Wu Li

Wu Li --
The ripples just crossed my mind again;
I remember being in love.
My God, how we rippled the universe,
Forever somewhere in love.

Inspired by The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

The Fifth Stage -- Difficult to Conquer

In this stage, those experienced lords of contentment
Destroy the actions of false teachers, the abodes of manifold views.
All the good they do is in the cause of enlightened knowledge,
Wishing to become saviors of beings, rich in the ten powers.

[...]

They practice generosity without concern for appearances,
With well-disciplined minds, fundamentally tranquil, extremely calm:
They tolerate what is made in the world, knowing the imperishable truth;
They are endowed with vigor and strength, detached from all things.

Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra by Thomas Cleary

The Fourth Stage -- Blazing

Those established in the splendor of this stage
Have their minds set on pure truth;
Their zeal blazes, they increase good qualities--
All defilement, impurity, heedlessness, and doubt vanish.

Excerpted from "The Ten Stages" in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra by Thomas Cleary

The Third Stage -- Luminescent*

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 by Thomas Cleary

* Originally "Refulgence"

The Second Stage -- Purity

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 by Thomas Cleary

The First Stage -- Extreme Joy

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 by Thomas Cleary

Leading by the Light of Knowledge of the Stages

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 by Thomas Cleary