Enlightenment Beings?

altar-reading-the-avatamsaka-sutra
I’ve been reading the Avatamsaka Sutra, these past months while I’ve not been posting and actually I’m only just finishing the Introduction.

I rarely, if ever, tackle a huge book like this. Both physically huge and huge in its immensity spiritually. I bought a book stand as it’s too heavy to hold and some drapery weights to hold the pages down. I intend, but not always succeed, to read a few pages each morning.

Putting words to the impact of just a few moments with this book is near to impossible. Such is the case with spiritual reading.  Occasionally a sentence leaps out, and have the intention to write a blog post. Now is the time, it would seem.

The sutra makes reference to ‘Enlightenment Beings’. They are those who are addressed and who participate in the great drama of this scripture. Who are they?

Some appeared in the form of mendicants, some in the form of priests, some in bodies adorned head to foot with particular emblematic signs, some in the forms of scholars, scientists, doctors; some in the form of merchants, some in the form of ascetics, some in the form of entertainers, some in the form of pietists, some in the form of bearers of all kinds of arts and crafts–they were seen to have come, in their various forms to all villages, cities, towns, communities, districts, and nations. With mastery of proper timing, proceeding according to the time, by modification of adapted forms and appearances, modifications of tone, language, deportment, situation carrying out the practices of enlightening beings, which are like the cosmic network of all worlds and illumine the spheres of all practical arts, are lamps shedding light on the knowledge of all beings, are arrays of projections of all realities, radiate the light of all truths, purify the establishment of vehicles of liberation in all places, and light up the spheres of all truths, they were seen to have come to all villages, towns, cities, districts, and nations, for the purpose of leading people to perfection.

From the Avatamsaka Sutra.

some in the form of cleaners
some in the form of single mothers
some in the form of street people
refugees, soldiers, politicians,
and children and mothers and fathers
Nobody, no form, missed out.

and when I read the above and the text that follows, (and much more), I think, as I said before, This is to be shared with Jade Mountain readers AND I need to listen more carefully to my voice, to know that a mundane blog post is actually far from mundane AND it’s not about ‘me’. So here I am again.

Enlightenment Beings live in your house and your street.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

5 thoughts on “Enlightenment Beings?”

  1. I am trying to read the Lankavatra Sutra and getting on, well about the same really even though it isn’t quite such a large sutra.

  2. Dear Rev Mugo

    Thank you for sharing these words from this sutra … wow wow wow

    I hope you are well. Visiting the Tremenhere sculpture gardens at the weekend ( down near Penzance) one of the first things we saw were some lillies in a pretty pond & willow tree … immediately I wanted to send Rev Myfanwy a photo of this & then I remembered I couldn’t …

    Then I thought Im going to send a photo of this to Rev Mugo, she will enjoy it and loves nature, photography & cornwall!!
    This was also a comforting / happy idea & so I shall print one off and send you …

    Please keep sharing the incredible spiritual writings from this sutra

    Sending love
    🙏🏽

    Nic Yaffey

  3. Thank you so VERY much for posting this. It has taken me years of training to recognise Enlightened Beings around me, in all walks of life, their good hearts in the manifold circumstances.
    It is also only now that I have begun to understand how professional aspirations or other activities need not necessarily be confused with greed or ambition; but that they can be part of one’s offering to the world. Time for reflecting away from bussyness (business?) has helped to broaden the view.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.