The Avatamsaka Sutra describes a cosmos of infinite realms upon realms, mutually containing one other. The vision expressed in this work was the foundation for the creation of the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism, which was characterized by a philosophy of interpenetration. Huayan is known as Kegon in Japan.
The last chapter of the Avatamsaka also circulates as a separate text known as the Gandavyuha Sutra. The Gandavyuha Sutra details the journey of the youth Sudhana, who undertakes a pilgrimage at the behest of the bodhisattva Manjusri. Sudhana will converse with 52 masters in his quest for enlightenment. The antepenultimate master of Sudhana's pilgrimage is Maitreya. It is here that Sudhana encounters The Tower of Maitreya, which along with Indra's net is one of the most startling metaphors for the infinite to emerge in the history of literature across cultures.
In the middle of the great tower... he saw the billion-world universe... and everywhere there was Sudhana at his feet... Thus Sudhana saw Maitreya's practices of... transcendence over countless eons (kalpa), from each of the squares of the check board wall... In the same way Sudhana... saw the whole supernal manifestation, was perfectly aware it, understood it, contemplated it, used it as a means, beheld it, and saw himself there.
The penultimate master that Sudhana visits is the Manjusri Bodhisattva, the bodhisattva of great wisdom. Thus, one of the grandest of pilgrimages approaches its conclusion by revisiting where it began. The Gandavyhua suggests that with a subtle shift of perspective we may come to see that the enlightenment that the pilgrim so fervently sought was not only with him at every stage of his journey, but before it began as well—that enlightenment is not something to be gained, but "something" the pilgrim never departed from. The final master that Sudhana visits is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, who teaches him that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into practice; that it is only good insofar as it benefits all living beings.
盖闻：造化权舆之首，天道未分；龟龙系象之初，人文始著。虽万八千岁，同临有截之区；七十二君，讵识无边之义。由是人迷四忍，轮回于六趣之中；家缠五盖，没溺于三涂之下。及夫鹫岩西峙，象驾东驱，慧日法王超四大而高视，中天调御越十地以居尊，包括铁围，延促沙劫。其为体也，则不生不灭；其为相也，则无去无来。念处、正勤，三十七品为其行；慈、悲、喜、舍，四无量法运其心。方便之力难思，圆对之机多绪，混大空而为量，岂算数之能穷？入纤芥之微区，匪名言之可述，无得而称者，其唯大觉欤！朕曩劫植因，叨承佛记。金仙降旨，大云之偈先彰；玉扆披祥，宝雨之文后及。加以积善余庆，俯集微躬，遂得地平天成，河清海晏。殊祯绝瑞，既日至而月书；贝牒灵文，亦时臻而岁洽。逾海越漠，献賝之礼备焉；架险航深，重译之辞罄矣。
大方广佛华严经者，斯乃诸佛之密藏，如来之性海。视之者，莫识其指归；挹之者，罕测其涯际。有学、无学，志绝窥觎；二乘、三乘，宁希听受。最胜种智，庄严之迹既隆；普贤、文殊，愿行之因斯满。一句之内，包法界之无边；一毫之中，置刹土而非隘。摩竭陀国，肇兴妙会之缘；普光法堂，爰敷寂灭之理。缅惟奥义，译在晋朝；时逾六代，年将四百。然圆一部之典，才获三万余言，唯启半珠，未窥全宝。朕闻其梵本，先在于阗国中，遣使奉迎，近方至此。既睹百千之妙颂，乃披十万之正文。粤以证圣元年，岁次乙未，月旅沽洗，朔惟戊申，以其十四日辛酉，于大遍空寺，亲受笔削，敬译斯经。遂得甘露流津，预梦庚申之夕；膏雨洒润，后覃壬戌之辰。式开实相之门，还符一味之泽。以圣历二年，岁次己亥，十月壬午朔，八日己丑，缮写毕功；添性海之波澜，廓法界之疆域。大乘顿教，普被于无穷；方广真诠，遐该于有识。岂谓后五百岁，忽奉金囗之言；娑婆境中，俄启珠函之秘。所冀：阐扬沙界，宣畅尘区；并两曜而长悬，弥十方而永布。一窥宝偈，庆溢心灵；三复幽宗，喜盈身意。虽则无说无示，理符不二之门；然而因言显言，方阐大千之义。辄申鄙作，爰题序云。
Features:
- in Simplified Chinese
- include 80 chapters of the Avatamsaka Sutra plus last chapter known as 普贤行愿品
- include Amitabha chant
- include explanation of the 普贤行愿品 by 宣化上人
- free setting of font size to suit all reader's preference
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