Reflecting that wisdom comes from learning,
Enlightening beings strive diligently as learners;
Day and night, in the cause of learning, doing nothing else,
They seek the truth as the ultimate goal.
Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
* Originally "Refulgence"
Just as gold becomes more and more free from all impurities when put in vitriol, so do enlightening beings in this stage of Purity, by virtue of riddance of the impurities of envy and bad behavior, accomplish purity of generosity and morality. Among the four means of salvation, kind speech is paramount in them; among the ten transcendent ways, morality is paramount. [...] Why? To become the best of beings, unexcelled leaders and guides, and ultimately omniscient refuges.
Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
When one attains this stage, five fears depart --
Not being able to make a living, dying, reputation, misery, fear of groups --
Thus fear is gone: why?
Because there is no attachment to self.
Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
It is like a skilled caravan leader who, wanting to lead a large caravan to a great city, first finds out about the qualities of the road to be traveled, the defects of the road, the best places to stop along the way, the places not to stop, and what is to be done about provisions for the trip, thus knowing well how to get to the great city, from the beginning to the end of the journey.
Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
