Praises at the Summit of Mount Sumeru

Chapter Fourteen

Overview of Chapter Fourteen

After the Buddha had ascended to Trayastrimsa Heaven at the summit of Mount Sumeru,

Outline:

• The assembly gathers.
• The Thus Come One radiates light.
• The Bodhisattvas speak verses in praise.
• Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva of the East
• All Wisdom Bodhisattva of the South
• Superior Wisdom Bodhisattva of the West
• Meritorious Wisdom Bodhisattva of the North
• Vigorous Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Northeast
• Good Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Southeast
• Knowledgeable Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Southwest
• True Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Northwest
• Unsurpassed Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Nadir
• Solid Wisdom Bodhisattva of the Zenith

Chapter Fourteen Praises at the Summit of Mount Sumeru

Commentary:

This chapter was also spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha as he sat on the Universal Light Treasury Lion Throne in the Wondrous Splendid Palace, prior to the proclaiming of the dharma door of the Ten Dwellings. This is the fourteenth chapter and is titled Praises at the Summit of Mount Sumeru.

The assembly gathers.

Sutra:

At that time, due to the Buddha’s spiritual power, in each of the ten directions a great Bodhisattva, accompanied by Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes in a Buddhaland, traveling from worlds beyond countries as numerous as the dust motes in a hundred Buddhalands, came and joined the assembly.  

Commentary:

At that time, after the preceding chapter “Ascent to the Summit of Mount Sumeru” had been spoken, due to the Buddha’s manifestation of great spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva. The ten Bodhisattvas symbolize the Ten Dwellings. Each great Bodhisattva was a leader of Bodhisattvas and was accompanied by Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes in a Buddhaland.Traveling from worlds beyond as many countries as there are dust motes in a hundred Buddhalands, each Bodhisattva came and joined the assembly. Earlier in the sutra the number of dust motes in ten Buddhalands was used, but now the figure has increased to the dust motes in a hundred Buddhalands. From many worlds, they came to the Wondrous Splendid Palace in order to draw near Shakyamuni Buddha.

Sutra:

Their names were Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, All Wisdom Bodhisattva, Superior Wisdom Bodhisattva, Meritorious Wisdom Bodhisattva, Vigorous Wisdom Bodhisattva, Wholesome Wisdom Bodhisattva, Knowledgeable Wisdom Bodhisattva, True Wisdom Bodhisattva, Unsurpassed Wisdom Bodhisattva, and Solid Wisdom Bodhisattva.  

Commentary:

All of you who are listening to the lecture should contemplate this: When the Buddha was about to speak this chapter called “Praises at the Summit of Mount Sumeru” of the Flower Adornment Sutra, the great Bodhisattvas from the worlds of the ten directions all brought their Bodhisattva retinues and assembled here to rejoice in and praise the Buddha’s merit and virtue and to help the Buddha propagate the Dharma. If all the Bodhisattvas come to listen to the Flower Adornment Sutra, how much the more should we ordinary people? We should listen even more attentively.

What were the names of the leaders of the Bodhisattvas? Their names were Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva has understood the Buddhadharma and opened up great wisdom.The second was All Wisdom Bodhisattva, who attained all kinds of wisdom because he understood all of the Buddhadharma. The third was Superior Wisdom Bodhisattva, whose wisdom was rare and special. The fourth was Meritorious Wisdom Bodhisattva, who had created all kinds of merit and virtue and attained genuine wisdom. The fifth was Vigorous Wisdom Bodhisattva, who attained great wisdom through cultivating vigorously.

The sixth was Wholesome Wisdom Bodhisattva, who specialized in doing good deeds, and whose wisdom opened up after he had done many good things. The seventh was named Knowledgeable Wisdom Bodhisattva, because he cultivated the prajna dharma door and attained wisdom. The eighth was called True Wisdom Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva cultivated the dharma door of no false speech. He kept the precept of not lying. Since he never lied to anyone, he attained true wisdom. The ninth was named Unsurpassed Wisdom Bodhisattva, because no one else’s wisdom could compare with his. And the tenth was called Solid Wisdom Bodhisattva. His wisdom was firm and steadfast, free from doubts, just like vajra—solid, bright, and sharp.

These ten Bodhisattvas represented the Ten Dwellings. Where did they come from?

Sutra:

They came from the Indra Flower World, the Padma Flower World, the Jeweled Flower World, the Utpala Flower World, the Vajra Flower World, the Wondrous Fragrance Flower World, the Delightful Flower World, the Arunakamala Flower World, the Naradhara Flower World, and the Empty Space Flower World.

Commentary:

They came from  

1. The Indra Flower World. Indra refers to Lord Sakra.

2. The Padma Flower World. The padma flower is the red lotus flower.

3. The Jeweled Flower World. The flowers were made of many gems and jewels.

4. The Utpala Flower World. The utpala is the blue lotus flower.

5. The Vajra Flower World.

6. The Wonderful Fragrance Flower World.

7. The Delightful Flower World. When people see this kind of flower, they feel happy.

8. The Arunakamala Flower World. Arunakamalais Sanskrit and means “sunrise flower.” The flower is reddish, like the color of the rising sun.

9. The Naradhara Flower World. Naradharais Sanskrit and means “held by people.” Everyone likes to hold this flower.

10. The Empty Space Flower World. There was also a world by the name “Empty Space Flower.”

The ten Bodhisattva leaders were from these ten worlds.

Sutra:

Each of them had purely cultivated the brahma conduct in the presence of a Buddha. The names of the Buddhas were Extraordinary Moon Buddha, Inexhaustible Moon Buddha, Unmoving Moon Buddha, Wind Moon Buddha, Water Moon Buddha, Liberation Moon Buddha, Unsurpassed Moon Buddha, Constellation Moon Buddha, Pure Moon Buddha, and Bright Understanding Moon Buddha. Arriving at the Buddha’s place, these Bodhisattvas bowed at the Buddha’s feet. Each one, in the direction from which he came, created a Vairocana Treasury Lion Throne and sat upon it in full lotus.  

Just as the Bodhisattvas assembled on the summit of Mount Sumeru in this world, it was the same way in all worlds. The names of the Bodhisattvas, their worlds, and the Buddhas were all the same.  

Commentary:

Each of them had purely cultivated the brahma conduct in the presence of a Buddha. These ten Bodhisattvas had drawn near ten different Buddhas. The names of the ten Buddhas all have the word “Moon” in it. This represents their perfectly interpenetrating wisdom and virtue as well as their unobstructed blessings and wisdom. Their wisdom, blessings, and virtue are all perfect, just like the full moon. The names of the Buddhas were Extraordinary Moon Buddha, Inexhaustible Moon Buddha, Unmoving Moon Buddha, Wind Moon Buddha, Water Moon Buddha, Liberation Moon Buddha, Unsurpassed Moon Buddha, Constellation Moon Buddha, Pure Moon Buddha, and Bright Understanding Moon Buddha.  

Arriving at the Buddha’s place, all these Bodhisattvas bowed at the Buddha’s feet. These Bodhisattvas arrived at the place where Shakyamuni Buddha was. They made obeisance to the Buddha three times and circumambulated him three times to the right. Each one, in the direction from which he came, created a Vairocana Treasury Lion Throne and sat upon it in full lotus. Vairochana means “Pervading All Places.”

Just as the Bodhisattvas assembled on the summit of Mount Sumeru in this Saha world, it was the same way in all worlds throughout the ten directions. The Bodhisattvas in all the other worlds also assembled on the Mount Sumerus in those worlds. The names of the Bodhisattvas, their worlds, and the Buddhas were all the same. The names were all the same. The ten Bodhisattvas had the same names, their worlds were also named after the same flowers, and their Buddhas’ names also had the word “Moon” in them.

II. The Thus Come One radiates light.

Sutra:

At that time, the World Honored One emitted a trillion splendidly colored lights from his toes, illumining all the worlds in the ten directions, so that the Buddhas and assemblies in the palaces of Lord Sakra on the Mount Sumerus could all be seen.  

Commentary:

At that time, the World Honored One, that is, the Shakyamuni Buddha in the Wondrous Splendid Palace of Lord Sakra on the peak of the Mount Sumeru in every world, emitted a trillion splendidly colored lights from his toes on both his feet, illumining all the worlds in the ten directions, so that the Buddhas and assemblies in the palaces of Lord Sakra on the Mount Sumerus could all be seen. The Buddha’s light shone into Lord Sakra’s palace atop Mount Sumeru in each and every world. Shakyamuni Buddha, the great Bodhisattvas, and the great assembly in every world appeared within the light.

III. The Bodhisattvas speak verses in praise.

A. Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva of the East

Sutra:

Then Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, relying on the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the ten directions and spoke in verse.  

Commentary:

Then Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, relying on the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, aided by Shakyamuni Buddha’s great spiritual power, universally contemplated the worlds of the ten directions and spoke in verse to explain the principles of the Flower Adornment Sutra.

Sutra:

As the Buddha radiates pure, clear light,
The Teacher of the World is seen by all,
Dwelling in Wondrous Splendid Palace
On the peak of Sumeru, the King of Mountains.  

Commentary:

As the Buddha Shakyamuni, who is seated in the Wondrous Splendid Palace on Mount Sumeru, hosting the Flower Adornment Dharma Assembly, radiates pure, clear light of a trillion huesfrom his toes, the Teacher of the World is seen by all. All the great Bodhisattvas and sentient beings in lands as numerous as dust motes in a hundred Buddhalands see the Teacher of the World—the Buddha—dwelling in Wondrous Splendid Palace on the Universal Light Treasury Lion Throne, on the peak of Sumeru, Wonderfully High, the King of Mountains.  

Sutra:

All the Celestial Lord Sakras
Invite the Buddha into their palace.
They all use ten wonderful verses
To praise the Thus Come Ones.

Commentary: