and generate infinite energy for the Way. When you see those trees, like the “seven rows of jeweled trees,” you want to bring forth the resolve to attain supreme bodhi. This Bodhimanda Spirit attained this state and entered this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Lotus Flower Brilliance gained a passage into liberation of being still and serene beneath the Bodhi tree and yet pervading the ten directions.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Lotus Flower Brilliance gained a state of the Buddha, a passage into liberation of being still and serene, sitting in samadhi beneath the Bodhi tree and yet pervading the ten directions. Although she remains unmoving, her brilliance pervades the ten directions of the Dharma Realm and teaches and transforms all sentient beings. She gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Bodhimanda Spirit Dazzling Wondrous Light gained a passage into liberation of manifesting the various powers of the Thus Come One.

At that time, BodhimandaSpirit Banner of Pure Adornment received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of Bodhimanda Spirits, and spoke the following verse.  

Commentary:

Bodhimanda Spirit Dazzling Wondrous Light gained a passage into liberation of manifesting the various powers of the Thus Come One. Although we speak of the Thus Come One as having Ten Powers, if listed in detail, the Thus Come One’s powers would number in the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands…he has infinitely many powers.

At that time, Bodhimanda Spirit Banner of Pure Adornment received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of Bodhimanda Spirits, and spoke the following verse to reiterate the principles already expressed in prose.

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