Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Pictures of revered teachers, places, rupas, temples, shrine rooms etc. that bring inspiration to our members. Pilgrimage advice etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
明安 Myoan
Former staff member
Posts: 2855
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:11 am
Location: Portland, OR

Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Thanks to Rulu's site, I found these sutras which, if enshrined, bring measureless benefit to the practitioner and to everyone in or near the house :smile:

Please include any additional sutras you know of that bring benefit just from being copied or enshrined.

:buddha1:
佛說大乘聖無量壽決定光明王如來陀羅尼經
Buddha Pronounces the Mahāyāna Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata


Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Northern Song Dynasty by The Dharma Master Fatian from India

Thus I have heard:
    At one time the World-Honored One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden of Jetavana Park in the city kingdom of Śrāvastī, together with 1,250 great bhikṣus. As recognized by the multitudes, all of them were great Arhats, who had ended their afflictions and the discharges thereof, acquired benefits for themselves, and completely liberated their minds. Honored Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas with vast wisdom and merit, complete in their majestic deportment, also came to the assembly to hear the Dharma. At the head of the assembly was Great Wisdom Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva.
    At that time Śākyamuni Buddha sympathetically considered all sentient beings that would live a short life in future times. In order to let them acquire the great benefit of lengthened lifespan, He decided to expound the inconceivable, secret, profound, wondrous, victorious Dharma.
    The World-Honored One told Great Wisdom Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, “All of you, hearken! West of Jambudvīpa, this southern continent, beyond countless Buddha Lands, there is a land called Immeasurable Merit Store. That land is magnificent, adorned with multitudinous treasures, pure and superb, peaceful and joyous, foremost in exquisiteness, surpassing all worlds in the ten directions. In that land of Immeasurable Merit Store resides a Buddha called Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, who has realized anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. He is now staying in that land. Exuding great lovingkindness and compassion, He expounds the true Dharma for the sake of sentient beings, enabling them to acquire excellent benefits, peace, and joy.”
    The Buddha next told Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, “Now in this world of Jambudvīpa, human lifespan is one hundred years, but many do evil karma and die prematurely. Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, if there are sentient beings that have seen this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata and heard this Tathāgata’s name, their merit will be excellent. After they copy or have others copy this sūtra, they will enshrine the copies in their homes, in high towers, or in the halls of ashrams. They will accept and uphold this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata as they read and recite it, make obeisance to it, and offer various kinds of flowers, incense for burning, powdered incense, solid perfumes, necklaces, and so forth. If those who expect to live a short life earnestly copy and uphold this sūtra, read and recite it, and make offerings and obeisance, they will have their lifespans lengthened to one hundred years.
    Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, if sentient beings that have heard the name of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata earnestly say His name 108 times, their short lifespans will be lengthened. If those who have only heard His name earnestly believe, accept, and honor it, they too will have their lifespans lengthened.
    “Moreover, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, suppose there are those who, without momentary wavering, constantly and earnestly think of and seek the true Dharma. Good men and good women, all of you should hearken. For your sake, I now pronounce the 108-syllable dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata:

namo bhagavate aparimitāyur-jñāna-suviniścita-tejorājāya | tathāgatāyārhate samyak-saṁbuddhāya | tad-yathā [oṁ puṇya mahā-puṇya | aparimita-puṇya | aparimitāyuḥ-puṇya-jñāna-saṁbhāropacite |]* oṁ sarva saṁskāra pariśuddha dharmate gagana samudgate | svabhāva viśuddhe mahā-naya parivāre svāhā ||

“Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, for those who expect to live a short life, if they copy or have others copy this 108-syllable dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, enshrine the copies on the tops of high towers or in clean places in the halls [of ashrams], adorn them in accordance with the Dharma, and make various kinds of offerings, they will gain longevity, living one hundred years. After their lives end here, they will be reborn in Immeasurable Merit Store, the land of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata.”
    While Śākyamuni Buddha was pronouncing this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, 99 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 84 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 77 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 66 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 55 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 44 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 36 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, 25 koṭi Buddhas, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata. Meanwhile, koṭis of Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of ten Ganges Rivers, with one mind and one voice, also pronounced this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata.
    [The Buddha continued] “If there are those who copy or have others copy this dhāraṇī sūtra, they will never be reborn in hell, the ghost world, the animal kingdom, or the dominion of Yama, king of the underworld. They will never again take those evil life-paths in acceptance of evil requitals. Because of their merit acquired from copying this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, they will have past-life knowledge, rebirth after rebirth, life after life, wherever they are reborn. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, their merit will be the same as that from copying texts in 84,000 Dharma stores. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, their merit will be the same as that from constructing 84,000 treasure pagodas.
    “If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, because of this merit, their [evil] karmas, which would drive them into the hell of uninterrupted suffering, will all be obliterated. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, they will neither fall under the rule of the māra-king and his retinue nor take the life-paths of yakṣasor rakṣasas They will not die an accidental death and will never receive those evil requitals mentioned before. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, at the end of their lives, 99 koṭi Buddhas will appear before them to receive them to be reborn in that Buddha’s land. You all should not doubt what I say. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, they will never assume female form in their future lives. If there are those who copy or have others copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, they will always be secretly followed and protected by the four god-kings. In the east is the god-king Upholding the Kingdom, lord of gandharvas; in the south is the god-king Increase and Growth, lord of kumbhāṇḍas; in the west is the god-king Broad Eye, lord of great dragons; and in the north is the god-king Hearing Much, lord of yakṣas.
    “If there are those who, for this sūtra, give away a small portion of their wealth as alms, they in effect give others all of the seven treasures—gold, silver, aquamarine, conch shell, emerald, coral, and amber—filling up this Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World. Furthermore, if there are those who make offerings to this sūtra, they in effect make offerings to the entire store of the true Dharma. If there are those who present the superb seven treasures as an offering to the past seven Buddha-Tathāgatas, also called Arhats, Samyak-Saṁbuddhas—Vipaśyin, Śikhin, Viśvabhū, Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, Kāśyapa, and Śākyamuni—the quantity of merit they acquire can never be known by measurement. Similarly, if there are those who make offerings to this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, the limit of their merit can never be known by measurement.
    “As the number of drops of water in the four great oceans can never be known, likewise, if there are those who copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, uphold it, read and recite it, and make offerings, the limit of their merit cannot be known by measurement. If there are those who copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, their place has the status of a treasure pagoda containing the holy relics of Buddhas. Their place is worthy of paying respects and making obeisance. If there are sentient beings that have heard this dhāraṇī, they will never again assume unfortunate life forms, such as birds, four-legged creatures, or multi-legged creatures. They will quickly attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi, from which they will never regress.
    “If those who have accumulated the seven treasures—gold, silver, aquamarine, conch shell, emerald, coral, and amber—piled high like a wonderful mountain, give them all away as alms, the quantity of merit they acquire cannot be known by measurement. Similarly, if there are those who, for this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, give alms, the limit of their merit cannot be known by measurement. Moreover, if there are those who copy this Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata, and make obeisance and offerings to it, they in effect make obeisance and offerings to all Tathāgatas in Buddha Lands in the ten directions. There is no difference.”
    Then Śākyamuni the World-Honored One spoke in verse:
Through training acquire the power of almsgiving.
By virtue of the power of almsgiving, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although almsgiving is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.

Through training acquire the power of observing the precepts.
By virtue of the power of observing the precepts, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although observing the precepts is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.

Through training acquire the power of endurance.
By virtue of the power of endurance, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although endurance is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.

Through training acquire the power of energetic progress.
By virtue of the power of energetic progress, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although energetic progress is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.

Through training acquire the power of meditation.
By virtue of the power of meditation, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although meditation is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.

Through training acquire the power of wisdom.
By virtue of the power of wisdom, one attains Buddhahood.
If one enters the fine chamber of great compassion,
And one’s ear briefly hears this dhāraṇī,
Although wisdom is not yet fully achieved,
One will soon become the teacher to gods and humans.
After the Buddha pronounced this sūtra, the great bhikṣus, Bodhisattvas, gods, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and others in the assembly, having heard the Buddha’s words, greatly rejoiced. They all believed in, accepted, and reverently carried out the teachings.

—Buddha Pronounces the Mahāyāna Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata

Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T19n0937)

一切如來心祕密全身舍利寶篋印陀羅尼經
Sūtra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dhāraṇī 

The Heart Secret of All Tathāgatas

Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty by The Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra from India

Thus I have heard:
    At one time the Buddha was at the Jewel Brilliance Pond in the Immaculate Garden of the kingdom of Magadha. Surrounding Him were hundreds of thousands of Mahāsattvas, great voice-hearers, gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, human, nonhumans, and others. At that time, in the assembly was a great Brahmin named Immaculate Light, who was well educated and intelligent. People delighted in seeing him. Having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, he persistently did the ten good karmas. Benevolent, wealthy, and wise, he intended that other people acquire benefits, great fortune, and prosperity.
    Immaculate Light rose from his seat, came to the Buddha, circled Him seven times, and offered the World-Honored One incense and flowers. He also covered the Buddha with priceless wonderful garments, necklaces, and tiaras of gems. After bowing down at the Buddha’s feet, he stepped back to one side and said, “I pray that the World-Honored One and the huge assembly will come to my house tomorrow morning to accept my offerings.”
    The Buddha gave him permission in silence. Knowing that the Buddha had accepted his invitation, the Brahmin hurried home. In the evening, he ordered extensive preparation of food and drink of one hundred flavors for the banquet. Water was sprinkled, the halls were swept clean, and canopies and banners were set up.
    In the next morning, carrying incense, flowers, and musical instruments, together with his retinue, the Brahmin came to the Buddha. He said, “The time has come, and I pray that the World-Honored One will grace my house.”
    The Buddha greeted the Brahmin Immaculate Light with kind words and made an announcement to the huge assembly: “All of you should go to this Brahmin’s home to accept his offerings, for the purpose of letting him receive great benefits.”
    Then the World-Honored One rose from His seat. As the Buddha stood up, His body emitted all kinds of radiance with intermingled wonderful colors, illuminating and filling the space in the ten directions. Being thus alerted, all set off on the road. Respectfully escorting the Buddha, the Brahmin carried wonderful incense and flowers with a reverent heart. He led the way, along with his retinue, the Brahma-kings, the god-king Śakra, the four god-kings, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors, such as gods and dragons.
    The World-Honored One, having traveled not too far on the road, came to a garden called Abundant Wealth. In that garden were the ruins of an ancient pagoda, dilapidated and collapsed. With the courtyard covered by thistles and the doors sealed by creeping weeds, the rubble resembled a mound of dirt. The Buddha went straight to the pagoda. Forthwith, the pagoda issued vast, bright light, illuminating and glowing. A voice from the heap of earth praised, “Very good! Very good! Śākyamuni, Your action today is excellent! And you, Brahmin, will receive great benefits today!”
    The World-Honored One paid respects to the ruined pagoda by circling it clockwise three times. He took off His upper garment, placed it over the pagoda, and wept tears with blood. He then smiled. Meanwhile, all Buddhas [in worlds] in the ten directions, looking on together, also shed tears, each emitting light to illuminate this pagoda. The multitude was so astonished as to lose their color, and they all wanted to resolve their bewilderment.
    Vajrapāṇi and other Bodhisattvas also shed tears. Twirling his vajra in glowing flames, he came to the Buddha. He asked, “World-Honored One, through what causes and conditions does this radiance manifest? Why did the Tathāgata’s eyes shed these tears? And why do Buddhas [in worlds] in the ten directions emit vast auspicious light? I pray that the Tathāgata will resolve my bewilderment.”
    The World-Honored One replied to Vajrapāṇi, “This great treasure pagoda of accumulated whole-body relics of Tathāgatas contains innumerable koṭis of the heart dhāraṇīs, the secret seal of the essentials of the Dharma of all Tathāgatas. Vajrapāṇi, because of the essentials of the Dharma contained in it, the pagoda has become tiered seamlessly like sesame seeds. The bodies of 100,000 koṭi Tathāgatas are also like sesame seeds. Contained in the pagoda is the accumulation of the whole-body relics of 100,000 koṭi Tathāgatas and even the store of 84,000 Dharmas. Also contained in it are 99 billion koṭi Tathāgata-crowns. Because of these wondrous things, the site of this pagoda has superb, awesome virtue and serves as a spiritual testament. It can fill the entire world with auspicious events.”
    When the multitude heard the Buddha’s words, they shunned dust and filth [their afflictions] and acquired the pure dharma-eye. Because the capacities of the multitude were so varied, each received a different benefit. Some became Pratyekabuddhas; some achieved voice-hearer fruits, becoming Srotāpannas, Sakṛdāgāmins, Anāgāmins, or Arhats. On the Bodhisattva Way, some achieved the level of avinivartanīya or acquired sarvajña; some attained the First Ground, Second Ground, or even the Tenth Ground; and some fulfilled the six pāramitās. The Brahmin shunned dust and filth [his afflictions], and acquired the five transcendental powers.
    Witnessing these unprecedented occurrences, Vajrapāṇi exclaimed, “World-Honored One, how wonderful and how extraordinary! If people acquire such excellent merit by merely hearing about this matter, how much more merit will they acquire if they hear the profound truth and elicit their faith with an earnest mind?”
    The Buddha replied, “Hearken! Vajrapāṇi. In future times, if, among male believers, female believers, and my four groups of disciples, there are those who are inspired to copy this sūtra, they in effect copy all the sūtras pronounced by 99 billion koṭi Tathāgatas. Their merit will surpass the roots of goodness they have been planting for a long time in the presence of 99 billion koṭi Tathāgatas. All Tathāgatas will support, protect, and remember them in the same way as they cherish their own eyes or as loving mothers care for their young children. If a person recites this short sūtra, he in effect recites all the sūtras pronounced by Buddhas of the past, present, and future. For this reason, 99 billion koṭi Tathāgatas, also called Arhats, Samyak-Saṁbuddhas, will come, jam-packed sideways without any gap between them, like sesame seeds in a pile. Day and night they will appear and support that person. Thus, all Buddha-Tathāgatas, who are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, will come. The first group of them has not yet left, and the next has arrived. They all instantly move away and return again, like fine sands whirling in quick water. Incessantly, they come again as soon as they turn away. If a person makes offerings of incense, flowers, solid perfumes, garlands, garments, and wonderful ornaments to this sūtra, he in effect makes an entire offering, before 99 billion koṭi Tathāgatas [in worlds] in the ten directions, of divine incense, flowers, garments, and ornaments made of the seven treasures, all piled high like Mount Sumeru. Planting one’s roots of goodness can be accomplished in the same way.”
    Having heard these words, the eight classes of Dharma protectors, such as gods and dragons, as well as humans, nonhumans, and others, filled with wonder, said to one another, “How marvelous is the awesome virtue of this old pile of earth! Its miraculous manifestation must have been caused by the spiritual power of the Tathāgata.”
    Vajrapāṇi next asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, through what causes and conditions does this pagoda made of the seven treasures now manifest as a pile of dirt?”
    The Buddha replied to Vajrapāṇi, “This is not a pile of dirt, but a wonderful, great treasure pagoda. It is hidden because of the inferiority of sentient beings’ karmic fruits. Although the pagoda is hidden, the bodies of the Tathāgatas are indestructible. How could the vajra-store bodies of the Tathāgatas be destroyed? After I have abandoned my body, the ending of the Dharma will be unrelenting in future times. Sentient beings that act against the Dharma are bound to fall into hell because they neither believe in the Three Jewels nor plant any roots of goodness. For this reason, the Buddha Dharma should be hidden. But this pagoda will still be solid and will not be demolished because it is supported by the spiritual power of all Tathāgatas. However, ignorant beings, covered and obstructed by their delusion, not knowing how to unearth and use the treasure, simply leave it buried. For this reason, I now shed tears, and other Tathāgatas shed tears as well.”
    The Buddha then told Vajrapāṇi, “If a person copies this sūtra and enshrines the copy in a pagoda, this pagoda will then become the vajra-store stūpa of all Tathāgatas and the stūpa supported by the heart secret of the dhāraṇī of all Tathāgatas. It will become the stūpa of 99 billion koṭi Tathāgatas and the Buddha-crown and Buddha-eye stūpa of all Tathāgatas, and it will be protected by their spiritual power. If you enshrine this sūtra inside a Buddha statue in a stūpa, the statue will in effect be made of the seven treasures. This statue will be so efficacious and responsive that one’s wishes will be fulfilled without exception.
    “According to your ability, construct for a stūpa these things: canopies, nets, columns, dew-catching wheels, fine eaves, bells, foundations, or steps. Whether you use earth, wood, stones, or bricks, they will turn into the seven treasures because of the awesome power of this sūtra. Moreover, all Tathāgatas will increase the power of this sūtra. Keeping a sincere promise, they support it incessantly.
    “If a sentient being makes obeisance and gives an offering of only a little incense and one flower to this pagoda, his grave sins, which would entail 80 koṭi kalpas of life and death, will all be expunged at once. He will be free from catastrophes during his life and, after death, be reborn in a Buddha family. Even for a person who should fall into Avīci Hell, if he only makes one obeisance to the pagoda or circles it clockwise once, the door to hell will be blocked and the bodhiroad will be opened.
    “Furthermore, the place of the pagoda or of its image will be protected by the spiritual power of all Tathāgatas. The place will not be damaged by hurricanes and lightning bolts. It will be neither disturbed by venomous snakes, vipers, scorpions, or other poisonous insects, nor harmed by lions, rampaging elephants, tigers, wolves, jackals, or other animals. It will be free from the terror of yakṣas, rakṣasas, pūtanas, piśācas, spirits, monsters, and epilepsy. It will not be troubled by diseases, such as chills, fevers, skin ulcers, carbuncles, scabies, or psoriasis. One can avert all disasters by seeing the pagoda briefly. At the place of the pagoda, horses, six kinds of livestock, and people, including young boys and girls, will not be plagued by epidemics. They will not die unnatural, accidental deaths, nor be harmed by knives, clubs, flood, or fire. They will not be attacked by bandits or enemies, and they will have no worries about famine or poverty. They will not be subject to the power of sorcery or curses. The four great god-kings and their retinues will protect them day and night. In addition, the twenty-eight classes of yakṣa generals, the sun, the moon, the five planets, and cloudlike comets will protect them day and night. All dragon-kings will increase their vital energy and bring rainfall at the right time. All gods, including those in Trayastriṁśa Heaven, will descend during the three periods of the day to make offerings. All fairies will gather during the three periods to circle the pagoda, sing songs of praise, give thanks, and pay respects. The god-king Śakra and goddesses will descend during the three periods of the day to make offerings. The place will be remembered and supported by all Tathāgatas. Such will be the pagoda because it contains this sūtra.
    “If people build a pagoda using earth, stone, wood, gold, silver, bronze, and lead, and if they copy this spiritual mantra and enshrine the copy in the pagoda, then as soon as it is enshrined, the pagoda will in effect be made of the seven treasures. The upper and lower steps, dew-catching wheels, canopies, bells, and columns will all be made of the seven treasures. Also, the four sides of the pagoda will have the images of Tathāgatas. Because of the essentials of the Dharma, all Tathāgatas will firmly protect and support the pagoda, staying in it day and night without departing. Because of the awesome power of the mantra, the pagoda made of the seven treasures, which contains the wonderful treasure of the whole-body relics, will soar up into the midst of the palaces in Akaniṣṭha Heaven. Wherever a pagoda stands like a mountain, all gods will view it with reverence, stand guard, and make offerings day and night.”
    Vajrapāṇi asked, “Through what causes and conditions has this Dharma such superb virtue?”
    The Buddha replied, “Because of the spiritual power of this Treasure Chest Seal Dhāraṇī.”
    Vajrapāṇi said, “I pray that the Tathāgata, out of compassion for us all, will pronounce this dhāraṇī.”
    The Buddha responded, “Hearken, contemplate, and do not forget it! The radiance of the copies of the bodies of all Tathāgatas of the present and the whole-body relics of all Buddhas of the past are contained in this Treasure Chest Seal Dhāraṇī. The three bodies of every Tathāgata are also in it.”
    Then the Buddha pronounced the dhāraṇī:

namas tryadhvikānāṁ sarva tathāgatānāṁ | oṁ bhuvi-bhavana-vare | vacana-vacati suru suru dhara dhara | sarva tathāgata dhātu dhare | padmaṁ bhavati jaya vare mudre | smara tathāgata dharma-cakra pravartana vajre bodhimaṇḍālaṁkārālaṁkṛte | sarva tathāgatādhiṣṭhite | bodhaya bodhaya bodhi bodhi | budhya budhya saṁbodhani saṁbodhaya | cala cala calantu | sarvāvaraṇāni sarva pāpa vigate | huru huru sarva śoka vigate | sarva tathāgata hṛdaya vajriṇi | saṁbhāra saṁbhāra | sarva tathāgata guhya dhāraṇī-mudre | bhūte subhūte | sarva tathāgatādhiṣṭhita dhātu garbhe svāhā | samayādhiṣṭhite svāhā | sarva tathāgata hṛdaya dhātu mudre svāhā | supratiṣṭhita stūpe tathāgatādhiṣṭhite huru huru hūṁ hūṁ svāhā | oṁ sarva tathāgatoṣṇīṣa dhātu mudrāṇi | sarva tathāgata sadhātu vibhūṣitādhiṣṭhite hūṁ hūṁ svāhā ||

After the Buddha finished reciting this spiritual mantra, all the Buddha-Tathāgatas in the pile of earth voiced their praises: “Very good! Very good! Śākya the World-Honored One, You have appeared in this turbid, evil world to expound the profound Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings that have nothing and nobody to depend upon. Therefore, the essentials of the Dharma will long remain in the world, bringing wide, abundant benefits and joyful peace.”
    Then the Buddha told Vajrapāṇi, “Hearken! Hearken! The essentials of this Dharma have inexhaustible spiritual power and boundless benefits! It is like a wish-fulfilling jewel atop a cylindrical banner, constantly raining down treasures and fulfilling all wishes. Next, I will briefly describe one ten-thousandth of these boundless benefits. You should remember and uphold it for benefiting all sentient beings.
    “If an evil man after death falls into hell, he must suffer uninterruptedly, not knowing when release will come. However, if his descendants say his name and then recite this spiritual mantra, upon completion of only seven repetitions, the molten copper and burning iron in hell will suddenly change into pond water with the eight virtues. This man will have a lotus flower supporting his feet and a jeweled canopy over his head. The door of hell will break and the Bodhi Way will open. His lotus flower will fly him to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. There, his knowledge of all knowledge will spontaneously unfold. Delighting in expounding the Dharma endlessly, he will be ready to attain Buddhahood in his next life.
    “Moreover, a person who, with a heavy heart, suffers from 100 diseases as requital for his grave sins should recite this spiritual mantra twenty-one times. Then 100 diseases and 10,000 distresses will be eliminated at once. His lifespan will be lengthened, and his fortune and merit will become immeasurable.
    “Suppose a person has been born into a poor family because of his karma of greed and stinginess. His clothes cannot cover his body and his food cannot sustain his life. Emaciated and haggard, he is despicable to others. This person, ashamed of himself, goes to the mountain and plucks wild flowers not owned by anyone. He grates rotten wood for incense powder. Then he goes to the pagoda to make obeisance and offerings, circling it seven times, repenting in tears. Because of the power of this spiritual mantra and the awesome virtue of the pagoda, his poverty requital will end and fortune will suddenly arrive. The seven treasures will appear like abundant rain. However, at this time, he should give to the poor and needy, completely honoring the Buddha Dharma. If he is reluctant to give, his riches will suddenly vanish.
    “Suppose a person, planting roots of goodness for himself, builds a pagoda at his pleasure, using earth or bricks that he can afford. The pagoda is as big as a mango, its height about four finger lengths. He copies this spiritual mantra and enshrines the copy in the pagoda. Then he makes obeisance and offers incense and flowers. Because of the power of the mantra and his faithful heart, vast, fragrant clouds will come out of the little pagoda. The fragrance and the light of the clouds will pervade the dharma realm, widely doing Buddha work with fragrance and radiant clouds. The benefits he will receive are as I have just stated. In sum, all his wishes will be fulfilled without exception. During the Dharma-ending age, if, among my four groups of disciples, good men, and good women, there are those who, following the unsurpassed Way, do their best to build pagodas and enshrine this mantra in them, I cannot finish describing the merit they will acquire.
    “If a person goes to the pagoda to ask for fortune, he should make obeisance and offer a flower and a little incense to the pagoda, and circle it clockwise. Because of his virtuous act, rank and glory will arrive unsought. Longevity and prosperity will increase without effort. Foes and bandits will fall without being subjugated. Vengeful thoughts and curses will return to their source without resistance. Epidemics and evil forces will be turned away without need of being purged. A good husband or good wife will come without being persuaded. Beautiful good children will be born without being prayed for. All wishes will be fulfilled at will.
    “Even for ravens, owls, turtledoves, hawks, wolves, jackals, mosquitoes, ants, and the like, which momentarily come into the shadow of the pagoda and step on the grass there, their affliction-hindrances will be annihilated, and they will recognize their ignorance. They will suddenly enter a Buddha family and freely receive Dharma wealth. Even more are the benefits to humans who have seen the form of the pagoda, heard its bell tolling, heard its name, or been in its shadow. Their hindrances caused by sin will all be annihilated, and their wishes fulfilled. Their present lives will be peaceful, and they will be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
    “If a person, without extra effort, applies a glob of mud to the damaged wall of a pagoda or uses a fist-sized stone to support a leaning pagoda, because of this virtuous act, his fortune will increase and his lifespan will be lengthened. After death, he will be reborn as a Wheel-Turning King.
    “After I have abandoned my body, my four groups of disciples, in order to rescue sentient beings in miserable existence, should come before this pagoda, make offerings of incense and flowers, and recite this spiritual mantra, making vows in earnest. Each and every mantra word and phrase [they utter] will radiate vast, bright light, illuminating the three evil life-journeys to end all suffering. Once those sentient beings are delivered from suffering, their Buddha seed will germinate. They will then be reborn as they wish in Pure Lands in the ten directions.
    “If a person recites this mantra earnestly on the top of a high mountain, all sentient beings within the scope of his sight, including those in furs, feathers, scales, and shells, residing near and far in mountain valleys, forests, streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans, will annihilate their affliction-hindrance and recognize their ignorance. They will realize their three Buddha natures and eventually attain the great nirvāṇa. If people walking the same road as this person are touched by the wind blown through his clothes, step on his footprints, see his face, or converse with him briefly, their grave sins will all be expunged and their siddhisperfected.”
    The Buddha then said to Vajrapāṇi, “I now entrust this secret spiritual mantra and this sūtra to you all. Revere, protect, uphold, and disseminate them in the world. Do not allow the transmittal [of the Dharma] to end for sentient beings.”
    Vajrapāṇi said, “I am honored to receive the trust of the World-Honored One. I pray only that we will requite the World-Honored One for his profound grace, day and night protecting, upholding, disseminating, and pronouncing [the mantra and the sūtra] to the world. If there are sentient beings that copy, uphold, and remember them unceasingly, we will command the Brahma-kings, the god-king Śakra, the four great god-kings, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors to protect them day and night without leaving even temporarily.”
    The Buddha said, “Very good! Vajrapāṇi, for the benefit of all sentient beings of the future, protect and uphold this Dharma, and make it endless.”
    After the World-Honored One pronounced this Treasure Chest Seal Dhāraṇī and widely did His Buddha work, he went to the Brahmin’s home and accepted his offerings, causing humans and gods to receive great benefits. Then he returned to the place where He was staying.
    During that time the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others in the assembly greatly rejoiced. They all believed in, accepted, and reverently carried out the teachings.

—Sūtra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dhāraṇī, the Heart Secret of All Tathāgatas 

Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T19n1022B)
Namu Amida Butsu
User avatar
明安 Myoan
Former staff member
Posts: 2855
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:11 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by 明安 Myoan »


最勝佛頂陀羅尼淨除業障咒經
Sūtra of the Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dhāraṇī

Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty by The Tripiṭaka Master Divākara from India

Thus I have heard:
At one time the Bhagavān was staying in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden of Jetavana Park in the city kingdom of Śrāvastī, together with 8,000 great bhikṣus. As recognized by the multitudes, all of them were venerable voice-hearers, or great Arhats. At the head of this group were great voice-hearers, such as the venerable Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Aniruddha, and others. Also present was an innumerable multitude of Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, adorned with immeasurable virtues, all standing on the Ground of No-regress. Among them were Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Great Might Arrived Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Sublime Lotus Store Bodhisattva, Annihilating All Hindrance Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas such as these, seated with the multitude in the assembly, were at the head of 32,000 Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas. At the head of the Brahma group were god-kings from Brahma Multitude Heaven, Great Brahma Heaven, and Sudarśana Heaven, and at the head of 12,000 gods was the god-king Śakro-Devānām-Indra. Also seated in the assembly was an innumerable multitude of gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, kumbhāṇḍas, piśācas, humans, nonhumans, and others. At that time, surrounding the World-Honored One with reverence and gazing at Him with adoration, His four groups of disciples and others listened single-mindedly to the Dharma.
Meanwhile, the gods in Trayastriṁśa Heaven, or the Thirty-three Heavens, met in the Good Dharma Hall, and among them was a god-son named [Supratiṣṭhita] Well Established. Accompanied by goddess-daughters and attendants from the Great Jewel Palace, he frolicked indulgently with those surrounding him and amused himself with those goddess playmates. In the post-midnight period, he suddenly heard a voice in the sky pronouncing these words:
“God-Son Well Established, after seven days, you will die and fall to the southern continent, Jambudvīpa, to be reborn seven times as animals of different species, which eat filthy, impure food. Then you will fall into hell to undergo all kinds of suffering. Only after many kalpas will you become a human. Although you will have a human body, you will be born incomplete, eyeless, looking gross and ugly. Your breath will constantly be foul, and you will always lack food and clothing. You will be poor, sordid, and repulsive.”
The god-son Well Established was terrified, and the hair on his entire body stood on end. Forthwith, he and his well-adorned palace attendants, carrying incense, flowers, and other objects of offering, went to the god-king Śakra. After kneeling and bowing down at the god-king’s feet, he cried in sorrow and said to the god-king, “Please hear me. While I was making merry in the Good Dharma Hall with a multitude of gods and goddesses, I suddenly heard a voice in the sky calling my name. It said that my life would end after seven days, and that I would descend to Jambudvīpa to be reborn in animal form for seven lives, eating impure, filthy food. I would then enter into hell and suffer for many kalpas. Afterward, I would gain a human body without eyes. I would live in destitution with a gross, ugly appearance. My breath would be foul, and I would be poor and sordid, fettered by afflictions and detested by others. God-King, how would you save me from this fate?”
At that time the god-king Śakra was astonished to hear these words, and he pondered what merit had caused the god-son Well Established to be reborn in heaven, enjoying wonderful pleasures for many kalpas. He also pondered what evil karma would cause his celestial-life requital to end suddenly and cause him to be reborn in Jambudvīpa in animal form for seven lives, to enter into hell to undergo a great deal of suffering, and then to become a human without eyes, living under wretched conditions. After those thoughts, he thought about what animal forms Well Established would assume. Using his God-eye to scan these prospective requitals, Śakra saw in a momentary samādhi the seven animal forms that the god-son Well Established would assume. They would be pig, dog, jackal, monkey, python, raven, and vulture, all of which eat very foul, filthy things. What he had just seen aggravated his concern, making his heart ache with sorrow and anguish. Śakra then thought: “I have only seen a small part of his requitals. Matters responding to causes deep and far are beyond my ability to conjecture. Only the Tathāgata, the Ocean of True Omniscience, knows the good and evil causations such as these. I should go consult Him about this matter. The World-Honored One, out of His great lovingkindness, would tell us the reasons and even help Well Established to avoid such suffering.”
Immediately, the god-king Śakra commanded his multitude of gods that each should have his palace attendants well adorned and carry offerings, such as garlands, necklaces, powdered incense, incense for burning, and various kinds of solid perfumes, as well as celestial garments hovering over all. Accompanied by his retinue, the god-king Śakra came swiftly to Jetavana Park. Upon arrival, he bowed down to the Buddha, circled Him clockwise seven times, and made his enormous offerings before the Buddha. Having completed such Dharma decorum, he stepped back to one side.
At the Buddha’s holy command, he said, “World-Honored One, the god-son Well Established was enjoying himself, frolicking with a multitude of gods and goddesses in the Good Dharma Hall when he suddenly heard a voice in the sky. It announced that after seven days the celestial life of the god-son Well Established would end, and that he would assume various animal forms, then enter into hell, and then become a human with incomplete faculties, undergoing a great deal of suffering. Having reported everything to Buddha, I pray only that the World-Honored One, for the sake of Your four groups of disciples and all of us, will explain the causes and conditions in the past lives of Well Established. What meritorious karma had he done, which has brought about his rebirth in heaven to enjoy pleasures for many kalpas? And through what causes and conditions would he fall after death to become those seven animals as stated before, eating filth as food; then to enter into hell to undergo suffering for many kalpas; and then to gain a human form, eyeless, dwarfish and sordid, gross and ugly, poor and filthy, entangled in evils, and despised by others? Also, what merit had he achieved, which moved the one who spoke in the sky, forewarning him of his future requitals? I pray only that the World-Honored One, out of sympathy for Well Established and all of us, will tell the origin of these causes, conditions, and deserved requitals. Please save him with lovingkindness and compassion and enable him to achieve liberation.”
The World-Honored One told the god-king Śakra, “Good man, out of great lovingkindness, you are able to ask for Well Established’s sake about matters related to the causes and conditions in his past, which would have resulted in good or evil karmic requital. You are also able to ask me to save him from future suffering. Very Good! Hugely Good! Hearken! Hearken! I will explain to you.”
Then the World-Honored One emitted vast bright light from the crown of His head, illuminating all Buddha Lands in the ten directions. The light consisted of five colors—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—which reflected one another and circled clockwise. It returned to the Buddha, circled Him three times, and entered His mouth.
After drawing in the light, the Buddha smiled and told the god-king Śakra, “Hearken! Hearken! innumerable asaṁkhyeyas of kalpas ago, there was a Buddha called Vipaśyin, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha, Knowledge and Action Perfected, Sugata, Understanding the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher to Gods and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One. After the conditions for Him to transform the world had ended, He entered parinirvāṇa. In the subsequent Dharma-likeness age, there was a city kingdom called Vārāṇasī, where a Brahmin had an only son born to him and died soon afterward. The son was raised only by his mother. As he was growing up, he worked in the fields planting crops, and his poor mother went about begging for food from place to place. When it was past mealtime and food did not arrive, the son, hungry, thirsty, and angry with his mother, would speak malicious words, grumbling about why she had not yet brought him food that day. With annoyance and resentment, he would go on and on. One day, he spoke angry words about her: ‘My mother is less than an animal. I have seen pigs, dogs, jackals, monkeys, ravens, vultures, and the like raising their young. Even an animal, raising and caring for its young, would not let them go hungry and thirsty or leave them alone even temporarily. Why does my mother not come to see me? I am so hungry and thirsty, but she does not bring me food.’
“While the son was harboring hatred, his mother had received food by begging, with which she immediately arrived. She comforted her son and made him happy. As they sat down to eat, they suddenly saw a Solitary Buddha, in the appearance of a monk, flying in the sky from the south to the north. When the son saw him, feelings of reverence arose in his heart. At once he stood up, joined his palms, and bowed his head, asking the monk to descend. The Pratyekabuddha accepted the invitation. Joyfully, the son prepared a white grass seat, gathered beautiful flowers, and took a portion of his food. He offered these to the monk, who, after finishing eating, taught him the essentials of the Dharma, which brought him benefit and delight.
“Later on, the son was able to renounce family life, and was assigned to be the taskmaster in a temple. About that time, a Brahmin had living quarters built for the monks, and donors had offered a lot of butter and oil. It happened that some visiting monks were eating in the temple. The general director, stingy and antagonistic, saw the visitors eating and regarded them as trouble. He did not give them butter, oil, or other food. One of the visiting monks asked, ‘It is customary to give food to visiting monks. Why do you save it and not give it to us?’ The ill-natured director exploded, shouting at the visiting monks: ‘Why don’t you eat feces and urine, instead of asking for butter? Your eyes are blind? Did you see me hide the butter?’”
The Buddha told the god-king Śakra, “The Brahmin’s son of the past is the god-son Well Established now. Because he used angry words comparing his mother to animals, he has drawn an animal’s body for himself for the next seven lives. Because he, as the taskmaster, spoke of eating filth, the karmic response is that he himself would eat filthy things. Because he was too stingy to offer food to those monks, he was bound to fall into hell to undergo suffering. Because he scolded the monks as being blind, he would receive the requital of having no eyes for seven hundred lives, staying in darkness for a long time, undergoing tremendous misery. God-King, you should know that such sinful karmas never fail to bring corresponding requitals.
“Moreover, God-King, the god-son Well Established has been reborn in heaven because he made offerings to a Pratyekabuddha in the past and, specifically, because of the karmic force generated from his having prepared a seat, respectfully offered flowers and food, and listened to the teachings. Therefore, he has received the heaven-fortune for several kalpas, continuously enjoying wonderful pleasures. Besides, he looked up in admiration at the Pratyekabuddha flying across the sky, and then sincerely bowed his head down, paying respects. In response to this merit, the divine voice in the sky declaring Well Established’s future requitals was from his palace-guardian god.”
Accepting what the Buddha had said, Well Established acknowledged that his karmas originated from past conditions. He severely reproached himself before the Buddha: “In the past, I had been angry with my mother and scolded the monks out of hatred and stinginess. Those karmas would bring me future horrendous requitals. Accepting His holy finding, I now repent with my life.”
Well Established then threw himself to the ground. Blood all over his body, he stayed unconscious for a long time. When he gradually came to, overcome by anguish, he cried loudly, tears falling like rain.
The Buddha told Well Established and the god-king Śakra: “Of the ten evil karmas, abusive speech is the worst. Malicious scolding is stronger than a blazing fire. While a blazing fire can burn the wealth of the seven treasures, which are only worldly playthings, the flames of an abusive mouth can burn the wealth of the seven noble treasures. They can completely burn out all the merit needed for transcending the world and can swiftly bring evil requitals. In your case, Well Established, your words of hate about your mother and abusive language to the monks have completely burned out your heaven-reward, sending you to hell.
“You should not insult god-kings, parents, or monks. Instead, you should respect, honor, and make offerings to them. You should praise them with gentle words and constantly remember their lovingkindness. Remember that lovingkindness in the Three Realms of Existence comes only from your parents. The fields, encountered in your past, present, and future lives, for planting seeds of fortune do not outweigh the monks as such. For example, making offerings to monks in the eight holy ranks. to the twelve sages, and to holy beings will never be in vain, because such virtue can support you to transcend the world and, furthermore, to attain bodhi. How could you ever use abusive language to the monks?
“It is arduous toil for parents to bear and rear a child. It takes ten months of gestation and three years of nursing. As parents spend years of worries and hardships, rearing and educating their child, they hope that the child will develop outstanding abilities. They also hope that their child will renounce family life and transcend his cycle of birth and death. Their kind concern is too great to requite. Therefore, as I have told Ānanda, even if you carried your father on your left shoulder and your mother on your right to circle Mount Sumeru a billion times, shedding blood ankle deep, it would not be enough to requite their lovingkindness in nurturing you for one day. How could you ever think evil thoughts and speak angry words about them?”
The Buddha said to the god-king Śakra and the god-son Well Established: “Because you have seen me today, your five eyes are purified. Because your repentance is thorough, your sins have been expunged.”
Looking at Well Established, the Buddha said, “You can stop crying now because I have a Dharma Door called the Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra. Those who recite this mantra can be liberated from their suffering. Well Established, this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra of mine is pronounced by a billion koṭi Buddhas. This dhāraṇī, which I will soon pronounce, can be compared to all the Buddha-crowns and is most dignified and most victorious. It can annihilate all karma hindrances, bringing purity; pull sentient beings out of their life-journeys in hell, as animals, and in King Yama’s dominion; and eradicate the afflictions of life and death for all sentient beings.”
The Buddha then told the god-king, “If, among good men, good women, bhikṣus, and bhikṣuṇīs, there are those who can uphold this pure Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dhāraṇī Mantra, reading and reciting it, this merit can obliterate their ten evil karmas and their five rebellious acts done in a billion kalpas, and can prepare them to attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. They will have past-life knowledge without changing their present bodies, and they will be reborn in one Buddha Land after another. They will constantly encounter Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra, Mañjuśrī, Avokiteśvara, and Great Might Arrived, who will rub their heads and proffer them a guiding hand, recognizing them as Bodhisattvas. They will constantly hear and uphold the true Dharma in a bodhimaṇḍa and acquire sarvajña. Their lifespan will be lengthened, and they will not die accidental deaths because their body, voice, and mind will be pure. With their bodies pleasantly tingly, they will feel very clean, light, and tranquil anywhere and anytime. If they remember this dhāraṇī upon dying, they will be reborn in Buddha Lands.”
When the god-king Śakra heard the Buddha praise the inconceivable virtue of this Superb Victory Dhāraṇī, he was filled with joyful appreciation and whole-hearted longing. He said, “World-Honored One, I pray only that the Tathāgata, taking sympathetic consideration of Well Established and the rest of us as well as sentient beings in the expected Dharma-ending age, will pronounce this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra. I should train myself to have all sentient beings forever avoid the suffering of the eight difficulties.”
Then the World-Honored One, for the sake of the god-king, the god-son Well Established, His four groups of disciples, and others, pronounced the mantra:

namo bhagavate trai-lokya prativiśiṣṭāya buddhāya bhagavate | tad-yathā oṁ viśodhaya viśodhaya | asamasama samantāvabhāsa spharaṇa gati gahana svabhāva viśuddhe | abhiṣiñcatu māṁ | sugata vara vacana | amṛtābhiṣeke mahāmantra pāne | āhara āhara āyuḥ sandhāraṇi | śodhaya śodhaya gagana viśuddhe | uṣṇīṣa vijaya viśuddhe | sahasra-raśmi saṁcodite | sarva tathāgatāvalokana ṣaṭ-pāramitā paripūraṇi | sarva tathāgata hṛdayādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhita mahāmudre | vajra-kāya saṁharaṇa viśuddhe | sarvāvaraṇāpāya-durgati pari-viśuddhe | prati-nivartayāyuḥ śuddhe | samayādhiṣṭhite maṇi maṇi mahāmaṇi | tathātā bhūta koṭi pariśuddhe | visphuṭa buddhi śuddhe | jaya jaya vijaya vijaya smara smara | sarva buddhādhiṣṭhita śuddhe | vajre vajra-garbhe vajraṁ bhavatu mama śarīraṁ | sarva sattvānāṁ ca kāya pari-viśuddhe | sarva gati pariśuddhe | sarva tathāgatāśca me samāśvāsayantu | sarva tathāgata samāśvāsādhiṣṭhite | budhya budhya vibudhya vibudhya | bodhaya bodhaya vibodhaya vibodhaya | samanta pariśuddhe | sarva tathāgata hṛdayādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhita mahāmudre svāhā ||

The Buddha said to the god-king, “This Purifying Life-Journey Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra of mine can totally annihilate the hindrances caused by sinful karma and end the suffering of the three evil life-paths. This dhāraṇī mantra is pronounced by all Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of eighty-eight koṭi Ganges Rivers. They all remember, safeguard, delight in, and praise it. It bears the seal of sanctification of all Tathāgatas because it can expunge for all sentient beings their sins of the ten evil karmas, and can rescue those that are taking life-journeys in hell, as animals, as hungry ghosts, and in King Yama’s dominion. Suppose the meritorious karma of all sentient beings is diminishing, and some of them should receive the requital of a short lifespan or of being handicapped, sickly, ugly, dwarfish, destitute, blind, deaf, or mute, or should fall into hell or assume animal form to undergo suffering. If they hear me speak the name of this dhāraṇī, their evil requitals will be revoked and they will be liberated. Even sentient beings that have accumulated evil karmas, including the ten evil karmas and the five rebellious acts, will benefit. All their hindrances caused by sin, whether severe or slight, will be annihilated. They will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi, forever leaving behind all suffering, forever free from King Yama’s dominion or from taking life-journeys as animals or even asuras, yakṣas, rakṣasas, pūtanas, kaṭa-pūtanas, apasamāras, and the like.”
The Buddha said to the god-king, “If there are those who can accept and recite this mantra, once they have kept reciting it, they will be forever free from the evil life-journeys and will always be with Buddhas in the ten directions. They will be reborn in the excellent company of Bodhisattvas, or they will be reborn into the noble Brahmin caste. They will always be in the bodhimaṇḍas of Buddhas’ Pure Lands, and they will even attain the unsurpassed bodhi and achieve the liberation body in the ocean of true omniscience of Tathāgata-Saṁbuddhas.”
The Buddha said to the god-king and the god-son Well Established: “This Purifying Life-journey Superb Victory Dhāraṇī Mantra of mine has vast spiritual power, great virtue, and awesome might. It is like the auspicious sun and like a precious jewel. It is pure and immaculate like the sky. From its site, it illuminates the world, just like the superb seven treasures of the world. Among all sentient beings, including kings, queens, princes, prime ministers, and state officials, whoever has seen it will treasure it and never tire of seeing it, because this wonderful jewel is never tainted by filth. God-King, this dhāraṇī is like the jewel I just described. Whoever accepts and upholds, reads and recites, or copies this dhāraṇī, or makes offerings to it, the eight classes of Dharma protectors, such as gods and dragons, will treasure his merit as they do that wonderful jewel, which they would not want to part with even temporarily. Why? Because the power of this dhāraṇī can expunge the grave sins of all hell-dwellers, animals, and hungry ghosts! Furthermore, its power will enable its upholder to attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.”
The Buddha told the god-king and the god-son Well Established: “Suppose, among kings, queens, crown-princes, princes, prime ministers, state officials, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, good men, and good women, there are those who, as an offering, copy this dhāraṇī mantra and enshrine the copy, whether in a pagoda made of the seven treasures, on a jeweled lion-throne, on a vajra pedestal, in a pagoda containing holy relics, or on the top of a cylindrical banner. Then suppose, among sentient beings born through the four modes of birth, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, there are those who have committed grave sins, such as the ten evil karmas, the five rebellious acts, or violations of the four grave prohibitions, and therefore should be reborn in Yama’s dominion or even journey the six life-paths, suffering along the way. Should these sinners walk by the pagoda containing this dhāraṇī and should the dust of the pagoda fall on them, their sins would all be expunged. Even if the wind sweeps across the pagoda then blows a little on them, they will be reborn in heaven to enjoy splendid pleasures or reborn in a Pure Land according to their wishes. Should a person who upholds this dhāraṇī wash his hands and drip water from his hands to the ground, even ants and insects touched by the water would be reborn in heaven. Therefore if, among bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, men, and women, there are those who can observe their precepts day and night in the six periods and keep reciting this dhāraṇī without interruption, their grave sins in the past and present, such as the five rebellious acts, violations of the four grave prohibitions, and the ten evil karmas, will all be expunged. Moreover, Bodhisattvas and Tathāgatas will rub their heads, recognizing them as Bodhisattvas, and say to them, ‘Good men, because you can accept and uphold the Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra, you will certainly attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi in a future life.’”
The Buddha said to the god-king, “If someone can at crossroads build a treasure pagoda or erect a high cylindrical banner to enshrine this dhāraṇī sūtra, and can make offerings of flowers, incense, necklaces, adornments made of the seven treasures, wonderful garments, food and drink, and medicinal potion, his merit will be immeasurable and boundless, and his fortune and wisdom incalculable. This person is truly a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva and a Buddha-son. Why? Because he is saving and benefiting innumerable sentient beings that pass by under the pagoda.
In the post-midnight period, Yama, king of the underworld, accompanied by his retinue in the billions of koṭis, carrying flowers, incense, and various kinds of adornments, came to the Buddha to make offerings. He circled the Buddha clockwise seven times, bowed down at the Buddha’s feet, and offered Him flowers, incense, and other things. He said, “World-Honored One, I have heard that the World-Honored One is pronouncing the Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra. Therefore, I now have come to hear, accept, and follow His r oral teachings, and to safeguard them.”
Also at the same time, the four god-kings, who protect the world, the god-king Śakro-Devānām-Indra of Trayastriṁśa Heaven, and the god-kings of Suyāma Heaven, Saṁtuṣita Heaven, Sunirmita Heaven, Vaśavartti Heaven, Brahma Heaven, Great Brahma Heaven, and other heavens, accompanied by their retinues, carrying incense, flowers, and necklaces, came to the Buddha to make offerings. They circled the Buddha clockwise seven times and said, “We pray only that the World-Honored One will pronounce the Dharma procedure for upholding this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra, so that we can know how to perform the rite of offering.”
The Buddha said to the world protectors, the great Brahma-kings, King Yama, and others: “Hearken! Hearken! I speak at your request. If there is a suffering sentient being with grave sins and with no one to rescue him, he should, on the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, bathe, wear clean clothes, and accept the eight precepts. He should mindfully kneel on his right knee, facing the image of an enlightened being, and recite this mantra 1,080 times. Then all his sins and karma hindrances will be removed. He will be able to retain all the meanings of this Dhāraṇī Door and to command unimpeded eloquence, and he will be purified and liberated.”
The Buddha told the god-kings, “If a person hears this dhāraṇī, though he himself does not recite it, the sound, once it enters the ear, can condition his ālaya consciousness and become the Buddha seed. As an analogy, when a small adamantine substance falls to the ground, it can penetrate deep into the earth. Unobstructed by the thickness of the earth, it will reach the core and stay there. In the same way, the sound of this mantra, once heard, can condition the person’s habitual nature into a resolve to attain the perfect enlightenment, unhindered by his afflictions, however severe they may be. Even if he becomes a hell-dweller, an animal, or a hungry ghost, he will not be stopped by his karmic requitals. By the power of this mantra, he will progress and eventually arrive at the Buddha Ground.
“God-Kings, once sentient beings born through the four modes of birth have heard this dhāraṇī, they will not have more troubles or repeat their old troubles in their present lives. Instead of assuming the form of an embryo again, they will be reborn with miraculously formed bodies in lotus flowers, and all shackles of their afflictions will be broken forever. Their five eyes becoming pure, they will have past-life knowledge and will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.”
The Buddha said to the god-kings, “If a person recites this dhāraṇī mantra twenty-one times to a handful of yellow soil and scatters the soil on the remains of someone who is just deceased or has been deceased for a long time, the deceased will be reborn in any of the Pure Lands in the ten directions. If the consciousness of the deceased has already begun his life-journey in hell, as an animal, as a hungry ghost, or in Yama’s dominion, when the mantra soil touches the bones, he will be liberated and reborn in heaven, abandoning the evil life-journey.”
“If a person expecting a short life desires longevity, on the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, he should bathe, wear clean clothes, observe the precepts single-mindedly, and recite this dhāraṇī mantra 1,080 times. This person expecting a short life will thus gain longevity, and all his karma hindrances will be annihilated.
“Furthermore, if a person recites this dhāraṇī mantra only once into the ears of an animal, this animal, having heard this mantra once, will not assume animal form again after this life. Even if the animal is supposed to enter hell, it will be exempted.
“If a person who is suffering immensely from an evil disease hears only the sound of this dhāraṇī mantra, his hindrances caused by sin will be annihilated, and he will be able to leave his suffering behind. Even sentient beings born through the four modes of birth, having heard this mantra, will be freed from illness, suffering, and their modes of birth. Through miraculously formation, they will be reborn in lotus flowers, and they will know their past lives and not forget their birthplaces.
“If a person since birth has done any of the ten evil karmas, or committed any of the five rebellious sins or the four grave root-sins, he knows that, because of his evil karma, after death, he will fall into Avīci Hell to undergo dreadful suffering for many kalpas, and will repeatedly be reborn there, kalpa after kalpa, for thousands of kalpas. He also knows that if he goes down the life-path as an animal, he will repeatedly take that evil life-path without reprieve. On the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, before the image of an enlightened being, this person should place in the maṇḍala one liter of pure water in a gold or silver container, accept the Bodhisattva precepts, and observe the precept of not eating food after lunch. He should stay on the west side of the maṇḍala, facing the holy image on the east side. He should burn incense, do prostrations, and pray with utmost sincerity, mindfully kneeling on his right knee. He should recite this dhāraṇī mantra 1,080 times without interruption. Then he should sprinkle the water in all four directions, also up and down, praying that all sentient beings be purified. After he has performed this rite, his evil karma, which would cause him to fall into hell or become an animal or a hungry ghost, will be obliterated, and he will be liberated. King King Yama’s exoneration officer, not angered but respectful, will joyfully join his palms and praise this person’s merit. After death, he will be reborn in a Buddha Land and, as he may wish, he can visit Pure Lands in the ten directions. In addition, on the fifteen day of a waxing moon, one may recite the mantra to pippala figs in butter-honey 1,080 times and let the sinner eat them. Having eaten, his sins of the ten evil karmas and the five rebellious acts will all be expunged. Furthermore, he will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.”
“Those who desire to perform this maṇḍala rite should, on the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, mix perfumed water with yellow soil and cow dung and smear the ground with this mixture. The square maṇḍala measures four elbow lengths on each side, and it should be surrounded by three tiers of gemstones from the Laṅkā Mountain, which are in five colors. An ancillary tier of white Laṅkā gemstones marks the boundary on the four sides. Scatter flowers inside the maṇḍala and place four vessels of water on the lotus flowers painted in the four corners. The vessels should be the same in size. Reverently place a bottle of holy relics and cow’s bezoar on the center lotus flower. In the maṇḍala, scatter various flowers and burn incense and various kinds of fragrances, such as camphor, saffron, agalloch, and so forth. Light various kinds of lamps, such as butter lamps, oil lamps, and scented lamps. As an offering in the maṇḍala, place grape and pomegranate juices and various kinds of food, such as rice, milk, cream, butter, oil, and cane sugar, in a container made of the seven treasures. Then the spiritual trainee should observe the Bodhisattva precepts to purify his conduct, and eat the three white foods as a meal. He should wear clean clothes and stay on the west side of the maṇḍala. After praying with his palms joined, kneeling on his right knee, he should first make the mudrā of Buddha protection then perform the Buddha-mind maṇḍala rite by reciting this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra 1,080 times. All his sins, such as the ten evil karmas, will thus be expunged, and he will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will rub his head, personally bestowing upon him the prophecy of his attaining bodhi. If he wants to visit the abode of Bodhisattvas, they will take him to their own palaces, traveling to and fro among Buddha Lands in the ten directions.”
Finally, the Buddha said to the god-kings, “Such is the Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra! In the Dharma-ending age, if, among bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, or among kings, queens, queen-mothers, crown princes, princes, princes’ wives, prime ministers, state officials, humans, and nonhumans, or even among sentient beings that understand the human language, there is someone who can perform this maṇḍala rite, he should smear the ground with a mixture of water or perfumed water, soil, and cow dung to purify the ground. When he adorns the maṇḍala with scattered flowers, burning incense, cylindrical banners, canopies, and lanterns, and makes an offering of various kinds of precious jewels, food, and drink, this is called dāna-pāramitā. When he maintains the maṇḍala without any resentment at disturbances, it is called kṣānti-pāramitā. When he performs this maṇḍala rite diligently and bravely without negligence or indolence, it is called vīrya-pāramitā. When he follows the rules single-mindedly without being distracted, it is called dhyāna-pāramitā. When he arranges things straight and proper, knowing the difference between right and wrong, it is called prajñā-pāramitā. God-Kings, if you follow my oral teachings to conduct Dharma affairs, you will naturally practice the six pāramitās. Therefore, you should in turn pronounce these teachings to all sentient beings to benefit them and enable them to attain bodhi.”
After the Buddha finished expounding this sūtra, the god-king Śakra and the god-son Well Established returned to their own palaces. Well Established recited the mantra according to the instruction for seven consecutive days, then he saw that the requitals for his sins had all been revoked. Moreover, his celestial lifespan was lengthened immeasurably. Forthwith, he and the god-king Śakra, along with other gods, carrying incense, flowers, and various kinds of wonderful celestial garments and necklaces, came to make offerings. They bowed down to the Buddha in celebration of His great lovingkindness and compassion, and they joyfully and exuberantly circled Him thousands of times.
Then the World-Honored One opened His golden hand and rubbed the god-son’s head, bestowing upon him the prophecy of his attaining bodhi. The Buddha said to him, “This sūtra is called The Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dhāraṇī Mantra That Annihilates karma Hindrances. All of you and my four groups of disciples should accept and uphold it.”
The four groups of disciples, Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors—gods, dragons, gandharvas, asuras, yakṣas, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, and mahoragas—together with kumbhāṇḍas, piśācas, humans, nonhumans, and others, having heard the Buddha’s words, greatly rejoiced. With faith, acceptance, and determination to carry out the teachings, they made obeisance and departed.

—Sūtra of the Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dhāraṇī

Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T19n0970)

般若波羅蜜多心經
Sūtra of the Heart of Prajñā-Pāramitā


Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty by The Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang from China

As Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva went deep into prajñā-pāramitā, he saw in his illumination the emptiness of the five aggregates, [the realization of] which delivers one from all suffering and tribulations.
“Śāriputra, form is no different from emptiness; emptiness is no different from form. In effect, form is emptiness and emptiness is form. The same is true for sensory reception, perception, mental processing, and consciousness. Śāriputra, dharmas, with empty appearances, have neither birth nor death, neither impurity nor purity, neither increase nor decrease.
“Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, nor sensory reception, perception, mental processing, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mental faculty, nor sights, sounds, scents, flavors, tactile sensations, or mental objects; no spheres, from eye sphere to mental consciousness sphere. There is neither ignorance nor ending of ignorance, neither old age and death nor ending of old age and death. There is no suffering, accumulation [of afflictions], cessation [of suffering], or the path. There is neither wisdom-knowledge nor attainment because there is nothing to attain.
“Bodhisattvas, because they rely on prajñā-pāramitā, have no hindrances in their minds. Without hindrance, they have no fear. Staying far from inverted dreaming and thinking, they will ultimately attain nirvāṇa. Buddhas of the past, present, and future, because they rely on prajñā-pāramitā, all attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.
“Hence, we know that the Prajñā-Pāramitā [Mantra] is the great spiritual mantra, the great illumination mantra, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequaled mantra, which can remove all suffering. It is true, not false. Hence the Prajñā-Pāramitā Mantra is pronounced. Then the mantra goes:

gate gate pāragate pāra-saṁgate bodhi svāhā ||”

— Sūtra of the Heart of Prajñā-Pāramitā

Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T08n0251)
Namu Amida Butsu
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Mönlam Tharchin -
Thanks to Rulu's site, I found these sutras which, if enshrined, bring measureless benefit to the practitioner and to everyone in or near the house :smile:

Please include any additional sutras you know of that bring benefit just from being copied or enshrined.
By 'enshrine' do you mean putting a printed copy on the altar?

Even if a Mahayana text is not on the altar, but just on a high shelf, that room & the house will be blessed.

As for specific sutras, any one of Rulu's is powerful. You probably know that she has seven printed books that include most (or all?) of the one's at Rulu's website.

For me, the Avatamsaka Sutra inspires most.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
User avatar
明安 Myoan
Former staff member
Posts: 2855
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:11 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Yes, for example :)

I have in mind sutras that specifically enumerate benefits for those who copy, enshrine, or even just have the sutra in their home, such as the bolded sections in the passages above.
E.g. the section in the Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata which begins, "If there are those who copy or have others copy this dhāraṇī sūtra, they will never be reborn in hell, the ghost world, the animal kingdom, or the dominion of Yama, king of the underworld."

I included the Heart Sutra at the end because I've heard in multiple places that it's a good one to reverence at home also.
Namu Amida Butsu
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Mönlam Tharchin wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:21 am Yes, for example :)

I have in mind sutras that specifically enumerate benefits for those who copy, enshrine, or even just have the sutra in their home, such as the bolded sections in the passages above.
E.g. the section in the Infinite-Life Resolute Radiance King Tathāgata which begins, "If there are those who copy or have others copy this dhāraṇī sūtra, they will never be reborn in hell, the ghost world, the animal kingdom, or the dominion of Yama, king of the underworld."

I included the Heart Sutra at the end because I've heard in multiple places that it's a good one to reverence at home also.
Most major ones say something like that, but I will pay closer attention and give the sutra title and specific passage, which is usually near the end.

After a quick search of The Avatamsaka Sutra, which consists of many individual sutras, chapters 12, 25, 26, 37 & 38 all have passages remarking on the blessings from reciting, copying, studying, teaching etc. There may be more places, but I only word searched 'recite'.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
User avatar
明安 Myoan
Former staff member
Posts: 2855
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:11 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by 明安 Myoan »

:bow:
User avatar
WesleyP
Posts: 233
Joined: Thu May 30, 2019 10:20 am

Re: Sutras To Enshrine At Home

Post by WesleyP »

The Nichiren Gohonzon.
Post Reply

Return to “Shrine Room”