The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Four and Five

 

Sutra:

Sentient beings are deceitful and do not cultivate virtue.
Confused, they sink and flounder in birth and death.
For them he elucidates all principles of wisdom.
The Spirit Wondrous Light perceives thus. 

Commentary:

Sentient beings are deceitful and do not cultivate virtue. Sentient beings are not straightforward. They like to be crooked and to resort to flattery. Instead of telling the truth, they lie and give people “high hats” to wear. They have a hard time learning the proper path, but easily master deviant paths. They do not cultivate virtue. It’s difficult to teach them to be straightforward, for they have crooked minds. Confused, lacking understanding and full of doubt, they sink and flounder in the sea of suffering of birth and death. / For them he elucidates all principles of wisdom, so that these sentient beings can understand. The Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Light Unique and Sparkling perceives thus.  

Sutra:

The Buddha, for beings laden with karmic obstructions,
Appears but once every hundreds of millions of eons.
At other times, he is still visible to them in thought after thought.
The Spirit Luster and Flavor thus observes.

Commentary:

The Buddha, for beings laden with karmic obstructions, / Appears but once every hundreds of millions of eons. The Buddha never forgets sentient beings with heavy karmic obstructions and in thought after thought wishes to save them. However, sentient beings’ karmic obstructions are so grave that they cannot gain a response in the Way. A very long time—countless hundreds of millions of great eons—must pass before the Buddha appears in the world. At other times, he is still visible to them in thought after thought. All sentient beings, in thought after thought, wish to see the Buddha. And the Buddha, in thought after thought, makes himself visible to sentient beings. Forest-ruling Spirit Luster and Flavor of Flowers and Fruits thus observes. She understands this principle. 

Sutra:

Moreover, Mountain-ruling Spirit Blooming Jeweled Peak gained a passage into liberation of entering the light of the samadhi of great tranquility. Mountain-ruling Spirit Flower Grove Wondrous Topknot gained a passage into liberation of bringing an inconceivable number of sentient beings to maturity through the cultivation of good roots of kindness.  

Commentary:

Mountains also have spirits ruling over them. Otherwise, the mountains would run about everywhere. But since the spirits are watching over them, the mountains dare not move.
You shouldn’t think that the mountains are inanimate and motionless. If there were no spirits watching over them, they would go everywhere. Mountain-ruling Spirits are usually wild beasts that live in the mountains. For example, the tiger is the chief of the Mountain-ruling Spirits. Moreover, Mountain-ruling Spirit Jeweled Peak Blossoms gained a passage into liberation of the light of entering the samadhi of great tranquility. In the samadhi of great tranquility, this spirit is tranquil and unmoving as it watches over the mountains. She has attained this passage into liberation of the Buddha. 

Mountain-ruling Spirit Flower Grove Wondrous Topknot gained a passage into liberation of bringing an inconceivable number of sentient beings to maturity through the cultivation and accumulation of good roots of kindness and charity. When her good roots have ripened, she can save an incredible number of sentient beings. She attained that passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Lofty Banner Universally Shining gained a passage into liberation of contemplating the minds of all sentient beings to see what they enjoy and then adorning and purifying all faculties. Mountain-ruling Spirit Immaculate Pure Topknot gained a passage into liberation of being diligent and vigorous throughout boundless oceans of eons without growing weary or lax. Mountain-ruling Spirit Light Shining through the Ten Directions gained a passage into liberation of using the light of boundless merit and virtue to universally awaken beings.  

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Lofty Banner Universally Shining gained a passage into liberation of contemplating the minds of all sentient beings to see what they like and enjoy and then adorning and purifying all faculties — their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. To purify the six sense faculties, one must diligently uphold the precepts and be stern and dignified in one’s deportment. The eyes do not casually look at things, the ears do not casually listen to sounds, the nose does not casually smell, the tongue does not casually taste flavors, and so forth.

Mountain-ruling Spirit Immaculate Pure Topknot gained a passage into liberation of seeing the Buddha being diligent and vigorous throughout boundless oceans of eons without growing weary or lax. Throughout boundless eons of time, so numerous they are like a great ocean, the Buddha practiced vigorously without ever growing lax or fatigued. That’s the passage into liberation this spirit attained. Mountain-ruling Spirit Light Shining through the Ten Directions gained a passage into liberation of using the light of boundless merit and virtue to universally awaken beings. When sentient beings saw her brilliance, they became enlightened. She attained that passage into liberation.  

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Light of Great Strength gained a passage into liberation of gaining full personal maturity and then enabling sentient beings to renounce foolish and confused behavior.  

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Light of Great Strength gained a passage into liberation of gaining full personal maturity and then enabling sentient beings to renounce foolish and confused behavior. She saw the Buddha attaining Buddhahood and realizing the fruition of perfect enlightenment on his own, and then preventing sentient beings from acting foolishly. Once sentient beings have great wisdom and a clear understanding of right and wrong, they cease to behave foolishly.  

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Universally Supreme, Awesome Brilliance gained a passage into liberation of eradicating all suffering until none is left.  

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Universally Supreme, Awesome Brilliance gained a passage into liberation , the state of seeing the Buddha eradicating all suffering of sentient beings until none is left, and bestowing every kind of happiness upon them. Eradicating all suffering is great compassion. Bestowing every happiness is great kindness. He got rid of all sufferings entirely, and gave sentient beings total happiness. None of the suffering is left, meaning that there isn’t even a little bit, much less a lot. She attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Orb of Subtle, Concentrated Light gained a passage into liberation of using light to expound the Dharma, revealing the merit and virtue of all Thus Come Ones.

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Orb of Subtle, Concentrated Light gained a passage into liberation of using light to expound all the Dharma teachings—the Three Stores and Twelve Divisions of the Buddhist Canon. This spirit emits light and uses light to speak the Dharma, revealing the past deeds of merit and virtue of all Thus Come Ones. Ordinary people who have not attained spiritual penetrations will not understand this state. Those who have attained spiritual penetrations will know that within this light are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Hearers and Those Enlightened to Conditions, and all other types of sentient beings. The Buddha is there proclaiming the Dharma, and sentient beings are listening to it. This is an incredible state. She attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Universal Eye Seeing the Manifest gained a passage into liberation of causing all sentient beings to grow in good roots, even in their dreams.

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Universal Eye Seeing the Manifest gained a passage into liberation of causing all sentient beings to grow in good roots, even in their dreams. This spirit’s eyes can see very far away, which is why he is called “Universal Eye.” “Seeing the Manifest” means that those faraway sights manifest up close, in plain view, so she can see them. What state of the Buddha has she attained? She can cause sentient beings to do good deeds, increase their good roots, and cultivate blessings and wisdom not only when they are awake, but even when they are asleep and dreaming.

In the past there was a Buddha who did not speak Dharma directly. First, he made all the people go to sleep. Then in their dreams, he spoke for them all kinds of Dharma—suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no self. And when they awoke, they realized the Way. That was how that Buddha spoke the Dharma.

There was another Buddha who appeared as a rakshasa ghost in people’s dreams in order to frighten them into cultivating the Way. They would think, “Oh no! Impermanence has come upon me, and I have nothing to rely upon. I’d better cultivate!” Don’t consider nightmares to be inauspicious. Actually, they are extremely lucky. They make you awaken to the fact that life is unreal. Even in dreams, that Buddha made people’s good roots grow so that they brought forth the bodhi resolve to seek the Unsurpassed Path. Mountain-ruling Spirit Universal Eye Seeing the Manifest understands this state of the Buddha, thus attaining this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Solid Vajra Eyes gained a passage into liberation of making appear an ocean of boundless great meanings.

At that time, Mountain-ruling Spirit Blossoms All Around received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, contemplated all the multitudes of mountain-ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse.  

Commentary:

The next Mountain-ruling Spirit is named Solid Vajra Eyes. Her eyes are as bright, sharp, and solid as vajra. Such solid vajra eyes can discern all demon kings, yakshas, asuras, ghosts, and goblins. These eyes cannot be burned by fire or cut by knives. Thus her name is Mountain-ruling Spirit Vajra Solid Eyes. She gained a Buddha’s state, a passage into liberation of making appear an ocean of boundless great meanings. “Great meanings” refers to the meanings of great Dharma, which are as deep, vast, and measureless as the ocean. These principles are mysterious and profound, vast and great. She attained this passage into liberation.

At that time, Mountain-ruling Spirit Blossoms All Around received the Buddha Shakyamuni’s awesomespiritual power, by which she universally contemplated the multitudes of Mountain-ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse. She was able to do this through the Buddha’s spiritual power. She did not claim that she herself had such power and spiritual penetrations. Instead, she relied upon the Buddha’s great awesome spiritual power to contemplate the multitudes of Mountain-ruling Spirits in the Flower Adornment Dharma Assembly. There were not just one or two, but infinitely many Mountain-ruling Spirits. The ten mentioned earlier in the text are the leaders. Now, this spirit speaks a verse.

Sutra:

Boundless supreme practices cultivated in the past
Now yield spiritual penetrations beyond measure.
Extensively opening Dharma doors in number like motes of dust,
The Buddha brings all sentient beings to deep, joyful awakening.  

Commentary:

Mountain-ruling Spirit Blossoms All Around uses verses to praise the boundless supreme practices that the Buddha cultivated in the past. How many practices were there? They were without bounds, innumerable. Those numerous supreme practices now yield spiritual penetrations beyond measure. How great are the Buddha’s spiritual penetrations? We don’t know. Extensively opening Dharma doors in number like motes of dust, /The Buddhabrings all sentient beings to deep, joyful awakening. The Dharma doors in the ocean of teaching are comparable to a great sea. The Buddha opens them on a vast scale. How many are there? However many fine motes of dust there are, that’s how many Dharma doors the Buddha has. Why are there so many Dharma doors? Because sentient beings are also as numerous as fine motes of dust. Dharma doors as many as dust motes are used to teach sentient beings as many as dust motes. The Buddha leads sentient beings to profoundly understand the Buddhadharma and be happy.

Sutra:

His body, adorned with myriad hallmarks, pervades all worlds.
Light issues from his pores, purifying everything.
With expedients of great kindness he instructs all.
Flower Grove Wondrous Topknot awakens to this passage.  

Commentary:

His body, adorned with myriad hallmarks, pervades all worlds. The Thirty-two Hallmarks and Eighty Subtle Characteristics adorn the Buddha’s body, which pervades all worlds. The Buddha is nowhere and yet everywhere. His presence pervades the worlds. Light issues from his pores, purifying everything. Each of the Buddha’s pores emits limitless light. Within that limitless light, more limitless light pours forth, and so on, in multi-layered profusion and mutual illumination. The lights from his pores mutually shine upon one another and upon all worlds, making them pure.

With expedients of great kindness he instructs all. The Buddha uses his greatly compassionate heart to bestow every kind of happiness upon sentient beings and remove all their sufferings. He employs various expedient methods to lead sentient beings to have faith, make vows, and cultivate. He uses expedient Dharma doors to instruct sentient beings and quickly bring them to enlightenment. Mountain-ruling Spirit Flower Grove Wondrous Topknot awakens to this passage. She understands this passage into liberation.

When I was practicing filial piety by my mother’s grave, a cultivator named Zhi Yi sent me a big basket of dumplings called wowotou. Wowotou is the kind of food that the monk Zhao Zhou wanted to find out about. He embarked on a quest to discover what food was known as “two inside and eight outside.” The food is so named because to make it, one places two thumbs inside and eight fingers outside to shape the dough into the form of a bowl. Zhi Yi was a Bhikshu, and he maintained the practice of eating only one meal a day. He sent me a huge basket of these wowotou, over a hundred of them. I ate two per day and didn’t pay too much attention to them.

One day I looked in the basket and found long, furry mold growing on the dumplings at the bottom. Those moldy dumplings tasted horrible—worse than excrement. The other day I mentioned that those who eat meat should be able to eat excrement. Well, if you gave me excrement, I could eat it. If those people can do that, then you can acknowledge that they have some skill, that they have no thoughts of discrimination. Those moldy wowotou were than excrement. They were spicy, stinky, and sour—truly awful. I removed the mold and ate them all the same. [To a disciple] You can also eat that kind of food. For example, if you want to be there for a month, you can make ninety steamed dumplings and eat three a day. You can make one-pound dumplings!  

Sutra:

The Buddha’s body appears everywhere--boundless,
Spreading to fill the worlds of the ten directions.
His faculties are adorned and pure, delighting all who see him.
Lofty Banner understands and enters this Dharma.  

Commentary:

The Buddha’s Dharma body appears everywhere throughout the Dharma Realm and space. His presence infuses every single mote of dust. Thus his body is said to be boundless, / Spreading to fill the worlds of the ten directions. The Buddha’s body does not appear only in one world. All worlds throughout the ten directions of the Dharma Realm and space are filled with the Buddha’s Dharma body. His faculties are adorned and pure, delighting all who see him. The Buddha’s body is adorned with the Thirty-two Hallmarks and Eighty Subtle Characteristics. All his faculties are perfect and pure. Therefore, everyone who sees the Buddha is delighted. Mountain-ruling Spirit Lofty Banner understands and enters this Dharma. She understands this state, this passage into liberation, and this principle. 

Sutra:

He practiced intensely for eons without growing lax.
Untainted by worldly things, he resembles space.
With various skillful means, he transforms the flocks of beings.
The one named Jeweled Topknot awakens to this Dharma door.  

Commentary:

He practiced intensely from beginningless time until now, through an unknown number of great eons, without growing lax. The Buddha was never lazy. He was brave and vigorous, never letting a second pass in vain. He cherished every second as if it were worth more than gold. Our Chan sessions and Buddha recitation sessions are examples of intense practice. During the Buddha recitation sessions, we rise at four in the morning and recite the Buddha’s name, putting effort in cultivation all day long and not resting until ten o’clock at night. This is diligent cultivation. We diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and extinguish greed, anger, and delusion, and in our cultivation we do not grow lax or lazy. We cultivate that way during Buddha recitation sessions.

During Chan sessions, we are even more vigorous, starting at 2:30 in the morning and retiring at midnight. We sleep only two hours or so each night. That’s another case of diligent cultivation. But we cultivate this way only for a limited time. Our Buddha recitation sessions are one week long, and our Chan sessions are two weeks long. The Buddha isn’t as lazy as we are. He doesn’t have any fixed sessions. He is diligent day after day, month after month, year after year. In general, he is diligent at all times.

Since he never slacks off, he is untainted by worldly dharmas, such as fame, profit, wealth, beauty, fame, food, and sleep. Those are things that worldly people like. They like to eat good food. One kind is not enough; they demand a variety of dishes. And the better the food, the more their appetite grows. Thus, food is a worldly dharma, as is clothing. People enjoy wearing fine clothes. The better-dressed they are, the more they want to acquire even finer apparel. Wanting a fine house is also a worldly dharma. So is wanting to sleep longer hours. When one is defiled by worldly dharmas, one cannot achieve transcendental Dharma. When worldly dharmas prevail, transcendental Dharma seems insignificant. When transcendental Dharma takes precedence, worldly dharmas fade into the background.

The Buddha concentrated on transcendental Dharmas alone. Untainted by worldly dharmas, he resembles space. He is like clean and unpolluted air. Having cultivated the Unsurpassed Way and realized Buddhahood, with various skillful means, not just one, he transforms the flocks of beings. He uses many different expedient means to teach and transform the various kinds of sentient beings. The one named Jeweled Topknot awakens to this Dharma door. The Mountain-ruling Spirit who awakens to this Dharma door is called Immaculate Jeweled Topknot. She understands this state.

Sutra:

Blind and in the dark, s entient beings enter dangerous paths.
Out of pity, the Buddha shines his light upon them,
Waking everyone in the world from their slumbers.
Upon realizing this, Awesome Light is jubilant.  

Commentary:

Sentient beings refers to people and all other beings endowed with blood and breath. Blind refers to the lack of eyesight, and in the dark means not being able to see the light. Sentient beings are extremely foolish. They wish to walk a good path, but because they have no eyes, they enter dangerous paths — paths filled with pits, puddles, jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards, rakshasa ghosts, or other ghosts and spirits.

Sentient beings in the world start out wanting to find a good method of practice, but in their foolishness they fail to recognize a good path and instead walk straight into deviant cults and heterodox sects. They go astray without even realizing it; they think they are on the right path. Even when they fall into the hells after death, they still don’t realize they are on a dangerous and evil path. This is very dangerous.

Out of pity for sentient beings who mistake right for wrong and wrong for right, who confuse black with white and white with black, who are so upside down that they mistake a thief for their son, the Buddha shines his light upon them, / Waking everyone in the world from their slumbers, causing them to bring forth great wisdom and attain enlightenment.

Upon realizing this, Awesome Light is jubilant. Mountain-ruling Spirit Light Shining through the Ten Directions, also known as Universally Shining Awesome Light, understands this passage into liberation and has insight into this principle, and this makes her tremendously happy.  

Sutra:

He cultivated extensively in all realms of existence,
Making offerings to Buddhas as countless as dustmotes in lands.
Upon seeing him, sentient beings bring forth great vows.
Great Strength understands and enters this ground.  

Commentary:

Before the Buddha achieved Buddhahood, he was the same as all sentient beings. But he brought forth a great resolve and cultivated extensively in all realms of existence, within the Three Realms and Twenty-five Planes of Existence. How did he cultivate? By making offerings to Buddhas as countless as dustmotes in lands. Why did he make offerings to Buddhas? Because Buddhas are the most virtuous, most cultivated, and most wise people both in and beyond the world. Buddhas are Doubly Complete Honored Ones of Perfect Enlightenment. Their blessings and wisdom are both complete, and they have achieved the fruition of Perfect Great Enlightenment. Thus, we ought to make offerings to Buddhas.

“Well, if I make offerings to Buddhas, can I also make offerings to sentient beings?” Sure. If you feed your pet dog, you are making offerings to it. If you raise a horse or a pig, you are also making offerings to it. However, such offerings accrue no merit or virtue. You are keeping them alive, but they cannot help you increase your blessings. The Sutra in Forty-two Sections says that making offerings to a hundred evil people is not as good as making offerings to a good person. That is, the merit and virtue are not as great. Making offerings to a thousand good people does not accrue as much merit as making offerings to one Upasaka or Upasika who has received and upholds the Five Precepts. The merit of making offerings to ten thousand Upasakas and Upasikas who uphold the Five Precepts is not as great as that of making offerings to a Bhikshu or Bhikshuni who has left the home-life. Making offerings to a million Bhikshus and Bhikshunis is not as meritorious as making offerings to a First Stage Arhat.

And so laypeople like to invite a thousand monks to a vegetarian meal, thinking that there will certainly be one Arhat among so many monks. Since it is impossible for one to be acquainted with so many monks, the Arhat can slip in among them without fear of being recognized.

Making offerings to ten million First Stage Arhats (Srotaapannas) is not as good as making offerings to one Second Stage Arhat (Sakridgamin). Making offerings to a hundred million Second Stage Arhats is not as good as making offerings to one Third Stage Arhat (Anagamin). Making offerings to ten billion Third Stage Arhats is not as good as making offerings to one Fourth Stage Arhat. There are that many distinctions in offerings made to Sages.

Making offerings to limitlessly many Fourth Stage Arhats is not as good as making offerings to “one who is without cultivation and without realization”—a Buddha. A Buddha need not engage in further cultivation or realization. He has already finished his cultivation and need not undergo further existence. He has perfected the three kinds of enlightenment and is endowed with the myriad virtues. Therefore, one should make offerings to a Buddha.

When Shakyamuni Buddha was cultivating at the level of planting causes, he also made offerings to Buddhas—not just to one Buddha, but to Buddhas as many as motes of dust in lands. Having made offerings to infinitely many Buddhas, he increased his good roots and become endowed with the special hallmarks and characteristics.

Upon seeing him, the Buddha, sentient beings bring forth great vows. All those who have left the home-life to become novices at Gold Mountain Monastery should make great vows to achieve a great fruition. If you don’t make great vows, you won’t realize any fruition. Those who have left home at Gold Mountain Monastery should become Fourth Stage Arhats at the very least. Then we will not let down the donors of the ten directions who have made offerings to us. Therefore, we must make great vows.

Mountain-ruling Spirit Light of Great Strength understands and enters this ground. She understands and awakens to this Dharma door, this state and passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

He witnesses the misery of sentient beings in transmigration,
Perpetually caught up in all their karmic hindrances.
With wisdom’s radiance he extinguishes their woes.
The Spirit Universally Supreme is liberated thus.  

Wondrous sounds issue from each and every pore,
Praising the Buddhas in accord with sentient beings’ hearts.
This lasts for measureless eons throughout the ten directions.
Orb of Light enters this passage.  

Commentary:

He witnesses the misery of sentient beings in transmigration . The Buddha sees sentient beings going round and round without end in the six paths of rebirth, suffering piteously. Why do they flow and turn in birth and death? It’s because they are perpetually caught up in all their karmic hindrances. These karmic hindrances come about when they become deluded, create karma, and then undergo retribution. With such karmic hindrances, they cannot cultivate. They are perpetually tied up and shrouded by their karmic hindrances. With wisdom’s radiance he extinguishes their woes. The Buddha uses his wisdom to dispel sentient beings’ ignorance and obstacles of dark delusion. The Mountain-ruling Spirit Universally Supreme is liberated thus. She understands this passage into liberation.

Wondrous sounds issue f rom each and every pore on the Buddha’s body, speaking Dharma for sentient beings, proclaiming wondrous and inconceivable Dharma doors, praising the Buddhas in accord with sentient beings’ hearts. / This lasts for measureless eons throughout the worlds of the ten directions. It is not only in one world that the Buddha emits wondrous sounds to teach and transform sentient beings and speak Dharma for them. It is not only for a short time that he teaches and transforms sentient beings, butthroughout measureless eons. Mountain-Ruling Orb of Light enters and understands this passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

The Buddha appears all throughout the ten directions.
Using various expedients, he speaks the wonderful Dharma.
With an ocean of practices, he benefits beings widely.
The Spirit Seeing the Manifest awakens thus.  

Commentary:

The Buddha appears before sentient beings all throughout the ten directions. / Using various expedients, he speaks the wonderful Dharma, teaching sentient beings and speaking Dharma for them even in their dreams. When they are awake, the Buddha uses a vast array of expedient means to teach them. With an ocean of practices, he benefits beings widely. The practices the Buddha cultivates to benefit sentient beings are as profuse and boundless as an ocean. The Mountain-ruling Spirit Universal Eye Seeing the Manifest awakens thus. She understands this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Dharma doors as boundless and measureless as the ocean
Are spoken with a single sound, yet understood by all.
The Buddha expounds endlessly throughout every eon.
Vajra Eyes enters this expedient means.  

Commentary:

The Buddha’s Dharma doors, which are as boundless and measureless as the great ocean, / Are spoken with a single sound, yet understood by all. The Buddha proclaims the Dharma with a single sound, and sentient beings each understand according to their kind.

The Buddha expounds endlessly throughout every eon. The Buddha never tires of speaking the Dharma. He speaks Dharma constantly in order to teach and transform sentient beings. Mountain-ruling Spirit Solid Vajra Eyes enters this passage into liberation of expedient means and understands this state.

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