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I'm currently reading the Avatamsaka Sutra as translated by Thomas Cleary. I just came across the most wonderful description of the 10th Stage of Enlightenment on page 804 of this 1600 page opus....and I just wanted to share this with those on the path - it sure gives a nice idea of a destination of sorts, a compass point worthy of setting our instruments. "Listen to the excellent practices of enlightening beings, Who practice calmness and self-control, are tranquil and peaceful in mind. Who are like the sky, similar to space, Who have shed all defilement and abide in knowledge of the Way. Having cultivated good for countless eons And served hundreds of thousands of buddhas And honored many self-conquerors and saints, The will for enlightenment is born for the good of the world. Born is the will for enlightenment, equal to the Enlightened, In those refined by discipline and austerity, who have reached ultimate patience, Who act with modesty and dignity, born of virtue and knowledge, Who are broad-minded and intent on enlightened knowledge. To honor all the buddhas of past, present, and future, Purify all lands throughout space, Truly comprehend all truths and liberate beings, The will for enlightenment is born. To do good for all is the will for enlightenment born In the joyful and benevolent who practice giving, Who are always determined to benefit all beings, Who apply the virtues of buddhas and pledge to protect the living. Born is the will for enlightenment, for the weal of all beings, In those divorced from evil, whose conduct is pure, Who practice self-control, whose senses are calm and cool, Who have taken refuge in Buddha, intent on enlightening practice. Born is the will for enlightenment, for the benefit of all, In those who practice good, vessels of patience and coolness, Who know the flavor of virtue, have abandoned arrogance and insolence, With minds detached and pure, calm and cool. Initiating pure action, enduring with firmness and vigor, Human lions striving for the welfare of all people, Having conquered afflictions by persistence in virtue, In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born. With well-concentrated minds, the darkness of delusion dissolved, Arrogance gone, they have abandoned defiled paths; Enjoying the bliss of peace, they have given up attachments to routine life, In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born. With minds clear as the sky, with knowledge, abstract and applied, Having killed the demons, dropped afflictions and conceit, Abiding in the refuge of Buddha, finding the truth, their desire, In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Firm in means and intelligence to achieve liberation from the realms of being, Endowed with technique, science, and spiritual power to escape the force of evil, Seeking the qualities of buddhas, desirous of virtue, In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Wishing all beings well, having fulfilled the provisions for enlightenment, With determined minds, they do even what may be difficult, Enlightening beings never giving up their intent to do good; In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Thus they should carry out enlightenment practices of multifold virtues; Vowing to follow Buddha's footsteps, they should attain truth and spiritual power; Having purified the three realms of being, they should attain the will for enlightenment; Having purified the three refuges, they should become enlightening beings. This will be reiterated in sum, so listen; When the will for enlightenment is attained, those who practice giving Then, having reached Extreme Joy, will become lords of the land." (Quite a template, if you ask me...)

Source: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/search/label/Huayan From Garma C.C. Chang's "The Buddhist Teaching of Totality. The Philosophy of Hwa Yen Buddhism.": "One day Empress Wu asked Fa Tsang the following question: Reverend Master, I understand that man's knowledge is acquired through two approaches: one is by experience, the direct approach, and the other by inference, the indirect approach. I also understand that the first five consciousnesses and the Alaya only take the direct approach; whereas, the mind, or the sixth consciousness, can take both. Therefore, the findings of the conscious mind are not always trustworthy. The superiority and reliability of direct experience over indirect inference is taught in many scriptures. You have explained the Hwa Yen Doctrine to me with great clarity and ingenuity; sometimes I can almost 'See the vast Dharmadhatu in my mind's eye, and touch a few spots here and there in the great Totality. But all this, I realize, is merely indirect conjecture or guesswork. One cannot really understand Totality in an immediate sense before reaching Enlightenment. With your genius, however, I wonder whether you can give me a demonstration that will reveal the mystery of the Dharmadhatu including such wonders as the "all in one" and the "one in all," the simultaneous arising of all realms, the interpenetration and containment of all dharmas, the Non-Obstruction of space and time, and the like? After taking thought for a while, Fa Tsang said, "I shall try, your Majesty. The demonstration will ·be prepared very soon." A few days later Fa Tsang came to the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, I am now ready. Please come with me to a place where the demonstration will be given." He then led the Empress into a room lined with mirrors. On the ceiling and floor, on all four walls, and even in the four corners of the room were fixed huge mirrors-all facing one another. Then Fa Tsang produced an image of Buddha and ·placed it in the center of the room with a burning torch beside it. "Oh, how fantastic! How marvelous!" cried the Empress as she gazed at this awe-inspiring panorama of infinite interreflections. Slowly and calmly Fa Tsang addressed her: Your Majesty, this is a demonstration of Totality in the Dharmadhatu. In each and every mirror within this room you will find the reflections of all the other mirrors with the Buddha's image in them. And in each and every reflection of any mirror you will find all the reflections of all the other mirrors, together with the specific Buddha image in each, without omission or misplacement. The principle of interpenetration and containment is clearly shown by this demonstration. Right here we see an example of one in all and all in one-the mystery of realm embracing realm ad infinitum is thus revealed. The principle of the simultaneous arising -of different realms is so obvious here that no explanation is necessary. These infinite reflections of different realms now simultaneously arise without the slightest effort; they just naturally do so in a perfectly harmonious way. . . . As for the principle of the non-obstruction of space, it can be demonstrated in this manner . . . (saying which, he took a crystal ball from his sleeve and placed it in the palm of his hand) . Your Majesty, now we see all the mirrors and their reflections within this small crystal ball. Here we have an example of the small containing the large as well as of the large containing the small. This is a demonstration of the non-obstruction of "sizes," or space. As for the non-obstruction of times, the past entering the future and the future entering the past cannot be shown in this demonstration, because this is, after all, a static one, lacking the dynamic quality of the temporal elements. A demonstration of the non-obstruction of times, and of time and space, is indeed difficult to arrange by ordinary means. One must reach a different level to be capable of witnessing a "demonstration" such as that. But in any case, your Majesty, I hope this simple demonstration has served its purpose to your satisfaction." ......... Garma C.C. Chang's "The Buddhist Teaching of Totality. The Philosophy of Hwa Yen Buddhism.": "(...)we have found that the Totality and Non-Obstruction of Buddhahood are expressed in these terms: 1. That a universe can be infinitely vast or small depending on the scale of measurement, or the position from which a measurement is made. 2. That the "larger" universes include the "smaller" ones as a solar system contains its planets, or a planet contains its atoms. This system of higher realms embracing the lower ones is pictured in a structure extending ad infinitum in both directions to the infinitely large or the infinitely small. This is called in the Hwa Yen vocabulary the view of realms-embracing-realms. 3. That a "small" universe, (such as an atom) not only contains the infinite "lesser" universes within itself, but also contains the infinite "larger" universes (such as the solar system), thus establishing the genuine Totality of Non-Obstruction. 4. That "time" has lost its meaning as merely a concept for measuring the flow of events in the past, present, and future. It has now become an element of Totality which actualizes the total interpenetration and containment of all the events of past, present, and future in the eternal present. 5. Upon the grand stage of the infinite Dharmadhatu, countless various dramas of religion are being enacted in numerous dimensions of space/time throughout eternity.