The Flower Adornment sutra

One of the more valuable sutras ever to come into print is The Flower Ornament Scripture by Thomas Cleary.  To date, the entire sutra has not been published online in English.  Cleary’s translation boasts over 1500 pages in one volume.  It sells for $125 dollars but it is well worth the investment.  Of course, if you can obtain a used copy it will be cheaper and a real find.

Buddha Shakyamuni preached this particular sutra in heaven shortly after his attainment of Buddhahood.  The sutra reveals many detailed explanations of the stages towards full awakening.  For those individuals that have developed great compassion, this sutra would be profoundly helpful.  Some of the main chapters are:

• chapter 26 – The Ten Stages
• chapter 27 – The Ten Concentrations
• chapter 28 – The Ten Superknowledges
• chapter 29 – The Ten Acceptances
• chapter 30 – Asamkhyeyas
• chapter 31 – Life Spans

I have found this sutra to be very precious because it goes into greater depth than other sutras do about the ten bhumis.  These bhumis are literally stages the bodhisattva must go through in order to obtain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi – supreme perfect enlightenment.  It also reveals how to enter Avatamsaka World (Buddha’s world) from the Saha World from the view of the third-turning of the wheel of dharma. 

To date, not all of this deep sutra has found its way on line.  The following are some wonderful quotations that are not commonly known:

The Ten Stages chapter:

The enlightening being Moon of Liberation said, “With how much virtue do they become imbued who hear the book on the way into the teaching of accumulation of the qualities of omniscience?”

The enlightening being Diamond Matrix said, “As much as derives from omniscience, that much would the quantity of virtue be, owing to the objective embraced by the determination for omniscience.  As much virtue as accrues from the objective embraced by determination for omniscience, that much virtue would be attained by turning to this teaching.  Why?

None but enlightening beings can hear this book on the way into the teaching of accumulation of the qualities of omniscience, or devote themselves to it, or take to it, or take it up, or hold it, or preserve it, much less cultivate it, act on it, apply it, foster it, or attain it.

Thus it is those who follow the way to omniscience that can preserve it, those who hear this book on the way to accumulate the qualities of omniscience, and, having heard it, devote themselves to it, preserve it, and apply it in practice.”

The Sagely City of 10,000 Buddhas website has the The Flower Adornment Sutra posted but unfortunately only 16 out of 40 chapters are translated.  The full title is the “Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra” which is the longest Sutra in Mahayana Buddhism.  It is often referred to by Buddhist scholars as “the King of Kings of Buddhist scripture”.

The merits of giving this sutra to others (to read) is as follows:

Whoever wants to honor the buddhas,
Or individual illuminates or Buddhist disciples,
Should rouse firm determination for enlightenment
And always give this lofty scripture.

For this is the king of all good messages;
It has emerged from all the buddhas.
The Buddha is in the house
Where this scripture-jewel is placed.

Who passes on even one line from this scripture
Will attain pure and endless light;
One who gives this scripture to others
Will not be deprived of a syllable, of a meaning.

Supreme is that one among guides of humanity;
No being can be found like this one;
Having heard and accomplished this teaching,
One will be inexhaustible as the ocean.

The Ten Concentrations chapter:

These are the gates of the characteristics of the principles of enlightening beings; these are the gates of the knowledge and awareness of enlightening beings; these are the gates of the invincible knowledge of all means of liberation; these are the gates of the practices vowed by the Universally Good enlightening being; these are the gates of the undertakings of penetrating spiritual powers; these are the gates of all mnemonic command and powers of elucidation; these are the gates to the differentiations of all things of past, present, and future; these are the gates of manifestations of all buddhas; these are the gates to stabilizing all beings by universal knowledge; these are the gates to beautifying and purifying all worlds by means of spiritual powers of buddhas.

What are the ten concentrations?

1. the great concentration of universal light
2. the great concentration of subtle light
3. the great concentration of successive journeying to the buddha-lands
4. the great concentration of the action of the pure profound mind
5. the great concentration of knowledge of the stores of adornments of the past
6. the great concentration of the treasury of light of knowledge
7. the great concentration of knowledge of the adornments of the buddhas of all worlds
8. the great concentration of the differentiated bodies of sentient beings
9. the great concentration of freedom in the elemental cosmos
10. the great concentration of the unimpeded wheel

The result of the fifth concentration:

“When those great enlightening beings emerge from this concentration, they receive ten kinds of inconceivable anointment from the Enlightened, and also attain, purify, consummate, enter, realize, fulfill, and hold them, comprehending them equally, the three spheres pure.

What are the ten?

One, explanation not violating meaning; two, inexhaustibility of teaching; three, impeccable expression; four, endless eloquence; five, freedom from hesitation; six, truthfulness of speech; seven, the trust of the community; eight, liberating those in the triple world; nine, supreme excellence of roots of goodness; ten, command of the wondrous Teaching. These are the ten anointments.

When enlightening beings enter this concentration and emerge from it, immediately they become like a spirit when it enters the womb, the consciousness instantly being born therein — in the same way, when the great enlightening beings emerge from this concentration, in the presence of the Enlightened they instantly attain these ten qualities. This is called the technical knowledge of the great enlightening beings’ fifth great concentration, the concentration of knowledge of the stores of adornments of the past.”

Additional Note:

If you like sutras feel free to join our Buddhist Sutras Yahoo group for inspirational quotes such as the ones above.

Be well,
Neo

The meaning of 108

I always smile when MH, the Barefoot Herbalist, keeps asking others, “What is the meaning of the number 108?”  Mysteriously it keeps being revealed to him in various ways in his daily life.  He believes no one will ever know the answer.  However, with a little help the meaning can be known.

In the mystical world, especially to Buddhists, the number 108 is a metaphor for the number of steps required in order to completely “graduate” from this earth plane.  The mind’s labyrinth is deep and complex.  To accomplish this path, first one must discern the 8 consciousnesses and the 10 bhumis.  Putting them together equals 108.

The aspirant is required to develop the mind by sharpening the practice of concentration (shamatha) and insight (vipashana) meditation.

Along with learning, reflecting and meditating one is able to progress through all of these stages of practice.  This is the real meaning of Ascension.

According to the Hinayana path, the Arhat (hearer) and Pratyekabuddha (solitary realizer) have four stages of enlightenment:

1. stream-enterer
2. once-returner
3. non-returner
4. fruition (arhant)

However, according to the Mahayana path, the Bodhisattva (enlightening being or hero) ascends through the grounds (bhumis) to achieve the goal of complete enlightenment with the compassionate intention to reduce the suffering of all sentient beings.

The structure of the stupa represents the enlightened mind of the Buddha. The one above is exactly 108 feet tall.  It is an architectural representation of the entire Buddhist path.  Click the image to learn more about the symbolism of the stupa.  The body, speech, and mind of enlightenment is contained therein.  The Avatamsaka Sutra explains the first part of the number 108 in relation to each of the ten bhūmis:

TEN BHUMIS

1. The first bhumi – the Very Joyous. In which one rejoices at realizing a partial aspect of the truth
2. The second bhumi – the Stainless. In which one is free from all defilement
3. The third bhumi – the Luminous. In which one radiates the light of wisdom
4. The fourth bhumi – the Radiant. In which the radiant flame of wisdom burns away earthly desires
5. The fifth bhumi – the Difficult to Cultivate. In which one surmounts the illusions of darkness, or ignorance as the Middle Way
6. The sixth bhumi – the Manifest. In which supreme wisdom begins to manifest
7. The seventh bhumi – the Gone Afar. In which one rises above the states of the Two vehicles
8. The eighth bhumi – the Immovable. In which one dwells firmly in the truth of the Middle Way and cannot be perturbed by anything
9. The ninth bhumi – the Good Intelligence. In which one preaches the Law freely and without restriction
10. The tenth bhumi – the Cloud of Doctrine. In which one benefits all sentient beings with the Law (Dharma), just as a cloud sends down rain impartially on all things

The second part of the mystical number 108 explains the following eight consciousnesses  in depth:

EIGHT CONSCIOUSNESSES

1. First consciousness: “Eye-consciousness”; seeing apprehended by the visual sense organs
2. Second consciousness: “Ear-consciousness”; hearing apprehended by the auditory sense organs
3. Third consciousness: “Nose-consciousness”; smelling apprehended through the olfactory organs
4. Fourth consciousness: “Tongue-consciousness”; tasting perceived through the gustatory organs
5. Fifth consciousness: “Body-consciousness”; tactile feeling apprehended through skin contact, touch
6. Sixth consciousness: “Ideation-consciousness”; mano vijnana, the aspect of mind known in Sanskrit as the “mind monkey”; the consciousness of ideation
7. Seventh consciousness: “Obscuration-consciousness”; manas vijnana, “obscuration”, “poison”, “enemy”, “ideation”, “moving mind”, “monkey mind” (volition); a consciousness which through apprehension, gathers the hindrances, the poisons, the karmic formations
8. Eighth consciousness: “store-house consciousness”; alaya vijnana, also seed consciousness (bija vijnana); “the consciousness which is the basis of the other seven”. The seven prior consciousnesses are based and founded upon the eighth. It is the aggregate which administers and yields rebirth; this idea may in some respects be compared to the usage of the word “citta” in the agamas. In the early texts the sankhara-khandha plays some of the roles ascribed to the store-house consciousness by later Yogacara thinkers.

While practicing serious meditation and then going through all the dhyanas, samapattis, and samadhis one slowly purifies all their negative karmas, afflictive emotions, and cognitive obscurations which enable one to rises through the 10 levels.  At the 11th Bhumi one becomes a super-man, a fully realized being called a Buddha – the fully Awakened One.

Good Luck!
Neo