Ten Kinds of Light From Every Mote of Dust
He also saw ten kinds of light. He saw that within every mote of dust throughout every world, from each single mote there poured forth nets of every tathāgata's own light-clouds, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world; from every single mote there poured forth every buddha's own light of every color, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of light from every jewel, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of every tathāgata's own wheel of flaming light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every fragrance, universally scenting the Dharma-realm, praising the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own every practice, and the ocean of merit of his every great vow; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of the light of every sun and moon, sending forth the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of the bodies of every sentient being, adorned with excellent marks, sending forth the buddha's own light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every bodhisattva's own body, consummating every practice, filling the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every jeweled image, filling every world of the ten directions; and from every single mote there came forth clouds of every tathāgata's own body, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally raining the ambrosial true Dharma, filling the Dharma-realm — these are the ten.
Praising Samantabhadra's Own Vowed Practice From Every Grain of Dust
見一切剎一切眾生，皆悉修習念佛三昧；是為十。又見十種光相：見一切世界微塵，一一微塵中，放一切如來光明網雲，與一切世界微塵等；一一微塵中，放一切佛種種色光，與一切世界微塵等，普照法界；一一微塵中，放一切寶雲光明，與一切世界微塵等，普照法界；一一微塵中，放如來光焰輪雲，普照法界；一一微塵中，出一切香雲，普熏法界，讚歎普賢菩薩諸行，一切大願諸功德海；一一微塵中，放一切日月光雲，放普賢菩薩光明，普照法界；一一微塵中，出一切眾生等身雲，相好莊嚴，放佛光明，普照法界；一一微塵中，出一切菩薩身雲，究竟一切行，充滿法界；一一微塵中，出一切寶形像雲，充滿十方一切世界；一一微塵中，出一切如來身雲，與一切世界微塵等，普雨一切甘露正法，充滿法界；是為十。
He also saw ten kinds of light. He saw that within every mote of dust throughout every world, from each single mote there poured forth nets of every tathāgata's own light-clouds, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world; from every single mote there poured forth every buddha's own light of every color, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of light from every jewel, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of every tathāgata's own wheel of flaming light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every fragrance, universally scenting the Dharma-realm, praising the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own every practice, and the ocean of merit of his every great vow; from every single mote there poured forth clouds of the light of every sun and moon, sending forth the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of the bodies of every sentient being, adorned with excellent marks, sending forth the buddha's own light, universally illuminating the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every bodhisattva's own body, consummating every practice, filling the Dharma-realm; from every single mote there came forth clouds of every jeweled image, filling every world of the ten directions; and from every single mote there came forth clouds of every tathāgata's own body, equal in number to the motes of dust of every world, universally raining the ambrosial true Dharma, filling the Dharma-realm — these are the ten.
This second set of ten signs shifts from the first set's relatively static description of pure lands to a dynamic, generative image — every mote of dust throughout every world actively pouring forth light, fragrance, and form, each mote itself equal in scale to the whole cosmos it is contained within. Fazang reads the recurrence of "praising the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own every practice" and "sending forth the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own light" specifically within this cosmic outpouring as marking Samantabhadra as, in effect, already present and active throughout the entire vision even before he is directly seen — the light and fragrance emanating from every particle of the universe already bear his own signature, so that his eventual visible arrival will complete rather than initiate what has, in truth, already begun.
Part 418 Complete
The ten kinds of light are now given in full. Part 419 turns to the moment this entire vision has been building toward: Sudhana at last beholds Samantabhadra himself, seated upon a lotus-treasury lion-throne at the vajra-treasury bodhimaṇḍa, before the very presence of the tathāgata.
Continue to Part 419 →