Part 6
A gigantic jeweled lotus emerges from the earth. On the lotus is a tower. Within the tower, the Lady Maya sits on an exquisitely adorned lotus flower throne. She manifests inconceivable states and has attained the Liberation Door of a Bodhisattva’s Great Vows and Wisdom of all being like an Illusion, and always acts as the mother of all Bodhisattvas who are undergoing their last rebirth. She acts as the mother of past Buddhas and shall be the mother of future Buddhas. Limitless eons ago, as a spirit, she vowed to be the mother of a Wheel-Turning King wherever he is born until he accomplishes Buddhahood.

Good Wealth meets the Goddess Light of Celestial Ruler and Universal Friend who directs him to the Youth Who Well Knows the Multitude of Skills. He constantly chants and upholds the Forty-two Avatamsaka Syllabary. From the first syllable ‘A’ till the last one ‘DHA,’ every wondrous sound has inconceivable functions.

Good Wealth goes on seeking and obtaining the Dharma Doors of Upasika Utmost Worthy, the Elder Solid Liberation, the Elder Wondrous Moon, the Elder Invincible Army, the Brahman Still and Quiet, the Youth Born of Virtue and the Maiden Possessing Virtue.

Annotation
Lady Maya was Shakyamuni Buddha’s mother. When Maitreya Bodhisattva descends from the Tushita Heaven in the future to become a Buddha, she will also be his mother. In the past, the Lady / Queen Maya had observed abstinence from strong drinks and taken a vow of chastity. She bathed herself in fragrant water and made offerings. She laid down on the royal couch and had a dream. She dreamt that the Four Heavenly Kings came and lifted her up and took her to the Himalaya mountain and placed her on a tree. Their consorts came and took her to a lake to bathe her, and clothe her in celestial garments. They prepared a heavenly couch for her to lie down. A star blazing with a magnificent splendor descended  from the Tushita Heaven. A magnificent white elephant carrying a white lotus with its trunk walked three times around Lady Maya and entered her womb from the right side.

Auspicious signs manifested and living beings in the lower realms received benefits. When she awoke she related her wonderful dream to King Suddhodana. The King summoned the brahmins to explain the meaning of the dream and was told that he was going to have a son who would either be a great king or a Buddha. Queen Maya carried the Bodhisattva in her womb for ten months.
At that time she was in Lumbini Park. She walked to a Sala tree. When she stretched out her hand, the branch bent low and came within her reach. As she stood there holding the branch of the Sala-tree, the Bodhisattva emerged. The gods received the Bodhisattva. Two jets of water appeared from the sky for bathing the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva infant stood steadily and walked seven steps, he pointed one hand toward the heavens and one hand toward the earth and said,
‘In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am honored.’

Seven days after the birth of the Bodhisattva, the Lady Maya passed away and ascended to the Trayastrimsha Heaven. Therefore, after the Bodhisattva became a Buddha, he ascended to the Trayastrimsha Heaven to speak Dharma for his mother. (To speak, Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva.)

In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Lady Maya revealed her inconceivable states, the names of many future Buddhas, and that she will act as their mother. That is brought about by the power of her vows and her wisdom of all being like an illusion.

Later, Good Wealth learns the Forty-two Avatamsaka Syllabary from the Youth Who Well Knows the Multitude of Skills. By chanting the Forty-two Syllabary perfectly, one can enter into the Prajna (Wisdom) Paramita Door. One may wonder how or why the recitation of a combination of sounds can lead to wisdom. Actually, sounds are very powerful. The wrong kinds of sounds can cause a stampede and drive people crazy like in the case of a rock concert where the people in the audience can get hurt when they are no longer in control of themselves. Songs are merely sounds but they do have an effect on people.

If a baby is crying, the sound of its cry will have an unpleasant effect on its mother. If the child were to scream in pain, the mother would feel distressed as well. But, if a child is laughing, the sounds of the child’s laughter can lift up the mother’s spirits and make her delighted too.

Love songs and worldly entertainments can increase people’s sensual desires and attachments, causing them to be more muddled and confused. Therefore, in the Pure Conduct chapter, one of the verses says,
“When I am in a musical gathering or among songstresses,
I vow that living beings
will use Dharma as their enjoyment,
And understand those talents are not real.”

Dusty sounds, defiled sounds, vulgar sounds, angry sounds, violent sounds: These contribute to the evil and dark energy in the world, they pollute the world.
Pure sounds, Dharma sounds, Compassionate sounds: These contribute to the good energy in the world, they purify the air / world.
Sounds can affect the world and its inhabitants. The Forty-two Avatamsaka Syllabary is a very unique, special, wonderful, and powerful combination of sacred sounds. If one recites it well, one can obtain inconceivable benefits. The first syllable is:
A

For each syllable, there can be a further twelve variation of sounds which are all together chanted in a ceremonial way.
(Earlier, Lord Megha had taught Good Wealth the ‘Adornment with the Wheel of syllables, the wheel of adornment with all sounds, the Dharma door of a Bodhisattva’s Wondrous Sound Dharani Light.’)

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