The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Four and Five

 

Sutra:

Moreover, Bodhisattva Mahasattva Universal Worthy entered passages into inconceivable liberation full of seas of expedients, thus entering the Thus Come One’s sea of merit.  

Commentary:

Moreover indicates that the principles in the sutra which were not completely explained previously will now be further elucidated. Bodhisattva Mahasattva Universal Worthy has the greatest vows and practice. He made the Ten Great Kings of Vows, which encompass all vows within it. That is why they are kings among vows. The state of his cultivation is inconceivable, and the state he has entered is also inconceivable. Having entered this inconceivable state, he hopes all sentient beings will also enter it.

The great Bodhisattva Universal Worthy entered passages into inconceivable liberation full of seas of expedients. What is inconceivable can neither be conceived by the mind nor expressed in language. What is a sea of expedients? The Buddha’s state and the inconceivable state entered by Universal Worthy Bodhisattva is such that when they are in the Pure Land of Eternal Stillness and Light, they need not formulate the thought to come to this world to teach and transform sentient beings. Without leaving the noumena of absolute truth, they are able to accomplish mundane deeds in accord with conventional truth. This is the inconceivable state of nonobstruction of phenomena and noumena.

The noumena are inconceivable, and so are the phenomena. The noumena do not obstruct the phenomena, and the phenomena do not obstruct the noumena. It is right within the noumena that phenomena are found. The phenomena themselves is the noumena. Thus, this is the expedient sea of the nonobstruction of phenomena and noumena.

There is another expedient: Right within the mind at the level of planting causes, the enlightenment of the ground of fruition is perfectly realized. The fruit of perfect enlightenment is achieved at the level of planting causes. Therefore, the cause is just the result, and the result is just the cause. Cause and result are interconnected. This is the expedient sea of the nonobstruction of phenomena and phenomena. Usually phenomena are mutually obstructive, but here they are not. Previously we mentioned the inconceivable state of the nonobstruction of phenomena and noumena. Now we are discussing the inconceivable state of the nonobstruction of phenomena and phenomena, which is an expedient sea.

And having entered these inconceivable expedient seas, the Bodhisattva thus entered the Thus Come One’s sea of merit. The Buddha did not pass up the opportunity to do a meritorious deed even if it was as tiny as a particle of dust. Over the days and months, the Thus Come One’s merit accumulated until it was a vast as an ocean.  

Sutra:

These include a passage into liberation called adorning and purifying all Buddhalands and taming sentient beings, enabling them to ultimately gain transcendence; and a passage into liberation called universally visiting all Thus Come Ones and cultivating states of perfect merit.  

Commentary:

These include a passage into liberation. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva cultivated these entrances into liberation. Now that we sentient beings know about them, we can also cultivate according to these entrances into liberation. One of these passages into liberations is called adorning and purifying all Buddhalands and taming sentient beings. He can make all Buddhas’ lands especially adorned—not only adorned, but pure and immaculate. Mundane types of decoration have a gaudy worldliness about them; they are not removed from defilement. But this adornment is pure and free from all defilement. What is defilement? Greed, anger, and delusion are all defilements.

Lust is also defiled. With these types of defilement, you cannot transcend the Three Realms. Now, the Bodhisattva can adorn and purify all Buddhas’ lands in the ten directions throughout space and the Dharma Realm. He can also tame and subdue sentient beings. Why does he adorn the Buddhas’ lands? Is it because the Buddhas like everything to be pretty and beautiful? No, it’s for the sake of taming sentient beings. Sentient beings are hard to subdue, teach and transform. But when the lands are purified, sentient beings’ defilements of greed, anger, and delusion disappear and no longer arise. To tame and subdue sentient beings means to help those with bad habits get rid of their bad habits, to help those with tempers get of their tempers, to help angry beings dispel their anger, the help beings with defiled thoughts get rid of those defiled thoughts. When sentient beings’ bad habits and faults are all gone, they can return to their original source. That is to tame sentient beings, enabling them to ultimately gain transcendence and escape the great sea of birth and death.

All of us in the world are in the bitter sea of birth and death. When we feel that a certain thing is good and something else is bad, there is suffering. When we dislike one thing and like another, we will also suffer. Our false thoughts send us spinning around, and we undergo rebirth in the six paths. Rebirth does not only occur when someone dies and gets reborn as a cow, a horse, a hungry ghost, a hell-being, an asura, or a god. By merely having a good thought, we can be reborn in the heavens. Or by having an evil thought, we can fall into the hells. If we have an ordinary thought, we can be people again. When we have an angry thought, we become asuras. Our false thoughts make us turn on the wheel of rebirth. Since we have these false thoughts in the field of our eighth consciousness, false karma is created externally. Without these false thoughts, karma would not be created. All karma is created out of delusion—falseness. Deluded, beings create karma, and consequently must undergo the retribution. That’s why we cannot escape the turning wheel of the six paths of rebirth.

If we want to escape the six paths of rebirth, we must enter the passage into liberation of adorning and purifying all Buddhalands and taming sentient beings. If we enter this passage into liberation, we can escape the Three Realms and ultimately gain transcendence.  

And he entered another passage into liberation called universally visiting all Thus Come Ones, going to the lands of all Buddhas, and cultivating states of perfect merit. The merit of the Buddha is full and perfect, neither deficient nor excessive. The Buddha is doubly adorned with blessings and wisdom. His blessings are perfect, and so is his wisdom. His state is one of adornment with blessings and wisdom. This passage into liberation is named “universally visiting all Thus Come Ones and cultivating states of perfect merit.” 

Sutra:

Another passage into liberation is called establishing all Bodhisattva grounds and an ocean of great vows. Another passage into liberation is called everywhere manifesting measureless bodies as numerous as the dust motes in the Dharma Realm. Another passage into liberation is called proclaiming the inconceivable numbers of distinct names throughout all lands.  

Commentary:

Among the passages realized by Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, another passage into liberation is called securely establishing all Bodhisattva grounds. To establish all Bodhisattva grounds means to cultivate all Bodhisattva practices and to achieve the Bodhisattvas’ merit . And having accomplished that merit, the Bodhisattva has an ocean of great vows.  

Another passage into liberation is called everywhere manifesting measureless bodies as numerous as the dust motes in the Dharma Realm. The Buddhas’ Dharma bodies and the bodies of Bodhisattvas are measureless in number. Another passage into liberation cultivated by Universal Worthy Bodhisattva is called proclaiming the inconceivable numbers of distinct names throughout all lands. He expounds the different names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas every day, not only in one land, but in all lands. 

Sutra:

Another passage into liberation is called displaying in every mote of dust the states of the spiritual powers of boundless Bodhisattvas. 

Commentary:

Another passage into liberation is called displaying in every mote of dust the states of the spiritual powers of boundless Bodhisattvas. This is referring to the motes of dust not in merely one world, but in worlds as numerous as motes of dust. How many worlds is that? Suppose each particle of dust is a world, and in each world are boundless, innumerable, and limitless Bodhisattvas. Each Bodhisattva has his own spiritual powers and states of mind. Although they may be in the same particle of dust, their spiritual powers and states of mind differ. Infinitely many particles of dust display infinitely many Bodhisattvas, who in turn reveal infinitely many states of spiritual powers. That is one of the passages into liberation. 

Sutra:

Another passage into liberation is called, within a single thought, displaying the eons of formation, destruction, and so on in the three periods of time. Another passage into liberation is called manifesting the sea of all Bodhisattvas’ faculties, each of which enters its own state. Another passage into liberation is called using the strength of spiritual powers to manifest various bodies that pervade boundless dharma realms.  

Commentary:

Another passage into liberation is called, within a single thought, displaying the eons of formation, destruction, and so on in the three periods of time. Within the briefest instant of time—a single thought—all past, present, and future kalpas are revealed. Kalpa, translated as “eon,” is a Sanskrit word meaning “division of time.” Measureless kalpas or eons represent a measureless duration of time. Eons in the three periods of time cover the past, present, and future. One eons equals 139,600 years. One thousand of these eons makes a small eon.

Another way to explain it is: The average human life span begins at 84,000 years and decreases by one year every hundred years. The average human height also decreases by one inch every hundred years. When the average life span has decreased to ten years, it begins to increase again, increasing by one year every hundred years. Human height also grows by one inch every hundred years. The life span will again reach 84,000 years, and that will complete one eon. One thousand of these eons (consisting of one period of increase and one period of decrease) makes one small eon. Twenty small eons make a medium eon. Four medium eons make one great eon. It takes twenty small eons for a world to form. After formation, the world dwells for twenty small eons, decays for twenty small eons, and finally returns to emptiness for twenty small eons. The four stages of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness comprise one great kalpa. Formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness occurred in the past, are occurring in the present, and will occur in the future. The four medium eons of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness together make one great eon. Thus the phrase “eons of formation, destruction, and so on” refers to formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness.

People go through formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness as well, except that the stages are named birth, dwelling, change, and extinction. The stage of birth, lasting twenty years, corresponds to the eon of formation. During those first twenty years, a person cannot accomplish much. The next stage, that of dwelling, can be quite productive. It is followed by the stages of change and extinction, which means one ceases to be. The first twenty years of life belong to the stage of birth. The next twenty years correspond to dwelling, the next twenty to change, and the final twenty to extinction. That is how an eighty-year human life span can be divided into stages of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. These states manifest in a single thought.

Another passage into liberation is called manifesting the sea of all Bodhisattvas’ faculties, each of which enters its own state. The faculties of Bodhisattvas refer to their eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies, and minds. Their faculties differ from our human ones. A Bodhisattva’s eyes can see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and know things. His eyes possess all of these abilities. Ears are basically used for hearing, but they can also see, eat, smell good and bad scents, and taste flavors. The tongue can taste, yet the ears have this ability as well. The six faculties can be used interchangeably. The ears can see; the eyes can hear and eat. Take a look at the Bodhisattva’s state of six faculties functioning interchangeably. Each faculty enters its own different state.

Another passage into liberation is called using the strength of spiritual powers to manifest various bodies that pervade boundless Dharma realms. They manifest various kinds of bodies, not necessarily the bodies of Bodhisattvas, gods, Yakshas, or gandharvas.

Speaking of gandharvas, let me tell you an anecdote. I used to pronounce the Chinese term for gandharva “qian ta po,” but when we were in Hong Kong, one of my disciples said my pronunciation was incorrect. He said it should be pronounced gan da po, so now I will correct myself and pronounce it gan da po. I don’t know if anyone else took note of this. He says that the Sanskrit is pronounced more like gan da po, so now we will pronounce it that way. Although he is my disciple, I am ready to accept his criticisms. This is because we are in a democratic country, so we should learn the democratic way of doing things. It should not be that the teacher is high and mighty, while his disciples are beneath his feet, so that when the teacher asserts that chicken eggs grow on trees, his disciples have to say, “Yes, yes.” It cannot be that way. Chinese Buddhism is that way. Those good advisors say, “You know where eggs come from? They grow on trees.” And no one dares to oppose them. This tyrannical method will not work here. We have to be democratic.

So, in the future, remember to pronounce gandharva in Chinese as gan da po. The same character in Chinese can be pronounced qian or gan. My disciple’s logic isn’t that sound, because Chinese is not his native language. However, since I like to listen to my disciples, I will go along with him.

Sutra:

Another passage into liberation is called revealing the sequential doors of dharmas cultivated by all Bodhisattvas, by which they enter the vast, great expedients of All Wisdom.

At that time, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Universal Worthy, by his own merit and further by receiving the Thus Come One’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the sea of the assembled multitudes and spoke the following verses.  

Commentary:

Another passage into liberation is called revealing the sequential doors of the dharmas cultivated by all Bodhisattvas by which they enter the vast, great expedients of All Wisdom. This passage into liberation reveals how Bodhisattvas cultivate the Six Paramitas and the myriad practices. There is a sequence to their cultivation: for example, they start out with giving, then uphold precepts, then practice patience, vigor, dhyana concentration, and prajña. They cultivate step by step until they have perfected them all. Having perfected the cultivation of the Six Paramitas and the myriad practices, they enter All Wisdom, which comprises the vastest of expedients. It includes limitless expedient means. 

At that time, the great Bodhisattva Mahasattva Universal Worthy, by his own merit cultivated in past lives throughout seas of eons, and further by receiving the Thus Come One’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the sea of the assembled multitudes, sentient beings as profuse as an ocean, and spoke the following verses to elucidate what had already been spoken in prose.

Sutra:

The vast, great lands adorned by the Buddha
Are equal in number to all the fine motes of dust.
They are filled with pure disciples of the Buddha.
He rains down inconceivable Dharma of utmost wonder.  

Commentary:

The vast, great lands adorned by the Buddha. The Pure Dharma body Vairochana Buddha adorns the vast, great lands of all Buddhas. How many lands are there? They are equal in number to all the fine motes of dust pervading space and the Dharma realm. They are filled with pure disciples of the Buddha. Each Buddha land is filled with Buddhist disciples who practice purity. There are three kinds of disciples of the Buddha:

1. Outer disciples. These are ordinary beings. They are outside of the Buddhadharma because they have not yet understood it, yet they are still considered outer disciples of the Buddha. That’s why we say, “All sentient beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas.” Since all sentient beings can become Buddhas, they are all disciples of the Buddha. The only way you would not have the opportunity to become a Buddha would be if you were not a sentient being. If you are a sentient being, then regardless of whether or not you believe in the Buddha, you have the opportunity to become a Buddha one day. Ordinary people are outer disciples of the Buddha.

2. Common disciples: “Common” means a great number—the masses. What kinds of sentient beings are common disciples? Arhats, that is, those of the Two Vehicles (Hearers and Sages Enlightened by Conditions) are. Hearers and Sages Enlightened by Conditions are not born from the genuine great Dharma of the Buddha. That’s why they are called common disciples.  

3. True disciples:. True disciples are born from the Buddha’s mouth and transformed from the Dharma. They are born from the true and proper Dharma.  

Which kind of disciple is the text referring to here? It refers to true disciples—we know because they are “pure disciples pure in body and mind. When the karma of the body is pure, there is no killing, stealing, or lust. When the karma of the mind is pure, there is no greed, anger, or delusion. When the karma of the mouth is pure, there is no frivolous speech, lying, harsh speech, or divisive speech. Thus, they are called pure disciples of the Buddha. They are the Buddha’s true disciples—great Bodhisattvas—and they pervasively fill all Buddhalands.

He rains down inconceivable Dharma of utmost wonder. The Buddha’s speaking of Dharma is like rain—a rain of the most subtle, wonderful Dharma, which cannot be conceived of by the mind or expressed in words.

Sutra:

Just as the Buddha is seen seated in this assembly,
It is the same in every particle of dust.
The Buddha’s body neither goes nor comes,
Yet it appears with clarity in every land.  

He elucidates the practices that Bodhisattvas cultivate,
Their measureless grounds and all expedients,
And expounds the inconceivable true principle,
Enabling the Buddha’s disciples to enter the Dharma Realm.  

He creates transformation Buddhas as numerous as dustmotes,
Universally responding to the wishes of all beings.
He enters the profound Dharma Realm’s expedient doors—
They are vast and boundless, yet he proclaims them all.  

The Thus Come One’s names are equal to the world,
Completely filling the lands of the ten directions.
None of the expedients are used in vain;
They tame sentient beings, freeing them from defilement.  

Commentary:

Just as the Buddha is seen seated on the lion’s throne in this assembly, speaking the Dharma for sentient beings, it is the same in every particle of dust. In all lands as numerous as dust motes, there are Buddhas holding Dharma assemblies, speaking Dharma for sentient beings, each from his lion’s throne.  

The Buddha’s body neither goes nor comes. Does the Buddha go to all those other lands? No. Then does the Buddha come to this land? No. The Buddha’s body is thus, thus, unmoving, clear and constantly bright, neither coming nor going. Yet it appears with clarity in every land. Although the Buddha neither comes nor goes anywhere, his body appears in every land. 

He elucidates the practices that Bodhisattvas cultivate, / Their measureless grounds and all expedients . The Bodhisattvas’ dharma doors, their positions, their vows, their ten supreme practices and ten kinds of expedients are clarified. If you would like to know more about the ten supreme practices and ten kinds of expedients, you can look them up in a Buddhist dictionary. And expounds the wondrous, inconceivable true principle of the Ten Suchnesses, enabling the Buddha’s disciples to enter the Dharma Realm. The minds of all disciples of the Buddha pervade the Dharma Realm, as do their spiritual powers and their speaking of Dharma. 

He creates limitlessly many transformation Buddhas as numerous as dustmotes, / Universally responding to the wishes of all beings. He speaks whatever Dharma each sentient being likes to hear. He enters the profound Dharma Realm’s expedient doors— / They are vast and boundless, yet he proclaims them all. The Buddha expounds all of these inconceivable, vast and boundless dharma doors.  

The Thus Come One’s names are equal to the number of dustmotes in the world,

Completely filling the lands of the ten directions. The Buddha’s Dharma and his titles fill all lands in the ten directions. None of the expedients are used in vain. None of the expedient Dharma-doors the Buddha uses to teach and transform sentient beings are applied in vain. They tame sentient beings, freeing them from defilement. He tames all the obstinate sentient beings, getting them to renounce defiled dharmas and develop pure minds. Defiled dharmas refer to the activities of worldly people. Pure dharmas refer to the transcendental activities of those who have renounced the household life. You should understand what defiled dharmas and pure dharmas are.

Sutra:

In every fine mote of dust, the Buddha
Displays boundless, great spiritual powers.
Seated in every bodhimanda, he proclaims
The Buddha’s past practices for bodhi.  

Throughout vast eons in the three periods of time,
The Buddha manifests in thought after thought.
His inconceivable wisdom fully perceives
All the events of formation and decay therein.  

Commentary:

In every fine mote of dust , that is, in lands as numerous as dust motes, the Buddha displays boundless, great spiritual powers. / Seated in every bodhimanda in every land, he proclaims the unsurpassed, wonderful Dharma, revealing the Buddha’s past practices for bodhi, causing all sentient beings to make a commitment to bodhi. 

Throughout vast eons in the three periods of time—the past, present, and future—the Buddha manifests these states in thought after thought. / His inconceivable wisdom fully perceives / All the events of formation and decay therein. This refers to the events of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness in the past, the present, and the future. Four medium eons make one large eon. The processes of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness are clearly revealed. The Buddha has inconceivable, wonderful wisdom, which allow him to thoroughly understand all these states.

Sutra:

The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples is limitlessly vast.
They all wish to fathom the realm of the Buddhas.
The Buddhas’ dharma doors are without bounds.
It is difficult indeed to completely understand them all.  

Commentary:

The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples is limitlessly vast. There are innumerable Bodhisattvas, Sages of the Two Vehicles, and ordinary beings in the Dharma assembly. They all wish to fathom and understand the realm of the Buddhas. / The Buddhas’ states and dharma doors are without bounds. / It is difficult indeed to completely fathom and understand them all. It is not easy to do. 

Sutra:

Free from differentiation, the Buddha resembles space.
The impartial true Dharma Realm relies upon nothing.
He manifests as going to every location without exception
To sit in the bodhimanda and realize right enlightenment.  

The Buddha teaches extensively with a wondrous voice
Making all the grounds clearly understood.
Appearing before each and every sentient being,
He exhaustively gives them the Thus Come One’s impartial Dharma.  

Commentary:

Free from differentiation, the Buddha resembles space. The Buddha’s Dharma body pervades all places, nowhere present and nowhere absent. The Buddha is exactly the same as space. You may say he exists, yet you cannot see him. You may say he doesn’t exist, yet he permeates all of space. Would you say that space exists or not? You may say there is no space, yet space exists. You may say there is such a thing as space, yet it is empty. The Buddha’s Dharma body is the same way, being without differentiations.

The impartial true Dharma Realm relies upon nothing. The One True Dharma Realm itself depends on nothing, yet it is what all the myriad things depend upon. He manifests as going to every location without exception. The Buddha’s Dharma body transforms itself and manifests in every land. His transformation bodies can be found in all lands as numerous as particles of dust. His Dharma body goes to all places and all lands to sit in the bodhimanda beneath the bodhi tree and realize right enlightenment.  

The Buddha teaches extensively the Buddhadharma in every place with awondrous Dharma voice, in a way that people can understand, making all the grounds from the First Ground to Equal Enlightenment clearly understood. Those between the First Ground and Equal Enlightenment are called Great Knights of the Dharma body. They cultivate the Dharma and attain the truth, and so they understand all the grounds.

Appearing before each and every sentient being, / He exhaustively gives them the Thus Come One’s impartial Dharma. The Buddha speaks the Dharma for every sentient being, giving them the Thus Come One’s impartial, wonderful Dharma, which does not discriminate between one or the other.

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