This discussion is continued from conversations with bro Henry (http://amuletforums.com/mahayana-vaj...-t17605p5.html).

The Dragon Flower Assembly is sort of the Buddhist equivalent of what Christians refer to as a "judgment day" presided over, in this case, by Maitreya. The earliest mention I can find is in the Gandavyuha Sutra, which recaps, in the form of a tale of pilgrimage, all the steps to becoming a Bodhisattva. The youth Sudhana has been on a long pilgrimage to enlightenment , visiting with 52 masters, and now finally reaches the apex of his journey. He has arrived at the outer courtyard of Tushita Heaven, and has met Maitreya, the next Buddha to descend to our world.

Maitreya opens the tower of Vairocana, within which is contained infinite Buddha-realms, and Sudhana sees himself in all. He is able to discern past, present and future, and learns that when Maitreya arrives on earth, he will convene a “Dragon Flower assembly” and, sitting under the Naga-pushpa, the Dragon Blossom tree, he will set right all the ills of this world, re-making it anew.

If anyone out there knows of other sources mentioning the Dragon Flower Assembly, I'd love to hear from you -- just to start things out, here's a Taoist version from Jade Pond Golden Mother's Scripture of Universal Deliverance, Retrieval of Perfection, and Liberation through Meditation Stability and Wisdom:

0' Great Holy and Compassionate
Great Celestially Venerated Wuji Jade Pond Eminent Holy Ruler of the West
Golden Mother,
At a time
When Heaven and Earth are prospering,
Wuji Holy Mother
Held a supreme Lung-hua Banquet at the Jade Pond.
Ruler of the innumerable multitude of sentient beings promulgating the
essence of Daoist teachings.
Numerous immortals arrived bearing gifts.
Saints of the numerous eras toasted to Her honor,
For they were in the presence of great celestial majesty.
Her merits and virtues are great and immense.
Harmonizing and governing the great power [of yin-yang],
Lord of immortals and master of the Dao.
Three thousand female attendants
Performed celestial music with flutes.
Celestial peaches ripen after hundreds of years signaling
The opening of the golden green spiritual garden.
Rescuing sentient beings in sufferings,
Sprinkled sweet nectars onto defiled world.
Great loving-kindness and vow,
Great holiness and compassion,
Great Celestially Venerated Wuji Jade Pond Eminent Holy Ruler of the West,
Golden Mother
At that time,
In the light of Wuji, Jade Pond Golden Mother
Instructed rainbow immortal maiden Shuang-Cheng Dong to transmit scripture.
Golden Mother said:
In primordial time,
My teacher, Xuan-xuan-shang-ren, transmitted the Dao to Mu-gong.
Mu-gong then transmitted the Dao to me.
Henceforth, the transmission passed down through oral instructions.
Never was the teaching written down.
Yet, Heaven will widen the path today,
Universally delivering sentient beings of the East Forest.
Wishing sentient beings of the world,
Promptly seek out enlightened teacher.
Decipher the nature of the heart,
For it is no different from a burning house of the defiled world.
Exceedingly easy to be the fallen,
Terribly difficult to break-free,
Without the power of wisdom,
How can beings be liberated?
Those who seek liberation,
Must first attain meditation stability and wisdom
Then,
With palms joined, Ci-hang Mahasattva respectfully asked the Golden Mother,
Wishing Golden Mother to open the gate of skillful means,
Expound the path of liberation.
The good fortune of sentient beings
Shall be Ci-hang's good fortune as well.
Her compassionate appearance showing great delight.
Golden Mother said to Ci-hang Mahasattva,
With great compassionate heart,
You manifest emanations in the land of the East.
Now requesting for the teaching of liberation,
You should listen attentively.
I will expound for you the Authentic Scripture of Universal Deliverance, Retrieval
of Perfection, and Liberation through Meditation Stability and Wisdom
At the time,
The heaven was suddenly filled with auspicious lights
Rainbow colored clouds revolved atop the gate
Luan (a celestial bird) and cranes stood guard
Banners and flags appeared dignifying the sky
Golden Mother rode in a chariot drawn by nine phoenixes
Supported by five colored clouds.
At that time,
Holy saints of three teachings
Arrived to give support
Celestial flowers bloomed
Immortal's music played rhythmically
Hence, Golden Mother
Empathizing with her children in the East Forest
Radiated the light of Wuji
Proclaiming in the light
Heaven originated from Wuji
Giving rise to the three "platforms" of Taiji, sun and moon.
The Sun and moon, the yin and yang revolved
Man arise from the embryo of yin and yang,
Becoming male or female.
All trace their origin to Wuji.
Through one deluded action
They plummet instantly into the defiled world
Fallen into the evil world polluted by the five defilements,
Greedily grasping at vices such as liquor, sensual pleasure, wealth, and pride,
Consummate in the revolving transmigration.
Emotions like crashing waves, desires immense as the sea creating
catastrophes
Blood flowing across the earth is such a pity.
Bodily remains decomposing and scattering is such sorrow.
At this point in her discourse,
Her motherly heart was throbbing with tears of compassion.
Then, Ci-hong Mahasattva joined palms and respectfully asked.
The pupil heard the Mother's golden teaching
Wuji gave rise to Taiji.
The "Iiang yi" (heaven and earth) further separated into three essences.
From this, innumerable multitudes of sentient beings were born.
Also because of this, they cease to be.
Why not then enable them to enter the state of non-birth and non-cessation?
Avoiding blood flowing across the earth,
And bones accumulating like mountains,
Wouldn't this be a great blessing?
Golden Mother replied,
The separation of Taiji
Resulted from the heart of heaven and earth to give birth to sentient beings.
Blood flowing across the earth,
Bones accumulating like mountains,
Resulted from sentient beings' own misconducts.
Your now ask for the teaching of non-birth and non-cessation
Although there are paths to non-birth and non-cessation,
There is no reason for them to be able to attain non-birth and non-cessation
Then, the Venerable Ci-hong kneeled persistently before the throne,
Risking Golden Mother's ire to request again the promulgation of the Dao of non-birth and
non-cessation.

(Continued next post)