AVATAMSAKA SUTRA: THE TEN GROUNDS

With the Commentary of the Venerable Master Hua, Abbot of Gold Mountain Monastery, and translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society of the Sino-American Buddhist Association, San Francisco.

SUTRA:

DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, WHEN THE BODHISATTVA ACCOMPLISHES SUCH PURIFICATION AND REGULATION OF THE GROUNDS, THAT IS CALLED SECURELY DWELLING ON THE BODHISATTVA'S GROUND OF HAPPINESS. DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, THE BODHISATTVA WHO DWELLS UPON THIS GROUND OF HAPPINESS IS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH GREAT VOWS, SUCH GREAT VIGOR, SUCH GREAT EFFICACY. THAT IS, HE BRINGS FORTH VAST, GREAT, PURE DECISIVE UNDERSTANDING, AND USES ALL KINDS OF OBJECTS AS OFFERINGS TO WORSHIP AND MAKE OFFERINGS TO ALL BUDDHAS, OMITTING NONE—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING TO RECEIVE ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMA WHEEL, VOWING TO GATHER IN ALL BUDDHAS' BODHI, VOWING TO PROTECT ALL BUDDHAS' TEACHINGS, VOWING TO MAINTAIN ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMAS--VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT IN ALL WORLDS, WHEN A BUDDHA APPEARS IN THE WORLD, DESCENDING FROM THE TUSHITA HEAVEN, ENTERING THE WOMB, DWELLING IN THE WOMB, BEING BORN, LEAVING HOME, ACCOMPLISHING THE WAY, SPEAKING DHARMA, AND MANIFESTING NIRVANA, HE WILL GO TO ALL OF THEM, DRAW NEAR AND MAKE OFFERINGS, ACT AS THE HEAD OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND RECEIVE AND PRACTICE THE PROPER DHARMA, IN EVERY PLACE AT ONE TIME TURNING--VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

Commentary:

DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, WHEN THE BODHISATTVA ACCOMPLISHES SUCH PURIFICATION AND REGULATION OF THE GROUNDS/When the Bodhisattva who cultivates the practices of Bodhisattvas accomplishes such purification and regulation of the dharmas of the Grounds as was previously described, purifying and cultivating all the Dharma doors of the Ten Grounds, THAT IS CALLED SECURELY DWELLING ON THE BODHISATTVA'S GROUND OF HAPPINESS. That is what is meant by a Bodhisattva's always certifying to the fruit position of the Ground of Happiness. DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, THE BODHISATTVA WHO DWELLS UPON THIS GROUND OF HAPPINESS/When a Bodhisattva cultivates and certifies to this Ground of Happiness, he IS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH GREAT VOWS. He can realize such great vows as these. What sorts of great dharmas? That is to say, SUCH GREAT VIGOR. What most people are unable to do, he can do, which is called great vigor. SUCH GREAT EFFICACY/What most people cannot bring off he can bring off, which is called great efficacy. THAT IS, HE BRINGS FORTH VAST, GREAT, PURE DECISIVE UNDERSTANDING. He gives rise to vast, great, extremely pure and decisively understanding wisdom, AND USES ALL KINDS OF OBJECTS AS OFFERINGS, employing all kinds of offerings, TO WORSHIP AND MAKE OFFERINGS TO ALL BUDDHAS, OMITTING NONE. He makes offerings to all Buddhas, no matter which Buddha it is—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM. How great is the dharma of making offerings? It is as vast and great as the Dharma Realm, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE. How ultimate is it? It is as ultimate as empty space, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE. It is that way not just one time; to the exhaustion of the limits of future kalpas it is that way, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, in all numbers of aeons, WITHOUT CEASE. He never stops and rests.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING TO RECEIVE ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMA WHEEL. He vows to receive the wheel of Dharma turned by all Buddhas, and continue to turn the Buddhas' great wheel of Dharma; VOWING TO GATHER IN ALL BUDDHAS' BODHI, constantly cultivating the Enlightenment of all Buddhas, gathering in, maintaining and protecting it. He makes a further vow, VOWING TO PROTECT ALL BUDDHAS' TEACHINGS that he will protect all the Buddhas' teaching, dharmas. He further makes a vow, VOWING TO MAINTAIN ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMAS, constantly receiving and upholding the Dharma spoken by all Buddhas—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM. This great Dharma is as vast and great as the Dharma Realm, and this Dharma is cultivated to the ultimate, which is as ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE. TO THE EXHAUSTION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, so long as to exhaust all boundaries, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, in all numbers of aeons, WITHOUT CEASE. At no time does he rest.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT IN ALL WORLDS, WHEN A BUDDHA APPEARS IN THE WORLD, in all the places where a Buddha is appearing in a world: DESCENDING FROM THE TUSHITA HEAVEN/when he is coming down from the Tushita Heaven to be born; ENTERING THE WOMB/and afterwards entering his mother's belly, entering the womb; DWELLING IN THE WOMB/when he is residing in his mother's belly; BEING BORN/being born into the world; afterwards LEAVING HOME/and then ACCOMPLISHING THE WAY, SPEAKING DHARMA, AND MANIFESTING NIRVANA--those are the Eight Marks—HE WILL GO TO ALL OF THEM, DRAW NEAR AND MAKE OFFERINGS, ACT AS THE HEAD OF THE ASSEMBLY/Although he is within his mother's belly, still the basic substance of the Bodhisattva goes to all Buddhas' Way places, draws near all Buddhas, makes offerings to all Buddhas, and universally acts as the head of the assemblies in all Buddhas' Way places. AND RECEIVE AND PRACTICE THE PROPER DHARMA/There he constantly cultivates and practices the Proper Dharma Eye Treasury. IN EVERY PLACE/in all places, AT ONE TIME TURNING/At one and the same time he turns the great Dharma wheel. The VAST AND GREAT Dharma, again, is as great AS THE DHARMA REALM, again ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, and also EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE. There is no time of rest.

SUTRA:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT ALL THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES: VAST, GREAT, LIMITLESS, UNBREAKABLE, AND UNMIXED, INCLUDING ALL PARAMITAS, PURIFYING AND REGULATING ALL GROUNDS, CHARACTERIZED BY GENERALITY, CHARACTERIZED BY PARTICULARITY, CHARACTERIZED BY IDENTITY, CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENCE, CHARACTERIZED BY PRODUCTION, AND CHARACTERIZED BY EXTINCTION—ALL THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES—BE SPOKEN AS THEY TRULY ARE, TO TEACH AND TRANSFORM ALL, CAUSING THEM TO ACCEPT AND PRACTICE, AND THEIR THOUGHT TO INCREASE AND GROW—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT ALL THE REALMS OF LIVING BEINGS: THOSE WITH FORM, WITHOUT FORM, WITH THOUGHT, WITHOUT THOUGHT, NEITHER WITH THOUGHT NOR WITHOUT THOUGHT, EGG-BORN, WOMB-BORN, MOISTURE-BORN, TRANSFORMATIONALLY BORN, BOUND IN THE THREE REALMS, WHO HAVE ENTERED THE SIX DESTINIES, IN ALL PLACES OF BIRTH, COMPRISED OF NAME AND FORM—ALL SUCH CATEGORIES—I SHALL TEACH AND TRANSFORM, CAUSING THEM TO ENTER THE BUDDHADHARMA, CAUSING THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL TO CUT OFF ALL WORLDLY DESTINIES, AND CAUSING THEM TO DWELL IN THE WAY OF WISDOM OF ALL WISDOM—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

Commentary:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS/the Bodhisattva does, VOWING THAT ALL THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES, the doors of practice cultivated by Bodhisattvas: VAST, GREAT LIMITLESS, UNBREAKABLE, AND UNMIXED/It's not known how many Bodhisattva practices there are, and no heavenly demons or those of externalist paths are able to destroy them; nor is there evil mixed in with the good-INCLUDING ALL PARAMITAS/including all Paramitas, PURIFYING AND REGULATING ALL GROUNDS/purifying and regulating the Dharma doors of the Ten Grounds; all CHARACTERIZED BY GENERALITY, and CHARACTERIZED BY PARTICULARITY, CHARACTERIZED BY IDENTITY, CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENCE, CHARACTERIZED BY PRODUCTION, AND CHARACTERIZED BY EXTINCTION—the six characteristics—ALL THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES/all the doors of practice cultivated by Bodhisattvas. SHALL BE SPOKEN AS THEY TRULY ARE/all be truly and actually spoken in this way, TO TEACH AND TRANSFORM ALL/to teach and transform all living beings, CAUSING THEM TO ACCEPT AND PRACTICE/causing them all to accept them and cultivate in accord with them, AND THEIR THOUGHT TO INCREASE AND GROW/for their thought for Bodhi to increase and grow every day—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE. It is also that way EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.  At no time does he rest.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT ALL THE REALMS OF LIVING BEINGS, whether those living beings are THOSE WITH FORM, or living beings WITHOUT FORM, living beings WITH THOUGHT, living beings WITHOUT THOUGHT, living beings NEITHER WITH THOUGHT NOR WITHOUT THOUGHT, that is, the EGG-BORN, the WOMB-BORN, the MOISTURE-BORN, the TRANSFORMATIONALLY BORN—all the different categories of living beings—BOUND IN THE THREE REALMS/All of them are caught up in the Three Realms: the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. WHO HAVE ENTERED THE SIX DESTINIES/They have gone off to rebirth in amidst the six paths, IN ALL PLACES OF BIRTH/going to all places of birth, COMPRISED OF NAME AND FORM/They are comprised under living beings with name and form—ALL SUCH CATEGORIES—that many categories of living beings, I SHALL TEACH AND TRANSFORM/I shall teach and transform them, CAUSING THEM TO ENTER THE BUDDHADHARMA/causing them deeply to enter into the Buddhadharma, CAUSING THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL TO CUT OFF ALL WORLDLY DESTINIES/ending all mundane destinies, AND CAUSING THEM TO DWELL IN THE WAY OF WISDOM OF ALL WISDOM/the Way of the wisdom of the One of All Wisdom—this too is VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, and ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, TO THE EXHAUSTION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

SUTRA:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT ALL WORLDS: VAST, GREAT, LIMITLESS? GROSS, SUBTLE; DISARRAYED, UPSIDE-DOWN, ORDERLY; WHETHER ENTERING, MOVING, OR GOING OUT; WITH DISTINCTIONS LIKE SHAKRA'S NET; IN THE TEN DIRECTIONS OF LIMITLESS DISSIMILAR VARIETIES-HIS WISDOM WILL UNDERSTAND THEM ALL, DIRECTLY PRESENT TO PERCEPTION—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

Commentary:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS/The Bodhisattva makes another great vow.  He vows, VOWING THAT ALL WORLDS; all worlds whether worlds that face upwards, or inverted worlds, rectangular worlds or square worlds, all worlds VAST, GREAT, LIMITLESS/One does not know how many there are. Among them are GROSS ones and SUBTLE ones, and those that are DISARRAYED with no order to them, as well as ones that are UPSIDE-DOWN/that look like they are totally upside-down; or ORDERLY/all well-arranged and according to the rules. WHETHER ENTERING/Perhaps they are entering, MOVING/constantly in motion, OR GOING OUT/They may be undergoing a kind of transformation, WITH DISTINCTIONS LIKE SHAKRA'S NET/just like the net banner of Sakra, Lord of gods, some are horizontal, some perpendicular, with all kinds of differences, IN THE TEN DIRECTIONS OF LIMITLESS DISSIMILAR VARIETIES/Each direction has its own shapes and appearances, all not the same. HIS WISDOM WILL UNDERSTAND THEM ALL/The wisdom of the Bodhisattva will understand the shapes and appearances of those worlds, DIRECTLY PRESENT TO PERCEPTION/His empirical wisdom of direct perception will understand all of those dissimilarities--VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM this again is, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

SUTRA:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING THAT ALL COUNTRIES ENTER ONE COUNTRY, AND THAT ONE COUNTRY ENTER ALL COUNTRIES; THAT LIMITLESS BUDDHALANDS UNIVERSALLY BE PURIFIED; THAT LIGHTS AND MULTITUDES OF ORNAMENTS ADORN THEM; THAT THEY BE FREE' FROM ALL AFFLICTIONS; THAT THEY ACCOMPLISH THE WAY OF PURITY; THAT LIMITLESS WISE LIVING BEINGS FILL THEM; THAT THEY UNIVERSALLY ENTER ALL BUDDHAS' VAST, GREAT STATES; THAT THEY WILL APPEAR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MINDS OF LIVING BEINGS, CAUSING THEM ALL TO BE HAPPY—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS, VOWING TO BE CONNECTED WITH ALL BODHISATTVAS IN RESOLUTION AND PRACTICE, WITHOUT RESENTMENT OR JEALOUSY; TO ACCUMULATE ALL GOOD ROOTS; TO BE OF ONE AND THE SAME CONDITION WITH ALL BODHISATTVAS; CONSTANTLY TO ASSEMBLE TOGETHER AND NEVER LEAVE EACH OTHER; TO MAKE APPEAR AT WILL VARIOUS KINDS OF BUDDHA BODIES; ALWAYS TO BEAR IN HIS OWN MIND THE ABILITY TO KNOW ALL THUS COME ONES' STATES, THEIR AWESOME POWERS, AND THEIR WISDOM; TO ATTAIN TO IRREVERSIBILITY AND SPIRITUAL PENETRATIONS ACCORDING TO INTENT; FREELY TO ROAM TO ALL WORLDS, AND APPEAR IN ALL ASSEMBLIES; UNIVERSALLY TO ENTER ALL PLACES OF BIRTH; TO ACCOMPLISH THE GREAT VEHICLE; TO CULTIVATE THE PRACTICES OF BODHISATTVAS--VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

Commentary:

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS/The Bodhisattva makes yet another great vow, VOWING THAT ALL COUNTRIES ENTER ONE COUNTRY/That all lands become one land, AND THAT ONE COUNTRY ENTER ALL COUNTRIES/One land also can become all lands. This is mutual fusion without obstruction, mutual identity and mutual entry. THAT LIMITLESS BUDDHALANDS UNIVERSALLY BE PURIFIED/That all Buddha-lands become purified Buddha-lands. THAT LIGHTS AND MULTITUDES OF ORNAMENTS/ That all lights and all kinds of ornamental objects ADORN THEM, acting as adornments for those lands. THAT THEY BE FREE FROM ALL AFFLICTIONS, without the three poisons of greed, hatred and stupidity. THAT THEY ACCOMPLISH THE WAY OF PURITY/That they all diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi and wisdom. THAT LIMITLESS WISE LIVING BEINGS FILL THEM/All Bodhisattvas have limitless wisdom, and all living beings also have limitless wisdom, and the living beings fill up the lands. THAT THEY UNIVERSALLY ENTER ALL BUDDHAS' VAST, GREAT STATES/That they will all be able to realize the states, which all Buddhas have. THAT THEY WILL APPEAR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MINDS OF LIVING BEINGS/That is, that they constantly, in accord with all the thoughts of all living beings, will manifest all states, CAUSING THEM ALL TO BE HAPPY/ Causing all living beings to become happy—VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM this also is, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.

HE FURTHER MAKES GREAT VOWS/The Bodhisattva makes another great vow, VOWING TO BE CONNECTED WITH ALL BODHISATTVAS IN RESOLUTION AND PRACTICE/That is, that he will always cultivate together with all Bodhisattvas, WITHOUT RESENTMENT OR JEALOUSY/While cultivating, they will mutually cherish and protect each other, not mutually dislike and resent each other, or have thoughts of jealousy. TO ACCUMULATE ALL GOOD ROOTS/Amassing all kinds of good roots. TO BE OF ONE AND THE SAME CONDITION WITH ALL BODHISATTVAS/To be the same as and identical with all Bodhisattvas. CONSTANTLY TO ASSEMBLE TOGETHER/ Always to be together, AND NEVER LEAVE EACH OTHER/They will never be separated, never apart from each other. TO MAKE APPEAR AT WILL/According to his mind's wishes making appear VARIOUS KINDS OF BUDDHA BODIES/ALWAYS TO BEAR IN HIS OWN MIND THE ABILITY TO KNOW ALL THUS COME ONES' STATES/In his own mind, he himself knows all the states of all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, THEIR AWESOME POWERS, AND THEIR WISDOM/Their awesome spiritual powers and their wisdom. TO ATTAIN TO IRREVERSIBILITY/irreversibility in spiritual penetrations and irreversibility in wisdom, AND SPIRITUAL PENETRATIONS ACCORDING TO INTENT/To have spiritual penetrations of inexhaustibly multiple transformations in accordance with his mind's intent. FREELY TO ROAM TO ALL WORLDS, AND APPEAR IN ALL ASSEMBLIES/To go to all the multitudes of Dharma Assemblies. UNIVERSALLY TO ENTER ALL PLACES OF BIRTH/To go to all places where there are beings. TO ACCOMPLISH THE GREAT VEHICLE/To accomplish all the inconceivable Great Vehicle Dharma doors. TO CULTIVATE THE PRACTICES OF BODHISATTVAS/To cultivate all the ten thousand practices cultivated by Bodhisattvas. This is also VAST AND GREAT AS THE DHARMA REALM, ULTIMATE AS EMPTY SPACE, EXHAUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FUTURE, THROUGHOUT ALL NUMBERS OF KALPAS, WITHOUT CEASE.