The Flower Ornament Scripture_A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra by Thomas Cleary

Author:Thomas Cleary [Cleary, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality
ISBN: 9780834824096
Google: NT76AwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0877739404
Goodreads: 739064
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 1993-10-12T00:00:00+00:00

BOOK TWENTY-EIGHT

The Ten Superknowledges

THEN THE GREAT ENLIGHTENING BEING Universally Good said to the enlightening beings, “Offspring of Buddha, great enlightening beings have ten kinds of superknowledge. What are the ten? By means of knowledge of others’ minds, great enlightening beings know the differences of the minds of living beings in a world system: good minds, bad minds, broad minds, narrow minds, big minds, small minds, minds that go along with birth and death, minds that turn away from birth and death, minds of learners, minds of self-enlightened ones, minds of enlightening beings, celestial minds, water-spirit minds, yaksha minds, titan minds, garuda minds, kinnara minds, mahoraga minds, human minds, nonhuman minds, hellish minds, bestial minds, netherworld minds, hungry-ghost minds, minds of beings in difficult situations. They know distinctly such countless different sentient beings: as in one world, so in a hundred worlds, a thousand worlds, a hundred thousand worlds, a billion worlds, as many worlds as atoms in untold buddha-lands—they know distinctly the minds of all beings therein. This is called great enlightening beings’ first superknowledge, the spiritual power of accurate knowledge of others’ minds.

“By means of the superknowledge of the unobstructed pure celestial eye great enlightening beings see sentient beings in worlds as many as atoms in untold buddha-lands, dying in one place, being born in another, their good and bad tendencies and courses of action, their virtuous and sinful characteristics, whether they are beautiful or ugly, defiled or pure: they see innumerable sentient beings of such kinds—celestial beings, water spirits, demons, hobgoblins, titans, demigods, serpents, humans, nonhumans, microscopic creatures, gigantic creatures, small groups, and large groups. They clearly see various sentient beings with unobstructed eyes, unerringly seeing whatever deeds they have accumulated, whatever suffering and happiness they experience, whatever mentalities, thoughts, and views they have, whatever languages they speak, whatever their motives and acts, whatever their concerns and productions. This is called great enlightening beings’ superknowledge of the celestial eye.

“By means of the superknowledge of instant recall of past lives, great enlightening beings are able to know the events of past lives of themselves as well as of the beings in countless worlds over countless eons—where they were born, their names, their castes, their races, their diets, their pains and pleasures. The beginningless development of continuous cycles in the various states of existence through causes and conditions, various classes, various lands, various forms of life, various physical characteristics, various activities, various bonds and compulsions, various mentalities and thoughts, various differences in circumstances of birth—they know all such things as these.

“Also they remember the names, manner of emergence, congregations, parents, attendants, disciples, and foremost two disciples of as many buddhas as atoms in so many buddha-lands in worlds as many as atoms in so many buddha-lands, as many eons ago as atoms in so many buddha-lands, and the cities where they lived, how they left home, the enlightenment trees under which they attained true awakening, where they sat, what scriptures they preached, how they benefited so many beings, how long

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