Important Mahayana Scripture Gives the Buddha a Cosmic Dimension
There is a common misperception that Buddhism is atheistic or at least agnostic. This may be true of the original teachings of the Buddha (5 or 6 centuries before Christ) preserved by the Theravada tradition, though even in this case one can argue that the Buddha's real intention was only to divert his disciples from what he considered to be irrelevant philosophical discussions. Be that as it may, notions similar to the Divine reappear in the later Mahayana Buddhism (starting about the time of Christ), though many Buddhist scholars would deny this! Partly this is because they wish to avoid comparisons to the God of the Middle Eastern (or some dualistic Indian) traditions, who creates a material world, populates it with human beings made of body and soul, and judges over those souls after the body has died.
In the East, whether we consider Hinduism or Buddhism, the notion of divinity is often rather different. To begin with, there is a tendency towards 'idealism', the belief that the fundamental reality is consciousness. This precludes a material world and hence a creator of that material world. Likewise, the belief in a real body and an independent soul is another dualistic notion that does not accurately describe the general Eastern approach. The Hindus, for example, believe that the fundamental reality is Brahman or Consciousness and nothing is really separate from this one reality (a doctrine known as 'monism' which is often closely associated with idealism). Mind, body and world are all illusions projected by this One Consciousness into itself, through a process called maya, which has the same root as magic. (There are Hindu dualists who would deny this, but the sacred Vedic scriptures tend to back up the idealistic and monistic view.) Likewise, after an excursion into quasi-materialism in Early Buddhism, the later dominant Mahayana tradition exhibited a clear idealistic tendency, though the label 'Buddha' or 'Buddha Nature' is used rather than 'Brahman'. Finally, in both Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is emphasized over a final judgment, so that we determine our own future by our beliefs and actions, and the divine judge plays no role.
One important scripture where the divine and cosmic aspect of the Buddha is particularly emphasized is the Avatamsaka Sutra, also known as the HuaYen or Flower Garland Scripture. This originated in India sometime during the first few centuries after Christ, during the rise of the Mahayana itself. However, it played a far greater role in China, where it became the foundational scripture for the important Hua Yen school during the golden Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), and it also strongly influenced the important Chan/Zen tradition which continues to this day.
With excerpts from an English translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, I will try to convince you that this important scripture of Far Eastern Buddhism views the cosmic Buddha in terms not unlike the Brahman of the Hindus. A translation of Chapter 1 of the Avatamsaka is available here. (Note that you must scroll down to reach the beginning of Chapter 1.) For the convenience of the reader, I will limit most of my excerpts to this chapter. The translation is by J.C. Cleary, who has skillfully translated many Buddhist and Taoist works, and the entire book is about 1600 pages. The following discussion is to some extent an abridged version of a longer article I have posted on this site. However, unlike that article, I will try to limit my own interpretation and let the scripture speak for itself.
The Avatamsaka is essentially a description of the Buddha's enlightenment. It abounds in fantastic imagery and paradoxical ideas. It forms the basis of the Hua Yen philosophy that 'all is one' and that 'everything interpenetrates with everything else'. The metaphor of Indra's Net is used to illustrate this. The net is of cosmic dimensions and is made of precious jewels, each of which reflects every other jewel (and the reflections in those jewels, ad infinitum). In the same way, each apparent 'object' of this world in some sense contains and reflects every other. A number of interpretations have been proposed for this astonishing thought, such as that it refers to the causal interdependence of all beings. This is supposed to be in harmony with the Buddha's key idea that no conscious being has an ego or 'small self', which was extended by the Mahayana to the notion of 'emptiness', whereby no entity whatsoever has a self. Mundane explanations of this idea are, for example, that 'no man is an island' and that everything affects everything else, so that the fluttering of a butterfly wing in the Amazon can set off a chain of events that produces a storm in Asia.
This kind of interpretation does not satisfy me. While not entirely incorrect, it does seem inadequate, since from a purely causal perspective, many beings are effectively isolated from most others. Such a causal explanation still seems mired in a basically objective view of the universe, whereby the different objects do have some degree of independent reality, notwithstanding the web of causal interactions. The more profound view, in my opinion, is to see the vision of the Avatamsaka as yet another affirmation of the idealistic insight that all is consciousness only, and a single Consciousness at that. When stated thus, the similarity to the Advaitic Brahman is unmistakable. I will rely on the following excerpts to back up my view.
There is thus no question of any objects whatsoever, since the object is by definition that which stands opposed to consciousness. All apparent objects are only illusions in consciousness, just like the objects in a dream. Even the different conscious beings are ultimately reflections of a single all-encompassing Consciousness, called Brahman by the Advaitins and Buddha by the Mahayanists. As the excerpts will show, the different 'Buddhas' are all the same 'suchness' or consciousness, and our essence is not different from the Buddha's essence. This dissolution of objects into the 'emptiness' of pure consciousness goes far beyond standard pedestrian explanations in terms of the mutual interdependence of beings that are still allowed a measure of independence and objectivity. It is not possible to penetrate to the core of either Advaita or Mahayana without abandoning all notions of objectivity and the discrete existence that this implies. What remains, when all objectivity has been eliminated, is simply pure consciousness, which is undeniable, and which is also referred to as Buddha Mind or Buddha Consciousness.
It follows that if there is only the Buddha Consciousness, then 'everything is in everything else' so to speak. The boundaries between different apparent objects melt way, not because they mutually influence each other, but because the objects have no more discrete reality than the objects in a dream. They are entirely illusory and fictitious, just as the dream objects are seen to be nothing but the consciousness of the dreamer upon awakening. This is pure Advaita and is also the implicit (and sometimes explicit) spirit of the Avatamsaka, as we will see. It is my conviction that no other interpretation of the Avatamsaka, or of the other main Mahayana scriptures, really makes sense.
This nonduality of Consciousness is reflected in the more common properties which we attribute to the divine, such as omnipresence and omniscience. Indeed, nothing is different from this divine consciousness. Everything is but an illusion in the Universal Consciousness called God, Buddha or Brahman. In addition, the violation of dualistic common sense entails the ineffability of the divine, a theme common to both Advaita and Mahayana. In fact, the nonduality and ineffability of Consciousness are often expressed in terms of 'void' or 'emptiness', since language relies on objective descriptions which contradict the very nondual nature of consciousness. If the seemingly objective entities of the dream are illusory and unreal, and only consciousness remains upon awakening, then the nature of that consciousness becomes something transparent and mysterious, which resists objective description, with its assumption of discrete entities existing by themselves.
Opening of the Sutra
The first few paragraphs of the Avatamsaka Sutra are worth repeating in their entirety, since they provide a vivid description of the setting and atmosphere of the entire scripture. The Buddha is present before a vast assembly of 'enlightening' beings; he has just achieved enlightenment under the bodhi tree. I have commented on this opening at some length in my other article on the Avatamsaka. One should expect an enlightened being to see the world somewhat differently than we do! (Excerpts from the Avatamsaka are given in purple.)
At one the time the Buddha was in the land of Magadha (the kingdom in Northern India from which the historical Buddha originated), in a state of purity, at the site of enlightenment, having just realized true awareness. The ground was solid and firm, made of diamond, adorned with exquisite jewel discs and myriad precious flowers, with pure clear crystals. The Ocean of Characteristics of the various colors appeared over an infinite extent. There were banners of precious stones, constantly emitting shining light and producing beautiful sounds. Nets of myriad gems and garlands of exquisitely scented flowers hung all around. The finest jewels appeared spontaneously, raining inexhaustible quantities of gems and beautiful flowers all over the Earth. There were rows of jewel trees, their branches and foliage lustrous and luxuriant. By the Buddha's spiritual power, he caused all the adornments of this enlightenment sight to be reflected therein.The tree of enlightenment (the bodhi tree under which the Buddha meditated for 40 days and nights prior to enlightenment) was tall and outstanding. Its trunk was diamond, its main boughs were semi-precious stones, its branches and twigs were of various precious elements. The leaves, spreading in all directions, provided shade, like clouds. The precious blossoms were of various colors, the branching twigs spread out their shadows. Also, the fruits were jewels containing a blazing radiance. They were together with the flowers in great arrays. The entire circumference of the tree emanated light; within the light there rained precious stones, and within each gem were enlightened beings, in great hosts, like clouds, simultaneously appearing.
Also, by virtue of the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, the tree of enlightenment constantly gave forth sublime sounds speaking various truths without end.
The Palace chamber in which the Buddha was situated (the historical Buddha was a king) was spacious and beautifully adorned. It extended throughout the ten directions. It was made of jewels of various colors and was decorated with all kinds of precious flowers. The various adornments emanated lights like clouds; the masses of their reflections from within the Palace formed banners.
A boundless host of enlightening beings, the congregation at the site of enlightenment, were all gathered there: by means of the ability to manifest the lights and inconceivable sounds of the Buddhas, they fashioned nets of the finest jewels, from which came forth all the realms of action of the spiritual powers of the Buddhas, and in which were reflected images of the abodes of all beings.
Also, by virtue of the aid of the spiritual power of the Buddha, they embraced the entire cosmos in a single thought. (Note: a premonition of idealism!)
At that time, the Buddha, the world honored one, in this setting, attained to supreme, correct awareness of all things. His knowledge entered into all times with complete equanimity; his body filled all worlds; his voice universally accorded with all lands in the ten directions. Like space, which contains all forms, he made no discrimination among all objects. And, as space extends everywhere, he entered all lands with equanimity. His body forever sat omnipresent, in all sites of enlightenment. Among the host of enlightening beings, his awesome light shone clearly, like the sun emerging, illuminating the world. The Ocean of Myriad Virtues which he practiced in all times was thoroughly pure, and he constantly demonstrated the production of all the Buddha lands, their boundless forms and spheres of light extending throughout the entire cosmos equally and impartially. (Already a rather cosmic and unitary sounding Buddha!)
An insight into this fantastic imagery is provided by some verses from later in the chapter:
Each adornment is fully complete.
And could not be described in a million years.
The Buddhas mystic power extends everywhere;
That's why the ground is beautifully pure.
The Buddha's enlightenment causes all things to be seen in their original exquisite purity and beauty, a common experience among mystics around the world. Consciousness itself is this exquisite purity and beauty. Yet it is more than mere vision; it is a power that can influence and transform the 'world', since this world is not different from the enlightened consciousness. Specifically, I do expect that as one progresses to higher states of consciousness, one approaches the 'Source' and acquires powers of the Source, such as telepathy and even the ability to manipulate so-called matter. But this is incidental to enlightenment.
Omnipresence of the Buddha's Body
All religions imagine the Divine as omnipresent. Only a primitive religion would seriously attribute a visible shape and body to the Divine localized in a particular place. We all intuitively realize that the Divine must be invisible (without particular shape) and omnipresent (since unlimited). This is but an expression of the notion that consciousness is the only reality, since such attributes are entirely consistent with the infinite consciousness and with nothing else, though most religions do not formulate their belief with such philosophical sophistication. The Cosmic Buddha of the Mahayana is clearly omnipresent, in contrast to the restriction of 'Buddha' to the historical Buddha generally found in Early Buddhism. (Something similar happened with the Christ of Christianity, who started out as a historical person but was transformed to a cosmic principle by St. John and St. Paul.)
The Buddha Body extends throughout all the great assemblies:
It fills the cosmos without end.
Quiescent, without essence, it cannot be grasped;
It appears just to save all beings.
The 'quiescence' of the Buddha refers to the 'peace that passes all understanding' of Buddhist enlightenment, which is the same as the ananda (bliss) in the Hindu sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss) description of Brahman. The expressions 'without essence' and 'cannot be grasped', like the 'signless' and 'formless' to follow, refer to the ineffable and empty nature of pure consciousness, about which more will be said later. Note also that 'causing all beings to see' is just like the 'eye of the eye' description of Brahman found in the Kena Upanishad.
The Buddha is pure as space,
Sign-less, Form-less, Present everywhere,
Yet causing all beings to see,
This Light of Blessings well observes.Some can see the Buddha's reality body
Incomparable, unhindered, pervading everywhere:
The nature of all the infinity of things
Is in that Body completely.
The Buddha's 'reality body' or 'Dharmakaya' can be seen everywhere when it is recognized as the pure consciousness which sustains all illusions of objects. In this sense, it is 'seen' when it is not seen (as something objective)!
The Buddha constantly emits great beams of light;
In each light beam are innumerable Buddhas.
Each makes displays of sentient beings affairs;
This is the entryway of wonderful sound.
The Buddhas in the beams of light are an affirmation of the same essence in everything, a theme to be reiterated at length during the scripture. This common essence is simply consciousness, which is the same in all things and all Buddhas. (No other interpretation makes sense, and this interpretation is explicitly confirmed, as we will see.)
The Buddha body is pure and always tranquil;
The Radiance of its light extends throughout the world;
Sign-less, pattern-less, without images,
Like clouds in the sky, thus is it seen.The Buddha Body is like space, inexhaustible-
Formless, unhindered, it pervades the ten directions.
All of its accommodation manifestations are like conjurations:
Sound of Magical Displays understands this way.The Buddha Body is all pervasive, equal to the cosmos.
It manifests in response to all sentient beings;
With various teachings he is always guiding:
Master of Teaching, he is able to enlighten.
Further confirmation that the essence of the Buddha is the essence of everything and pervades everything like space. By being no particular thing, it is invisible and formless in this sense, i.e. it cannot be apprehended as an ordinary discrete object or form. It is the 'seer' that sees all things, and the objects seen are not different from the seeing, just as the dream-objects (or 'conjurations') are not different from the dreamer.
Universes in a Hair Pore
One amusing and oft-repeated image of the Avatamsaka is the Buddha's hair pore, which contains innumerable worlds and Buddhas. Again, this is a poetic description of the common essence in all reality, namely, consciousness. The tiniest 'parcel' of consciousness has the same essence as all of 'space' and 'creation'. Indeed, consciousness cannot be divided into parcels, as seems to be the case with illusory objective matter.
All lands existing in the past
They can show in a single Pore:
This is the great spiritual power of the Buddhas:
Delight in Tranquility can expound this.The beings of infinite, boundless lands,
The Buddha can make enter a single pore
While sitting at rest among those hosts.
This is the vision of Flaming MouthBuddhas knowledge is unhindered, comprehending all times;
All he shows in an instant, in his hair pores:
The Buddha's teachings, lands, and sentient beings:
All these appear from his recollective power.Each of the Buddha's hair pores
Emits light annulling distress
Causing worldly afflictions to end
This is the entry of Radiant Pores.
An interesting echo of this idea is found in the Advaitin classic called the Yoga Vasistha, which contains many ideas that closely resemble Mahayana Buddhism, as discussed elsewhere on this site.
Consciousness becomes embodied [through delusion] though it is truly like space, incapable of being contained. In it there arise the ideas of 'head' and of 'feet', and it sees these as existing organs. . . . It sees these notions as if they were real. Even so does it become Brahma the creator [and all the other Gods] . . . even so does it seemingly become a worm. In truth, however, it has not become any of these; it is as it is, pure void in void, consciousness in consciousness.That is the seed of all bodies in the three worlds. . . . It is the cause of all, and it is the leader of time and action. . . . Just as a man who is fighting with a lion in a dream shouts in that dream, though in truth he is silent and asleep, the infinite consciousness which entertains all these notions is at peace and silent within itself. The universe which extends to millions of miles in all directions exists in the minutest subatomic particle and the three worlds exist within one strand of hair (in comparison to the infinite consciousness).
Even Brahma the creator, though he presides over the universe which is unimaginably vast and which is his body, exists in an atom; in fact, he does not occupy any space at all, just like the mountains seen in a dream. . . . In truth, O Rama, he is but pure consciousness.
Yoga Vasistha, trans. Swami Venkatesananda, p. 561
And let us note that the universes in a hair pore are reminiscent of the famous 'world in a grain of sand' of the British mystical poet William Blake:
To see a World in a grain of sand,
And a Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.
Omniscience of the Buddha
Besides omnipresence, omniscience is another key attribute of divinity in all religions. The Buddha of Mahayana is no exception. If everything is the one pure infinite consciousness, then omniscience must logically follow. Furthermore, this omniscience is not limited to any particular perspective. It sees everything from every possible perspective for all time in the blink of an eye! This omniscience is like space; it is really the same as omnipresence. It is a manifestation of the universality of Consciousness, which is the only reality.
So why are we not omniscient? Because our particular manifestation of consciousness is clouded by ignorance. Advaita and Buddhism agree on this key point. Rather than emphasizing sin, they both emphasize ignorance as the source of all problems and limitations. With no objects existing in the illusory world, what else could limit a manifestation of consciousness than ignorance within that very consciousness? Paradoxically, this ignorance is not different from the Universal Consciousness, any more than anything else is. Advaita and Mahayana agree on this. The presence of ignorance is often considered an inexplicable mystery. Indeed, ignorance is not a 'real' thing, in that it is but darkness, which is the absence of light. Yet the ignorant mind is still a manifestation of Consciousness, since there is nothing else. Ignorance is a thorny issue in both Advaita and Buddhism! But we must be humble and remember that we are trying to understand it from the perspective of ... ignorance.
The vast eye of the Buddha's wisdom body
Sees every particle of the world
And reaches in the same way throughout the ten directions:
This is the liberation of Cloud Sound.Buddha's Eye is as Vast as Space;
He sees the entire cosmos.
In the unimpeded state, with unequaled function,
All Buddhas can tell of this eye.The Buddha Eye is vast and boundless,
Seeing all the lands in the ten directions.
Sentient beings therein are innumerable:
Showing great spiritual powers, he conquers them all.The Buddha's knowledge is like space; it has no end.
His light shines throughout the ten directions.
He knows the mental patterns of all sentient beings.
There is no world he does not enter.The vast eye of the Buddha
Is pure and clear as space
Seeing all beings
With complete clarity.Buddha knows the outcome of all acts,
Comprehending past, present, and future instantly;
The Lands, Ages, Beings, and Times of all regions:
All he can reveal and make clear.Buddha cultivated all sided knowledge;
The nature of his omniscience is like space:
Therefore he has unhindered power
Illuminating all lands in the ten directions.
Emptiness and Ineffability of Consciousness
We now arrive at the ineffability and 'emptiness' of pure consciousness. All sophisticated religions realize that the Divine must be ineffable (inexpressible, indescribable), but the notion of 'emptiness' is a subtlety characteristic of Mahayana thought, particularly in the seminal Prajnaparamita scriptures. However, this idea of emptiness or void has clear parallels in Advaita, as will be illustrated by further excerpts from the Yoga Vasistha. This is the Nirguna Brahman or 'consciousness without attributes' of Advaita. Just as all the dream-objects are seen to be only the waker's consciousness upon awakening, likewise all the apparent objects 'out there' are but hallucinations within Consciousness. In this sense, they are clearly 'empty' of reality, that is, of a reality independent of consciousness. Yet they appear as illusions, so that in this sense the void can be identified with the entire magic spectacle of space and the world apparently contained within it. All this is but pure consciousness, which can be considered a vast unlimited void of pure awareness and being.
The Buddha Body is like space
Unborn, it clings to nothing
It is ungraspable and without inherent nature
This is seen by Wind of Good Omen.The Buddha is like space, with no inherent nature;
Appearing in the world to benefit the living,
His features and refinements are like reflections:
Pure awareness sees in this way.
Now consider the following similar ideas from the Yoga Vasistha. I will present quite a few excerpts, since I wish to dispel the common notion that Mahayana 'believes in emptiness' and Advaita 'believes in consciousness', which are somehow diametrically opposed! This is a gross misunderstanding. The notion of void or emptiness frequently appears in Advaita, including in Shankara's Vivekachudamani, to describe the ineffability of Brahman. Yet even the notion of void is ultimately 'void' and should not be taken too literally, as we are reminded by both Mahayana and Advaita. That is, we must never consider the void to be an object in its own right, as its very purpose is to dissolve all notions of objectivity. At the same time, it is most definitely not pure nothing; rather, it is pure consciousness, which is the essence of all being and reality and hence quite the opposite of 'nothing'.
What you have called the body does not exist in the eyes of the sage. It is only Brahman [Consciousness]. Even so the word 'dream' used to illustrate the truth of the illusoriness of the world-appearance: there is no 'dream' in the infinite consciousness. There is neither a body nor a dream in it. There is neither a waking state, nor dream nor sleep. Whatever it is - it is void, it is OM [the primordial sound]. Enough of such descriptions. (Yoga Vasistha, p. 719)O Rama, though this universe seems to exist, nothing really exists as the universe. It is but the appearance or reflection in the infinite consciousness, which alone is the reality. In that consciousness the creation appears as if in a dream. Hence, only the reality [i.e. consciousness] in which it appears is real: and that is the infinite void. (Yoga Vasistha, p. 183)
In the pure space of the infinite consciousness these countless world-appearances exist. They come into being and they dissolve, though they are all essentially void (sunya) in their nature. ... This creation is void, and the void grows and the void alone ceases to be (void because it is devoid of a notion of 'self'). (Yoga Vasistha, p. 666)
That state is the void, Brahman, consciousness, the Purusa of the Sankhya, Isvara of the yogi, Siva, time, Atman or self, non-self, the middle, etc., of the mystics holding the different views. (Yoga Vasistha, p. 313)
The supreme state is beyond all concepts, even those of 'mass of consciousness' and 'void'; it is devoid of everything but it is also full of everything. Hence, the earth, etc. do exist; on the other hand, nothing exists in it [in the consciousness]. Though there are infinite jivas [souls] in it, yet they do not exist as jivas independent of the consciousness. (Yoga Vasistha, p. 671)
Immediately after death, this world is realized exactly as it is - as a dense void - within one's own mind. . . . Whatever is, is the infinite consciousness; there is naught known as the earth.' (Yoga Vasistha, p.687)
Is there a difference between pure consciousness and utter void? Even if there is, it is impossible to put it into words. (Yoga Vasistha, p.513)
Note that the Yoga Vasistha explicitly affirms the common vision of the different mystical traditions, at least those of the nondual type, such as Advaita and Mahayana. The Brahman of Advaita and the Void of Mahayana are explicitly identified. So much for the occasionally alleged incompatibility of these traditions! (Scholars and pundits are often more confused on this point that wise and sincere practitioners.)
An interesting consequence of the sole reality of consciousness is that material objects have no solidity or fluidity! This is to be expected since they do not even exist. All sensations, perceptions and feelings of solidity or fluidity are only within consciousness, as is heat, cold and other tactile phenomena. Indeed, all perceptions are nothing but consciousness, so that when the 'realist' cries out in exasperation that the world exists because he sees and feels it, he is only unwittingly confirming idealism. A similar idea is found in the Yoga Vasistha, again showing the striking parallels between the two traditions.
The Buddha sees things of the worlds as like reflections of light;
He enters into their most recondite mysteries
And explains that the nature of all things is always quiescent:
Intellect Sewn With Virtue can see this.He who realizes that the nature of things is without solidity
Appears in all the boundless lands of the ten directions:
Expounding the inconceivability of the realm of Buddhahood,
He causes all to return to the ocean of liberation.
Time, space, and all the rest of it, are the appearance of the consciousness. Even so are the mountains nothing but consciousness, too. It is consciousness alone that is the essence of the characteristic of the elements like solidity of the earth, fluidity of the water, etc. In fact, however, the earth and the other elements do not exist: the infinite consciousness alone exists. (Yoga Vasistha, p.714)The mountains are not hard nor are the waters fluid. Whatever the infinite consciousness considers itself to be and wherever, that appears to be so there. A mountain arises in a dream and exists in nothing and as nothing: even so this universe, for it is the dream of the infinite consciousness. (Yoga Vasistha, p.715)
The 'non-origination' mentioned in the next verses refers to the non-creation of an independent objective material reality external to consciousness. This is a notable echo of the 'ajativada' or non-creation doctrine of the Advaitin sage Gaudapada, who was the teacher of Shankara's teacher. This is found in his commentary or karika on the Mandukya Upanishad.
The Buddha is in the world without a resting place-
Like a shadow or reflection he appears in all lands.
The nature of things is ultimately non-origination:
This is the entryway of the King Supreme Vision.
Due to its ineffability, the nature of the Buddha or pure consciousness is often simply referred to as 'suchness' or 'tathata' in Mahayana.
Cultivating skill in means over countless ages,
Purifying all lands in the ten directions,
The Suchness of the Universe never moves:
This is the realization of virtue of tranquility.All the Buddhas are one reality body-
True Suchness, equal, without distinctions;
The Buddha always abides through this power:
Immediate Manifestation Everywhere can fully expound this.
This notion of 'suchness' or 'tathata' is similar to the 'That' of Advaita, used to refer to the indescribable essence of Brahman. For example, in Shankara's Vivekachudamani, we read
So the world is not distinct from the Supreme Self, and its perception is an illusion like all attributes. What we add to That has no reality, but merely appears to exist in addition to That through misunderstanding. (235)The words 'God' and 'yourself', referred to by the terms 'That' and 'Thou' are conscientiously purified by repetition of the scriptural phrase 'Thou art That', and are clearly seen to be identical. (241)
That which is mistakenly imagined to exist is recognised by wisdom to be That alone, and is thus undifferentiated. The colourful world of a dream disappears. What remains other than oneself on waking? (253)
Finally, the emptiness of 'non-existence' of the world is essentially the same as nonduality or the sole reality of consciousness. The word 'nonduality' may sound modern, but it can be found in the Avatamsaka:
Looking at the Buddha in various ways, there's nothing there;
Seeking him in all directions, he can't be found.
The manifestations of the reality body have no true actuality:
This is truth is seen by Silent Sound.The real body of the Buddha is fundamentally non-dual;
Yet it fills the world according to beings and forms-
Sentient beings each see it before them:
This is the perspective of Flames of Light.
A Modern Comparison
The mystical and spiritual vision of the Avatamsaka and of Mahayana in general has many more parallels than in Advaita. It reappears in 'advanced' spiritual traditions from around the world, by which I mean those that have discovered the principle of nonduality. It also arises spontaneously in individual seekers, as in someone I only recently discovered on the web called Bob Cergol. The following description of his 'awakening' repeats themes discussed at length here.
An intensity of awareness built until at some instant the entire world — including ME — was OUT THERE — part of the view. Yet there was no dichotomy because this awareness also CONTAINED the whole view, the totality. In that instant I saw there was NO DEATH — because there was NOTHING TO DIE! In that instant I saw the equality of all beings, their essential unity — they were all manifestations from the same ground.There are many such examples of spontaneous discoveries of nondual consciousness. A classic case from medieval Christianity is Meister Eckhart. A particularly endearing modern case is that of Peace Pilgrim.