ABSTRACT

It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to select one chapter from the voluminous Hwa Yen Sūtra that would adequately represent both the deep religious spirit and the vast perspective of infinity portrayed in this work. However, if a choice must be made for this purpose, I would without hesitation choose the chapter on "The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's Vows." According to the Mahāyāna tradition, there are three great Bodhisattvas—Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra—who represent respectively the great compassion, wisdom, and vows of all Buddhas. In the vows of Samantabhadra we witness the compassionate zeal of the ideal Bodhisattva whose only concern in life is to relieve the pains and burdens of all sentient beings, and to bestow upon them true happiness through the achievement of Buddhahood.

Again, O noble-minded men, what is meant by making great offerings to the Buddhas? It means that in making such great offerings one should think:

"In the smallest dust-motes of all the worlds, in the three periods of time and the ten directions, throughout the entire realm-of-dharma and the realm-of-space, there dwell Buddhas equal in number to the smallest dust-motes to be found In all the universes. Each and every Buddha is surrounded by an oceanwide assembly of Bodhisattvas. Through the power of Samantabhadra's vows, and with deep faith and understanding, I see them as though we were face to face. To them all, I offer superb and wondrous oblations, such as clouds of flowers, heavenly music, celestial tapestries, angelic garments, and so many varieties of perfumes. . . . I present them with lighted lamps of various kinds . . . the wick of each lamp will be as huge as Mount Sumeru and the oil as vast as the expanse of the great oceans. To all the Buddhas, I humbly offer these oblations. O noble-minded men, the crown of all these offerings is the Offering of the Dharma, but what does this include? It includes the offering of following all the Buddha's instructions, the offering of benefiting all sentient beings, the offering of embracing and sustaining all sentient beings, the offering of taking upon oneself the sufferings of others, the offering of vigorously fostering the root of merit, the offering of swerving not from the Bodhisattva's duty, and the offering of never departing from the Thought-of-Enlightenment.

I will never abandon, but continue to practice, this vast, great, and supreme offering without cessation. My effort will be ended if the realm-of-beings and the realm-of-space are ended, or if the karmas, sorrows, and passion-desires of beings are ended. But since they are endless, so also will be my offerings, thought succeeding thought without interruption, in bodily, vocal, and mental deeds without weariness. . . .