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Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 19
Keywords:
Book 19 - The Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven
Thomas Cleary translation.
This talk explores "The Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven," focusing on the spiritual power of the Enlightened One as depicted in Book 19 of "The Flower Adornment Sutra." It describes the celestial event where the Buddha, without physically leaving his original spot, is perceived in multiple worlds, engaging with heavenly beings. The King of the Suyama Heaven prepares an elaborately adorned throne for the Buddha, who enlightens the assembly with his presence, reaffirming the auspicious nature of these events across all worlds due to the Buddha's spiritual prestige.
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"The Flower Adornment Sutra", Book 19, "Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven": This book exemplifies the transformative power and omnipresence of the Buddha, emphasizing the profound impact of spiritual perception and interaction across different realms, which are considered auspicious primarily because of the Buddha's presence. The text underscores the profound connections between celestial and earthly realms in Buddhist cosmology.
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Thomas Cleary's Translation: Known for making complex Buddhist teachings accessible to Western audiences, this translation highlights the multidimensional experience of the Buddha's spiritual might and its reverberations in various realms, enhancing the reader's understanding of Buddhist cosmological vision.
AI Suggested Title: Celestial Radiance of Buddha's Presence
Book 19. Ascent to the Palace of the Suyama Heaven. Then, by the spiritual power of the Enlightened One, in all worlds of the ten directions, in the Jambu continent of each of the four quarters, and on the peak of their polar mountains, the Enlightened One was seen in the midst of an assembly, wherein the enlightening beings, due to the spiritual power of the Buddha, expounded the teaching, each one having the sense of facing the Buddha at all times. At that time, the World Honored One, without leaving the foot of the Enlightenment Trees and the peaks of Mount Sumeru, headed for the jewel-adorned hall of the Palace of the Suyama Heaven, the King of the Suyama Heaven, seeing from afar the Buddha coming, produced by magical powers, a jewel-lotus-bank lion throne in her palace, with a million
[01:07]
tiers of decorations, wrapped in a million golden nets, covered with a million drapes of flowers, a million drapes of garlands, a million drapes of perfumes, and a million drapes of jewels, surrounded by a million canopies each of flowers, garlands, perfumes, and jewels. A million lights illumined it. A million celestial kings of the Suyama Heaven bowed in respect. A million Brahma kings danced for joy. A million enlightening beings sang praises. A million heavenly symphonies each played a million tones of truth, continuing endlessly. A million clouds of various flowers. A million clouds of various garlands. A million clouds of various ornaments, and a million clouds of various robes covered all around.
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A million clouds of various wish-fulfilling jewels shone with light. The throne was born from a million kinds of roots of goodness, protected by a million Buddhas, augmented by a million kinds of virtues, dignified and purified by a million kinds of faith, and a million kinds of vows, produced by a million kinds of action, established by a million kinds of truths, conjured up by a million kinds of spiritual powers, always producing a million kinds of sounds, revealing all truths. Then that celestial king, having set out this throne, turned to the Buddha, the world-honored one, bowed, and joined her palms with reverence and respect, and said, ìWelcome, O world-honored one. Welcome, felicitous one.
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Welcome, enlightened one. Welcome, O worthy. Welcome, O truly awakened one. Please be so gracious as to sojourn in this palace.î Then the Buddha, accepting the invitation, ascended to the precious hall. This also took place in the same way, everywhere, in the Ten Directions. Then the celestial king, reflecting on the roots of goodness she had planted with past Buddhas, spoke these verses with the aid of the Buddhaís spiritual powers. The Buddha renowned, famed throughout the Ten Directions, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this hall of jewels, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha jewel king, lamp of the world, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this pure hall, therefore
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this place is most auspicious. The Buddha joyful eye, with unhindered vision, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this adorned hall, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha burning lamp, lighting the world, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this magnificent hall, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha benefactor, aid of the world, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this undefiled hall, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha well aware, who had no teacher, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this hall of precious fragrance, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha surpassing the gods, a lamp in the world, supreme among the auspicious, has
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been in this hall of sublime fragrance, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha no departure, hero of philosophy, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this hall of the universal eye, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha unsurpassed, replete with all virtues, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this well adorned hall, therefore this place is most auspicious. The Buddha ascetic, benefiting the world, supreme among the auspicious, has been in this hall of universal embellishment, therefore this place is most auspicious. Just as the king of the Suyama heaven in this world, graced with the occult power of the Buddha, recalled the virtues of Buddhas of ancient times and
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extolled them, so did all the kings of the Suyama heavens in the ten directions, laud the virtues of Buddhas. Then the world honored one entered the jewel adorned hall and sat cross legged on the jewel lotus flower bank lion throne. The hall suddenly expanded vastly. The same thing happened in all worlds of the ten directions as happened in the abodes of the gods.
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