#huayan

[loneberry]

From “The Flower Bank World” in the Avatamsaka Sutra

The Buddhist Painting of Songgwansa Temple, Suncheon, South Korea (Illustration of Avatamsaka Sutra)

“Then Universally Good also said to the assembly, ‘In the land masses of this ocean of worlds are seas of fragrant waters, as numerous as atoms in unspeakably many buddha-fields. All beautiful jewels adorn the floors of those seas; gems of exquisite fragrances adorn their shores. They are meshed with luminous diamonds. Their fragrant waters shine with the colors of all jewels. Flowers of all kinds of gems swirl on their surfaces. Sandalwood powder settles on the bottom of the seas. They emanate the sounds of Buddhas’ speech. They radiate jewellike light. Boundless enlightening beings, holding various canopies, manifest mystic powers causing the adornments of all worlds to appear therein. Stairways of ten kinds of precious substances are set out in rows, with balustrades of ten kinds of jewels surrounding them. White lotuses ornamented with jewels, as many as atoms in four continents, are spread over the waters, in full bloom. There are unspeakable hundreds of thousands of billions of trillions of banners of ten precious elements, banners of belled gauze of raiments of all jewels, as many as sand grains in the Ganges river, jewel flower palaces of boundless forms, as many as sand grains in the Ganges river, a hundred thousand billion trillion lotus castles of ten precious substances, forests of jewel trees as many as atoms in four continents, networks of flaming jewels, as many sandalwood perfumes as grains of sand in the Ganges, and jewels of blazing radiance emitting the sounds of Buddhas’ speech…”

--From book five “The Flower Bank World” in the The Flower Ornament Scripture (Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra), translated from Chinese by Thomas Cleary. The various sutras were originally composed in Sanskrit and compiled and translated into Chinese in the 5th century CE. Thomas Cleary’s English translation is based on the Chinese translation done by the Khotanese monk Shikshananda (652-710 CE), who translated it at the request of the Tang Empress. 

I stumbled upon this sutra in the back of a book that included a ‘glossary of buddhist terms’ while at a Zen meditation retreat. Flower cosmology? That sounds like my shit. Since I didn’t have my phone I wrote the name down on a piece of paper and slipped it into my backpack. It really is as incredible as I imagined it to be.

“Alan Fox has described the sutra's worldview as ‘fractal’, ‘holographic’, and ‘psychedelic’”—yes.

“In the Huayan school, the teaching of interpenetration is depicted through various metaphors, such as Indra's net, a teaching which may have been influenced by the Gandhavyuha chapter's climax scene in Vairocana's Tower. Indra's net is an infinite cosmic net that contains a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, with each jewel being reflected in all of the other jewels, ad infinitum. Thus, each jewel contains the entire net of jewels reflected within.”

[boywithflowersartgallery]

A collection of 37 high-resolution digital images of Hua Yan/華嵒 ▶️https://boywithflower.gumroad.com/l/dclabx ▶️https://www.boywithflowers.com/product/hua-yan/ ▶️https://www.patreon.com/posts/74378701 Get more digital paintings. https://boywithflower.gumroad.com/ https://www.boywithflowers.com https://www.patreon.com/boy_with_flowers_art_gallery

[onemindzen]

"Subject Meets Object"

When the dancer becomes the dance, when the there's no separation between musician, the music, and the instrument, then we're onto something. If there is a cart with wheels, and a driver, and oxen, and they all perform their correct function, then we can fully realize that the cart is a cart. If there are no oxen, or driver, or wheel, or axel, can the cart truly be considered a cart if it isn't performing its function as a cart? It could be a flower pot, or firewood, or just a random collection of indecipherable elements. But when they interpenetration without hindrance, and none of the elements are separate, then a cart is a cart. When correct function is performed, there is no need for thoughts or analysis, no names required, not concepts to be had. It's "just this." Haengdal Citta gave the Dharma talk January 24, 2024.

[blueteller]

TCF Part 2 Chapter 57 be like:

[narrator-kun]

ok. i have an. idea transmigrator sha hualing x liu mingyan but its post-canon HEAR ME OUT OK it would. be funny

[marinserv]

Jiangsu Huayan Breathing Apparatus | ftm.gr

Jiangsu Huayan Breathing Apparatus brought to you by Fortune Trading Marine.Learn more at https://www.ftm.gr/products/

[makapatag]

new game idea, building off of gubat banwa's THUNDERING TACTICS SYSTEM. ULTRAVIOLENCE AT THE END OF TIME [UV@TEOT] is very angry and very grungy and its hard distorted electric guitar riffs playing alongside light nujabes flutes and everyone is trying to kill the gods (capitalists)

extreme buddhacore aesthetics mixed with slipstream dirty grungy cyberpunk a la Digital Devil Saga where you play as Black Flame Wielding God Devouring Devil Fucking Martial Artists

DECAPITATE THE GODHEAD

Character Generation is based off an axis of your Zodiac-Tarot (known as KARMIC BURDEN) and MARTIAL COMMUNES (the ones that safeguard your consciousness so you can die multiple times, and also teach you and give you equipment)

Communes are inherently anarchist who steal from HEAVEN to get you equipped. They need Pros like you, so you fight in the grueling gladiatorial matches to get CLOUT, the universal currency. You will never survive without them

character advancement is based on your CLOUT, a la Runes or Souls in Souls-like. its both currency and XP, because you need CLOUT to learn new moves and get new augs. getting new shit is integral to gaining a new following

MARTIAL COMMUNES are slick philosopher-martial art communities that piece together esoteric martial arts. Each commune has a signature martial art that you learn. So far there's THE HEAD OF MARX, TWIN TRUNG ELEPHANTS, SAKAY'S SHADOW FLITTING STYLE, LIVING BODY CANVAS, FLOATING HUAYAN VIDEOMANCY, and THE DIAMOND BODY OF CHRIST-KRISHNA

k6bd is a huge huge inspo of course but unlike k6bd which is a bit more gnostic-buddhist UV@TEOT is more full on Esoteric Vajrayana Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism and an intense Techno-Animism, here's some aesthetic pegs

also no playable cops. they're souls chained to physical demons

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Young Master Shield's Chapter 210

TL;DR - GoD agrees with Cale. Sui and CJS versus the wanderer. The wanderer warns Cale. Cale's shield legend returns and he says the iconic line.

GoD Suspects Wanderers Too The reason why GoD left Cale's message on read was because he immediately began a secret investigation on all wanderers and their locations once he read Cale's message. He and CJS also support Cale's speculation that the Five-Colored Bloods were wanderers.

CJS Goes Flying Again There was a scene where Alberu questioned CJS about the wanderer. CJS had replied that it was an enemy and he was not allies with that wanderer. Alberu left to handle the situation, but not before warning CJS to not be reckless and cause trouble.

To be honest, I was confused with that scene. Was Alberu doubtful of CJS because he was a wanderer too? Or was it just MTL messing up the translation again? 🤔

Moving on, Sui switched to his bird form and flew straight towards the enemy. CJS followed him, and the three forces clashed. However... CJS got blown away again and fell on a building roof, destroying said roof.

Seriously, why does CJS always get blown away? 🤣🤣🤣 Alberu had warned him earlier to not cause trouble, and here he is, causing property destruction... 😂

Wanderer is Like CH? There was a scene where CH felt that the wanderer's power was similar to his. If you recall, CH's power was black (despair something something) with some white (hope) in it. And the enemy's power was said to be similar to it, though in a more perfected form.

Hmm? So the enemy had the same experience as CH? Okay, hear me out, I have a crazy theory. Is the enemy wanderer perhaps another Choi Han from a parallel world? After all, Cale's world was called Nameless 1, so it isn't strange if there's a Nameless 2 and Nameless 3, right?

The Wanderer and Cale We did not get any physical description of the enemy, except that it was hard to distinguish if their voice was male or female, and that they spoke coldly. The enemy called out Cale's name, asking if it was Cale who killed the Huayans patriarch back in Xiaolen because Cale was the last person the patriarch saw.

So it seems like they have an ability to see people's memories? But how did they do that when the Huayans patriarch did not even leave behind a corpse?

Anyway, the enemy continued, "You of Thames blood. If you want to protect it, meddle not. Your power is only this much." And the enemy proceeded to send an attack to Cale.

Now, I'm confused again on whom the enemy was referring to when it came to protection. Was it the Thames? Or the audience in the academy's plaza? It seemed to be latter based on the flow of their words, but it could also mean that the enemy would go after the Thames if Cale interferes with what they were doing.

The Shield Will Not Break HE SAID IT! HE SAID IT! Okay, Cale did not really, really, really want to say this iconic line (the amount of sentences in the chapter just describing that he did not want to say that line was 🤣🤣🤣), but he had no choice because people were panicking and he had to reassure everyone.

He was also worried because his younger siblings were present today unlike that time in the plaza terrorist bombing incident. Cale was mentally cursing several times while thinking of how to protect his siblings and everyone.

Of course, when he revealed his silver shield to block the enemy's attack (Raon and Alberu also deployed their own shields to assist Cale), everyone was in awe of the shield's beauty. After he said his iconic line of "The shield will not break," the enemy's attack collided with his shield, and... and... AND... IT'S A CLIFFHANGER! AAAAAAAH!!! 😭😭😭

Ending Remarks There wasn't any funny moments today, except if you consider CJS getting blown away for the nth time. 😂 Now, who is that wanderer? CJS said that the enemy was hundreds of years older than him, and seemed stronger, though he did not recognize the enemy.

Anyway, Cale's speech is as good as cancelled. Or maybe not? If you want to write a transcript of it, it would go like this:

"It's a pleasure to meet everyone." "Damn it." "Silence." "Everyone, please be silent." "Don't panic." "The shield will not break."

Well, Cale, your speech is indeed neat and short like you wanted earlier, right? 🤣🤣🤣

[talonabraxas]

'Cosmic Buddha' Talon Abraxas

The Avatamsaka Sutra

The Avatamsaka sutra also states that the wisdom of the Buddha (the Tathagata) is present everywhere in the universe, indeed, it is present within every living being. Thus, the sutra states (in chapter 32, Manifestation of the Tathagata): Son of Buddha, the wisdom of Tathagata is present everywhere.

[journeytothewestresearch]

So, what IS the Samadhi Fire/True Fire of Samadhi? It can't be an average flame if it can take out Sun Wukong himself in JttW and the name sounds like it means something, but I can't find any context when I look it up.

Journey to the West states that Samādhi fire is not like earthly or heavenly flame. It is something more. Part of a poem in chapter 41 reads:

(Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, p. 225)

The general concept of Samādhi (Sk: "concentration"; Ch: sanmei, 三昧) refers to an advanced level of meditation where one can "establish and maintain one-pointedness of mind on a specific object of concentration" (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 743). Some Hindu and Buddhist sources associate it with a spiritually cleansing flame. One example comes from the Gaṇḍavyūha section of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (Ch: Dafang guangfo huayan jing, 大方廣佛華嚴經; compiled by the 3rd or 4th-century CE). 

Sudhana (Ch: Shancai tongzi, 善財童子; i.e. Red Boy), the holy work's protagonist, seeks out 53 teachers in the course of his spiritual cultivation. His ninth instructor, a learned Brahmin named Jayoṣmāyatana (Ch: Shengre poluomen, 勝熱婆羅門; lit: "Victorious Heat Brahmin") is said to have achieved "the light of the concentration [i.e. Samādhi] of adamantine flame" (jingang yan sanmei guangming, 金剛焰三昧光明) (Clearly, 1993, p. 1218). The fire that he produces is so powerful that it scares even the gods and demons. Though, the point of the flames appears to be incineration of the ego and desires and illumination of the mind. Sudhana follows his instructions by throwing himself into the fire, thus gaining a higher level of spiritual knowledge.

Here is a translation of that section of the sutra (warning: it is wordy):

(Clearly, 1993, pp. 1217-1222)

A Song or Ming-era Japanese painting of the fire brahmin and Sudhana.

Sources:

Buswell, R. E. , & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press.

Cleary, T. (1993). The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Boston: Shambhala.

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

[murasaki-cha]

But his eyes widened when he realized that there was one person by her side. Olivia introduced him to the emperor, saying, “I caught a hunter who will hunt down the rat bastards that had gnawed at the empire.”

The gazes of Cale and Redok Huayans met.

THE ADRENALINE RUSH IS REAL BRO!!

[notes-on-dharma]

The Key to the Secret of the Heart Sutra (Hannya shingyō hiken, T. 2203A), translated by Matthew D. McMullen

The Key to the Secret of the Heart Sutra (Hannya shingyō hiken, T. 2203A), translated by Matthew D. McMullen, is a commentary on the Heart Sutra of the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Mahāprajñā – pāramitā-hṛdaya-sūtra). Composed by Kūkai (774–835), the revered founder of the Japanese Shingon school and patriarch of Japanese esoteric Buddhism, this brief commentary purports to reveal the underlying secret meaning to the Heart Sutra and functions as an introduction to Kūkai’s view of mantra as well as a polemical comparison of his Shingon school with the dominant Buddhist schools in Japan at the time. https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-diamond-needle-treatise-on-the-doctrinal-distinctions-of-the-huayan-one-vehicle-the-key-to-the-secret-of-the-heart-sutra/

[bookofjin]

Administrative geography of Western Han (38,115)

According to Ban Gu's Book of Han.

Ji冀州

Zhongshan中山國

Beiping北平

Beixincheng北新成

Tang唐

Shenze深澤

Kuxing苦陘

Anguo安國

Quni曲逆

Wangdu望都

Xinchu新處

Lucheng陸成

Anxian安險

Hejian 河間國

Lecheng樂成

Houjing候井

Wusui武隧

Julu鉅鹿郡

Anding安定

Anxiang安鄉

You 幽州

Guangyang廣陽國

Ji薊

Fangcheng方城

Guangyang廣陽

Yinxiang陰鄉

Zhuo涿郡

Zhuo涿

Qiu迺

Guqiu穀丘

Gu'an故安

Nanshenze南深澤

Fanyang范陽

Liwu蠡吾

Rongcheng容城

Yi易

Guangwang廣望

Mo鄚

Gaoyang高陽

Zhouxiang州鄉

Anping安平

Fanyu樊輿

Liangxiang良鄉

Linxiang臨鄉

Yichang益昌

Yangxiang陽鄉

Xixiang西鄉

Raoyang饒陽

Zhongshui中水

Wuyuan武垣

Aling阿陵

Awu阿武

Gaoguo高郭

Xinchang新昌

Bohai勃海郡

Fuyang浮陽

Nanpi南皮

Zhangwu章武

Zhongyi中邑

Gaocheng高成

Canhu參戶

Chengping成平

Liu柳

Dongpingshu東平舒

Anci安次

Wen'an文安

Jingcheng景成

Shuzhou束州

Jiancheng建成

Shanggu上谷郡

Zuyang沮陽

Quanshang泉上

Pan潘

Jundu軍都

Juyong居庸

Yiyu夷輿

Changping昌平

Zhuolu涿鹿

Qieju且居

Ru茹

Nüqi女祈

Xialuo下落

Yuyang漁陽郡

Yuyang漁陽

Hunu狐奴

Lu路

Yongnu雍奴

Quanzhou泉州

Pinggu平谷

Anle安樂

Tixi厗奚

Gongping獷平

Yaoyang要陽

Baitan白檀

Huayan滑鹽

Youbeiping右北平郡

Pinggang平剛

Wuzhong無終

Shicheng石成.

Junmi俊靡

Xuwu徐無

Zi字

Tuyin土垠

Bailang白狼

Xiyang夕陽

Changcheng昌城

Guangcheng廣成

Liaoxi遼西郡

Julu且慮

Haiyang海陽

Xin'anping新安平

Liucheng柳城

Lingzhi令支

Feiru肥如

Bincong賓從

Jiaoli交黎

Yangle陽樂

Husu狐蘇

Tuhe徒河

Wencheng文成

Linyu臨渝

Lei絫

Liaodong遼東郡

Xinchang新昌

Wulü無慮

Wangping望平

Fang房

Liaosui遼隊

Liaoyang遼陽

Xiandu險瀆

Anshi安市

Pingguo平郭

Wen文

Tashi沓氏

Not located

Zhuo涿郡

Cheng成

Lixiang利鄉

Youbeiping右北平郡

Tingling廷陵

Ci薋

Licheng驪成

Juyang聚陽

Pingming平明

County locations and ancient rivers, lakes, and shorelines from The Historical Atlas of China.

I have intentionally stuck to the Hanshu where it differs from the Historical Atlas.

[tommeurs]

1000 year old Huayan Temple, China

[blueteller]

TCF Hunter Families

So in order to keep track of all the Hunter branches and what each of them do, I created a comprehensive list with the all the current information we have on them. Enjoy!

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

1) Branch: Black Bloods Name: Huayan Family ("Fayence" in Adar Terra's raw translation) Last Occupied World: Xiaolen Specialty: "White Magic", aka. dead mana based Black Magic which appears white and is more powerful than regular Black Magic Status: Defeated 2) Branch: Blue Bloods Name: Blood Cult Last Occupied World: Central Plains Specialty: Jiangshi, aka. zombies created by injecting special dead mana into a person's heart, can be made even out of living people; which are called "Living Jiangshi" Status: Defeated 3) Branch: Purple Bloods Name: Currently Unknown, but located in the "Holy Empire" Last Occupied World: Aipotu (Adar Terra's raw translation) Specialty: Dragon heritage, including mixing human and dragon blood, and control over powers of nature Status: Soon to be engaged in combat 4) Branch: Transparent Bloods Name: Currently Unknown, but located in "Transparent Co." Last Occupied World: Earth 3 Specialty: Perhaps something to do with virtual reality…? Still very limited information on them. But Anh Roh Man, aka. Taerang's creator, is related to them. (Perhaps "Anh" is their family name? We will see.) Status: Still fully operational 5) Branch: Five Colored Bloods Name: Currently Unknown, but possibly includes Park So Jin and Jung Yi-Rang (aka. the two who tried to kill Cale in the Sloth Test) Last Occupied World: None, as they seem to be dimensional travelers with no permanent residence Specialty: Wanderers, with possibly god level powers Status: Still fully operational

The last two branches are supposed to be "gone", so they no longer really count as the Hunters, but I'm including them anyway:

6) Branch: Red Bloods Name: Thames Last Occupied World: Nameless 1 (and possibly others, depending where Cale's thief of an uncle ran off to) Specialty: Research branch? Kind of unclear. We'll see if there's any developments Status: In hiding 7) Branch: White Bloods Name: Currently Unknown Last Occupied World: Currently Unknown Specialty: Currently Unknown Status: Elimnated

(Now with visual aid)

[jhavelikes]

Any account of Cleary’s translations must commence with his monumental rendition of the Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra, more than 1600 pages, one of the most stimulating of Mahayana texts. It is replete with luminous visions of bodhisattva activity and exalted experiences of mind and reality, conveyed with lush, psychedelic, evocative imagery. As the inspiration for the Chinese Huayan teachings (Kegon in Japanese) it is highly influential for all East Asian Buddhism. In his Huayan class I attended, Cleary mentioned that he recited aloud the entire Avatamsaka Sutra in Chinese seven times before he started translating it. Cleary’s Entry into the Inconceivable is one of the most valuable books on the dialectical Huayan philosophy, providing translations of the dense, profound writings from the Chinese Huayan founders. As with most of his translations, Cleary’s introductory commentaries are extremely informative.

In Appreciation of Thomas Cleary: A Personal Remembrance | Sangha News Journal