the avatamsaka sutra ch01 - part01

7/25/2019 The Avatamsaka Sutra Ch01 - Part01

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The Avatamsaka Sutra

CHAPTER1 PART1

Translated in the Tang Dynasty by the Tripitaka Master Srmana Siksananda of Khotan

Explanation by VM Hua

The !on"rous A"ornments o# the Rulers o# the !orl"s

Commentary$

We spoke of this sramana before during the Earth Store Sutra lectures. Some say that Khotan is inpresent-day unnan !ro"ince #$hina%. &t could "ery 'ell be true( because !atriarch Mahak)syapa

entered samadhi in unnan. There is a mountain there called *i+u ,$hicken oot/0( because it is shapedlike the foot of a chicken. !atriarch Mahak)syapa entered samadhi there in order to 'ait for the future1uddha( 2enerable Maitreya( to come into the 'orld( so that he can pass Sakyamuni 1uddha3s robe andbo'l to Maitreya 1uddha. Thus( the area of unnan is considered sacred to 1uddhism. !eople 'ho ha"egone to *i+u Mountain kno' that e"ery year three kinds of light4golden light( sil"er light( and 1uddhalight4are sighted there fre5uently. &t is a holy place( and it could be the former Khotan. 6o'e"er( thenames of regions ha"e changed and can no longer be ascertained.

World refers to this 'orld. Who are the rulers of the 'orld7 ou are a 'orld ruler( not me. 8r perhaps &am a 'orld ruler( not you. &n general( somebody rules o"er this 'orld. 9 ruler such as this not only rulesin the 'orld but also rules beyond the 'orld. 6e can be considered both a 'orldly and a 'orld-transcending ruler.

Someone may ob:ect( Dharma Master( 'hat you are saying is nonsense. 9 'orld ruler is :ust a 'orldruler( and a 'orld-transcending ruler is a 'orld-transcending ruler. 6o' can he be both a 'orld ruler anda 'orld-transcending ruler7 What e;actly does he rule o"er7/

6e is a ruler of the hea"ens( a ruler of the earth( and a ruler of people. Who is both a 'orldly and 'orld-transcending ruler7 The 1uddha. The 1uddha is a leader in the 'orld and also beyond the 'orld.

Worldly rulers refer to the so"ereigns and kings of countries( such as gold-'heel-turning kings( sil"er-'heel-turning kings( copper-'heel-turning kings( and iron-'heel-turning kings. These are 'orld rulersand their domain does not e;ceed the mundane realm.

Wondrous refers to the sublime. &t cannot be mentally concei"ed( or e;pressed in language. 9dornmentsare decorations. 1ut these adornments are not the ordinary decorations that most people can see. That3s'hy they are called 'ondrous. This chapter describes the subtly 'onderful( inconcei"able states ofadornment of both 'orldly and 'orld-transcending rulers( as 'ell as their adorned countries and


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1uddhalands. Thus this chapter is called $hapter 8ne< The Wondrous 9dornments of the =ulers of theWorlds./

&. >eneral =e"elation of 6a"ing 6eard

Sutra$

Thus % have hear"

Commentary$

Thus & ha"e heard are four "ery important 'ords. 9ll 1uddhist sutras begin 'ith these 'ords. 6o' didthese four 'ords come about7

When Skyamuni 1uddha 'as about to enter nir"ana( the 2enerable ?nanda had not yet reali+edsagehood@ he still hadn3t cut off all his lo"e and desire. Aike a small child about to be separated from itsmother( he 'as 'eeping so hard that his nose 'as running and his tears 'ere streaming do'n. 6e

completely forgot about e"erything e;cept his grief. 6is heart sank into the depths of sorro' and hiseyes 'ere s'ollen to the si+e of peaches.

9t that time the 2enerable 9niruddha( 'ho 'as foremost in the penetration of the hea"enly eye(reminded ?nanda( The 1uddha transmitted the essentials of his Dharma to you. Since you are thecompiler of the 1uddha3s teachings( you should ask the 1uddha about ho' to handle certain matters inthe future./

?nanda said( What business could there be in the future7 The 1uddha is going to die and enter nir"ana.& 'on3t do anything anymore./

Don3t be childish(/ said the 2enerable 8ne 'ith the hea"enly eye. The responsibility of propagatingthe Dharma rests on you. ou can3t indulge in grief and be so immature./

What7 ou mean 'e need to propagate the 1uddha-dharma7/ asked ?nanda. What do & need to askthe 1uddha then7/ ?nanda 'as so de"astated by the idea of the 1uddha entering nir"ana that his mind'as a total blank.

The 2enerable 8ne foremost in the po'er of his hea"enly eye said( There are four important mattersyou need to ask the 1uddha. irst( 'hile the 1uddha has been in the 'orld( 'e ha"e d'elt 'ith the1uddha. 9fter the 1uddha enters nir"ana( 'ith 'hom should 'e d'ell7 Second( 'hile the 1uddha hasbeen in the 'orld( 'e ha"e taken the 1uddha as our teacher. 9fter the 1uddha3s nir"ana( 'hom should'e regard as our teacher7/

8h yes(/ e;claimed ?nanda. &t3s a good thing you reminded me. Where are 'e going to li"e7 This is"ery important@ it should be asked. The 1uddha is our teacher no'( but after the 1uddha enters nir"ana('e 'ill still need a teacher. Without a teacher( ho' can 'e culti"ate7 That3s also an appropriate5uestion./

Third(/ continued the 2enerable 8ne( 'hile the 1uddha has been in the 'orld( he himself coulddiscipline and subdue e"il-natured 1hikshus. 9fter the 1uddha enters nir"ana( ho' are 'e going to deal'ith them7/


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dared to edit or alter the facts( and in this 'ay the sutras 'ere all compiled 'ithout contention.

F. To 5uell the assembly3s doubts. ?nanda 'as one of the youngest members of the assembly. 6is "irtue'asn3t sufficient to mo"e people. 6o'e"er( the 1uddha had entrusted the duty of compiling his Dharmatreasury to ?nanda. When ?nanda ascended the Dharma seat( the assembly immediately ga"e rise tothree kinds of doubtsod should belie"e in me. >od doesn3t ha"eto listen to anyone( but &3ll tell him to be my ser"ant./ & may think like that( but it3s only false thinking.&t3s 'hat happens 'hen conscious thought is in"ol"ed is false thinking. What happens spontaneously('ithout premeditation( is a response.

Skyamuni 1uddha told ?nanda( 9fter the 1uddha enters nir"ana( the fourfold assembly of disciplesshould d'ell in the our Stations of Mindfulness./

The &our Stations o# Min"#ulness

B. $ontemplate the body as impure. This is the station of mindfulness of the body.. $ontemplate feelings as suffering. This is the station of mindfulness of feelings.. $ontemplate thoughts as impermanent. This is the station of mindfulness of thoughts.F. $ontemplate dharmas as 'ithout self. This is the station of mindfulness of dharmas.


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1y relying on the our Stations of Mindfulness in one3s culti"ation( one can reali+e sagehood andliberate oneself from the cycle of rebirth. Why ha"e 'e failed to escape the cycle of rebirth7 Simplybecause 'e ha"en3t truly reali+ed ho' impure the body is. E"eryone is attached to a self. This is mine@that is mine@ this house is mine@ this land is mine@ these clothes are mine./ 1ut 'hen they breathe theirlast breath( nothing belongs to them. & often 5uote this "ersereat Teacher( but it also refers to anybeing 'ho has managed to 'ake up( to achie"e this state. The country of Magadha is in the eastern partof &ndia( in about the center of the country( not too far from the 6imalayas. This is the country 'hereSkyamuni 1uddha became enlightened4he 'oke up. This is 'here he found the 1odhi tree( 'hich 'illbe mentioned further on in the sutra. &t3s also the country 'here the 1uddha tra"eled and taught for most

of his life.

2enerable Master< Do you think she lectured correctly or not7 E"eryone can bring up criticisms. &f youkno' that 'hat she said 'as right( you should say right./ &f you kno' it 'as 'rong( you should say'rong./ &f you can talk but 'on3t( it3s to be feared you may become a mute in the future.

9nother disciple< The 'ord 1uddha/ fulfills the re5uirement of a host. The 'ords country ofMagadha/ fulfill the re5uirement of a place. E"erything in the 'orld occurs in pairs( and among


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conditioned dharmas e"erything is dual. There is day and night( male and female( sun and moon( and soon. What is paired 'ith beings7 The 1uddha. Since there are beings( there are 1uddhas. &f there 'ere nobeings( there3d be no 1uddhas. The 1uddhas are :ust enlightened beings. 1eings are unenlightened1uddhas. 1uddhas are created from beings.

There are Three Types o# Enli'htenment$

B. &nherent enlightenment. This is the unreali+ed enlightenment that all sentient beings ha"e.. &nitial enlightenment. This is the enlightenment of one 'ho has entered the Way and understands themethods of culti"ation but has not yet accomplished the 'ork. This is the enlightenment of 9rhats and1odhisatt"as.. $omplete enlightenment. This is the enlightenment of 1uddhas( and it includes the former t'o.

There is another list o# Three kin"s ,Types- o# Enli'htenment$

B. Self-enlightenment. This is the enlightenment of 9rhats and !ratyekabuddhas( 'ho culti"ate forthemsel"es and enlighten themsel"es( but do not pass on their share or teach others to achie"e the sameenlightenment.. Enlightenment of others. This is the 'ork of 1odhisatt"as( 'ho teach others and bring them along the!ath.. $omplete enlightenment. This is the enlightenment of the 1uddhas and encompasses the pre"ioust'o.

2enerable Master< What is Magadha/7

Disciple< The sutra is full of Sanskrit 'ords. Magadha is a country in the central-eastern part of &ndia. &tis 'here the 1uddha obtained enlightenment and spoke Dharma to enlighten sentient beings.

9nother disciple< 8ne meaning of Magadha is per"asi"e intelligence and 'isdom/ and 'ithout poisonor harm./

2enerable Master< What does the 'ord Sr"asti/ mean7 &t3s been e;plained before.

9nother disciple< Sra"asti 'as a city in northern &ndia at the time. &t 'as 'ealthy in the ob:ects of thei"e Desires( 'ealthy in learning( and 'ealthy in liberation(/ 'hich has been e;plained as beingpolitically liberal. Wealthy in the ob:ects of the i"e Desires means they 'ere 'ealthy in the ob:ects of

form and flesh to 'hich sentient beings are attached( things that 9merican big cities 'ould be famousfor( like San rancisco 'hich has a lot of a nice parks( a lot of nice restaurants( and so forth( making it anice place to li"e.

Sra"asti 'as also 'ealthy in learning( because people 'ere 'ell-educated. The populace 'as generallymore enlightened and ci"ili+ed than the people of the rest of &ndia.

This liberation is not liberation in the sense of 1uddhist liberation from the bonds of defilement( butconcerns a slightly more mundane aspect of the 'ord. &t meant they had a more democratic outlook on


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life. The city 'as not under tyrannical rule. The position of king 'as an elected office. The ruling class'as elected too( as in the >reek city-states. The people had a certain amount of say in 'hat 'ent on. Thego"ernment 'as a lot looser( similar to enlightened despotism. The people had more rights( so theirs 'asa freer society than that of typical despots of the history books.2enerable Master< o is an abbre"iation for o tuo ye( 'hich is a transliteration of the Sanskrit 'ord1uddhaya. 1uddha sounds like bu da in $hinese( 'hich means not big./ 6e is also not small( not tall(not short( not right( not 'rong. &n any case( if you remember( then you 'on3t forget@ if you forget( thenyou 'on3t remember. &f you remember( then 'hen asked you can ans'er. &f you forget( then 'hen askedyou break into a s'eat.

1uddha has three meanings< self-enlightened one( one 'ho enlightens others( and one of completeenlightenment.

!erfect in the threefold enlightenment(=eplete 'ith ten thousand "irtues(6e is thus called the 1uddha.

Self-enlightened( one is different from ordinary people. 9lthough ordinary people are said to possessinherent enlightenment( they are still as yet unenlightened. They are still confused to the point that theythink right is 'rong and 'rong is right. They fritter their time a'ay chasing fame and fortune. Thus(self-enlightenment sets one apart from ordinary people.

Enlightenment of others makes one different from those of the T'o 2ehicles. Those of the T'o 2ehiclescan only enlighten themsel"es( but not others. 1odhisatt"as( ho'e"er( enlighten themsel"es as 'ell asothers. 6o'e"er( their enlightenment is not complete.

The 1uddha alone is complete in enlightenment and practice. 6o' did he become that 'ay7 6eculti"ated blessings and 'isdom for three countless eons and planted the causes for his hallmarks duringa hundred great eons.

ou culti"ate for t'o and a half years and ask( Why ha"en3t & become a 1uddha7/ What makes youthink you ha"e the "irtuous conduct necessary to become a 1uddha7 Such an attitude is shameless. &fyou don3t culti"ate( ho' can you become a 1uddha7 &f you could become a 1uddha after t'o and a halfyears of culti"ation( then you3d surpass the 1uddha. The 1uddha had to culti"ate for three greatcountless eons and plant the causes for his hallmarks for a hundred eons. ou culti"ate for t'o and a halfyears and 'onder( Why ha"en3t & attained the i"e Eyes and Si; Spiritual !o'ers7/

Why don3t you think( Why do & ha"e so many false thoughts7 Why do & ha"e so much desire7 Why aremy impure thoughts so prolific7/ With impure thoughts( ho' can you become a 1uddha7 The 1uddhareali+ed 1uddhahood because he has perfected the Threefold Enlightenment and is fully endo'ed 'ith

the ten thousand "irtues.

The name in the sutra te;t is Magadha. & :ust asked you about Sr"asti in order to test you. Magadha hasthe meaning 'ithout poison or harm./ Lo one there harms or tries to poison people( because they kno'it3s 'rong. That3s 'here the 1uddha achie"ed 1uddhahood.

%%% The Clari#i(ation o# the Parti(ular Time


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Sutra$

.The *u""ha +as/at the bo"hi #iel" o# 0ranya"harma) upon initially reali2in' ProperEnli'htenment

$ommentaryreat 2ehicle( initially/ refers to the first t'o 'eeks after the1uddha had reali+ed 1uddhahood. During these first t'o 'eeks( the 1uddha spoke at the first eightassemblies of the lo'er 9dornment Sutra. There are se"eral 'ays to e;plain ho' this 'as done. Somesay that during the first 'eek( he considered 'hat to do( and in the second 'eek he spoke the lo'er

9dornment Sutra. That3s 'hat 1odhiruci said( & belie"e. &3m not sure. There are others 'ho say he spokeduring the entire t'o 'eeks.

9nother disciple< !roper/ means not heterodo;. &t means correct. !roper also refers to the stopping ofall false thinking. 9 single thought not produced is called proper. Enlightenment is understanding. Thatis( 'hen the 1uddha first reali+ed 1uddhahood( he stopped all thought and thus became proper4correct4and understood4'as enlightened. =eali+ed/ may be e;plained in a number of 'ays. 9ccording tothe Aesser 2ehicle( the 1uddha culti"ated the our 6oly Truths. !roper Enlightenment refers to a1uddhahood that is defined by the our 6oly Truths and is pretty much synonymous 'ith 9rhatship. To


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speak in terms of the >reat 2ehicle( !roper Enlightenment is the perfection of the Dharma body( theperfection of all the fine hallmarks and characteristics of the 1uddha( and the successful completion ofinnumerable practices. This is 'hat is meant by upon initially reali+ing !roper Enlightenment./

2enerable Master< &nitially/ refers to the "ery beginning( 'hen the 1uddha had :ust reali+ed1uddhahood. !roper Enlightenment is simply another name for 1uddhahood. Where did he reali+e1uddhahood7 9t the bodhi field( that is( beneath the 1odhi tree. 9t one time/ refers to 'hen the sutra'as spoken.

Cpon initially reali+ing !roper Enlightenment/ refers to the time of the 1uddha3s reali+ation of1uddhahood. This 1uddha is not the 1uddha of the east( nor of the 'est( north( or south. 6e3s the1uddha of the Saha World( of the center. &n the past( this 1uddha culti"ated blessings for threeasamkhyeyas of eons( and planted the causes for fine hallmarks and characteristics for a hundred kalpas.6a"ing perfected his causes and conditions( he became a 1uddha. 6e culti"ated the causes( likened toflo'ers( of the myriad practices( thereby reali+ing the "irtues( likened to fruit( of 1uddhahood. 6e isSkyamuni 1uddha( the Teaching 6ost of the Saha World.

9fter becoming a 1uddha( Skyamuni 1uddha reflected ho' all 1uddhas of the past first spoke thelo'er 9dornment Sutra upon their becoming 1uddhas( all 1uddhas of the present also speak this sutrafirst( and all 1uddhas of the future 'ill also do the same. The lo'er 9dornment Sutra must be spokenfirst( in order for the foundation for >reat Dharma to be established. The lo'er 9dornment Sutra is thefoundation of all 1uddhadharmas.

9nd so( after his reali+ation of 1uddhahood( the 1uddha spoke the lo'er 9dornment Sutra andcompleted it in t'enty-one days. So( at one time...upon initially reali+ing !roper Enlightenment/ refersto the time of the speaking of this sutra. This fulfills the re5uirement of time. The 'ord 1uddha/satisfies the re5uirement of a host. The phrase in the country of Magadha( at the bodhi field of PranyaDharma/ fulfills the re5uirement of place.

%V Spe(i#i( Revelations o# the A"ornments o# the Pla(e

9. The 9dornments of the >round

Sutra$

The 'roun" +as a"amantine) #irm) an" soli") a"orne" +ith sublimely +on"er#ul pre(ious +heels)multitu"es o# 3e+ele" #lo+ers) an" imma(ulate mani 'ems

$ommentaryreat !erfect Mirror Wisdom.

The d'elling places and abodes of all beings/ refers both to their e;ternal houses and habitats as 'ellas their physical bodies.

Sutraather Aike $louds

9. The 1odhisatt"as

1 Their ;ames an" ;umbers

Sutrai"ing 'ealth is likeslicing off your o'n flesh./ &t3s that painful. 1ut :ust because it3s not easy to do( you must do it. &f yougi"e 'hat3s easy to gi"e( it doesn3t mean "ery much. 1ut to be able to gi"e 'hat is not easy to gi"e istrue gi"ing.

6umaneness is hard at first( but is e"entually ac5uired./ 6umaneness/ here means gi"ing( and it3sdifficult. 1ut if you can go through a hard training and sur"i"e( then it 'on3t be hard anymore. What ise"entually ac5uired/ is merit and "irtue.

The second kind is the gi"ing of Dharma. This means to besto' the 1uddhadharma upon sentient beingsand tie up Dharma-affinities 'ith them. Today all of you young friends4or maybe old fello' culti"ators

4ha"e come here and & am e;plaining the paramita of gi"ing to you. This is the gi"ing of Dharma. Thet'o types of gi"ing4that of 'ealth and Dharma4are e5ual and 'ithout distinction./ >i"ing a'ayDharma is like gi"ing a'ay 'ealth( but e"en harder. The saying goesi"ing 'ealth is like slicing off your o'n flesh.>i"ing Dharma is like losing your o'n life.

When you gi"e Dharma( you ha"e gi"en something as important as your life. Dharma can rescuepeople3s 'isdom-life( but 'hen you ha"e gi"en it( you yourself ha"e less in that you ha"e gi"en breath


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and energy( 'hich is :ust the same as gi"ing life. Speaking the Dharma re5uires a lot of energy. ou needto bring across the meaning of e"ery single 'ord and phrase of Dharma so that it registers deeply in thelisteners3 minds and does not escape. &n this act of gi"ing you are also gi"ing your life. & could take somemoney out of my pocket and gi"e it to you( and that 'ould be simple. To prepare and deli"er a sutralecture is much more strenuous and e;hausting. ou young people don3t understand this. 8nce you gro'older( you3ll kno' 'hat & mean. &3m not bragging about my o'n hard 'ork. &n fact( if you 'ould like tolecture in my stead( you 'ould be most 'elcome.

The third kind is the gi"ing of fearlessness. When sentient beings encounter any sort of accident orsudden calamity( such as a flood( fire( or robbery4any situation 'here they are frightened4you shouldcomfort them by saying( Don3t be afraid. The 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as 'ill come to protect you./9ctually it is not that the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as come to lend aid. &f the frightened person can 5uiethis o'n mind( then naturally his o'n 1uddha nature 'ill be peaceful and secure. *ust that is recei"ingthe protection of the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as. The 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as don3t ha"e to comeflying through the air from limitless lands to 'here you are and recite some mantra to make you feelsecure. &f someone helps you( 'hen you encounter a terrifying situation( not to be afraid( that is in itselfprotection pro"ided by the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as. Don3t seek for the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"asoutside and 'onder( 6o' come & don3t see them7/ What do you 'ant to see7 9 ghost7 Don3t be sofoolish. Don3t be attached to 'hat you see( because there are things that are beyond seeing. &f you areattached( then you are simply a a big( dumb egg(/ as 'e say in $hinese4a fool. &3m not scolding you.&3m :ust e;plaining the principle. That3s the gi"ing of fearlessness( the third kind of gi"ing.

What does he mean by a big( dumb egg37/ someone 'onders. &t3s an egg that can3t roll or mo"e( like adead thing.

6o' did you kno' 'hat & 'as thinking about7/ another person 'onders. &f you can think about it( 'hyshouldn3t & kno' about it7 &3m the same as you. When you ha"e a thought( my radar picks up the signal.9ll of our minds are linked by radar. &f you kno' ho' to read the radar( then you can see 'hat e"eryoneis thinking. & 'on3t talk about such illogical( unscientific things. Aet3s talk about holding precepts.

. The pramita of holding precepts< There are the i"e !recepts and the Eight !recepts.The i"e !receptsi"ing< When among sentient beings( they help them out and let them ha"e the ad"antages.. Kind 'ords< They use pleasant 'ords that beings like to hear.. 1eneficial deeds< They share their benefits 'ith beings.F. Similar 'ork< They do the same things that beings do.

Sutraarlands 1right$o'l holds 'reaths of flo'ers. 1odhimanda Spirit =aining Do'n *e'eled 8rnaments constantly rainsdo'n the se"en treasures to beautify the bodhimanda. 1odhimanda Spirit 6eroic ragrance and 2ision isgood at subduing demons. The 1odhimanda Spirit named 2a:ra-$olored $loud also subdues demons.9nother 1odhimanda Spirit by the name of Aotus lo'er 1rilliance often displays lotus blossoms andemits light. 9nd there 'as also 1odhimanda Spirit Da++ling Wondrous Aight( 'ho constantlyilluminates space 'ith her beautiful light.

These ten 1odhimanda Spirits mentioned abo"e and others acted as leaders of all the 1odhimandaSpirits. 9nd they 'ere as numerous as motes of dust in 1uddha'orlds. &n the past( they all had metlimitlessly many 1uddhas and had fulfilled their "o's to make "ast offerings to them. They had "o'edto make offerings to the 1uddhas of the ten directions. Those spirits 'ere not :ust spirits( they 'erepro"isional manifestations of great 1odhisatt"as. Therefore their spiritual po'ers 'ere inconcei"able(the po'er of their "o's 'as inconcei"able( and their ability to protect the Dharma 'as alsoinconcei"able.

&n the lo'er 9dornment Sutra( the spirits are al'ays discussed in groups of ten. That is because ten

tens are a hundred( ten hundreds are a thousand( ten thousands are ten thousand( ten ten thousands are ahundred thousand( all the 'ay to millions and billions and so forth. Since it3s too cumbersome toenumerate millions and billions of spirits( the sutra simply gi"es ten representati"es.

6o'e"er( there are actually three "ersions of the lo'er 9dornment Sutra. We are no' studying thethird "ersion( the shortest of the three. &n the first "ersion( ten thousand representati"es are listed foreach type of spirit( representing endlessly multi-layered infinity. 9lthough & ha"e not personally gone tothe Dragon !alace 'here the first "ersion of the sutra is stored( &3"e deduced that since the spirits aregi"en in groups of ten in the last "ersion( they must be gi"en in groups of ten thousand in the first"ersion4other'ise( ho' could the first "ersion be as long as it is7 Since 'e ordinary people cannotremember the names of that many spirits( only ten representati"es of each type of spirit are gi"en.

E"eryone should be a'are of this.

Cityrulin' Spirits

Sutraod must be the oneand only ruler of 6ea"en./ 6o'e"er( as 'e in"estigate the lo'er 9dornment Sutra( 'e find out that notonly are there hea"enly lords( there are also lords of the earth4Earth-ruling Spirits. 9nd there is notonly one Earth-ruling Spirit( they are as many as motes of dust.

Moreo"er( there 'ere Earth-ruling Spirits as numerous as motes of dust in all 1uddha'orlds throughoutthe ten directions. These spirits 'ere limitless in number( but the te;t mentions ten of them( 'ho acted asthe leaders of their assemblies. Specifically( they 'ere< Earth-ruling Spirit !ure lo'er of Cni"ersal2irtue. This spirit has arri"ed at our mention of her name. She says( &3m Earth-ruling Spirit !ure lo'er


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of Cni"ersal 2irtue. Do you recogni+e me7/ Then she shines her light upon you to create affinities 'ithyou. Earth-ruling Spirit Solid 1lessings and 9dornment. 8nce you ha"e seen this spirit( your blessings'ill be solid( indestructible( and adorned. Each of these spirits 'ill sho' up as 'e mention their names.

The 'ondrous lotuses of Earth-ruling Spirit Wondrous lo'ers 8rnamenting Trees adorn the 1odhi tree.Earth-ruling Spirit Cni"ersally Scattering the Myriad >ems disperses the se"en treasures4gold( sil"er("aidurrya( crystal( mother-of-pearl( red pearls( and carnelian4and a great many other precioussubstances. !eople in the 'orld like to prospect and e;ca"ate gold( sil"er( and other precious metals andgems. These metals and gems come from this earth spirit. She scatters gems on the earth the 'ay 'escatter grain to feed little chicks. When the grain falls( all the little chicks gather around to eat it. &n thesame 'ay( people are dra'n to precious metals and proceed to mine them. The only difference in theanalogy is that the little chicks can eat 'hat they find directly( but people ha"e to sell the metals andgems and get money to buy the things they consume4rice( noodles( meat( and 'ine. 8nly the method isdifferent.

Earth-ruling Spirits hold our earth together so that earth5uakes do not totally de"astate it( and so thatpeople and their property are not totally destroyed. Why( then( do some places ha"e earth5uakes7 &t isbecause the people there ha"e such hea"y karmic obstacles that the Earth-ruling Spirits3 spiritual po'ersare not sufficient to counteract them.

& often tell you that since 'e are lecturing on the sutras and speaking the Dharma( San ranciscocertainly 'on3t ha"e a ma:or earth5uake. & started saying this fi"e or si; years ago #in BRI%( and it stillholds true. That3s because 'hen 'e lecture on the sutras( not one( but all the Earth-ruling Spirits come toprotect the bodhimanda. They ha"e all assembled here( and so the earth is as solid as "a:ra. &f you 'antto pre"ent the occurrence of earth5uakes( you should go e"ery'here e;plaining the lo'er 9dornmentSutra. Where"er the sutra is being lectured( the earth 'ill be safe and secure. This is the absolute truth'ithout the slightest bit of falseness.

Earth-ruling Spirit !ure Eyes $ontemplating Time has pure( lotus-like eyes 'ith 'hich she contemplates

the time( that is( the causes and conditions( in order to a"ert disasters. Earth-ruling Spirit Wondrousorms and Supreme Eyes causes grass( plants( and trees to gro' on the earth( making it beautiful so thate"eryone is delighted by the sight of the landscape.

Many "arieties of scented grass and other plants that emit fragrance gro' in the area o"erseen by Earth-ruling Spirit ragrant Shining 6airs. This Earth-ruling Spirit can also emit light. The sounds that Earth-ruling Spirit Delightful Sounds makes are as en:oyable as the melodious sounds of the 'hite cranes(peacocks( parrots( egrets( kala"inkas( and t'o-headed birds in the Aand of Cltimate 1liss. !eople aredelighted to hear these sounds( and they start to smile e"en if they felt like crying before.

Sometimes & feel like crying. 6o' come &3"e ne"er heard these sounds that cause you to start smiling7/

you may ask. our causes and conditions aren3t ripe yet. When they ripen( you 'ill hear these kinds ofsounds. Don3t be impatient. &f you ha"e faith( you 'ill be able to hear them sooner or later.

Earth-ruling Spirit Topknot of E;5uisite lo'ers has lo"ely lotus blossoms arranged in a circular fashionon top of her head forming a :e'eled topknot. 9nd Earth-ruling Spirit 1ody 9dorned 'ith 2a:ra is alsokno'n as the Earth Spirit irm and Solid. She adorns her body 'ith "a:ra( and no celestial demon ore;ternalist can harm her. She3s a "ery tough Earth-ruling Spirit.

These and others acted as leaders. These ten Earth-ruling Spirits are the leaders of the infinite multitudes


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of Earth-ruling Spirits. 9nd they 'ere as numerous as motes of dust in all 1uddha'orlds. They had allmade deep( impressi"e "o's. They "o'ed( &n the future 'e must protect the Triple *e'el( acting asDharma-protecting good spirits for all the 1uddhas. Where"er there are bodhimandas and disciples of1uddhas( 1odhisatt"as( or 9rhats( 'e 'ill protect all of them. We "o' to do 'hat others cannot do@ 'e'ill endure 'hat others cannot endure( and yield 'hat others cannot yield. We 'ill make deep andmighty "o's such as those( so that there is nothing as solid and profound as these "o's./

Some of you ha"e studied the 1uddhadharma for many years( but you seem to ha"e forgotten yourresol"e for the Way. &n the beginning 'hen you first heard the 1uddhadharma( you 'ere "ery sincere.ou 'ere e;tremely re"erent in listening to the sutras. 1ut as time passes( you are no longer sincere orenthusiastic. ou say( We study the same thing o"er and o"er again./ Well( 'hat do you 'ant to study71ecause you ha"en3t yet understood this( you ha"e to keep studying it. 9fter you understand( you 'on3tha"e to study it anymore. 1ut to think you understand 'hen you don3t is "ery foolish. 1efore you ha"eattained the fruition of sagehood( you must study the 1uddhadharma. 1efore you ha"e reali+ed1uddhahood( you must culti"ate. $ulti"ating means diligently culti"ating precepts( samadhi( and'isdom and putting an end to greed( anger( and delusion./ E"ery day you must look 'ithin and e;amineyour o'n faults@ don3t find fault 'ith others. Don3t be like a mirror that only reflects e;ternals( thinking(This 1hikshu doesn3t culti"ate@ that 1hikshuni doesn3t practice either. Who kno's 'hat they do frommorning to night7/ ou manage to 'ash the clothes of the 1hikshus and 1hikshunis until they aresparkling clean( but your o'n clothes are still dirty. ou don3t kno' ho' to 'ash your o'n dirtylaundry. ou say( 1ut & 'ant to practice the 1odhisatt"a path. & 'ant to help others do their laundry( so &ha"en3t bothered to do my o'n./ Well( if you don3t pay attention to your o'n laundry( you3ll becomefilthy. ou should first 'ash your o'n laundry4benefit yourself( and then you can proceed to helpothers do their laundry4benefit others. 1ut if you only kno' ho' to benefit others and forget to benefityourself( you are rather deluded. !eople like that are pitiful.

6a"ing told you not to discuss the faults of the fourfold assembly( & no' say< ou should discuss thefaults of the fourfold assembly. 6o'e"er( there3s a different 'ay to go about it. 6o'7 ou should be"ery frank and sincere( and your moti"e should be to e;hort others to correct their faults and become

good. our attitude should be( That person3s faults are :ust my o'n( and therefore & should tell himabout his faults in a "ery candid( straightfor'ard( and earnest 'ay. & should say( ou3"e done such andsuch a thing 'rong. &n the future you should be more careful.3/ That3s okay. 1ut you shouldn3t speakabout people3s faults behind their backs( causing discord. &t 'ould be 'rong to tell 9 about 13s faultsand then tell 1 about 93s faults( al'ays trying to create factions 'here people listen to your 'ords. &fsomeone has faults( you should "ery kindly tell him to his face( e;horting him to change so that in thefuture he 'ill get rid of those faults. ou should not talk behind his back and complain( upsettinge"eryone. That 'ould be disrupting the bodhimanda and creating schisms. 9nyone 'ho has this problemshould change. 8ther'ise( you are headed for the hells4there is no other outcome.

These Earth-ruling Spirits had made deep and mighty "o's to al'ays dra' near all 1uddhas( Thus

$ome 8nes( as 'ell as to 1odhisatt"as( 9rhats( and sages( in order to culti"ate blessings through theirdeeds. They 'anted to culti"ate blessings and 'isdom. $ulti"ation of blessings brings about theadornment of marks and characteristics. $ulti"ation of 'isdom gets rid of delusion. Why are 'edeluded7 1ecause 'e ha"en3t culti"ated blessings and 'isdom. Why are 'e poor7 1ecause 'e ha"en3tculti"ated blessings and 'isdom. & am using my true mind to speak true Dharma for you. &f you canaccept the true Dharma( you 'ill truly be able to culti"ate. Therefore( you must be sincere. Don3t engagein fault-finding. &t is e;tremely foolish to al'ays be finding faults in others.

$ulti"ators must be courageous and "igorous. 1e true culti"ators. E"ery day you should 'ork harder


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and be more "igorous. Don3t engage in gossiping about rights and 'rongs( so that day after day yougro' more and more la; and retreat. That 'ould be "ery dangerous.

D Mountainrulin' Spirits

Sutrainseng is a 'ell-kno'n medicine( and thisspirit is probably in charge of ginseng. ou might not ha"e seen the ginseng root before. &t is calledginseng #renseng( literally( human essence/% because the root resembles a child. =eplete 'ith arms and

legs( nose and eyes( the ginseng root looks "ery much like the human body. =oots 'eighing up to a fullse"en $hinese ounces are called ginseng. =oots 'eighing eight $hinese ounces or more are calledhuman gems( renbao. &t3s said that those 'ho eat these gems can gain immortality( for they re"itali+eone3s energy and prolong life. Cni"ersal =eno'n Medicine-ruling Spirit probably rules o"er ginseng.Medicine-ruling Spirit Shining !ores sends forth light from all her pores. Medicine-ruling Spirit!er"asi"e 6ealing and !urifying can cure the myriad illnesses. She purifies sick people3s bodies bydispelling heat and neutrali+ing poison.

Medicine-ruling Spirit =oaring Aoudly gi"es a'esome roars( like those of a lion. She can also cure


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insanity. &nsane people ho'l and yell 'ildly( but 'hen she lets out her mighty roar( 'hoe"er hears it getscured of his or her illness.

Medicine-ruling Spirit 1anner of Aight Eclipsing the Sun is so named because her light surpasses e"enthat of the sun and moon. Medicine-ruling Spirit $lear 2ision of the Ten Directions has a translucentbody. Medicine-ruling Spirit =eplenishing Energy and 1rightening the Eyes. >inseng can replenishenergy( and chrysanthemums can brighten the eyes and clear head colds. $hrysanthemums areconsidered a medicinal herb( and those gro'n in 6ang+hou are kno'n for being the most efficacious incuring illness. &f you take 6ang+hou chrysanthemums often( you 'ill ha"e bright eyes. 1ei5i ,also calledhuang5i0 is an herb that bolsters the constitution and replenishes energy.

These ten Medicine-ruling Spirits mentioned abo"e and others acted as leaders of a countless number ofMedicine-ruling Spirits( and their natures 'ere free from defilement. They had culti"ated to the point'here they had no more defilement. They 'ere free of desire. They 'eren3t selfish and didn3t pursuepersonal ad"antage. They graced all creatures 'ith kindness. These spirits are e;tremely kind andcompassionate. They help( protect( and guard all sentient beings. &n fact( they are all great 1odhisatt"as.

!eople 'ho culti"ate and belie"e in 1uddhism should get rid of the appearance of a self( the "ie' of aself( and the attachment to a self. Don3t al'ays cling to a sense of ego. &f you ha"e an ego( then itbecomes as high as Mount Sumeru. 6o'e"er( if you get rid of your ego( then Mount Sumeru disappearsas 'ell. Whether or not you ha"e the Way( you still eat and sleep. &f you ha"e the Way( 'hen you eat you'on3t talk@ and 'hen you sleep( you 'on3t engage in false thinking. When it3s time to eat you eat( and'hen it3s time to sleep you sleep. ou don3t think of anything. 1ut if you ha"en3t attained the Way( then'hen you eat you don3t get full( and 'hen you go to bed you can3t fall asleep. Why is that7 &t3s becauseyou engage in false thinking 'hen you go to sleep( and you talk casually 'hen you eat. These problemsobstruct your culti"ation. Lo' that &3"e told you( 'hether or not you belie"e is your business. 6o'e"er(if you fail to attain the Way( don3t blame me.

1G Croprulin' Spirits

Sutrareat Aight Cni"ersally Shining.

These ten Wind-ruling Spirits and others acted as leaders of a countless number of Wind-ruling Spirits.&t is not possible to mention all the Wind-ruling Spirits here( because they are too numerous. 9nd theyall( 'hether mentioned here or not( 'ere diligent in eradicating thoughts of conceit. What these Wind-ruling Spirits are most intent on doing is eradicating their arrogant thoughts. What is arrogance7 &t is ano"er'helming sense of pride( a bloated ego that causes a person to think he is better than e"eryone else.There are arrogant people in literary circles( for e;ample( certain scholars and professors 'ho think theyare absolutely tops in their field. Then there are arrogant people in the business 'orld( such as certainentrepreneurs 'ho think they are more ingenious than anyone else. There are arrogant 'orking people

'ho think that the 'ork they do is better than the 'ork done by others. There are arrogant people in thecircle of officials( for e;ample( certain ministers or cabinet members( 'ho think they go"ern andadministrate better than e"eryone else. E"en in the 'orld of agriculture( there are farmers 'ho think thatthey farm better than anyone else.

Some lay 1uddhists think( & ha"e studied more than anyone else. & understand more than anyone else.Lo other layperson kno's as much as & do./ Some left-home people also ha"e this problem. They feelthat among the members of the Sangha( they are supreme and no one measures up to them. They e"enthink that they are on a par 'ith the !atriarchs. They profess to be e5ual not :ust to the !atriarchs( but


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e"en to the 1odhisatt"as. Lot to mention being the e5uals of 1odhisatt"as( they e"en say they are nodifferent from the 1uddhas. These are all manifestations of arrogance. 1ut the Wind-ruling Spirits ha"eeradicated all their arrogance.

1uddhists must take care not to ha"e a sense of self. 9s long as 'e cannot relin5uish our sense of self('e are going to ha"e a problem 'ith arrogance. We should not try to make people look up to us@ that is asign of arrogance. Well( should 'e 'ant people to look do'n on us7 We simply should not indulge inthoughts of 'hether people look up to us or look do'n on us. We should do our o'n culti"ation and ouro'n practice. =ather than being concerned about getting other people to look up to us( 'e should respectoursel"es. We should e;amine our o'n mind< Do 'e ha"e greed7 Do 'e ha"e anger7 Do 'e ha"edeluded thoughts7 &f 'e ha"en3t cut off these three poisons( 'e are nothing but a deluded being. 6o'could 'e possibly be better than e"eryone else7 !eople should direct their attention in'ard and take alook at themsel"es.

6a"e you been arrogant or self-satisfied at times7 &f you ha"e( then 5uickly change. Seek 'ithinyourself. 1e constantly alert and scrutini+e yourself under the cold light of reason. &f you ha"e donegood( that3s all the more reason to go for'ard. &f you ha"e done e"il( then 5uickly reform. &f youconstantly e;amine yourself( you are not likely to become arrogant.

1 Spa(erulin' Spirits

Sutrareat $ompassion Aight@ Day-ruling SpiritShining Aight rom >ood =oots@ and Day-ruling Spirit Ao"ely lo'er >arlands. These and others actedas leaders of a countless number of Day-ruling Spirits( and they all brought forth faith and understanding

of the 'onderful Dharma. Together they constantly and "igorously adorned the palace.

$ommentaryarlands fashions necklaces out of beautifulflo'ers.

These ten Day-ruling Spirits and others acted as leaders of a countless number of Day-ruling Spirits( andthey all brought forth faith and understanding of the 'onderful Dharma. Lot only did they belie"e the1uddha3s 'onderful Dharma( they deeply understood it and 'eren3t the least bit muddled. They alsopracticed it 'ith great "igor and 'ere not la+y at all. Together they constantly and "igorously adornedthe palace.

9lthough people 'ho study 1uddhism are protected by the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as( still( you ha"e tobe careful yourself@ you cannot merely rely on the 1uddhas and 1odhisatt"as to protect you and not fearanything.

V% The 7(eani( Multitu"es =ather


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They ha"e the blessings of the gods( but not the "irtue. 1efore the gods 'ere born in the hea"ens( they'ere "ery honest people 'ho ne"er engaged in fa'ning and flattery. Since asuras speciali+e in flattery(they are called non-gods./

9suras are also called ugly(/ because they are "ery ugly. Male asuras are grotes5ue( 'hereas femaleasuras are beautiful. 9suras like to fight. !eople in the 'orld 'ho ha"e blessings( 'ho are good atflattering others( and 'ho are "ery competiti"e( are all asuras. &n the future they 'ill :oin the retinue ofasuras. Therefore( asuras en:oy celestial blessings but not celestial authority. 9suras cannot ha"e anaudience 'ith Aord Sakra( Aord >od( because the asura king 'ants to become Aord >od( 'ho is alsokno'n as the *ade Emperor. Therefore the asuras are constantly engaged in battle 'ith the *adeEmperor. Why are asuras not allo'ed to dra' near to the *ade Emperor7 1ecause in the past asuras likedto flatter( and the *ade Emperor loathes flatterers and doesn3t 'ant to dra' near them. Why doesn3t the*ade Emperor banish them from hea"en7 1ecause he is infatuated 'ith the beautiful asura 'omen( andso he allo's the asuras to li"e in hea"en. That3s the story of the asuras. They en:oy the blessings of thegods( but lack their "irtue.

Some asuras d'ell in the hea"ens( some in the animal realm( some in the realm of ghosts( and some inthe human realm. Lo matter 'hat realm they fall into( asuras al'ays like to fight and bicker. Theyal'ays 'ant to come out on top. &n the human realm( yang asuras become soldiers and military people@yin asuras become bandits and thugs. 9suras 'ho d'ell in the hea"ens are al'ays going to 'ar 'ith thecelestial troops. Since this story has been told many times( & 'on3t repeat it.

9s for asuras in the animal realm( take( for instance( the 9sura King =ahu. 6e is the son of a lion. Wildbeasts 'ho like to fight 'ith other animals are asuras. 9suras in the realm of ghosts are the same 'ay.They like to fight. &n general( there are many kinds of asuras.

Specifically( they 'ere< 9sura King =ahu. =ahu is a Sanskrit 'ord that means >athering in 2e;ation./With his hands he can co"er up the light of both sun and moon( as a :oke( causing the gods to become"e;ed and angry. 6e likes making them angry. Since he often plays such practical :okes on the gods( he

is called 9sura King >athering in 2e;ation./

9sura King 2emacitra. 2ema translates as silk(/ and citra translates as many kinds./ 6e has greatcon:uring talent. 6e can transform a single strand of silk into many different kinds of ob:ects. 6e mightblo' on it and the strand of silk turns into a dragon( or perhaps he recites a mantra and the strand of silkturns into a snake( or an iron chain( or a palace. &n general( he can transform it into many things( using"arious spiritual po'ers( like a magician. 6e can also s'allo' s'ords. 1ut these are all :ust illusorytricks. Since he has these skills and spiritual po'ers( he is a king among asuras.

9sura King $le"er &llusions. The pre"ious 9sura King could transform a strand of silk into "ariousthings( but he still had to use a strand of silk. This 9sura King( by means of the cle"er art of illusion( can

transform something into nothing and can turn nothing into something. or e;ample( he might suddenlymake a mountain appear( and then :ust as suddenly turn it into a sea. 6e can mo"e mountains and turnthe ocean o"er( causing the oceans to dry up and turn into mountains( or causing mountains to "anishand become oceans. 6e can make the sun and moon s'itch places. 6e can also change men into 'omenand 'omen into men( 'ithout the need for surgery or drugs. The changes are instantaneous. 9ll he has tosay to a 'oman is( Uuickly( turn into a manG/ and she 'ill. 8r he 'ill say to a man( Uuickly( turn intoa 'oman(/ and he 'ill change into a 'oman. There3s no need for them to put on make-up either.Wouldn3t you say that 'as cle"er7 9sura King >reat =etinue is fond of ha"ing a big family( 'ith asurasons( daughters( and grandchildren4an uncountable number of them4gathered together.


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9sura King Mighty Strength is "ery strong. 6e can pick up any ob:ect( no matter ho' hea"y. 6e can liftup Mount Sumeru 'ith one hand and a great ocean 'ith the other@ he can play 'ith the planet Earth likea ball. 9sura King !er"asi"e &llumination has a radiance that shines throughout the ten directions. 6islight is e"en brighter than that of the sun and moon. There 'as also the 9sura King Solid !ractice andWondrous 9dornment. 6is conduct and "o's are resolute and firm( and his adornments subtle and'onderful. There 'as another 9sura King named 2ast Wisdom =egarding $auses. 9t the le"el ofplanting causes( he culti"ated "ast( great 'isdom. 9lso present 'as the 9sura King Displaying Supreme2irtue. 6e has a special kind of "irtue that is superior( and 'hen sentient beings see him( they are alla'are of his "irtue. 9nd 9sura King Splendid Sound has an e;tremely fine and beautiful "oice.1asically asuras are ugly and ha"e unpleasant "oices( but he has a pleasing sound.

These and others acted as leaders of a countless number of asuras. These ten are the leaders of theasuras( 'hose actual number is infinite. 9nd they all had diligently obliterated egoism as 'ell as allother afflictions. 9suras are all afflicted 'ith arrogance. !eople 'ho are "ery haughty and conceited arehuman asuras. 9nimals that are haughty are animal asuras. 9rrogant gods are asuras in the hea"ens( andconceited ghosts are asuras in the ghost realm. 9suras are spread throughout the four types of birth@ thatis( there are 'omb-born asuras( egg-born asuras( moisture-born asuras( and transformationally bornasuras.

6o'e"er( the 9sura Kings under discussion are "ery "igorous in practicing the 1uddha Way. They ha"esubdued their habitual arrogance( to the point that they ha"e destroyed their ignorance. When theirignorance is gone( so too are all of their afflictions. Since they ha"e subdued arrogance( they are alsofree from greed( anger( delusion( and other afflictions. These 9sura Kings teach all asuras to subdue theirarrogance and afflictions.

!eople 'ho culti"ate the Way should get rid of their self-conceit. They should be free of the "ie' of selfand the mark of self. &t shouldn3t be that 'hene"er anything comes up( the first thing they do is react'ith their self( feeling that others ha"e offended them( or that e"eryone treats them badly( 'hile at the

same time feeling that they are better than e"eryone else. 1ecause of this kind of 'rong kno'ledge and'rong "ie's( they plant 'rong causes( 'hich in the future 'ill reap 'rong results. The 'rong result isthat they become asuras. 9suras are al'ays on the pro'l( going e"ery'here looking for someone to fight'ith and al'ays making trouble for others. This comes from not ha"ing seen through and emptiedattachment to self( self-conceit( the "ie' of self( and the mark of self( 'hich leads to all kinds ofignorance and afflictions. That3s 'hy it is so important for culti"ators to smash through their self-conceit( the "ie' of self( the mark of self( and attachment to self.

> =aru"a @in's

Sutraaruda birds are also kno'n as great( golden-'inged peng birds. 6o' big are they7 9 peng bird is asbig as a mountain4you might e"en mistake it for a mountain if you sa' it. &ts 'ing span is J largeyo:anas. 9 small yo:ana is FJ li( a medium yo:ana is IJ li( and a large yo:ana is J li #about F miles%.With a single flap of his 'ings( he can dry up the 'aters of the ocean so the dragons at the bottom of thesea are all e;posed. Then the garuVa bird s'oops do'n and slurps up those dragons the 'ay people slurpup noodles. 6o'e"er( he has to gobble up dragons by first s'allo'ing their tails and then eating the restof the body. 6e doesn3t s'allo' them head first4that3s one of the rules he follo's in eating. E"ery dayhe needs to eat one big dragon4a Dragon King4as his main meal and fi"e hundred small dragons assnacks. 6e stores them in his big gullet and slo'ly digests them.

What 'as the dragon population7 There 'ere infinitely many big dragons( and small dragons 'ere asnumerous as the grains of sand in the >anges =i"er. 6o'e"er( 'ith the garuda bird eating one bigdragon and HJJ small dragons a day( the dragon population kept diminishing until the species 'as nearlye;tinct.

The Dragon King 'as "ery 'orried. 6e 'ent e"ery'here asking for help but no ghosts or spirits 'ere aspo'erful as the garuda( so none of them could do anything about it. inally the Dragon King 'ent toSakyamuni 1uddha and asked the 1uddha to compassionately protect him and his dragon sons andgrandsons and the elderly dragons.

The 1uddha said to the Dragon King( &f all you dragons can uphold the Eight Aay !recepts and eat

"egetarian food( then & 'ill find a method so that the golden-'inged peng bird can no longer de"ouryou./

The Dragon King and his retinue all gladly came and took the Eight Aay !recepts. Some of you ha"etaken the Eight !recepts. Then the 1uddha ga"e them a piece of his kash)ya #monk3s robe% and toldthem to each take a thread from it and 'ear it on his body. 9fter the dragons did this( they becamein"isible and the peng bird could no longer find them.

Earlier & used the $hinese idiom( ai mo neng +hu( 'hich means( one cherishes them( but is unable tohelp them./

8ne 'ay to e;plain this is that( although you side 'ith the dragons( you aren3t able to help them.

There is another 'ay to e;plain it. Lo'( & 'ill ask you a 5uestion. Do you like birds more( or do you like'orms and reptiles more7 Would you rather ha"e a pet bird or a pet 'orm or reptile7 ou must ans'erhonestly. ou should not go along 'ith 'hat &3"e said( but you should ans'er based on your gutreaction. 1irds ha"e "ery pretty( colorful plumage. They can fly about and sing melodious songs. Wormsand reptiles( on the other hand( can be "ery ugly. Take snakes( for e;ample. When you see a snake( yourhair stands on end and you 'onder( Will it bite7/ &f you ran into a snake at night( you3d be scared todeath. There are other 'orms and reptiles that are so repulsi"e-looking that the sight of them almost


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makes you 'ant to "omit. So( speak truthfully< Do you prefer 'orms and reptiles( or birds7 Speak up@don3t enter samadhi.

Disciple< E;cept for honeybees( & like birds better than insects.

2enerable Master< 1ees are considered flying creatures( and therefore are not grouped 'ith 'orms. Theyare transformationally-born beings.

8riginally( & used the e;pression( one cherishes them( but is unable to help them/ to mean that althoughone cherishes the golden-'inged birds one is unable to help them. 6o'e"er( most of you think &e;plained it incorrectly. Therefore( & posed my 5uestion to you :ust no'( in order to see 'hat thecommon sentiment is. The golden-'inged peng bird is the bird in 5uestion( and the dragons are the'orms. &t3s :ust that the golden-'inged bird is a big bird( and the dragons are big 'orms. Whether big orsmall( they are the same. 1ig birds and little birds are both birds@ big and little 'orms are still 'orms.Therefore & asked you the 5uestion about the birds and 'orms. &f all of you should say that you likebirds( then e"en if & e;plained the e;pression incorrectly( &3ll still ha"e e;plained it correctly. Why isthat7 1ecause e"eryone lo"es birds4therefore they lo"e the golden-'inged peng bird too( and do not'ish to help the dragons. That3s a case of 'anting to help( but not being able to. That3s the point behindmy 5uestion. 1ut none of you dared to ans'er.

Someone thinks( & 'on3t say that & like the birds( because he3ll say that &3m 'rong. 9nd if & say that &like 'orms( &3ll also be 'rong. So &3m not going to say anything. & simply like to sleepG/ Well( liking tosleep is not incorrect( but it3s a case of not being able to take a definite stand on the issue4you don3tkno' 'hich 'ay is right( because you3"e slept yourself muddled.

Someone else says( & do not like either birds or 'orms. &f & liked birds( & might turn into a bird. &f &liked 'orms( & might become a 'orm in the future. & don3t 'ant to turn into a bird or a 'orm in thefuture@ & 'ant to remain a human being. So &3m not going to like either of them./ That3s also correct.Lo'( you understand the meaning of the e;pression( 8ne cherishes them( but is unable to help them./

ou could say that although you like the golden-'inged bird( you aren3t able to help it out. 8r( youcould also say that although you cherish the dragons( you aren3t able to help them.

The 1uddha lo"ed neither the bird nor the dragons. Why is that7 &f he lo"ed the bird( he 'ould not ha"ehelped the dragons. &f he lo"ed the dragons( he 'ould not ha"e helped the bird.

The 1uddha had helped the dragons by gi"ing them the precepts and a piece of his kashaya. The golden-'inged peng bird( finding himself 'ithout food( 'ent to the 1uddha to complain( With such a biggullet as & ha"e( & cannot get my fill unless & eat dragons. Lo' that there are no dragons to eat( & 'illstar"e to death. 1uddha( you are compassionate. ou ha"e sa"ed the dragons( but you should not makeme star"e./

The 1uddha told him( Don3t 'orry. rom no' on & 'ill tell my disciples to gi"e you a share of"egetarian food e"ery day before they take their noonday meal./ That is 'hy( at temples no'( during thenoon meal offering( a portion of food is sent out to feed the great golden-'inged peng birds.

When the food is taken outside to make the offering( some people see the peng bird come to eat. Tosome 'ho see it( the peng bird looks as big as a pigeon@ others see it as being as large as a turkey@ somesee it as being as large as a goose@ and someone e"en sa' it as being as large as a building of se"eralstories4it 'as so large that he 'asn3t e"en sure 'hat it 'as. Why do people see it as appearing in


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different si+es7 &t has to do 'ith the measure of their minds. &f your mind is large( 'hat you see is "ast.&f your mind is small( 'hat you see is also small. E"erything in the 'orld is merely a manifestation ofthe mind.

Therefore the 1uddha did not side 'ith the dragons. 9lthough he conferred the precepts on the dragons(he also instructed his disciples to feed the golden-'inged bird. Thus both parties obtained help. 9s aresult the dragon race did not become e;tinct( and the golden-'inged peng bird did not star"e to death.6o' many golden-'inged peng birds are there7 9lso as many as there are grains of sand in the >anges=i"er4infinitely many. 9nd so there 'as an infinite( boundless number of golden-'inged peng birdstrying to de"our an infinite( boundless number of dragons( and they 'ould "ery 5uickly eat them all up.1ut no'( the dragons are not completely de"oured( and the golden-'inged birds did not star"e.

ou ask( &f there are so many golden-'inged birds and dragons( ho' come & ha"en3t e"er seen any7/!erhaps you3"e seen them but :ust didn3t recogni+e them. That3s because( although they are animals(they ha"e spiritual po'ers. They ha"e the ability to go through endless changes and transformations.Don3t get ideas about ha"ing a great( golden-'inged peng bird or a dragon for a pet. ou could ne"ercapture one.

The garudas and dragons are both di"ided into four kinds according to ho' they are born. or e;ample(among birds there are 'omb-born birds( egg-born birds( moisture-born birds( and transformationally-born birds. Someone 'onders( & kno' that birds are born from eggs. 6o' could there be such a thingas a 'omb-born bird7/ our kno'ledge may not be complete. What you3"e seen and heard may not bethe entire picture. There are still things you ha"en3t seen( ha"en3t heard( and don3t kno'. Do youunderstand7 Therefore( there are birds from all four categories of birth4'omb( egg( moisture( andtransformation. The same applies to dragons. There are dragons born from 'ombs( from eggs( frommoisture( and by transformation. There is not :ust one kind of dragon( but many kinds. There are horse-dragons4horses can transform into dragons and also gi"e birth to dragons@ elephant-dragons4elephants can also turn into dragons and gi"e birth to dragons@ fish-dragons4fish can turn into dragonsand gi"e birth to them@ toad-dragons4toads can also turn into dragons. The least intelligent are the egg-

born@ the smartest are the transformationally-born. Someone :ust no' mentioned that snakes are themost intelligent. Snakes belong to the dragon family. 6o'e"er( an egg-born snake is "ery stupid. Thesame applies to birds. Transformationally-born birds are e;tremely intelligent.

9n egg-born garuda is not able to eat a transformationally-born dragon. Lor can it eat moisture-born or'omb-born dragons. &t can only eat egg-born dragons. Transformationally-born garudas( on the otherhand( are able to eat dragons from all four types of birth. 9 transformationally-born dragon cannot beeaten by an egg-born garuda( nor can it be eaten by a 'omb-born or moisture-born garuda. Why is that71ecause these dragons are born by transformation and ha"e greater spiritual po'ers. 8nlytransformationally-born garudas are able to eat transformationally-born dragons. There are those fourdifferent categories of birth.

Lo' & 'ill tell you ho' garudas meet their death. or e;ample( some "olcanic eruptions are instances ofgarudas dying. The fire comes from the bird3s body. There are many inconcei"able states in the 'orld. &fyou e;hausti"ely in"estigate the 1uddhadharma( you 'ill understand e"erything.

The golden-'inged bird li"es on 2a:ra Mountain( a place 'here people can3t go( and its palace is madeout of the se"en precious things. &t also eats the se"en treasures4gold( sil"er( and "arious gems4but itsfa"orite food is dragons. When it is about to die( ho'e"er( it can no longer eat dragons. Why7 &t3sbecause dragons3 bodies contain poison. When the golden-'inged bird is healthy( it does not fear the


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poison of the dragons. 1ut 'hen it is old and approaching death( the "enemous "apors that the dragonsspit out act like tear gas bombs( blinding the peng bird3s eyes. 1efore that time( the peng bird hasprotection4likened to a tear gas mask. 1ut it loses it 'ith age. ou could say that once it becomessenile( it forgets to 'ear the gas mask. So 'hen it s'oops do'n to eat dragons( they release the tear gasand the old peng bird has to lea"e the sea.

8n the "erge of star"ation( it then perches on an iron tree on the 2a:ra Mountain. 1ut 'hen it can nolonger bear the hunger( it feels it has to fly into the sea again to look for dragons to eat. 9t that time( thedragons again emit poison from their bodies and dri"e the bird a'ay.

E"entually( cra+ed by its need for dragons to eat( it di"es into the 'ater. 1ut its di"e is too deep and itgoes clear do'n to the 'ind 'heel that supports the 'orld. Well( 'hate"er you are( e"en a mighty pengbird( if you enter that place( you 'ill ne"er get through it. &t is at the "ery bottom of the sea4e"en thedragon kings don3t go there. Maddened by its hunger for dragons( the peng bird o"ershoots its mark.Struck by the 'ind( it cannot take it and flies back to the iron tree on the 2a:ra Mountain. This happensse"en times until finally the golden-'inged bird( completely e;hausted( dies from a case of dragonpoisoning. 9ll dragons ha"e "enom in them. 9t death( the golden-'inged bird3s body catches fire. 9s &said earlier( "olcanic eruptions are due to the deaths of garuas. The fire is so fierce that it demolishese"erything( ho'e"er hard or solid it may be. E"en stones and the se"en precious gems melt. When thathappens( the Dragon King Landa( afraid that this huge fire 'ill destroy the :e'eled mountain( 5uicklysends do'n rain. The rain drops are as large as carriage 'heels ,this refers to hea"enly carriages 'heels('hich are forty yo:anas in diameter0( and they succeed in putting out the bla+e. The golden-'inged birdis completely reduced to ashes( yet its heart is not destroyed.

&f a 'heel-turning sage king obtains this heart( it becomes his 'ish-fulfilling pearl. &f the *ade Emperorobtains it( he 'ears it on his head as a precious light-emitting pearl. &f a dragon king obtains this pearl(he is protected from all disasters and suffering. 6e 'ill ne"er be eaten by any peng bird( because theyfear his pearl.

That3s 'hat happens 'hen a garuda bird dies. &n the Manifestations $hapter of the lo'er 9dornmentSutra( there is a "erse that goesreat >olden-Winged !eng 1ird 1odhisatt"a catches sight of humans( gods( ordragons( 'ho are about to die any'ay( he eats them( and 'hen they enter his re"ol"ing 'heel( they don3tsuffer anymore and reach the other shore of nir"ana. 6e appears to be eating them( but he3s actuallyteaching and transforming sentient beings. Therefore( this bird perched upon the tree of 9ll-Wisdom(/not the tree of stupidity( contemplates the great ocean of the three e;istences/4the desire realm( theform realm( and the formless realm. 6e uses his cla's and snatches out dragons that are humans andgods(/ dragons of either the human realm or hea"enly realms( setting them securely on the other shoreof nir"ana./

We can talk about it( but this is an inconcei"able state( not one that ordinary people can understand.!eople 'ho ha"en3t attained to sagehood 'ill not belie"e this principle@ yet after they ha"e reali+edsagehood( they 'ill say( 8h( that3s really the 'ay it is./

>reat Master 6an Shan also discussed the golden-'inged peng bird in one of his "ersesaruda King. Lone of them can learn ho' to fashion such adorned cro'ns as their co'ls. >aruda King9droitly 9ppearing E"ery'here can go 'here"er he 'ishes@ he can appear in any place at all. When>aruda King Cni"ersally $ontemplating the 8ceans contemplates the oceans( he can see at once 'herethe great and the small dragons are. 8ther garudas might be unable to locate dragons( but he sees them"ery clearly. With compassionate and pure eyes( he contemplates the oceans of the three e;istences( andcan eat any of the dragons in them. 9nd finally( there is >aruda King Cni"ersal 2oice and &mmenseEyes( 'hose sound is deafening. When the dragons in the sea hear his cry( they are scared out of their'its. They free+e and 'ait there to be eaten. This garuda has eyes that are broad and "ast( bigger thanten eyes of ordinary garudas.

These and others acted as leaders of an inconcei"able number of garudas. These ten >aruda Kings arethe rulers of an incalculable number of garudas. 9nd they all accomplished the po'er of greate;pedients( and 'ere uni"ersally able to rescue and gather in all sentient beings. Most 1odhisatt"as donot ha"e such great e;pedient po'er as they. When these birds eat dragons( they cross o"er the dragons@'hen they eat fish( they sa"e the fish@ 'hen they de"our horses( they sa"e the horses@ 'hen theys'allo' elephants( they rescue the elephants. When they eat any kind of creature( they are actuallysa"ing and teaching them in the process. &t looks as if they are eating sentient beings( but in reality theyare sa"ing them( gathering them in. Why7 1ecause they only eat those creatures 'ho are about to dieany'ay. &f these creatures 'eren3t due to die( the garua birds 'ould not eat them.

6earing that the great golden-'inged peng bird can sa"e creatures by eating them(/ one of my youngdisciples is thinking( When & eat this apple( & am sa"ing the apple. The apple fell from the tree and ismeant to be eaten( so & 'ill eat it./

Some other people are thinking( &f the great golden-'inged peng bird( 'hich is an animal( can sa"esentient beings by eating them( e"en though &3m not as big as it and can3t fly as high( still( as a person&3m smarter( so & should be able to sa"e more beings than it does by eating them./ That3s fine( e;ceptthat these golden-'inged peng birds are manifestations of 1odhisatt"as 'ho ha"e e;pedients and

courage as their 'ings( and kindness and compassion as their pure eyes. !erched upon the tree of 9ll-Wisdom( they contemplate the great sea of the three e;istences. They snatch out dragons that are humansand gods( and set them securely on the other shore of nir"ana. $an you do that7 &f you can set them onnir"ana3s shore( you can cross o"er sentient beings. 8ther'ise( you3ll be crossed o"er/ by sentientbeings( and end up becoming 'hate"er bird you eat. That is( since you incorporate 'ith them4forminga limited corporation4you become the same as they are. Therefore( if you can3t cross them o"er tonir"ana3s shore( don3t eat them. &t3s far too dangerous.

. Kinnara Kings

Sutrareat 2ehicle Dharma. 8nly thoseof the Aesser 2ehicle hold precepts. & culti"ate the >reat 2ehicle( 'hich ad"ocates holding precepts'ithout holding them.3 9lthough & may not hold the precepts( actually & ha"e themG/ This is like somelaypeople 'ho claim( We are the same as those 'ho ha"e renounced the household life./

9s for dragons( 'hen they 'ere culti"ating in their past li"es( they felt they could get a'ay 'ithanything( that they 'ere number one. 1ecause they stro"e to be number one( because they 'ere 5uick'ith the 2ehicle but did not hold the precepts( they turned into dragons. Since they culti"ated the >reat2ehicle Dharma( they gained spiritual po'ers. 1ut because they did not hold the precepts( they fell intothe animal realm. Therefore( culti"ators should not be sloppy. &f you don3t follo' the rules( in the future

you might fall into the realm of dragons.

Specifically( they 'ere< Dragon King 2irupaksha. 2irupa translates as much(/ per"asi"e(/ or ugly./9ksa can be translated as form/ or faculty/4such as eyes( ears( nose( tongue( body( or mind. 1ut thename of the $elestial King of the West( 2irupaksha( is translated as broad eyes(/ not ugly eyes/ or anyof the other translations.

There 'as Dragon King Sagara. Sagara is a Sanskrit 'ord that means sea(/ because he is a sea dragonking and commands great respect and authority among the dragons in the sea. Whether their spiritualpo'ers are great or small( dragons also ha"e a Dragon King to 'atch o"er them. This Dragon King ruleso"er all the dragons in the sea.

There 'as Dragon King Wondrous 1anner of $loud-like Sounds. The sounds he emits tra"el up intospace and transform into precious clouds that appear in the form of 'onderful banners.

The ne;t Dragon King 'as named Mouth 9flame Aighting Cp the 8cean. 6e spits fire from his mouthand gi"es off light in the sea. There 'as also the Dragon King Cni"ersal 1anners of 6igh $louds. 6emanifests tall billo'y clouds resembling precious banners. The Dragon King Taksaka has a Sanskritname 'ith t'o translations< many tongues/ and able to harm 'hate"er can be harmed./ 6e is calledmany tongues/ because he likes to talk endlessly among the dragons( in dragon language. &t3s as if he


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has too many tongues( because he can3t stop talking. 6is name also means able to harm 'hate"er canbe harmed(/ because he does harm( and sentient beings are the "ictims of his harm. 6o' does he harmbeings7 When this dragon gets angry( his "ery ga+e can kill sentient beings. 9s soon as he sets eyes upona being( 'hether a human or an animal( it dies. 6is breath can also kill people and animals. 9 dragon3sga+e and his breath are both poisonous. 8ne bite from a dragon can poison you( because dragons arefilled 'ith the poison of greed( anger( and delusion.

Dragon King 1oundless Stride is so named because there is no place that he cannot reach. There 'asalso Dragon King !ure $olor. Dragon King 1ooming Sound $arrying E"ery'here has an e;tremelyloud "oice. 9nd Dragon King ree rom 1urning 9fflictions. Since this dragon has attained a refreshingpurity( he is no longer afflicted.

These and others acted as leaders of a countless number of dragons. These ten are the leaders of aninfinite host of dragons. 9nd none of them failed to diligently form clouds and sho'er rain to douse allsentient beings3 burning afflictions. These Dragon Kings all "igorously studied the 1uddhadharma.Their :ob is to make clouds and rain. They are also responsible for making fog and mist to cool sentientbeings3 burning afflictions. 8rdinary people cannot see this( but 'hen there is fog around a mountain( itis being spat out by dragons. &t can be a perfectly clear( sunny day( and all of a sudden a fog appears.That is the dragons using their spiritual po'ers. Those 'ho ha"e opened the i"e Eyes can see them. &fdragons meet a "irtuous person( they 'ill bo' to that person. They may puff out some fog to let youkno' that they are coming. Dragons are magical creatures and can tell right a'ay 'hether or not aperson is "irtuous. &n fact( all the ghosts and spirits of the eightfold di"ision can tell 'hether or not youha"e "irtue( and if you do( they 'ill protect you 'here"er you go. They 'ill carry out your e"ery 'ish.or instance( you might say to the Dragon King( Don3t let it rain(/ and it 'on3t rain. 9 certain person isable to control the Dragon Kings because he has sufficient "irtue. The other day he told the DragonKings( Don3t let it rain in the morning( but it3s okay if it rains in the afternoon./ 9nd that3s 'hathappened.

D @umbhan"a @in's

Sutraro'th and De"elopment ,2irudhaka0. This KumbhandaKing is one of the our $elestial Kings( and he presides o"er the ghosts and spirits of the South. Thefirst type of ghost that he go"erns is the kumbhandas or nightmare ghosts( and the second type is thepretas( or be'itching ghosts. The kumbhandas and the pretas are good friends 'ho band together to'reak ha"oc. They are partners in e"ildoing.

9lso present 'as the Kumbhanda King Dragon =uler. The Kumbhanda King named Skilled at 9dorning1anners is good at adornment. There 'as also the Kumbhanda King Cni"ersally Magnanimous !ractice.8rdinary kumbhandas harm li"ing beings( but this Kumbhanda King benefits all beings( for he is a1odhisatt"a appearing by transformation in the realm of kumbhandas.

E"ery culti"ator should think like this< Don3t be concerned 'ith 'hether or not people are good to you.&nstead( you should ask yourself 'hether or not you are good to others. &f &3m good to others and othersaren3t good to me( it shouldn3t bother me. 6o'e"er( if & am not good to others and others are good tome( then & had better rectify my thinking and treat others 'ell./ E"eryone has to do his or her o'nlaundry. Don3t be concerned 'ith 'ashing others3 clothes( thinking( 6e3s not right(/ or She3s notright./ ou shouldn3t think like that. E"en if others aren3t good to you( you should think( &t3s not thatpeople aren3t treating me 'ell. =ather( & am :ust undergoing the retribution & deser"e for not treatingpeople 'ell in the past./ &f you think along those lines( you 'on3t ha"e any trouble.

The ne;t Kumbhanda King 'as named Most Terrifying. The sight of this Kumbhanda King frightens notonly people( but other kumbhandas as 'ell. 6e is e;tremely terrifying. Kumbhanda King 6andsome'ith 1eautiful Eyes has a "ery beautiful and attracti"e appearance. Kumbhanda King Wisdom Aike a6igh !eak has lofty 'isdom resembling the summit of a tall mountain.

Kumbhanda King =obust 9rms has strong( stout arms. E"en if he is hacked or stabbed 'ith kni"es(spears( daggers( and so forth( he is not afraid. 6e 'ill simply stick out his arms to 'ard them off( and thekni"es 'ill be sent flying into space. That3s ho' po'erful he is. There 'as another 'hite gourd/ kingcalled the Kumbhanda King Eyes =esembling lo'ers of 1oundless !urity. 9nd Kumbhanda King

9sura Eyes and 2isage 2ast as 6ea"en has a huge face and angry( glaring eyes like those of an asura.These ten barrel-shaped kumbhanda ghosts and others acted as leaders of a countless number ofkumbhandas. 9nd they all diligently culti"ated the Dharma door of nonobstruction. Since thesekumbhandas did not kno' ho' to be free of obstruction( they had to culti"ate the Dharma door ofnonobstruction. They also emitted brilliant light. 1efore( they 'ere immersed in darkness( but no'(ha"ing studied the Dharma door of nonobstruction( they are able to release bright light.

. >andhar"a Kings

Sutrao"erning Lations. >o"erning Lations/4Dhrtarastra4is thename of the $elestial King in the East. 6e is one of the our $elestial Kings4the one 'ho protects andmaintains his land( enabling all sentient beings to d'ell in peace. >o"erning Lations/ is the king of themusical spirits.

>andhar"a King Aight =esembling Trees is also a king of the musical spirits( so named because he emitslight that resembles a tree.

>andhar"a King !ure Eyes has clear( pure eyes. >andhar"a King loral $ro'n 'ears a cap made offlo'ers. >andhar"a King Cni"ersal Sound makes music that can be heard e"ery'here throughout the'orld. >andhar"a King 6appily Dancing Splendid Eyes likes to rock-and-roll and so he3s called6appily Dancing./ 8n the one hand he makes music( and on the other hand he rocks and rolls.Splendid Eyes/< 6is eyes are e;tremely beautiful. 1ecause he rocks and rolls and because he has suchmagnificent eyes( many people like to listen to his music.

The ne;t >andhar"a King 'as named Aion 1anner of Wonderful Sound. 6is music is e;ceptionally ande;5uisitely beautiful. 9lso present 'ere >andhar"a King Cni"ersally =eleasing *e'eled 1rilliance(

>andhar"a King 1anner of 2a:ra Trees3 1lossoms( and >andhar"a King *oyfully Displaying 8rnamentsE"ery'here. 6e displays per"asi"e adornments. These and others acted as leaders of a countless numberof gandhar"as. The ten >andhar"a Kings :ust mentioned are the leaders( and the total number ofgandhar"as is infinite.

9nd they all deeply belie"ed in and understood the >reat Dharma4the >reat 2ehicle 1uddhadharma.They belie"ed in and understood it( delighting in it( cherishing it( and diligently and tirelessly culti"atingit. Since their faith 'as deep( they cherished its importance. Since they cherished and "alued the >reat2ehicle 1uddhadharma( they delighted in it and deeply belie"ed in and understood it( and diligentlyculti"ated it 'ithout 'eariness.

$elestial King >o"erning Lations is in charge of the gandhar"as and also in charge of one otherdi"ision< the pis)cas. !is)ca is a Sanskrit 'ord that translates as ghost 'ho eats essence and energy./This kind of ghost is really terrible. &t de"ours people3s essence and energy and also the essence andenergy of the fi"e kinds of grains. The reason that the fi"e grains do not ha"e much fla"or 'hen peopleeat them is that the pis)ca ghosts ha"e already de"oured them. They eat the essence and energy ofpeople and of the fi"e grains in order to sustain their life.

$elestial King >o"erning Lations 'atches o"er the gandhar"a spirits and the pisaca ghosts and causes


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them to diligently culti"ate 'ithout 'eariness. They diligently culti"ate the >reat 2ehicle1uddhadharma( 'hich means they don3t :ust culti"ate for a 'hile and then feel tired and 5uit.

2&. The 8ceanic Multitudes >ather Aike $louds

D. $elestial 1eings

B. $elestial !rinces of the Moon

Sutrareat Self-Mastery

Sutrareat Self-Mastery are 'here Se"enth and Eighth >round 1odhisatt"as d'ell. That is 'hy those$elestial Kings are able to practice impartially to benefit the 'orld. Each $elestial King has his o'n"irtuous conduct and culti"ation.

This section of te;t is called &ndicating the numbers and e;tolling the "irtues./ The te;t states thenumbers of beings from the "arious hea"ens and praises their "irtuous conduct. 9 detailed e;planation'ould re"eal that the 'ondrous functioning of e"ery single $elestial King3s spiritual po'ers isinconcei"able. =ight no'( the te;t only mentions some of the more important "irtues. 1asically( the'ondrous functionings of the $elestial Kings3 spiritual po'ers are mutually inclusi"e. 6o'e"er( basedon the essential 5uality of each king3s method of culti"ation or "irtuous conduct( they ha"e been gi"entheir names.

The Dharma of being impartial means ha"ing no greed( anger( or delusion. 8ne transforms greed( anger(and delusion into precepts( samadhi( and 'isdom. This is kno'n as

the avatamsaka sutra ch01 - part01

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