The Path of Seeking Truth and Bodhisattva, the Avatamsaka Sutra

The original title of the Avatamsaka Sutra is ‘The Great and Broad Avatamsaka Sutra.’
Here, the word “big” does not mean to be contrasted with “small,” but rather means the infinite and absolute law that has been thoroughly seen to the end of the law.
And the word ‘bangwang’ (方廣) does not refer to the width or direction of a limited space, but rather to the realm of enlightenment where the mutual entry of the lotus-shaped realm of dharma is continuously taking place.
Therefore, the Avatamsaka Sutra unfolds a world of lawlessness and imagelessness, where all discrimination has disappeared in a state of enlightenment where the limitations of time and space have completely transcended.

The Sanskrit name for Avatamsaka is Ga??a-vy?ha.
Ga??a means miscellaneous goods, and vy?ha means strict decoration.
That is, the world of the law is beautifully decorated with countless kinds of flowers, including nameless flowers.
Of course, it can also be said that flowers are small flowers of truth that bloom in the hearts of all of us living beings.
The message of the Avatamsaka Sutra is to realize that even in a single nameless flower, the life of the infinite universe is pulsating.

Based on such a magnificent and splendid composition, the Avatamsaka Sutra, which grandly unfolds the fundamental ideology and practice system of Buddhism, is without a doubt a representative scripture of Mahayana Buddhism.
In other words, the Avatamsaka Sutra raises the questions, “What is the practice of Buddhism?”, “What is enlightenment?”, and “How can all living beings attain enlightenment?”, with the Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment as its fundamental theme.
Therefore, the Avatamsaka Sutra explains the various practices of bodhisattvas to achieve Buddhahood, and the fundamental themes of Mahayana Buddhism, such as the dependent origination structure of the mind and the universe, the vast practice of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and the 53 journeys of the good boy Sudhana, are developed in a grand system.

Avatamsaka Sutra

When the boy Seonjae saw the wonderful and miraculous realm of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, he was filled with boundless joy in body and mind.
And soon he attained the ten perfections of wisdom.
That is, the wisdom paramita that permeates all Buddha worlds at every moment, the wisdom paramita that goes to all Buddhas' abodes at every moment, the wisdom paramita that makes offerings to all Tathagatas at every moment, the wisdom paramita that hears and accepts the Dharma in all Tathagatas' abodes at every moment, the wisdom paramita that contemplates the Dharma wheels of all Tathagatas at every moment, the wisdom paramita that knows the inconceivable great supernatural powers of all Buddhas at every moment, the wisdom paramita that speaks a single word of the Dharma at every moment and whose eloquence will not end until the end of time, the wisdom paramita that observes all Dharmas with deep prajna at every moment, the wisdom paramita that enters all Dharma realms and the ocean of reality at every moment, the wisdom paramita that knows the minds of all living beings at every moment, the wisdom paramita that reveals all the wisdom and practices of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva at every moment, etc.

After the boy Sudhana attained these ten perfections of wisdom, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra stretched out his right hand and touched Sudhana's head. After touching his head, he immediately attained the samadhi gate of all worlds.

--- p.308~309