“Throughout the ten directions and the three times… “
(Dedication, Hollow Bones Sutra Book p.7)
The ten directions are the eight directions of the compass—north, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest—plus up and down. Hence, the entire universe… all physical space. Buddhist texts refer to the existence of Buddha lands in all directions throughout the universe, each with its own Buddha. The expression “the Buddhas of the ten directions” in the sutras indicates these Buddhas. The phrase ten directions often appears with the phrase “three times”, meaning past, present, and future existences. “The Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences” thus means all Buddhas.
The whole universe in all ten directions and three times resides within the radiant luminosity of our True Self.
