大方廣佛華嚴經

6. CHAPTER SIX: VAIROCANA

(Complete Chinese Edition, Fascicle 11)

Bodhisattva Samantabhadra again addressed the assembly: “Children of the Buddhas! In the distant past, more dust-mote-numbered kalpas ago than there are dust motes in a world, and then again nearly twice that span of time, there was an ocean of worlds named Universal Gate of Pure Radiance.

Within that ocean of worlds was a world named Supreme Sound. It rested upon an ocean of mani nets and was surrounded by worlds as numerous as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru of Taming. It was round and level. That realm was endowed with immeasurable adornments. Three hundred tiers of jeweled trees encircled its surrounding mountain ranges. Jeweled clouds spread overhead as canopies. It was pure, undefiled, and brilliantly radiant. Its cities and palaces resembled Mount Sumeru. Clothing, food, and drink appeared whenever they were thought of. That kalpa was named Manifold Adornments.

Children of the Buddhas! In that realm of Supreme Sound was an ocean of fragrant water named Pure Radiance. From within this ocean arose a great lotus-shaped Mount Sumeru named Blazing Flower Banner of Universal Adornment, encircled by railings made of ten kinds of precious substances.

Upon that mountain was a great forest named Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches. There were immeasurable beautiful towers, immeasurable jeweled residences and courtyards, immeasurable banners of wondrous fragrance, and immeasurable banners of jeweled mountains, all supremely adorned. Immeasurable precious white lotuses bloomed everywhere, and immeasurable fragrant nets of mani lotuses spread throughout.

Harmonious and delightful music resounded, while clouds of fragrance shone brilliantly; all these were immeasurable and beyond enumeration.

Altogether, a million kotis of nayutas of cities surrounded it, and people dwelt within them.

To the east of the forest was a great city named Blazing Radiance, the capital of the human king. It was surrounded by a million kotis of nayutas of cities and measured seven thousand yojanas across. It was constructed of pure and wondrous jewels, with outer walls made of the seven precious substances.

Its towers and defensive turrets were magnificent. Seven tiers of jeweled moats were filled with fragrant water, in which lotuses of four colors—blue, yellow, red, and white—vied with one another in beauty. Seven rows of jeweled tala trees encircled it.

Its towers and palaces were all made of precious jewels, and jeweled nets spread over them as canopies. Fragrant, luminous flowers were scattered everywhere. It had a million kotis of nayutas of great gates, all fashioned of jewels.

Before every gate, forty-nine sila banners stood arranged in orderly rows. A million kotis of nayutas of gardens also encircled the city. Within them grew many kinds of trees of varied fragrance and fragrant mani trees whose scents pervaded everywhere.

Beautiful birds sang in harmony, delighting all who heard them.

Among the inhabitants of this great city, there was no one who did not possess supernatural powers from birth and the freedom to fly. Their conduct was like that of devas, and whatever they required appeared according to their wishes.

Adjacent to this great city, toward the south, was a celestial city named Adorned with Tree-Flowers.

Proceeding clockwise from that celestial city was a great naga city named Ultimate Consummation.

Next was a yaksha city named Supreme Wondrous Vajra Banner.

Next was a gandharva city named Wondrous Palace.

Next was an asura city named Jeweled Wheel.

Next was a garuda city named Adorned with Wondrous Jewels.

Next was a kinnara city named Joyful Play.

Next was a mahoraga city named Vajra Banner.

Next was a city of the Brahma Heaven King named Manifold Wondrous Adornments.

There were a million kotis of nayutas of cities such as these. Each city contained a million kotis of nayutas of towers adorned in immeasurable ways.

Children of the Buddhas! Within this great forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches was a bodhimanda named Jeweled Flower of Universal Illumination, universally adorned with precious jewels. Jeweled mani flowers bloomed together there. Fragrant lamps of every beautiful jeweled color were lit. Luminous clouds spread as canopies, and nets of light shone brilliantly. Its adornments continually produced wondrous jewels. All musical instruments constantly played harmonious and elegant sounds. Mani king jewels manifested the bodies of bodhisattvas. Every kind of beautiful flower pervaded the ten directions.

Before that bodhimanda was a great ocean named Fragrant Mani Vajra, containing a great lotus named Blazing Wheel of Flower Stamens. That flower was a hundred kotis of yojanas in breadth. Its stalk, petals, stamens, and seedpod were all made of wondrous jewels. It was surrounded by ten ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of lotuses. It constantly emitted radiance and continually resounded with wondrous voices that reached throughout the ten directions.

Children of the Buddhas! During the earliest kalpa of the world of Supreme Sound, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust motes of ten Mount Sumerus appeared in the world. The first was the Buddha named Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits.

Children of the Buddhas! One hundred years before that Buddha appeared in the world, everything in the forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches became pure and adorned. Clouds of blazing jewels appeared, resounding with voices praising the Buddha’s merits and proclaiming the sounds of countless Buddhas.

They emitted light like nets spreading over the ten directions. Palaces and towers illuminated one another. Luminous jeweled flowers flew together and formed clouds.

Wondrous voices also resounded, revealing the vast roots of goodness that beings had cultivated in the past, reciting the names of the Buddhas of the three times, describing the ultimate path and the practices and vows cultivated by bodhisattvas, and proclaiming the words spoken by Tathagatas as they turned the Dharma wheel.

Such signs of adornment appeared as auspicious portents of the Tathagata’s advent in the world.

All the kings in the world of Supreme Sound saw and heard these signs of adornment. Their roots of goodness thereby matured, and, wishing to behold the Buddha, they all went to the bodhimanda.

At that time, within the great lotus at the bodhimanda, the Buddha Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits suddenly appeared, complete with precious marks and characteristics and boundless, wondrous, pure forms.

The Buddha’s image appeared in every palace, and all beings were able to behold him.

From the Buddha’s body appeared boundless transformation Buddhas of many radiant colors, filling the Dharma realm.

In the world of Supreme Sound were sixty-eight thousand kotis of Mount Sumerus. The Buddha manifested a body seated upon the summit of every mountain, just as he appeared seated upon the jeweled throne in the forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches.

The Buddha emitted light from the white hair-mark between his brows. This radiance was named Sound That Awakens All Roots of Goodness and was accompanied by rays of light as numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha lands, illuminating all lands throughout the ten directions.

Whenever there were beings ready to be tamed, that light shone upon them, and they immediately awakened of themselves, ended their afflictions, tore through the net of delusion, toppled the mountain of obstructions, cleansed away defilement and turbidity, gave rise to great faith and understanding, generated supreme roots of goodness, forever escaped all terrifying perils, eliminated every suffering of body and mind, gave rise to the aspiration to behold the Buddha, and advanced toward all-knowledge.

At that time, all the kings, together with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of their retinues, were awakened by the Buddha’s radiance. They all went to where the Buddha was and bowed their heads at his feet.

Children of the Buddhas! In the great city of Blazing Radiance, King Joyful Vision and Good Wisdom ruled over a million kotis of nayutas of cities. Lady Auspicious Merit was foremost among an ineffable seventeen thousand myriads of ladies and palace women. Crown Prince Great Majestic Radiance was foremost among five hundred princes. The Crown Prince had ten thousand ladies, among whom Lady Wondrous Vision was foremost.

When Crown Prince Great Majestic Radiance beheld the Buddha’s light, through the power of roots of goodness cultivated in the past he immediately realized ten Dharma gateways:

First, the gateway of the Samadhi of the Wheel of the Buddhas’ Merits. Second, the gateway of the Dharani of the Universal Gate of the Buddhas’ Dharma. Third, the gateway of the Prajnaparamita of the Vast Treasury of Skillful Means.

Fourth, the gateway of Great Loving-Kindness of the Great Adornment That Tames Beings. Fifth, the gateway of Great Equanimity of the Universal Cloud of Sounds. Sixth, the gateway of Great Joy of the Supreme Mind That Produces Boundless Merit.

Seventh, the gateway of Great Impartiality That Awakens to All Dharmas as They Truly Are. Eighth, the gateway of Great Supernatural Powers of the Vast and Equal Treasury of Skillful Means. Ninth, the gateway of the Great Vow That Increases the Power of Faith and Understanding.

Tenth, the gateway of Eloquent Radiance That Universally Enters All-Knowledge.

At that time, Crown Prince Great Majestic Radiance, empowered by the Buddha’s awesome might, surveyed the great assembly and spoke these verses:

Children of the Buddhas! When Crown Prince Great Majestic Radiance spoke these verses, through the Buddha’s spiritual power his voice resounded throughout the world of Supreme Sound.

After King Joyful Vision and Good Wisdom heard the verses, he rejoiced greatly. Surveying his retinue, the King spoke these verses:

At that time, King Joyful Vision and Good Wisdom, together with his Lady, princes, great ministers, and retinues—a total of seventy-seven hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of people—departed together from the city of Blazing Radiance. Through the power of the King’s merit, they traveled through the air. Their offerings filled the entire sky. Upon reaching the bodhimanda, the whole assembly bowed to the Buddha and then sat to one side.

Deva King Banner of Excellent Transformation from the city of Wondrous Flowers assembled there together with a retinue of ten kotis of nayutas.

Naga King Pure Radiance from the city of Ultimate Consummation assembled there together with twenty-five kotis of attendants.

Yaksha King Fierce and Strong from the city of Supreme Vajra Banner assembled there together with seventy-seven kotis of attendants.

Gandharva King Joyful Vision from the city of Stainlessness assembled there together with ninety-seven kotis of attendants.

Asura King Pure Form and Contemplation from the city of Wondrous Wheel assembled there together with fifty-eight kotis of attendants.

Garuda King Practice of the Ten Powers from the city of Wondrous Adornment assembled there together with ninety-nine thousand attendants.

Kinnara King Vajra Virtue from the city of Joyful Play assembled there together with eighteen kotis of attendants.

Mahoraga King Banner of Jeweled Renown from the city of Vajra Banner assembled there together with ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of attendants.

Brahma King Supreme One from the city of Pure Wondrous Adornment assembled there together with eighteen kotis of attendants.

From the million kotis of nayutas of great cities such as these, all the kings and their retinues came together to the bodhimanda, bowed to the Tathagata Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits, and then sat to one side.

At that time, wishing to tame all beings, the Tathagata Supreme Cloud, amid the oceanic assembly at the bodhimanda, expounded the sutra called Universal Collection of the Sovereign Dharmas of All Buddhas of the Three Times, together with other sutras as numerous as the dust motes in a world. In accordance with the minds of beings, he enabled them all to receive benefit.

After hearing this Dharma, Bodhisattva Great Majestic Radiance immediately realized the ocean of Dharma radiance accumulated by the Buddha Supreme Cloud in past lives, namely:

The wisdom-radiance of the samadhi of the equality of all collections of dharmas; the wisdom-radiance in which all dharmas enter and abide within the initial bodhi-mind; the wisdom-radiance of the pure eye of the treasury of universal radiance throughout the Dharma realms of the ten directions; the wisdom-radiance that contemplates the ocean of great vows of all Buddha-Dharmas; the wisdom-radiance that enters the pure practices of the boundless ocean of merit; the wisdom-radiance that advances toward the treasury of swift, great power of non-retrogression; the wisdom-radiance of immeasurable transformative power within the wheel of liberation throughout the Dharma realm; the wisdom-radiance that decisively enters the ocean of immeasurable and perfect merit;

the wisdom-radiance that comprehends the ocean of supernatural powers manifested before all beings by the boundless Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm; and the wisdom-radiance that comprehends the Dharma powers and fearlessnesses of all Buddhas.

Having attained immeasurable wisdom-radiances such as these, Bodhisattva Great Majestic Radiance, empowered by the Buddha’s awesome might, spoke these verses:

Children of the Buddhas! At that time, because Bodhisattva Great Majestic Radiance had beheld and made offerings to the Buddha Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits, his mind awakened. For the sake of the world, he then revealed the ocean of practices cultivated by the Tathagata in the past; revealed the skillful means practiced by bodhisattvas in the past; revealed the pure wisdom that universally enters the entire Dharma realm; revealed the sovereign power of attaining Buddhahood in every bodhimanda; revealed the Buddha’s power of fearlessness and non-discriminating wisdom; revealed the universal manifestation of Tathagata bodies; revealed the Buddha’s inconceivable spiritual transformations; revealed the adornment and purification of immeasurable Buddha lands;

and revealed the practices and vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

By revealing these things for the world, he caused beings as numerous as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru to arouse the bodhi-mind, and caused beings as numerous as the dust motes in Buddha lands to accomplish the Tathagata’s pure lands.

At that time, the Tathagata Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits spoke these verses for Bodhisattva Great Majestic Radiance:

Children of the Buddhas! Within that kalpa of Great Adornment were minor kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and human beings had a lifespan of two minor kalpas.

Children of the Buddhas! The Buddha Supreme Cloud of Mount Sumeru of All Merits lived for five billion years. After that Buddha entered nirvana, the Buddha King Adorned with the Excellent Eye of Paramita appeared in the world and likewise attained perfect enlightenment at the bodhimanda in the forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches.

At that time, the youth Great Majestic Radiance saw the Buddha King Adorned with the Excellent Eye manifest supernatural powers upon attaining Buddhahood. He immediately realized a samadhi of recollection of the Buddha named Gateway to the Treasury of the Boundless Ocean; attained a dharani named Abyss of Dharma of the Power of Great Wisdom; attained a great loving-kindness named Universally Following Beings to Tame, Liberate, and Deliver Them; attained a great compassion named Cloud Covering All Realms; attained a great joy named Treasury of the Awesome Power of the Ocean of All Buddhas’ Merits; attained a great impartiality named Pure Equality of the Space of Dharma-Nature; attained a prajnaparamita named Pure Body of the Dharma Realm, Whose Own Nature Is Free from Defilement;

immediately attained a supernatural power named Unobstructed Light Universally Manifesting in Accordance with Beings; attained eloquence named Skillfully Entering the Stainless Abyss; and attained a wisdom-light named Pure Treasury of All Buddha-Dharmas.

Thus he comprehended ten thousand Dharma gateways.

The youth Great Majestic Radiance, empowered by the Buddha’s awesome might, spoke these verses for his retinue:

The Buddha’s body universally emits great radiance;
His boundless forms and marks are supremely pure.
Like clouds they fill every land,
Everywhere praising the Buddha’s merits.

Wherever the Buddha’s light shines, all rejoice,
And the sufferings of beings are entirely dispelled;
It causes all to become reverent and give rise to loving-kindness—
Such is the Tathagata’s sovereign functioning.

He pours forth inconceivable clouds of transformation
And emits nets of light in immeasurable colors,
Filling all worlds throughout the ten directions—
These are transformations of the Buddha’s supernatural powers.

From every pore of the Buddha appear clouds of light,
Illuminating all space and resounding with mighty voices;
They shine into every place of darkness,
And all the sufferings of the hells are eliminated.

The Tathagata’s wondrous voice pervades the ten directions,
Fully expressing every kind of speech;
It accords with the wholesome karma of all beings—
Such are the Buddha’s spiritual transformations.

Within immeasurable and boundless oceans of assemblies,
The Buddha appears in every Dharma gathering,
Universally turning the inexhaustible, wondrous Dharma wheel
And taming all beings.

The Buddha’s supernatural powers are originally boundless,
Appearing within every land;
The Buddha’s wisdom is thus forever unobstructed,
And for the liberation of beings he attains perfect enlightenment.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, the verses of the youth Great Majestic Radiance were unobstructed. They were heard throughout all worlds, and immeasurable beings aroused the bodhi-mind.

The youth Great Majestic Radiance, together with his royal father, royal mother, and retinue, and immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of beings, spread jeweled canopies like clouds and went together to the bodhimanda of the Buddha King Adorned with the Excellent Eye of Paramita.

For this great assembly, the Buddha expounded the sutra called Pure Adornment of Dharma-Nature, together with sutras as numerous as the dust motes in an ocean of worlds.

After hearing the sutra, this great assembly attained pure wisdom; attained entry into all pure skillful means; attained the Stage of Stainless Light; attained the paramita gateway called Manifesting the Adornments Delighted In by All Worlds; attained the gateway of increasingly vast practice called Pure Vision of Boundless Light Universally Entering All Lands; attained the gateway of the practice of directed progress called Stainless Cloud of Merit and Banner of Radiance; attained the gateway of entry in accord with realization called Vast Radiance of the Ocean of All Dharmas; attained the practice of progressively deep aspiration called Adornment of Great Wisdom; attained the wisdom of anointment called Supremely Wondrous Vision Cultivated Without Effort;

attained great revealing radiance called Luminous Images of the Characteristics of the Ocean of the Tathagata’s Merits Shining Everywhere; and attained the wisdom of the power of vows called Treasury of Faith and Understanding of Immeasurable Vow-Power.

The Buddha King Adorned with the Excellent Eye spoke these verses for Bodhisattva Great Majestic Radiance:

You have already produced an ocean of great wisdom
And can fully comprehend all dharmas;
With immeasurable, wondrous skillful means,
You shall enter the inexhaustible sphere of the Buddhas’ activity.

You have beheld the clouds of the Buddha’s merits
And entered the inexhaustible ground of wisdom;
You shall perfect the oceans of skillful means and paramitas
And the stage of great renown.

You have attained the gateway of skillful means and comprehensive retention,
Together with the gateway of inexhaustible eloquence;
You shall cultivate all practices and vows
And accomplish unsurpassed great wisdom.

The ultimate Dharma realm is inconceivable;
Your vast and profound mind has been purified.
You universally behold all Buddhas throughout the ten directions
And adorn the oceans of lands free from defilement.

You have entered the Buddhas’ practices of bodhi
And the ocean of skillful means in their past lives;
You have awakened to the wondrous practices
By which the Buddhas cultivated and eliminated defilements.

In every land are immeasurable Buddhas,
And you make manifold offerings to immeasurable Buddhas;
The practices by which the Buddhas realized fruition
And all such adornments are beheld by you.

Throughout the vast and endless ocean of kalpas,
You shall cultivate pure practices in every land.
Your steadfast vows are beyond measure,
And you shall attain the power of the Buddhas’ supernatural abilities.

You shall make offerings to all Buddhas without omission
And render all adorned lands completely pure;
Cultivating wondrous practices throughout every kalpa,
You shall become a Buddha of great merit.

Children of the Buddhas! After the Buddha King Adorned with the Excellent Eye of Paramita entered nirvana, King Joyful Vision and Good Wisdom also passed away. The youth Great Majestic Radiance then ascended the throne as a wheel-turning king.

At that time, at the bodhimanda in the forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches, the next Buddha to appear in the world was named Ocean of Supreme Merit.

King Great Majestic Radiance, together with his retinue and people, went to where the Buddha was and offered him a great, magnificently adorned tower.

The Buddha expounded the sutra called Practice of the Universal Eye and Radiance of the Bodhisattva, together with other sutras as numerous as the dust motes in a world.

After hearing the sutra, King Great Majestic Radiance attained a samadhi named Universal Radiance of Great Merit. By attaining this samadhi, he was able to comprehend the oceans of merit and non-merit of all bodhisattvas and all beings throughout the past, present, and future.

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses for King Great Majestic Radiance:

Because of all the suffering of beings,
You give rise to great compassion and bring them liberation;
You shall become a refuge for the multitudes lost in delusion—
This is called the bodhisattva’s skillful means.

The one radiant with merit, the banner of merit,
The ground of merit, the ocean of merit—
Great Majestic Radiance himself can realize and enter
All the practices and vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

With this vast vow you have attained,
You enter the Buddha’s inconceivable ocean.
The Buddhas’ ocean of merit is originally boundless,
And through wondrous understanding you behold it all.

Throughout all oceans of lands,
For oceans of kalpas as numerous as dust motes, you cultivate all practices.
All the oceans of practices of the Tathagatas
You have studied, and you shall become a Buddha.

Just as you have beheld throughout the ten directions
All oceans of lands, supremely pure and adorned,
So too shall your own realm be purified and adorned,
And all your boundless great vows shall be fulfilled.

Within every land are boundless realms,
And in them all they practice throughout oceans of kalpas;
Through the fulfillment of the power of their vows,
They perfect all the practices of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

Children of the Buddhas! Later, at the bodhimanda in the forest called Wheel of Mani Flowering Branches, another Buddha appeared in the world named Banner of the Lotus Eye Whose Renown Is Universally Heard. During this period, King Great Majestic Radiance passed away and was born in the celestial city called Tranquil Jeweled Palace upon Mount Sumeru. There he became a Great Deva King named Stainless Banner of Merit. Together with the celestial host, he went to where the Buddha was and scattered jeweled flowers as offerings.

At that time, the Buddha Banner of the Lotus Eye Whose Renown Is Universally Heard expounded for the Deva King the sutra called Vast Skillful Means of the Universal Gate Shining Everywhere, together with other sutras as numerous as the dust motes in an ocean of worlds.

After hearing the sutra, the Deva King and the celestial host attained a samadhi named Treasury of Joy of the Universal Gate. Through the power of this samadhi, they entered the ocean of the true characteristic of all dharmas. Afterward, the Deva King and the celestial host bowed to the Buddha, departed from the bodhimanda, and returned to their original palace.