Outline of Avatamsaka Sutra By Dr. Tony Prince The First Assembly Chapter 1 The Sublime A!ornments of the "or!

s of the #orl! The main topic of the first$ lon% chapter is the nature of Bu!!hahoo!. &t provi!es an intro!uctory overvie' of the basic teachin%s of the Sutra 'hich 'ill be recapitulate! in more concrete form in the even lon%er final chapter$ throu%h the story of Su!hana(s )uest for *nli%htenment an! the conclu!in% hymn in praise of Bu!!hahoo! by Samantabha!ra. &t be%ins 'ith a !epiction of the Bu!!ha un!er the Bo!hi+tree. #hile this is on one level the historical Bo!hi+tree in ,a%a!ha$ it also appears here as a manifestation of ultimate reality. #e then learn that the Bo!hi+tree is locate! in a vast palace that is elaborately a!orne! an! shinin% 'ith a multicolore! ra!iance.... an! so on. The au!ience is then !escribe!. There are not only innumerable bo!hisattvas$ le! by Samantabha!ra$ but also vast numbers of !eities of all kin!s -a.ra+'iel!ers$ atten!ant spirits$ %uar!ians of sites of *nli%htenment$ %o!s of to'ns an! localities$ %o!s of mountains$ forests$ healin% herbs$ crops$ rivers an! oceans/ %o!s of 'ater$ of fire$ of 'in!$ of space$ an! of the !irections/ %o!s of the ni%ht an! of the !ay/ asuras$ %aru!as$ kinnaras$ mahora%as$ yakshas$ na%as$ kumbhan!has$ an! %an!harvas/ %o!s of the moon an! of the sun/ an! all the !eities of the various heavens of tra!itional Bu!!hist cosmolo%y. These bein%s represent the entire universe$ in its animate an! suppose!ly inanimate aspects$ an! they all re.oice at the Bu!!ha(s achievement of *nli%htenment. For each %roup the names of ten representative fi%ures are %iven$ an! for each of the ten$ a stan0a is then recite! in praise of the Bu!!ha(s *nli%htenment.

Chapter 1 The Display of the Tatha%ata The assemble! bo!hisattvas ask a series of )uestions about the nature of the Bu!!ha an! of Bu!!hahoo!. &n response$ all the various 'orl!+oceans appear$ ten of 'hich are name! an! !escribe! 2one for each of the ten !irections3. Bo!hisattvas 'ith their retinues come from all these 'orl!s to the "otus #orl! of -airocana an! make offerin%s to the Bu!!ha. 2Shakyamuni an! the Saha'orl! here reveal their true form as -airocana an! the "otus #orl!$ 'hile still remainin% 'hat they 'ere 4 the scene is simultaneously both ,a%a!ha an! the "otus #orl!.3 The Bu!!ha then emits li%ht from his urna$ an! subse)uently a bo!hisattva also emer%es from the urna an! recites ten stan0as about the Bu!!ha(s kno'le!%e an! po'ers/ finally ten other bo!hisattvas appear an! each recites ten similar stan0as. Chapter 5 Samantabha!ra(s Sama!hi Samantabha!ra enters sama!hi in the presence of the Bu!!ha/ this is then seen to be repeate! en!lessly throu%hout all time an! space. The Bu!!ha praises Samantabha!ra an! besto's kno'le!%e on him. All the bu!!has then place their han!s on Samantabha!ra(s hea! in a %esture of blessin%. Samantabha!ra then emer%es from sama!hi. "i%ht ra!iates from the Bu!!ha(s pores$ an! this li%ht is hear! to recite ten verses in praise of Samantabha!ra. All the bo!hisattvas then sin% a further ten stan0as in praise of Samantabha!ra. Chapter 6 The Formation of the #orl!s &n verse an! prose$ Samantabha!ra %ives an! account of the 7uayen cosmolo%y$ an! the number$ variety an! beauty of all the infinite 'orl!s is !escribe!. Finally Samantabha!ra e8plains the interpenetration of macrocosm an! microcosm. Chapter 9 The "otus #orl! Samantabha!ra(s account of 7uayen cosmolo%y is continue! first the vast si0e an! intricacy of -airocana(s 'orl! is !escribe!$ then some of the innumerable 'orl!+systems surroun!in% it are liste! an! name!. The name of the Bu!!ha 1

presi!in% in each one is %iven$ sho'in% that the entire universe is perva!e! by the presence of *nli%htenment$ an! sometimes the shape of the 'orl!+system an! other !etails are also %iven. Finally Samantabha!ra sums up the theme of the chapter in verse. Chapter : -airocana Samantabha!ra tells us somethin% of the early history 2;in the remote past$ as many aeons a%o as there are atoms in a 'orl!;3 of the bo!hisattva 'ho became -airocana. Thus 'e learn that bo!hicitta an! the )uest for *nli%htenment not only affect the in!ivi!ual but shape the very physical form of the universe$ for the physical environment an! the karma of its inhabitants are inter!epen!ent 4 as the previous t'o chapters have also ma!e clear. The Secon! Assembly Chapter < The =ames of the Tatha%ata This chapter marks a ne' Assembly an! a chan%e of scene/ the Bu!!ha is still in ,a%a!ha$ but is no' in the 7all of >niversal "i%ht. ,an.usri an! countless other bo!hisattvas arrive from various 'orl!s in the ten !irections. ,an.usri then names some of these 'orl!s an!$ startin% 'ith this 'orl! *n!urance$ an! thence procee!in% to 'orl!s in the east$ south$ 'est$ north'est.... an! so on$ he %ives$ for each 'orl!$ ten 2?infinite3 names by 'hich the Bu!!ha is kno'n there. Chapter @ The Four 7oly Truths A%ain$ startin% 'ith the Saha'orl! an! procee!in% to the same ten 'orl!s 2thou%h in a !ifferent or!er3$ ,an.usri lists the various names by 'hich the Four Truths are kno'n in those 'orl!s$ %ivin% in each case ten names for each of the Four Truths. This chapter thus illustrates the universality of the Dharma. Chapter A A'akenin% by "i%ht

"i%ht ra!iates from the 'heelmarks on the soles of the Bu!!haBs feet$ illuminatin% 'orl!s in all ten !irections. As each !irection is lit up$ the same scene in the 7all of >niversal "i%ht appears multiplie! to infinity. All the ,an.usri in those countless 'orl!s chant verses praisin% the Bu!!ha an! e8poun!in% the Dharma. Chapter 1C A Bo!hisattva Asks for Clarification ,an.usri asks each of the other chief bo!hisattvas from the other nine !irections 2as in chapter <3 )uestions about the nature of the min! an! the senses$ of sentient bein%s$ of the Bu!!haBs teachin% activities$ of karmic cause an! effect$ an! so on. &n each case the bo!hisattvas reply in verse. The teachin%s in this chapter emphasi0e con!itionality 2pratitysamutpa!a3$ emptiness 2sunyata3$ relativity$ an! the nee! to a!apt the Teachin%s to the capacity of the au!ience. Chapter 11 Pure Con!uct The bo!hisattva Bha!ramukha asks a series of )uestions about the proper con!uct of bo!hisattvas. &n reply$ ,an.usri lists 16C acts or situations 'hich can be purifie! by mental transformation$ i.e. by consi!erin% them symbolically an! !e!icatin% them to some %oal or i!eal in keepin% 'ith the Bo!hisattva Path. Chapter 11 Bha!ramukha ,an.usri in turn asks Bha!ramukha about the practices cultivate! by bo!hisattvas. Bha!ramukha replies in 5:C verse stan0as provi!in% an outline of the entire Bo!hisattva Path. Amon% the topics !ealt 'ith are the a'akenin% of the Aspiration to *nli%htenment 2bo!hicittotpa!a3$ the fun!amental importance of faith$ the truths un!erstoo! by the bo!hisattvas$ the results of cultivatin% bo!hisattva practices 2sama!his$ miraculous po'ers an! so on3$ an! the !ifferent metho!s use! by bo!hisattvas in or!er to communicate the Dharma to sentient bein%s.6 The Thir! Assembly 6

Chapter 15 Ascent to the Summit of ,t. Sumeru The Bu!!ha ascen!s 2thou%h ;'ithout leavin% the foot of the Bo!hi+tree;3 to the peak of ,t. Sumeru$ to the Trayastrimsa Dealm$ 'here &n!raBs palace is locate!. 7e then procee!s to &n!raBs palace$ an! &n!ra 2Sakra3 chants ten 'elcomin% stan0as in 'hich he allu!es to similar visits by ten previous bu!!has. Chapter 16 *ulo%ies on ,t. Sumeru Bo!hisattvas arrive in &n!raBs palace from all ten !irections. The Bu!!ha emits li%ht from his toes$ illuminatin% the entire universe. *ach of the ten chief bo!hisattvas then chants ten stan0as 2%atha3 praisin% Bu!!hahoo! as true kno'le!%e of reality free from !istortions an! limitations. Chapter 19 The Ten Abo!es Dharmamati$ one of the bo!hisattvas 'ho arrive! in chapter 16$ enters sama!hi an! is blesse! by bu!!has ;as numerous as the atoms in a thousan! bu!!ha+realms;$ all of 'hom are also calle! Dharmamati. 7e then emer%es from sama!hi an! e8poun!s the Ten Abo!es$ the secon! section of the 91 Sta%es of the Path. These ten are 213 A'akenin% the Aspiration to *nli%htenment/ 213 Preparin% the Eroun!/ 253 Cultivatin% the Practices/ 263 =oble Birth Fi.e. into the family of the bu!!hasG/ 293 Perfection of Skilful ,eans/ 2:3 Dectification of the ,in!/ 2<3 =onre%ression/ 2@3 Chil!like Simplicity/ 2A3 Cro'n Prince of the Dharma/ an! 21C3 Consecration.

Dharmamati then repeats his e8position in a len%thy verse e8planation in 'hich he !escribes the inspiration$ aspirations$ con!uct an! achievements of the bo!hisattvas. Chapter 1: Spiritual Con!uct &n response to a )uestion by one of the !eities$ calle! Samyaksmriti$ Dharmamati !iscusses the con!uct of bo!hisattvas 'ho have entere! the monastic life. 7e also e8plains that *mptiness 2sunyata3 is the basis of all Bu!!hist practices. This chapter contains the famous statement that ;Perfect *nli%htenment is achieve! the moment on aspires to it;. Chapter 1< The ,erit of A'akenin% the Aspiration to *nli%htenment &n response to a )uestion by &n!ra$ Dharmamati e8plains$ 'ith a 'ealth of hyperbole$ the amount of merit that is achieve! by a'akenin% the Aspiration to *nli%htenment. 7e conclu!es 'ith a lon% verse passa%e in 'hich he !escribes the 9 scope of Bo!hicitta an! the %reat po'ers an! 'is!om that are ac)uire! by bo!hisattvas 'ho cultivate it. 2This chapter an! a similar$ even lon%er$ eulo%y of Bo!hicitta 'ith a %reat profusion of similes$ in the Ean!avyuha Sutra illustrate the immense importance of Bo!hicitta for the Sutra an! for the 7uayen School.3 Chapter 1@ Clarifyin% the Dharma Deplyin% to a len%thy )uestion by the bo!hisattva -iryamati$ Dharmamati e8plains the bo!hisattva practices 'ith a 'ealth of concrete !etail an! many lists of specific practices an! virtues. The Fourth Assembly Chapter 1A Ascent to Hama(s Dealm The Bu!!ha$ ;'ithout leavin% the foot of the Bo!hi+tree or the peak of ,t. Sumeru;$ ascen!s to Hama(s realm 2the thir! of the tra!itional 1@ heavenly realms3 an! visits the palace of Iin%

Hama. Hama 'elcomes him 'ith ten stan0as similar to those of &n!ra in chapter 15. Chapter 1C The *ulo%ies in Hama(s Palace This chapter is similar to chapter 16. Bo!hisattvas arrive from all ten !irections$ li%ht ra!iates from the Bu!!ha(s insteps/ then the ten chief bo!hisattvas each recite ten stan0as praisin% the Bu!!ha an! speakin% of *mptiness an! the nature of the min!. This chapter also contains a very famous passa%e comparin% the min! an! its creation of an e8ternal 'orl! to the creative 'ork of a painter. Chapter 11 The Ten Practices This chapter parallels chapter 19 One of the bo!hisattvas$ calle! Eunavana$ enters sama!hi$ is blesse! by countless bu!!has$ all of 'hom are also calle! Eunavana$ an! he then emer%es from sama!hi an! e8poun!s the Ten Practices$ the thir! set of ten in the tra!itional 91 Sta%es. These Ten Practices are as follo's 213 Eivin% Deli%ht/ 213 Besto'in% Benefits/ 253 =onresentment/ 263 &ne8haustible Practice/ 293 Transcen!in% &%norance an! Confusion/ 2:3 Skilful ,anifestation/ 2<3 =onattachment/ 2@3 Deverence for the Supreme Practice Fof Pra.naparamitaG/ 2A3 Cultivation of Eoo! Jualities/ 21C3 Cultivation of Truth. After a len%thy e8position of these ten virtues$ there follo's another lon% passa%e in verse$ in 'hich Eunavana praises the

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bu!!has an! bo!hisattvas an! the universality of their 'is!om an! of their teachin% activities. Chapter 11 The Ten &ne8haustible Treasuries &n this chapter Eunavana %oes on to e8poun! the 1C &ne8haustible Treasuries 4 a further set of ten virtues cultivate! by bo!hisattvas. 2These are not$ ho'ever$ inclu!e! in the (official( list of 91 Sta%es.3 The ten are as follo's 213 Faith/ 213 *thical Discipline/ 253 Depentance/ 263 Shame F'ith re%ar! to past 'ron%!oin%G/ 293 "earnin% or Ac)uirin% Ino'le!%e Fof the DharmaG/ 2:3 Eenerosity/ 2<3 #is!om/ 2@3 ,in!fulness/ 2A3 Sustainin% or Supportin% Fthe DharmaG/ 21C3 *lo)uence. The Fifth Assembly Tushita Chapter 15 Ascent to the Tushita 7eaven The ne8t t'o chapters a%ain parallel chapters 15+19 an! 1A+11. This time the Bu!!ha$ K'ithout leavin% the foot of the Bo!hi+ tree or HamaBs palaceL$ ascen!s to the Tushita 7eaven an! %oes to the palace of the presi!in% kin%. Offerin%s of flo'ers$ .e'els$ incense$ robes$ banners$ conch+shells etc. are ma!e to the Bu!!ha by countless trillions of !eities. The scope of the Bu!!haBs kno'le!%e is then praise! an! !escribe! in !etail. Finally the Tushita kin% sin%s ten verses of 'elcome like those of &n!ra an! Hama. Chapter 16 The Tushita *ulo%ies @

As before$ bo!hisattvas assemble from the ten !irections. Then li%ht ra!iates from the Bu!!ha(s knees$ illuminatin% the universe. Finally the ten chief bo!hisattvas each sin% ten stan0as in praise of the Bu!!ha an! of *nli%htenment$ 'hich ;like space is unborn an! imperishable;. Chapter 19 The Ten Transferences 2of ,erit3 The bo!hisattva -a.ra!ha.a enters into sama!hi$ is blesse! by countless bu!!has$ all calle! -a.ra!hva.a$ an!$ emer%in% from sama!hi$ he e8poun!s these ten transferals or !e!ications of merit. The transferal has t'o aspects 2a3 transferal (up'ar!s( to *nli%htenment 2i.e. to universal *nli%htenment$ not *nli%htenment as an in!ivi!ual %oal3/ an! 2b3 transferal (!o'n'ar!s( to all sentient bein%s. The Ten Transferences are as follo's 213 Protectin% all bein%s an! !eliverin% them from sufferin% 'hile transcen!in% the very notion of a (bein%(/ 213 &n!estructible De!ication of ,erit 2to the Path3/ 253 *)uality 'ith All theBu!!has/ 263 Deachin% All Places 2'ith the merit of one(s practices3/ 293 The Treasury of &ne8hautible ,erit/ 2:3 Developin% the Doots of Eoo!ness in Accor!ance 'ith the *)uality of All Thin%s/ 2<3 Contemplatin% All Bein%s in the"i%ht of *)uality/ 2@3 The Juality of Suchness/ 2A3 "iberation from All Bon!a%e an! Attachment/ 21C3 The &ne8haustibility of the Dharmarealm. This chapter is the secon!+lon%est in the entire 7HS$ after the Ean!avyuha Sutra 2'hich makes up about a thir! of the total len%th of the entire 7HS3. 2The thir!+lon%est is the chapter ;Transcen!in% the #orl!;$ 'hich comes imme!iately before A

the Ean!avyuha Sutra.3 This reflects the %reat importance place! on the Aspiration to *nli%htenment$ the bo!hisattva(s career$ an! the Transferal of ,erit throu%hout the Avatamsaka Sutra. The Si8th Assembly the Paranirmitavasavartin Palace Chapter 1: The Ten Sta%es The Si8th Assembly consists of a sin%le chapter$ on the ten levels or sta%es of the Bo!hisattva Path. This chapter still survives in Sanskrit as an in!epen!ent 'ork un!er the title of Dasabhumika Sutra. This te8t 'as an e8tremely influential 'ork in the ,ahayana tra!ition %enerally$ an! the ten sta%es it e8plains in such !etail came to be %enerally accepte! as an authoritative outline of the bo!hisattva(s pro%ress to'ar!s complete *nli%htenment. 7ere$ in the Avatamsaka Sutra$ it forms an Assembly by itself. The scene is the principal palace in the Paranirmitavasavartin realm 2the si8th of the tra!itional Bu!!hist heavens an! the hi%hest in the #orl! of Pure Form 2rupaloka3. The chief of the assemble! bo!hisattvas$ -a.ra%arbha$ enters sama!hi an! is blesse! by innumerable bo!hisattvas$ all calle! -a.ra%arbha. "i%ht from the Bu!!ha(s urna illuminates the universe$ an! -a.ra%arbha$ havin% emer%e! from sama!hi$ e8poun!s the Ten Sta%es$ 'hich are as follo's 213 The Moyful/ 213 The &mmaculate/ 253 The Brilliant/ 263 The Bla0in%/ 293 The >ncon)uerable/ 2:3 The ,anifest/ 2<3 The Far+reachin%/ 2@3 The &mperturbable/ 2A3 True A'areness/ 1C

21C3 The Dharma Clou!. The Seventh Assembly The 7all of >niversal "i%ht The Seventh Assembly consists of eleven relatively short chapters of a miscellaneous character. 2&n the earlier translation of the Sutra there are only ten chapters$ since it lacks the chapter on the Ten Concentrations.3 The 'hole Assembly is suppose! to correspon! to t'o kin!s of ultimate *nli%htenment$ an! the chapters$ as usual$ inclu!e many lists of ten 2virtues$ sama!his$ supernormal po'ers etc.3 that are not inclu!e! in the official 91 Sta%es. Chapter 1< The Ten Concentrations This chapter be%ins 'ith the Bu!!ha a%ain in the 7all of >niversal "i%ht surroun!e! by a host of bo!hisattvas$ of 'hom a hun!re! are name!. One of these bo!hisattvas$ calle! Samantanetra$ asks the Bu!!ha about sama!hi. The Bu!!ha su%%ests that he ask Samantabha!ra$ 'hom he !escribes as a master of all kin!s of sama!hi. Accor!in%ly the bo!hisattvas search every'here for Samantabha!ra but are unable to fin! him$ an! the Bu!!ha e8plains that this is because Samantabha!ra(s accomplishments transcen! the scope of their kno'le!%e. As a result the bo!hisattvas are fille! 'ith faith in Samantabha!ra. Prostratin% themselves three times an! chantin% ;7oma%e to all the bu!!has an! to the bo!hisattva Samantabha!ra;$ they all vo' to cultivate the same practices as Samantabha!ra. Samantabha!ra then appears an! e8poun!s the Ten Concentrations to them. These ten are as follo's 213 >niversal "i%ht/ 213 Subtle "i%ht/ 253 The Po'er of Travelin% to All Bu!!harealms/ 263 Practice of the Pure an! Profoun! ,in!/

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293 Ino'le!%e of the Treasury of Past A!ornments 2of Bu!!harealms3/ 2:3 The Bri%ht Treasury of the "i%ht of #is!om/ 2<3 >n!erstan!in% the A!ornments of the Bu!!has in All the #orl!s/ 2@3 The Different Physical Forms of Bein%s 2assume! by the bo!hisattvas for teachin% purposes3/ 2A3 The Perfect Free!om of the Dharmarealm/ 21C3 The >nimpe!e! #heel. Chapter 1@ The Ten Supernormal Po'ers &n this chapter Samantabha!ra e8plains the ten supernormal po'ers 2abhi.na3 of the bo!hisattvas 213 Telepathy/ 213 The Divine *ye/ 253 Ino'le!%e of Past "ives/ 263 Complete Ino'le!%e of the Future/ 293 The Divine *ar/ 2:3 Travelin% to All Bu!!harealms #ithout ,ovin%/ 2<3 ,astery of the Different "an%ua%es of All Bein%s/ 2 @3 The Po'er to Display Splen!i! Physical Forms 2to enli%hten bein%s3/ 2A3 Ino'le!%e of All Dharmas/ 21C3 Ino'le!%e of the Sama!hi of the *8tinction of All Dharmas. Chapter 1A The Ten Types of Patience 7ere Samantabha!ra e8plains ten types of patience or forbearance

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213 "earnin% 2patient acceptance of the Teachin%s3/ 213 Compliance/ 253 Acceptance of =onori%ination 2anutpattika!harmaksanti3/ 263 Acceptance of &llusoriness/ 293 Acceptance of Flamelikeness/ 2:3 Acceptance of Dreamlikeness/ 2<3 Acceptance of *cholikeness/ 2@3 Acceptance of 2!harmas3 Bein% "ike a Deflection/ 2A3 Acceptance of 2!harmas3 Bein% "ike a ,a%ical &llusion/ 21C3 Acceptance of 2!harmas3 Bein% "ike *mpty Space. Chapter 5C The &ncalculable &n response to a )uestion by the bo!hisattva Cittara.a$ the Bu!!ha e8plains some 11C transfinite numbers$ from koti ? 1CC lakhs ? 1C$CCC$CCC3 to 1$CCC$CCC11C$ as use! in Bu!!hist te8ts to in!icate infinite amounts of merit$ hu%e !istances an! so on. Chapter 51 The "ife+spans of the Tatha%atas Cittara.a no' !iscourses on the relativity of time$ by e8plainin% the !ifferent scales of time in !ifferent bu!!harealms$ be%innin% 'ith a comparison of the Sahaloka an! Sukhavati$ one kalpa 2aeon3 in the former bein% e)uivalent to a sin%le !ay an! ni%ht in the latter. Chapter 51 The Abo!es of the Bo!hisattvas Cittara.a names various 'orl!s in the ten !irections 'here bo!hisattvas resi!e/ he also names the bo!hisattvas themselves an! their retinues. This chapter !emonstrates the omnipresence of enli%htene! activity in all 'orl!s$ as personifie! by Samantabha!ra$ the principal fi%ure in this Assembly. Chapter 55 The &nconceivable Jualities of Bu!!hahoo!

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The bo!hisattvas pon!er the inconceivability of the )ualities 2!harmas3 of the bu!!has. The Bu!!ha$ rea!in% their min!s$ inspires the bo!hisattva >tpala%arbha to !escribe 51C of these )ualities. Chapter 56 The "imitless Attributes of the Ten Bo!ies of the Tatha%ata &n this chapter Samantabha!ra !escribes the Bu!!haNs physical attributes$ of 'hich nearly a hun!re! are liste!. Chapter 59 The ,erit of the Da!iant ,inor Attributes The Bu!!ha$ speakin% to the bo!hisattva Datnapani$ names an! !escribes certain minor physical attributes of the bu!!has 'hich emit purifyin% li%ht. 7e also speaks of the past lives of ;the bo!hisattva -airocana;. Chapter 5: The Con!uct of Samantabha!ra &n this chapter Samantabha!ra speaks of 2a3 obstacles to *nli%htenment that arise from an%er$ attachment an! !elusion$ 2b3 practices that all bo!hisattvas shoul! cultivate$ an! 2c3 the %reat 'is!om an! compassion of the bo!hisattvas. Chapter 5< The ,anifestation of the Tatha%ata "i%ht from the Bu!!ha(s urna illuminates the universe$ an! the bo!hisattva Tatha%ata%otrasa!%una praises the Bu!!ha. A ray of li%ht from the Bu!!ha(s mouth circles the universe ten times an! then enters the mouth of Samantabha!ra. Samantabha!ra procee!s to instruct Tatha%ata%otrasa!%una in the omnipresence of Bu!!hahoo! an! in the various 'ays in 'hich the Bu!!ha manifests to sentient bein%s. The *i%hth Assembly The 7all of >niversal "i%ht Chapter 5@ Transcen!in% the #orl! This chapter$ the secon!+lon%est in the Avatamsaka Sutra$ is classe! as an Assembly by itself$ althou%h the location 2The 7all of >niversal "i%ht3 remains unchan%e! from the previous assembly. 16

=o' Samantabha!ra enters the Avatamsaka Sama!hi an! the entire universe )uakes. The bo!hisattva Samanta.nana asks Samantabha!ra t'o hun!re! )uestions re%ar!in% the bo!hisattva(s con!uct an! career. For each )uestion Samantabha!ra provi!es ten ans'ers$ makin% a total of t'o thousan! ans'ers !ealin% 'ith !ifferent aspects of the Bo!hisattva Path. The chapter conclu!es 'ith a lon% section in verse in 'hich Samantabha!ra sin%s the praises of the bo!hisattvas an! their con!uct. The =inth Assembly The Metavana Erove Chapter 5A *nterin% the Dharmarealm This final chapter$ 'hich is also the last Assembly$ takes up nearly a thir! of the entire Avatamsaka Sutra. &t forms the entire content of the thir! translation of the Sutra 2in 6C fascicles3$ an! is still e8tant in Sanskrit un!er the title Ean!avyuha Sutra. The prece!in% parts of the 7HS have !ealt at len%th 'ith the Bo!hisattva Path an! the nature of *nli%htenment. &n this final section all these teachin%s are illustrate! by a concrete e8ample$ the story of a youn% man calle! Su!hana(s )uest for *nli%htenment. The vision of *nli%htenment 'ith 'hich the Sutra be%an 2an! 'hich in its essentials has remaine! unchan%e!$ .ust as the Bu!!ha has never really left his seat3 is thus %iven concrete embo!iment in the form of Su!hana(s pil%rima%e. This movement parallels the path of in!ivi!ual practitioners$ 'ho first receive a vision of the ultimate truth$ faith in 'hich sustains them throu%hout their career$ then procee! to cultivate the innumerable bo!hisattva practices !escribe! in the follo'in% chapters$ an! finally$ like Su!hana$ learn from their teachers ho' to reali0e in their o'n lives the *nli%htenment that 'as sho'n to them at the be%innin% an! that is their o'n essential an! inalienable nature. The story opens in the Metavana$ a lar%e park in Sravasti$ in a 2mythical3 buil!in% calle! the Ereat A!orne! ,ultistorie! Pavilion. The Bu!!ha is teachin% here$ surroun!e! by a retinue 19

of some 16C bo!hisattvas 2all name!3 'ith ,an.ushri an! Samantabha!ra at their hea!$ 9CC arhats an! others. After some !iscussion$ the Bu!!ha enters a sama!hi calle! the "ion(s Ha'n or the "ion(s Stretch. The %rove an! pavilion su!!enly appear to be infinite in e8tent an! to be a!orne! 'ith .e'els$ music etc. 2The assemble! Shravakas fail to perceive these phenomena.3 At the same time the same transformation is perceive! to be takin% place every'here throu%hout the universe. Bo!hisattvas then arrive in vast numbers from the ten !irections$ all of them ;sprun% from the practices an! vo's of Samantabha!ra;. *ach of the ten chief bo!hisattvas recites ten verses of praise in honor of the Bu!!ha$ 'ho ra!iates li%ht from his urna$ revealin% infinite bu!!harealms in every atom throu%hout the universe$ an! causin% all the bo!hisattvas to enter simultaneously into the "ionBs Ha'n Sama!hi. The bo!hisattvas then also ra!iate li%ht from every pore of their bo!ies an!$ assumin% various forms$ they %o off in !ifferent !irections to teach bein%s in the lan! of Mambu!vipa 2&n!ia3. ,an.ushri$ accompanie! by a vast retinue$ sets off to'ar!s the south$ preachin% the Dharma as he %oes. *ventually he comes to a city calle! Dhanyakara. A member of his au!ience there$ a youn% man calle! Su!hana$ is inspire! to a'aken the Aspiration to *nli%htenment 2bo!hichitta3$ an! he asks ,an.ushri ho' he shoul! practice the Bo!hisattva Path. &n response$ ,an.ushri sen!s him off on a pil%rima%e throu%hout &n!ia$ visitin% a series of fifty or so %urus an! learnin% from 'hat they have to teach. Su!hanaBs first %uru$ after ,an.ushri himself$ is a monk calle! ,e%hasri$ an! the rest of the story !escribes ho' Su!hana travels from %uru to %uru$ each teacher !irectin% him to the ne8t one in the series. 7e procee!s throu%h the len%th of &n!ia in this 'ay$ from north to south an! finally back to the north a%ain$ to the Bo!himan!a 2the Seat of *nli%htenment3 itself. 7e approaches each of these teachers 'ith the same basic )uestions he has alrea!y a'akene! the Aspiration to *nli%htenment$ but ho' shoul! he no' cultivate it$ ho' shoul!

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he practice Dharma accor!in% to the Bo!hisattva PathO 7is %urus inclu!e monks an! nuns$ househol!ers$ businessmen$ brahmins$ ascetics$ scholars$ kin%s$ a courtesan$ an! various !eities. *ach of these has mastere! some particular sama!hi an! has some particular insi%ht to impart to Su!hana. The lan!scape an! the cities that Su!hana travels throu%h are inten!e! to be real places in &n!ia$ but they are seen throu%h the prism of 7uayen *nli%htenment$ like the Bo!hi+tree at the be%innin% of the Sutra. So the kin% ,ahaprabha 2=o. 1A3 says to Su!hana #hat one sees varies accor!in% to the heart(s !esires. Hou may see this place as a tiny$ crampe! to'n or as a vast city/ the %roun! as ma!e of earth an! san! or as a!orne! 'ith countless .e'els/ you may see it as surroun!e! by an earthen 'all or by far+flun% .e'ele! ramparts. The lan! it is built on may appear to be uneven an! littere! 'ith shar!s an! stones$ or as level as the palm of your han! an! ma!e beautiful 'ith countless %ems. Hou may see buil!in%s of 'oo! an! clay$ or palaces an! pavilions 'ith staircases$ courtyar!s$ veran!ahs$ an! many 'in!o's an! !oors. &n this 'ay everythin% can become somethin% rare an! 'on!erful. Houn% man$ if the min!s of bein%s are pure/ if they have plante! roots of %oo!ness an! ma!e offerin%s to the Bu!!has/ if they have a'akene! the Aspiration an! set out on the path to Omniscience$ makin% that their ultimate %oal/ an! if they have taken up the cultivation of the practices of a bo!hisattva$ as & !i! lon% a%o/ then they 'ill see this to'n as pure an! a!orne! 'ith .e'els. The rest 'ill see only rubbish At the en! of his pil%rima%e Su!hana is !irecte! to the bo!hisattva ,aitreya. ,aitreya bi!s him enter a %reat to'er calle! the ,atri8 A!orne! 'ith the Splen!ors of -airochana. The .e'ele! interior of this to'er is infinite in si0e an! contains an infinite number of e)ually infinite an! i!entical to'ers$ in each of 'hich Su!hana sees himself. This represents the clima8

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of Su!hana(s )uest an! the moment of his final a'akenin%$ an! he becomes immerse! in !eep sama!hi. Su!hana is then rouse! from his sama!hi by ,aitreya$ 'ho has also entere! the to'er. ,aitreya %ives him further instructions an! tells him to seek confirmation of his e8perience from his first %uru$ ,an.ushri. After a lon% search he finally encounters ,an.ushri a%ain. ,an.ushri blesses Su!hana by placin% his han! on his hea! an! transfers his o'n po'ers an! 'is!om to him. Su!hana is no' fille! 'ith %reat reverence for all his %urus an! feels a %reat lon%in% to see Samantabha!ra. 7is final vision therefore is of the cosmic bo!y of Samantabha!ra$ in 'hich he sees Samantabha!ra performin% !ee!s of 'is!om an! compassion every'here throu%hout the universe$ he also sees himself similarly en%a%e! in bo!hisattva con!uct throu%hout the universe. Then Samantabha!ra also blesses an! instructs him$ besto'in% further kno'le!%e an! psychic po'ers 2i.e. sama!his3 on him. Finally the Sutra conclu!es 'ith a lon% hymn by Samantabha!ra in praise of the Bu!!has. Thus the Sutra itself$ like Su!hana(s )uest$ en!s by returnin% to its startin% point.

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