At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas we recite the Samantabhadra (Universal Worth) Bodhisattva’s Conduct and Vows Chapter every morning, as well as a part of the eighty-roll Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra. Most of us view this text in the light of cultivating the spiritual Path, and as a handbook for walking the Bodhisattva Path. Can we as well view it from another perspective- as an aesthetic and literary work? What is its literary style and form? How does it compare with other pieces of world literature? I myself only have dipped superficially into this area, thus my knowledge is shallow. Yet I will endeavor to share my perspective on this Chapter, hoping to inspire more people to share their insights about their study or practice as inspired by this Chapter of the Flower Adornment Sutra.  

When we read any literary work, we can immediately feel and appreciate its spirit, emotion, strength, and style. As the ancients said,

From the spirit come the ideas, which take the form of energy; energy then flows out from the tip of the brush-pen.

What moves people is the spirit; the strength of any article ultimately stems from this. How long an article endures, survives over generations, depends on the strength of its spirit.

Si-ma Qian's (Western Han Dynasty 45-86 B.C.E.) Records of History, and Yue Fei's (Southern Sung Dynasty 1103-1141 C.E.) Crimson River both exude ardent fervor and convey a touch of sorrow. "Nian Nu Jiao" ("Remember Her Tenderness") of Su Dong-po (Northern Sung Poet 1038- 1101 C.E) and "Jiang Jin Jiu" ("Before Tipping Wine") of Li Bai (Tang Dynasty 701-762 C.E.) are examples of poems that express a feeling of great generosity and magnanimity. Tao Yuan-ming (Western Jin Dynasty 365-421 C.E.) and Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty 699-759 C.E.) are noted for their idyllic, natural style of writing. Li Shang-yin's (Tang Dynasty 813- 858 C.E.) poems speak of sadness. Qin Shao-you's (1049- 1100 C.E.) poems are characterized by romanticism and elegance. All these are great works of Chinese literature, and are handed down from generation to generation. They endure historically because of their deep spirit and abiding strength.

After finishing reading those works, we may next go to this Chapter- Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows from the Avatamsaka Sutra. How might the Buddhist work- Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows- compare with these great literary works? Is it equal to their spirit, strength, and lofty and moving style? I myself feel these secular works in many ways pale when compared with this Chapter- in terms of vastness, magnanimity, strength. While the Buddhist text contains all the key ingredients of great literature, I have come to believe that it also rises to another level of a great work. It both includes and surpasses the other writings. In 1994 when I first came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I did not have a high regard for Buddhism. It was just this Chapter and the Brahma Net Sutra of Bodhisattva Precepts that changed my thinking and established the loftiest and brightest image of Mahayana Buddhism in my heart.

The longer I upheld and recited Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows, the more I felt the enormous surging of energy this Chapter stimulated. Whether it was prose or verse, I was deeply moved by the recitation, my heart rejoiced and raced like roaring waves. Especially when Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was speaking the verse part of this chapter, the flow of the verses struck me like the crashing of a river onto the rocks, the soaring of a waterfall, or the roaring of the ocean. From time to time I was moved to tears by the profound and compassionate vows of Samantabhadra. They touched the deepest part of my soul.  
In one part, it says,

The wick of each lamp is as tall as Mount Sumeru; the quantity of oil in each lamp is equal in volume to the waters of the great sea. With all manner of gifts such as these, I constantly make offerings.  

If one follows the sutra text and makes contemplations accordingly, one can experience the feeling of standing on the peak of a high mountain and looking down at the vast sea of clouds; or feel as if one is flying over mountain ranges and oceans. This feeling is a hundred times stronger than "Before Tipping Wine" by Li Bai: "Have you not seen that the water of the Yellow River flows as if it is coming from the sky, and it never returns once it flows to the sea."

It is really the manifestation of the Bodhisattva's scope of mind. The Chapter also reads, "He peeled off his skin for paper, split his bones to fashion brushes, drew blood for ink, and wrote out sutras stacked as high as Mount Sumeru."

This would sound exaggerated if viewed from an ordinary literary perspective, but these are true Bodhisattva practices! The vows they made shook the heavens and the earth, and moved all ghosts and spirits to tears! The words in the sutra text reflect such vows and the Bodhisattva's willingness to benefit living beings, give up or donate bodies, lives, body parts and body organs out of great compassion. Only true vows and practices can generate these lines. Although the text has beautiful literary style, it is the actual substance, the genuine commitment on the part of great Bodhisattvas that really moves the readers. This is the most touching part of the Chapter of Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows. All great literary works can also move people to tears.The tears, however, evoked in the Buddhist work go beyond mere emotions and personal longing, unlike the Chinese poets who often hint at unrequited love, fame, suffering, and attachment. Li Bai was called the Immortal Poet. Although he was gracious and natural both in his conduct and his  poems, he was still somehow attached to fame. In quite a few of his poems we can find a gloomy mood, or a hint of deep sorrow about his short-lived privilege of being near the emperor. Both Yue Fei and Xin Qi-ji's works, although extremely patriotic, have a resigned feeling of helplessness and lamentation about their almost-achieved success, and their sadness at being unable to realize their cherished dreams.

In both cases, however, the literary works reflect the mind of the author. Li Bai and Du Fu, even when expressing their deepest thoughts, could not reach the depth of the Bodhisattva's sovereign ease and intense spirituality as embodied in the Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vow. Even Su Dong-po and Xin Qi-ji, who exhausted their literary skills, could not capture the inexhaustible strength and magnanimity of Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows. Though the style is parallel, the spirit does not compare. This is my personal opinion and reflects the change of heart I have had since I began my study.  

All texts from the Buddhist Canon are based on the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' wisdom and cultivation. 50 many eminent monks worked in those Buddhist translation organizations rendering them into the best literary styles and then reviewed, polished and finalized them. This leads me to believe that these Buddhist texts more than qualify to be called valuable gems in the treasury of the world literature. I only fear that people nowadays, whether secular or monastic, have less and less time, patience and interest to dig deep into this treasury of the Tripitaka. At least this was true of me before my change. Now I am discovering that the literary treasury trove moves the heart, but more importantly it feeds and elevates the spirit.