Notes on the Avatamsaka Sutra

The terms Hinayana (Small Vehicle) and Mahayana (Great Vehicle) are unknown to Pali literature. They are absent from the Pali Canon (Tripitaka) and the Commentaries on them. Not even in the Dipavamsa and the Mahavamsa, Pali Chronicles of Ceylon, use this term. The Dipavamsa (about the 4th Century A.D.) and Pali Commentaries mention Vitandavadins, apparently a sect of dissenting Buddhists holding somewhat “unorthodox” beliefs respecting some aspects of the Buddha’s teaching. The Vitandavadin and the Theravadin both quote the same authorities and name the sutras of the Tripitaka in order to support their opinions, the only difference being in the approach they take in their analysis. The Mahavamsa (dated from the 5th Century A.D.) and a Commentary on the Abhidhamma both discuss the Vetulla, or Vetulyavadins (Sanskrit: Vaitulyavadin), instead of Vitandavadin. From the internal evidence of the texts, it may not be wrong to consider that these two expressions, Vitanda and Vetulya, represented the same sect. This was the sect that began composing the teachings that are now compiled in what came to be known as the Mahayana or Sanskrit Canon.

The authoritative Mahayana philosophical discourse of 4^th century CE called Abhidhamma-Samuccaya, says the names Vaitulya and Vaipulya are synonymous, and calls the Vaipulya the Bodhisattva-Pitaka. Now, theBodhisattva-Pitaka is definitely Mahayana. So we can assume that Vaitulya denotes Mahayana. This means that we can be sure the terms Vitanda, and Vetulya as used in the Pali Chronicles and Commentaries refer to Mahayana. But the terms Hinayana and Mahayana were not known to them, or ignored or unknown to them.

This is all very interesting in light of the most spectacular piece of literature to come out of the Mahayana movement during this time. It is called the Mahavaipulya-buddhavatamsaka-sutra or Avatamsaka Sutra for short, which some commentators called the “Bodhisattva Tipitaka”. The indefatigable, but more often fatiguing, Thomas Cleary calls it the “Flower Adornment Scripture”. Several, perhaps a dozen different thinkers wrote the sutra in stages beginning around 500 years after the Buddha’s death, beginning approximately near the end of the of the 1^st century BCE. The Encyclopedia of Religion (2^nd edition pages 41-45) claims that it is "a very long text composed of a number of originally independent scriptures of diverse provenance, all of which were combined, probably in Central Asia, in the late third or the fourth century CE." This much is obvious to anyone who has ever hefted this huge volume and read through it. It is obviously the work of many writers and editors. It is not so much an organically whole sutra as a collection or encyclopedic work of Mahayana belief, practice and myth.

At least two complete versions appeared in China. The Chinese translations began in the 2^nd century CE. During this time the chapter called the Ten Stages Sutra” was treated as a separate and distinct scripture when it was translated during the 3^rd century. Incidentally, the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra was also a separate and complete sutra during this time as well. According to Taicho’s Tripitaka the first complete Chinese version, translated by Buddhabhadra, appeared around 420 as a manuscript of 60 scrolls in 34 chapters. Siksananda translated a second version at about 699 containing 80 scrolls and 40 chapters. There is also a third version of the climax of the Sutra, called the Gandavvyha chapter by a translator very coolly named Prajna. It appeared at about 798 and was probably composed during the late 5^th or early 6^th century. The second version contains many more sutras than the first and later additions inserted more verses into the work. The Avatamsaka Sutra went through a rather organic growing period. A later Tibetan version still has 80 scrolls but much of the completed sutra was re-edited making it very different than the Chinese versions. It is easy to conclude that the Avatamsaka Sutra was being added to, as it was being translated, circulated and developed.

One of the scriptures contained within the collection is the Amitayurdyhana Sutra. A quick translation of this term is the “Amitayus Dhyana teaching”. Dhyana being the Sanskrit form of the Pali word jhana and is the ultimate source of the terms “Chan” and “Zen”. This scripture became immensely important to the Pure Land sects that also arose during this time. Here, however, the term dhyana is closer to the meaning of the term samadhi, which is usually translated as “meditation” but often used to mean anything from deep tranquility to sudden awakening.

The Avatamsaka Sutra, called Huayen in Chinese, is the foundational scripture of the Huayen School of China and the Kegon School of Japan. Of course, both schools claim that the Sutra is the highest teaching of the Buddha, but then almost all schools make the same claims regarding their scriptures as well. In this case, however, a point can be made that this compilation is meant to reflect the “highest” teachings if by highest teaching you mean “complete” scope of teaching. This work has everything in it. Within its pages there are the vows of Samantabhadra, the foundation of bodhisattva behavior and precepts, as well as the presentation of the holographic universe a la the Abhidhamma. Written in hyperbole and extreme symbolism the work contains stories like the Gandavvyha that tells the story of Sudhana’s journey to visit 52 masters to gain 52 teachings. The journey is a symbolic guide to enlightenment. In many ways, the entirety of the work is a rewriting of many Pali suttas couched in the metaphorical language of the Mahayana.

If a skilled student can ignore the hyperbole and recast the poetic language into plain English, the Avatamsaka Sutra really doesn’t say anything new. What it does do is say it in a new way. I mean, come on, as incredible as the Abhidhamma is, it is a very boring set of books mainly comprising lists that the student has to sort through and apply. The Avatamsaka Sutra gives us some incredible unforgettable images that makes the information contained therein more immediate and accessible. Does one need the Avatamsaka Sutra to attain complete enlightenment? No, they probably don’t. But it makes a great year and a half read – the book is humongous.

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