We have started reading from certain sutras at our Sunday morning service. Today we listened to the first part of Chapter 25, often referred to as the Kuan Yin or Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva chapter or sutra. Next week we will finish with the portion of the sutra given in verse. There are at least ten English translations of this sutra, some dating back to the nineteenth century. This translation is from the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series (Taishō Volume 9, Number 262) as translated by the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in 2007. It was translated from the Chinese of Kumārajiva by Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama.
The Lotus Sutra: Chapter XXV—The Gateway to Every Direction [Manifested by Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara]
Thereupon arising from his seat with his right shoulder bared, Bodhisattva Akṣayamati faced the Buddha with his palms pressed together, and spoke thus to him: “O Bhagavat! For what reason is Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Hearer of the Sounds of the World) called Avalokiteśvara?”
The Buddha answered Bodhisattva Akṣayamati, saying: “O son of a virtuous family! If innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings who experience suffering hear of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and wholeheartedly chant his name, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara will immediately perceive their voices and free them from their suffering. Even if those who hold to the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara were to enter a great fire, because of this bodhisattva’s transcendent power, the fire would not be able to burn them. If they were adrift on the great waters, by chanting his name they would reach the shallows. There are hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings who enter the great ocean to seek such treasures as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, amber, and pearl. Even if a cyclone were to blow the ship of one of these toward the land of rākṣasa demons, they would all become free from the danger of those rākṣasa demons if there were even a single person among them who chanted the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. For this reason he is called Avalokiteśvara.
“If anyone who is about to be beaten chants the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the sticks and swords will immediately be broken into pieces and he will be delivered. If the yakṣas and rākṣasas filling the great manifold cosmos come with the intent to afflict the people but hear them chanting, those demons’ evil eyes will be unable to see them, so how could they possibly hurt them?
“If anyone, whether guilty or innocent, is bound with fetters or chains, such bonds will be broken into pieces; and those who have been bound will become free by chanting the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. When a caravan leader travels on a dangerous road together with his fellow merchants, carrying precious treasures in a great manifold cosmos filled with evil robbers, if there be a single person who says:
O sons of a virtuous family! Do not fear! You should wholeheartedly chant the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. This bodhisattva bestows fearlessness upon sentient beings. If you chant his name, you will be free from these evil robbers.
“Now, if those merchants chant loudly in unison, saying:
Homage to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara!
“Then, by chanting his name, the caravan will immediately gain deliverance. O Akṣayamati! The transcendent power of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara is as great and mighty as this.
“If there are any sentient beings who are greatly subject to sensual desires, if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will become free from these desires. If there are any sentient beings who often become angry, if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will become free from anger. If there are any sentient beings who are greatly confused, if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will become free from their confusion. O Akṣayamati! Thus Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara greatly benefits sentient beings through his transcendent power. For this reason sentient beings should always turn their thoughts to him.
“If any woman wanting to have a baby boy pays homage and makes offerings to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, she will bear a baby boy endowed with good merit and wisdom. If she wants to have a baby girl, she will bear a beautiful and handsome baby girl who has planted roots of good merit and will have the love of sentient beings. O Akṣayamati! Such are the transcendent powers of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara that if any sentient being reverently respects him, the merit they achieve will never be in vain. For this reason, sentient beings should hold to the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. O Akṣayamati! What do you think of someone who holds to the names of the bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of sixty-two koṭis of Ganges Rivers and pays homage to them with drink and food, clothes, bedding, and medicine. Is the merit of this son or daughter of a virtuous family great or not?”
Akṣayamati answered, saying: “O Bhagavat! It is great.”
The Buddha said: “If there is anyone who holds to the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and anyone who pays homage to him and makes offerings even for a moment, the merit of these two people will be equal and the same; it will never be extinguished after hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas. O Akṣayamati! Those who hold to the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara will attain such benefits of immeasurable and limitless merit.”
The Bodhisattva Akṣayamati addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavat! How does Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara wander through this sahā world? How does he teach the Dharma for the sake of sentient beings? What of his power of skillful means?”
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Akṣayamati: “O son of a virtuous family! If there is any land where sentient beings are to be saved by the form of a buddha, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a buddha. To those who are to be saved by the form of a pratyekabuddha, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a pratyekabuddha. To those who are to be saved by the form of a śrāvaka, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a śrāvaka. To those who are to be saved by the form of Brahma, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Brahma. To those who are to be saved by the form of Śakra, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Śakra. To those who are to be saved by the form of Īśvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Īśvara. To those who are to be saved in the form of Maheśvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Maheśvara. To those who are to be saved by the form of the great commander of the devas, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of the great commander of the devas. To those who are to be saved by the form of Vaiśravaṇa, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Vaiśravaṇa. To those who are to be saved by the form of a minor king, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a minor king. To those who are to be saved by the form of a wealthy man, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a wealthy man. To those who are to be saved by the form of a householder, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a householder. To those who are to be saved by the form of a state official, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a state official. To those who are to be saved by the form of a brahman, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a brahman. To those who are to be saved by the form of a monk, nun, layman, or laywoman, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a monk, nun, layman, or laywoman. To those who are to be saved by the form of a wife of either a wealthy man, a householder, a state official, or a brahman, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of such a wife. To those who are to be saved by the form of a boy or a girl, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a boy or a girl. To those who are to be saved by the form of a human or of a nonhuman such as a deva, nāga, yakṣa, gandharva, asura, garuḍa, kiṃnara, or mahoraga, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into any of these forms. To those who are to be saved by the form of Vajrapāṇi, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Vajrapāṇi.
“O Akṣayamati! This Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara displays such qualities, wanders through many lands in various forms, and saves sentient beings. For this reason, you should wholeheartedly pay homage to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. This Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara bestows fearlessness in times of fearful calamity. For this reason everybody in this sahā world calls him Abhayaṃdada (Giver of Fearlessness).
The Bodhisattva Akṣayamati addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavat! I shall now pay homage to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.”
He then took from his neck a many-jeweled necklace worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins, gave it to him, and said: “I entreat you to accept this rare-jeweled necklace for the Dharma.”
At that time Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara did not dare to receive it. Akṣayamati addressed Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, saying: “I entreat you to accept this necklace out of pity for us.”
Then the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara: “You should accept this necklace out of pity for such humans and nonhumans as this Bodhisattva Akṣayamati, the fourfold assembly, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas.”
The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara accepted the necklace out of pity for the fourfold assembly, devas, nāgas, humans, nonhumans, and the rest. He then divided it into two parts and gave one part to the Buddha Śākyamuni and the other part to the stupa of the Buddha Prabhūtaratna.
“O Akṣayamati! With such inherent transcendent powers Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara wanders throughout the sahā world.”
Thereupon, Bodhisattva Akṣayamati asked a question in verse, saying:
O Bhagavat, endowed with excellent marks!
I now wish to ask you about him once again:
For what reason is the heir of the Buddha
Named Avalokiteśvara?
The Bhagavat, endowed with excellent marks, answered Akṣayamati in verse:
Listen to the practices of Avalokiteśvara,
Which have their application to all!
His vow is deep like the ocean
And his kalpa is of inconceivable length.
After having attended
Many thousands of koṭis of buddhas,
He made a great, pure vow.
I will now explain it to you in brief:
If you hear his name and see his body,
And contemplate him in thought,
Your life will not be in vain;
And you will extinguish all suffering.
If anyone wants to hurt you
And pushes you into a great fire-pit,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The firepit will change into a pond.
If you drift upon the great ocean and meet danger
From dragons, fish, and demons,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
You will not be swallowed by the waves.
If you are on the peak of Sumeru
And are pushed by somebody,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
You will stay suspended in the air like the sun.
If any evil one chases you
And pushes you from Mount Diamond,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
Not even a single hair will be hurt.
If evil robbers surround you
Each with a sword and the intent to harm,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The thought of mercy will awaken in them.
If you suffer under the punishment of a king
And your life is to be ended by execution,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The sword will be immediately broken into pieces.
If you are imprisoned with a neck chain,
Your hands and feet fettered,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will disappear and you will be released.
If anyone wants to hurt your body
With a curse or poison,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
These ills will return and afflict their authors.
If you meet evil rākṣasas,
Poisonous dragons, or demons,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will not dare to hurt you.
If you are surrounded by evil animals
Whose teeth and claws are fearfully sharp,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will run away swiftly
And to an immeasurable distance.
If there are lizards, snakes, vipers, or scorpions,
Whose breath is poisonous like a flaming smoke,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will turn away swiftly at the sound of your voice.
If thunder resounds, lightning flashes,
Hail falls, and a great rain pours out of the clouds,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will disappear immediately.
If sentient beings are in great adversity,
And immeasurable pain afflicts them,
The wonderful power of the wisdom of Avalokiteśvara
Can relieve the suffering of the world.
Endowed with transcendent powers
And having fully mastered wisdom and skillful means,
In all the worlds of the ten directions,
There is no place where he will not manifest himself.
The suffering of those in the troubled states of being:
Hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and animals;
And the suffering of birth, old age, illness, and death
Will gradually be extinguished.
He who perceives the world with truth, purity,
And vast knowledge,
And with benevolence and compassion,
Should be ever longed for and looked up to.
He is a spotless pure ray of light,
A sun of wisdom that destroys the darkness,
A flame that withstands the winds of calamity.
He brilliantly illuminates the entire world.
His will, the essence of which is compassion,
Shakes like thunder;
And the mind of mercy Is like a beautiful overspreading cloud,
Which pours the Dharma rain of immortality
And extinguishes the flame of desires.
In a dispute before judges,
Or fearful in the midst of battle,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
All enemies will flee away.
He has a wondrous voice,
The voice of one who perceives the world,
A voice like Brahma’s, a voice like the rolling tide,
A voice unsurpassed in this world;
For this reason, you should always contemplate him.
You should have no doubt, even for a moment.
The pure seer Avalokiteśvara will be a refuge
When suffering distress or the misery of death.
He is endowed with every quality,
Sees the sentient beings with his benevolent eyes,
And his ocean of merit is immeasurable;
For this reason you should pay him homage.
At that time Bodhisattva Dharaṇiṃdhara arose from his seat, went before the Buddha and said to him: “O Bhagavat! If there are any sentient beings who hear of this chapter, ‘Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara,’ and these effortless deeds, the manifestation of the gateway to all directions, and the transcendent powers, know that their merit will not be little!”
When the Buddha taught the chapter, “The Gateway to Every Direction,” the thought of incomparable highest, complete enlightenment awoke in eighty-four thousand sentient beings in the assembly.
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