Monthly Archives: November 2015

The Unobstructed Door

Supratishthita

Then Sudhana, remembering that spiritual benefactor’s teaching of the universal eye, reflecting on that projection of buddhahood, keeping in mind those multitudes of statements of the Teaching, entering into those oceans of entries into the Teaching, pondering that method of teaching, plunging into the principles of that whirlpool of teaching, entering fully into the space of that teaching, clarifying that sphere of teaching, and contemplating that treasure island of teaching, gradually made his way to Sagaratira in Lanka, where he looked in all directions, desiring to see the monk Supratishthita. He saw Supratishthita walking in the sky, surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands of celestial beings. read more

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Omniscient Ocean

Sagaramegha

Then Sudhana, reflecting on the instructions of that spiritual benefactor, pondering that enlightening liberation, polishing that enlightening method of concentration, peering into that conductor into the ocean of the essence of enlightenment, intent upon the sphere of buddhahood, seeking that direction to the vision of Buddha, thinking about that ocean of buddhas, remembering the succession of buddhas, following that approach to the means of enlightenment, looking throughout that sky of the enlightened, went gradually to the monk Sagaramegha in the region of Sagaramukha. When he got there, he paid his respects to Sagaramegha and said, “O noble one, I have set out for supreme perfect enlightenment and want to enter the supreme ocean of knowledge; but I do not know how enlightening beings get out of the host of worldlings and into the host of the enlightened, emerge from the ocean of the mundane whirl and enter the ocean of omniscience, die away from the state of ignorant sentient beings and are born in the family of buddhas, withdraw from the stream of the mundane whirl and follow the stream of enlightening practice, escape from the wheel of transmigration in the mundane whirl and turn to the wheel of practice and vows of enlightening beings, destroy the gang of all demons and make manifest the light of the host of all buddhas, evaporate the ocean of craving and increase the water of great compassion, close all doors of decadence and miserable states and evils which are inopportune for enlightenment and open the door of heaven and nirvana, break through the door of the city of the mundane and enter the door of the city of omniscience, give up craving for all luxuries and give rise to the determination to care for all being.” read more

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Recollection of the Realm of Buddhas

Meghashri

Then Sudhana proceeded by stages to the country of Ramavaranta. Having
reached Ramavaranta, reflecting on and tasting the mentally pleasing enjoyments based on higher action born of past roots of goodness, he went to
Mount Sugriva, climbed the mountain, and looked in every direction for the
monk Meghashri. Finally, after seven days, he saw the monk walking on the
plateau of another peak. He went to Meghashri, paid his respects, and said,
“0 noble one, I have determined to seek supreme enlightenment, but I do
not know how an enlightening being should learn the conduct of enlightening
beings, or how one should accomplish it, or how to begin the practice
of enlightening beings, how to carry it out, fulfill it, purify it, comprehend
it, realize it, follow it, keep to it, and expand it, or how an enlightening
being is to fulfill the sphere of universally good action. I hear that you give
instruction for enlightening beings, so please tell me how enlightening
beings proceed to supreme perfect enlightenment.” read more

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Mañjuśrī Elects Sudhana

                                                                                      www.studyblue.com read more

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The Lion’s Yawn Samādhi

The Assembly, through a miraculous array of questioning mode, inquires upon the gnosis behind the Buddha’s past attainments and vastly transcendent spiritual powers of the Tathāgata. It needs to be highlighted at this junction that Buddha Sākyamuni in this sutra—as well as the whole of the Avatamsaka corpus—appears in his supernal aspect as Buddha Vairocana. Discerning the request from the assembly he enters into the sublime Samādhi known as the “Lion’s Yawn” (sihavijmbhita). Within this miraculous display of undivided-bodhipower his peaked dwelling is transformed into a vast space adorned with myriad jewels and banners and flags of all designs. Yet, what follows is equally an unfolding marvel: read more

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The Gandavyūha-sūtra

(Please note that the translation (unless otherwise noted) we are using in this series is the text by Thomas Cleary) read more

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The Avatamsaka Saga

The Gandavyūha-sūtra is the final segment in the larger Avatamsaka portrait. The Avatamsaka is the most prominent scripture in the Hua-yen. Colossal in scope, bold in execution, and incomparable in terms of evocative, even psychedelic imagery, the Avatamsaka is like going on an acid-trip without the acid. The actual full-Sanskrit title is Buddhāvatamsaka-mahāvaipulya-sūtra. According to the Hua-yen tradition the Sutra was actually taught by the Buddha himself, believing it to be the only authentic expression of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. While still sitting beneath the Bodhi-Tree it is said that the Buddha partook in the Sagaramudrasamadhi (Ocean-Seal-Samadhiand afterwards spoke the Truth of the Avatamsaka, or the direct-expression of the Dharmadhātu to Bodhisattvas and Devas, Nagas, and others who were in attendance from the ten-directions of the Cosmos. According to legend the actual sūtra was obtained from the Ancient Naga Palace by Nāgārjuna. Its authorship has been widely contested, yet it is obvious that this superb and voluminous text could not have been written solely by one person alone. Yea, its unsurpassed wisdom indicates that its source could only have come from the inspirations of the Primordials themselves. The following is an inspired snapshot of a Primordial holding the blessed Bodhi-seed: read more

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Ocean-Seal-Samādhi

One last prominent consideration pertaining to Hua-yen thought before proceeding into the sutra is “The Ocean-Seal-Samādhi”. Its composition is by Priest Ŭisang (625-702) who is the First Patriarch of Korean Hua-yen (Hwaŏm) Buddhism. All the major schools (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) of Hua-yen consider his work as the quintessential distillation of the core of Hua-yen itself: read more

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Hua-Yen, or a View of Totality


Bringers of life by Alex Groseth

Before engaging the Sutra it is advisable that we present a brief overview of its doctrinal foundation, which is rooted in Hua-yen Buddhism. Also translated as “Flowery Splendor” (thus the title of the Sutra), Hua-yen is an all-encompassing matrix of syncretic-connections that are inter-dependent and thus constitute a resolution of form and principle as defined in such concepts as shih (phenomena) and li (noumenon)—both of which we shall explore more fully soon. The “holographic-model” is an apt depiction of the inner-mechanism of Hua-yen, wherein each three-dimensional image is a reflection and part and parcel of the larger whole—thus the microcosm within the macrocosm scheme of things. The school’s grand systematizer was Fa-tsang (643-712), its renowned Third Patriarch. One could say that he gave birth to its Holographic-Model when he exhibited it for Empress Wu in the following fashion: read more

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