Every phase of psychological or social development, every shift in interest, attention, or mood, every physiological change, even every passing thought are all examples of "birth-and-death." Emancipation from birth and death, a prime objective of enlightening endeavor, refers to not being submerged in or dominated by such changes; a traditional metaphor for this is that of the mirror, which is not itself affected by the flux of images it reflects. (p. 1522)
Excerpted from "Technical Terminology and Symbolism" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
by Thomas Cleary
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