AVATAMSAKA SUTRA: THE TEN GROUNDS

With the Commentary of the 
Venerable Master Hua

Translated by the Buddhist 
Text Translation Society

SUTRA:

DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, THE BODHISATTVA MAHASATTVA WHO DWELLS UPON THIS, THE FIRST GROUND, FOR THE MOST PART ACTS AS KING OF JAMBUDVIPA, AND CONSTANTLY PROTECTS THE PROPER DHARMA. HE IS ABLE TO USE GREAT GIVING TO GATHER IN LIVING BEINGS. HE IS SKILLED AT RIDDING LIVING BEINGS OF THE DEFILEMENT OF STINGINESS. HE CONSTANTLY PRACTICES GREAT GIVING WITHOUT EXHAUSTION OR END. GIVING, PLEASING WORDS, BENEFICIAL PRACTICE AND IDENTITY IN ACTIONS--ALL SUCH KARMA THAT IS CREATED IS NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BUDDHA, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE DHARMA, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE SANGHA, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BODHISATTVAS OF IDENTICAL PRACTICE, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE PARAMITAS, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF ALL GROUNDS, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE POWERS, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE FEARLESSNESSES, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE UNCOMMON BUDDHA DHARMAS, UP TO AND INCLUDING NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF ENDOWMENT WITH THE WISDOM OF ALL WISDOMS OF ALL MODES.

Commentary:

Vajra Store Bodhisattva again called out and said, "All you DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA, THE BODHISATTVA MAHASATTVA/The great Bodhisattva who cultivates the Bodhisattva conduct and amasses all kinds of good roots, WHO DWELLS UPON THIS, THE FIRST GROUND/when he accomplishes the First Ground, that of Happiness, FOR THE MOST PART ACTS AS KING OF JAMBUDVIPA/He regularly becomes the king of Jambudvipa. HE IS POWERFUL, HONORED, AND SOVEREIGN/He either is someone with a great deal of money, or extremely sovereign and at ease, AND CONSTANTLY PROTECTS THE PROPER DHARMA/He always protects the proper Dharma. HE IS ABLE TO USE GREAT GIVING TO GATHER IN LIVING BEINGS/He always employs the dharma doors of great giving to gather in all living beings, and cause all living beings to bring forth the great thought of Enlightenment. HE IS SKILLED AT RIDDING LIVING BEINGS OF THE DEFILEMENT OF STINGINESS/He is able to get rid of living beings' bad habit, the fault of stinginess. HE CONSTANTLY PRACTICES GREAT GIVING WITHOUT EXHAUSTION OR END/He is always practicing giving on a large scale, and his giving never ends.

GIVING, PLEASING WORDS/He uses the Fours Dharmas of Conversion to attract and gather in all living beings: giving to living beings, using pleasant language, BENEFICIAL PRACTICE AND IDENTITY IN ACTIONS—ALL SUCH KARMA THAT IS CREATED/All good karma such as that which is created, IS NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BUDDHA, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE DHARMA, NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE SANGHA/No matter what good karma is created, it is never separate from mindfulness of the Triple Jewel; the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BODHISATTVAS OF IDENTICAL PRACTICE/Not to separate from mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas of identical practice is also mindfulness of the Sangha. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE BODHISATTVA PRACTICES/The Bodhisattva practices, which are cultivated. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE PARAMITAS/It is also not separate from mindfulness of the Paramitas, the dharmas of Arrival at the Other Shore. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF ALL GROUNDS/It is also not separate from mindfulness of the wisdom of all the Grounds. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE POWERS/Nor is it separate from mindfulness of the Buddha's Ten Powers. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE FEARLESSNESSES/Nor separate from mindfulness of the Fearlessnesses. NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF THE UNCOMMON BUDDHADHARMAS/It also is separate from mindfulness of the Eighteen Dharmas Special to a Buddha. UP TO AND INCLUDING NOT SEPARATE FROM MINDFULNESS OF ENDOWMENT WITH THE WISDOM OF ALL WISDOMS OF ALL MODES/All the wisdoms of a Buddha.

SUTRA:

HE FURTHER MAKES THE FOLLOWING REFLECTION: "I SHOULD, AMONG ALL LIVING BEINGS, BE A LEADER, BE SUPREME, BE ESPECIALLY SUPREME, BE WONDERFUL, BE SUBTLE AND WONDERFUL, BE SUPERIOR, BE UNSURPASSED, BE A GUIDE, BE A GENERAL, BE A MASTER, UP TO AND INCLUDING BEING ONE OF THE 'WISDOM OF ALL WISDOMS UPON WHOM ONE MAY RELY."

THIS BODHISATTVA, IF HE WANTS TO RENOUNCE THE HOME LIFE, WITHIN THE BUDDHADHARMA DILIGENTLY CULTIVATES WITH VIGOR, AND THEN CAN LEAVE THE HOME LIFE, HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, AND THE FIVE DESIRES. HE RELIES UPON THE THUS COME ONE'S TEACHING, LEAVES THE HOME LIFE AND STUDIES THE WAY.

Commentary:

HE FURTHER MAKES THE FOLLOWING REFLECTION/The Bodhisattva of the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, also makes the following contemplation saying, "I SHOULD AMONG ALL LIVING BEINGS/"I" is the Bodhisattva referring to himself saying, "I, in the midst of all living beings, SHOULD BE A LEADER/Be a leader for all living beings. BE SUPREME/I should be most supreme among living beings. BE ESPECIALLY SUPREME/I should be an especially outstanding and superior person in the midst of living beings. BE WONDERFUL/Among living beings I should be an inconceivable person. BE SUBTLE AND WONDERFUL/Among living beings I should be an unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle and wonderfully inconceivable person. BE SUPERIOR/I should be a lofty and superior person among living beings. BE UNSURPASSED/Among living beings I should be an unsurpassed person. BE A GUIDE/I should in the midst of all living beings act as their guide. BE A GENERAL/Among living beings I should be a great general. BE A MASTER/I should be a principal among living beings. UP TO AND INCLUDING BEING ONE OF THE WISDOM OF ALL WISDOMS UPON WHOM ONE MAY RELY/I should be someone who has the wisdom of a Buddha upon whom living beings can rely.

THIS BODHISATTVA/The Bodhisattva in question, IF HE WANTS TO RENOUNCE THE HOME LIFE/If he wants to leave home, WITHIN THE BUDDHADHARMA/Within the Buddhadharma, DILIGENTLY CULTIVATES WITH VIGOR/He always cultivates with courageous vigor, AND THEN CAN LEAVE THE HOME LIFE/The he is able to give up his family, HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN/His wife and kids, AND THE FIVE DESIRES/ Wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep. HE RELIES UPON THE THUS COME ONE'S TEACHING/ He relies upon the teaching dharmas spoken by the Buddha, LEAVES THE HOME LIFE AND STUDIES THE WAY/He leaves the home of afflictions, leaves the worldly home, and leaves the home of the Three Realms: the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm.