Avatamsaka

Avatamsaka is a Mahayana Buddhist scripture that forms the basis of the Pure Land Buddhist tradition. The title "Avatamsaka" translates to "Flower Garland" in Sanskrit and "Precious Lamp" in Chinese. This lengthy text, comprising 68,000 verses, describes the Buddha's teachings in a elaborate and poetic manner. It is attributed to the Indian sage Shakyamuni Buddha, but its authorship is believed to be of a later date, possibly as early as the 2nd century BCE.

The text itself is an ensemble of various stories, legends, and discourses that elucidate the principles of Buddhism. It begins with the parable of the Flower Garland, where the Buddha causes a magical flower to bloom in the presence of 500 arhats, who then see the Buddha manifest as a garland of flowers. This parable is meant to convey the unity of all things and the nature of reality.

The Avatamsaka scripture affirms the idea of a fundamental, uncreated reality that underlies all phenomena. This harmonic world order is marked by an ever-present dharma, or universal principle, which governs the unfolding of the cosmos. The Avatamsaka also describes a progression of stages of enlightenment, leading from incomplete attainment of insight to supreme understanding. Through these stories and principles, the Avatamsaka scripture portrays the ultimate goal of the Buddha's path as the attainment of Buddhahood, transcending the mundane and becoming a self-existing manifestation of truth.

Its more common name of the Lotus Sutra of the Flower Garland of Adornment may mislead into the impression that it is identical to the Lotus Sutra, but while not equivalent, their teachings are complementary to one another.