The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

• Publisher:   Shambhala
• Number Of Pages:   1643
• Publication Date:   1993-10-12
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0877739404
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780877739401

Known in Chinese as Hua-yen and in Japanese as Kegon-kyo, the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture, is held in the highest regard and studied by Buddhists of all traditions. Through its structure and symbolism, as well as through its concisely stated principles, it conveys a vast range of Buddhist teachings. This one-volume edition contains Thomas Cleary's definitive translation of all thirty-nine books of the sutra, along with an introduction, a glossary, and Cleary's translation of Li Tongxuan's seventh-century guide to the final book, the Gandavyuha, "Entry into the Realm of Reality."

Thomas Cleary is among the most brilliant translators of Buddhism into English of them all and this text represents to my mind the most monumental and brilliant published English translation of any religious text in the world, ever. Actually three sutras, the Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra proper, the Dashabhumika (Ten Stages) Sutra, and the Gandavyuha (Entry Into the Realm of Reality, or the Most Superb Display of Marvels), this 1700-page epic is a glittering, insatiable testament to the mesmerising, inconceivable glory of the Buddha, the great Bodhisattvas like Manjushri, Maitreya and Samantabhadra, and Mahayana doctrine per se. The imagery and doctrine are both staggering and overwhelming, and in the dense and profound pages lies true enlightment and liberation, bliss, reality, and the true body of all Buddhas themselves.

Thomas Cleary has set a new mark (even by his standards) for translations, and translators. The Chinese literally spent centuries translating this massive corpus from the Sanskrit, yet, for Cleary, it is simply one of a plethora of great translations in his remarkably prolific career. D.T Suzuki opinioned that this, the greatest text of Mahayana Buddhism, was so massive that it would never be fully translated into English. Cleary has not only translated this massively influencial text, he has furnished it with a wealth of Reader's "aids." His glossary alone is worth the price of the book. In his in-depth introduction, Dr. Cleary shares his extensive knowledge on the history, of this text, its influence on Zen (Ch'an) Buddhism, Tendai, and other Mahayana Schools. He also provides "summary outlines" for each chapter. He prepares the reader with lucid introductions to the language, philosophy, and practice methods contained throughout the book. He explains how the first five "Patriarchs" of Huayen Buddhism interpretated and developed their thought around the stunning array of Buddhist teachings, insights, and expressions contained in this mammoth volume. It took me nearly two years to read this remarkable book the first time-it was, without a doubt, the most fascinating reading experience of my life. This book has remained on my continuous reading list for years now, but it is always new. Thank you Thomas Cleary! Thank you!

This is a gorgeous epic of a text. I have been looking for a Buddhist scripture comparable in size and scale to the Bible, and this is definitely it. Thomas Cleary provides a clear, beautiful translation of this monumental work.

This is the 1st complete (1643 pp.) translation of an ancient (Cleary says 1st-2nd centuries C. E.) Mahayana text with Cleary's introduction, appendices, glossary & Li Tongxuan's (Li T'ung-hsuan) short Chinese Ming Dynasty commentary on the final (39th) 400 pp. chapter. Cleary's comments are helpful but a bit sparse. He compares FOS to other major works (e.g. Prajnaparamita & Lotus), provides concise chapter summaries, & introduction to the Chinese commentary. Cleary's complete translation replaces standard Sanskrit terms--"enlightening beings" vs. Bodhisattva & "Universal Good" vs. Samantabhadra. I found this refreshing but you may not. He says, it employs very grandiose terminology, p. 46: "specific characters of the scripture are `fictional' uses p. 52: `being-time,' & it's for p. 6: `people of superior faculties.'" The 1st 38 Chapters display overwhelming hyperbole, mythology, & symbolism. Of course, understanding of the physical universe was limited millennia ago (p. 999: "Just as the ocean water flows under the continents & islands, so that all who drill for water find it"), mythology was not arms-length as now, & norms differed (e.g. p. 581's gifts of women). I don't claim to be a person "of superior faculties," but it was boring to me. There are some gems: Cleary--p. 29: the nirvana or Buddha-nature cannot be cultivated by practices, because practices are fabricated and impermanent, and it cannot be realized by mind because mind has subject and object [i.e. transitive]. Thus, its essence [Nature of Mind] cannot be cultivated, its principle cannot be witnessed by the mind. Mind itself is the essence--there is no further subject or object." This is reflected in chapter 39's experiential journey. NOTE: bracketed words herein are mine not Cleary's. As usual, there are some interesting parallels to Kabbalah: in Ch. 1, Buddha is described ~God in the Shi'ur Koma (On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead: Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah (Mysticism & Kabbalah)) literature pp. 274-5: "the Buddha may be called...God of Gods...the Buddha may be called...King of Gods" & p. 1591: Li Tongxuan--"These are not worldly measurements." FOS has a dream-like feel to it (p. 1496: "It was like someone asleep seeing various things in a dream")--probably to exemplify the imputed dream-like or mirage-like nature of reality ~fairy tales [Jungians take fairy tales seriously & symbolically--see von Franz Individuation in Fairy Tales (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) & Chinen In the Ever After: Fairy Tales and the Second Half of Life]. The symbolic, non objective nature of FOS is also revealed in its use of numbers, esp. numerous groups of 10. I enjoyed the lovely verse reminiscent of the wonderful The Wheel of Sharp Weapons & Tilopa's Song Tantra, the supreme understanding: Discourses on the tantric way of Tilopa's song of Mahamudra as well as still-relevant prose p. 829: "enlightening beings do not abandon actions, according with the doings of the world, yet have no attachments to them," supporting Thich Nhat Hanh's engaged Buddhism. Modern Buddhism follows its attitudes of non-duality, abandonment of conceptual clinging, & non-attachment to the physical: p. 1091: "Great enlightening beings know that all phenomena are like the tracks of birds in the sky." It may seem strange that Shingon - Japanese Esoteric Buddhism (~Tibetan Dzogchen) uses this as one of its 2 main texts, but p. 1163: "The ground of all phenomena, oceanic source of all things" sounds like the "Ground of Being" to me; p. 1361 the Vairocana myth parallels that of Padmasambhava--born from a lotus. Further, pp. 1537-8: Prajna's Scroll translation of Ch. 39--"Sudhana asked, `Is it realized by hearing talk about transcendent wisdom?' Suchandra said `No.' `Why not?' `Because transcendent wisdom is realized by seeing the true essence of things. It is impossible to personally attain enlightenment by hearing & thinking'" reminds me of Mahamudra & Dzogchen pointing-out instructions. Indeed, the entire book exemplifies their "magical display of reality." See Longchenpa's Kindly Bent to Ease Us: Wonderment (Tibetan Translation, ). But, it also makes some unusual assertions-- p. 1150: "It is also like the case of the celestial spirit born together with a person & always associated with the person--the spirit sees the person, but the person does not see the spirit." Cleary says Ch. 39 disagrees with parts of prior chapters, supporting his contention that FOS developed over time with many contributors. This parallels Professor Moshe Idel's argument for authorship of the Zohar in Kabbalah: New Perspectives." Furthermore, Ch. 39 (pp. 1174-1520) is Sudhana's quest for enlightenment, ~Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces," is more knowledge-dense though even it is rather "empty." FOS seems more Feeling & Sensate (much ornate detail) from a Myers-Briggs perspective or perhaps more Bhakti vs. Jnana from a yoga perspective. The commentaries (Cleary's pp. 1545-64 & Li's 1565-1630) are better read in parallel with Ch. 39--section by section. Sudhana requests practical instruction from Master to Master w/o getting it--instead he experiences various states of being with his many benefactors who show him (vs. tell him)--up to Maitreya (pp. 1452-1502)--IMHO the best part. Ch. 39 reminds me of the Egyptian Book of the Dead & its many visualizations provide a basis for Vajrayana (Tibetan & Shingon) Buddhist practices--even p. 1599 a precursor to Chod. The commentaries are concise, easy reading vs. the flowery, ornamental text (thus its title?). Cleary says p. 1546 it was promulgated by Nagarjuna who "recovered the teaching of the Flower Ornament Scripture `from the ocean.'" I read this as the Dzogchen Ground of Being ~to the legend of Jigme Lingpa's text received from long-dead Longchenpa. Does this poetically indicate authorship? There's considerable wisdom herein, but you must dig deep for it:
p. 1572: "Since the fact that an individual word or sound has no inherent identity underlies infinite words & sounds infinite words & infinite sounds are one word and one sound. Therefore one and many revolve around and embellish each other. All mundane phenomena are trans-mundane phenomena, and all trans-mundane phenomena are mundane phenomena." [form is emptiness & vice versa]
p. 1584: "Play is Buddha-work"
p. 1592: "When knowledge enters compassion, it is harmonized & becomes comfortable."
p. 1620: "In the clamor without making clamor." [i.e. be in the world but not of it].

The Flower Ornament Sutra (FOS) is often overlooked because it is not as available (now out of print probably as a result of not being widely used by the laity), but it is a superb Sutra a comprehensive (if any single text can be called truly comprehensive)expression of Buddhist (particularly Mahayanist)Vision. I say "vision" rather than "thought" or "philosophy" because FOS is first and foremost an inducer of meditative trance or vision, rather than a doctrine or treatise. One reads The FOS to experience the Buddha consciousness in a very personal, mystical way, not to "understand" it intellectually. Thomas Cleary's translation is probably the most accessible to the American mind and heart. I haven't read all other translations, only a few are available here in the USA it seems. One caution: I would beware of "contemporary" or "condensed" versions of FOS, if you find them, because these adaptions to contemporary mind will surely lose the original consciousness, some of which is undoubtedly lost already even in a careful translation like Cleary's. That consciousness is why you would read FOS in the first place. Better to go to the source, however formal or repetitive and overcome any initial sense of "boredom" you might feel. With FOS you should suspend logical critical mind in favor of an open and receptive heart. The deeper you go in this way the more vivid and profound the "vision" becomes. Ultimately it is like a spark. At some point the spark jumps to you and lives in you independently of the text - or it doesn't. FOS is an instrument to self-discovery not a "reality" to cling to. Any Buddhist knows this, but FOS is a very valuable, effective and precious instrument of delight and enlightenment if you are open to it. The hardback version I got published by Shambala is beautiful, as good a copy as you could hope to find these days. Highly, highly recommended.

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