The Buddha's wisdom and radiance are like the sun, because they shine upon the entire earth, lighting up even the remotest corners of darkness.
Sunrise, sun rays, and morning scenes...
The Avatamsaka Sutra:
The deep and profound wisdom of all Buddhas
Is like the sun arising in the world.
In each and every one of the countries
It universally appears without resting,
Penetrating all in the world.
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua:
The deep and profound wisdom of all Buddhas is like the sun arising in the sky in the world, so all living beings see the sun whose light shines everywhere in the world. In each and every one of the countries in all the worlds It universally appears without resting. No matter what country it is, the sun shines there. So, too, the Buddhas’ wisdom shines
National Master Ch'ing Liang's Preface to the Flower Adornment Sutra:
To examine its profound purport,
And then look into other Sutras:
It is like a sunrise glorious in the sky
Dimming multitudes of luminaries’ splendor;
Like Sumeru which spreads across the seas
Lowering retinues of peaks’ high altitudes.
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua :
National Master Ch’ing Liang, bringing up another example to act as an analogy for the Flower Adornment Sutra, goes on to say, To examine its profound purport. If you investigate this mysterious and wonderful Sutra, and examine its mysterious and wonderful purport, and then look into other Sutras ... If, after having read the Flower Adornment Sutra, you then go on to read other Sutras, or recite them, it is like a sunrise glorious in the sky. It resembles the time when the sun, upon first arising, makes the light of the stars all disappear, thereby Dimming multitudes of luminaries’ splendor.
The multitudes of luminaries are all the other stars and the moon, the splendor, that is, the light of which the sun absorbs, to the point of virtually extinguishing them, since it makes all their light disappear. Even though in the evening there are so many stars and the moon is so bright, they are still not as bright as the sun. The Flower Adornment Sutra is like the light of the sun which dims the light of all the stars and the moon, outshining them so that they are no more. That is to say, within the Flower Adornment Sutra are exhaustively discussed all of the principles found in all the other Sutras, and so it is described as dimming all their splendor, all their light.
It is also like Sumeru which spreads across the seas. Mount Sumeru is “Wonderfully High” Mountain, which is in the midst of seas of fragrant water, and acts as if it spread out across the seas, lowering retinues of peaks’ high altitudes. Other mountains, when compared to Mount Sumeru, all fall, and so it is said to lower them. That is, the peaks of all other mountains are lower, none of them being as high as that of Mount Sumeru. Now, the Flower Adornment Sutra is higher than any other sutra, in the same way that Mount Sumeru, King of Mountains, is higher than any other mountain, so says, like Sumeru which spreads across the seas, lowering retinues of peaks’ high altitudes...
...The first period of the Buddha’s teaching of Dharma is called the Avatamsaka period. The Avatamsaka period is likened to the time when the sun is first rising, for when the sun first rises it first illumines the high mountains. The high mountains represent the great Bodhisattvas. The Avatamsaka Sutra teaches and transforms great Bodhisattvas...
...The Flower Adornment Sutra is also like the sun, which everywhere illumines the Great Thousand World-Realm, bringing warmth to every single living being...
...The Flower Adornment Sutra is also like the great earth, which can produce and grow the myriad existing things. Therefore, it can be said that any period in which the Flower Adornment Sutra exists is a period in which the Proper Dharma long remains...
After sunrise, the frost will melt and evaporate...
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