T1005 [Nos. 1006, 1007]
(Translator’s Note: This sutra is translated based on the version of Amoghavajra (不空) from the Taishō Tripiṭaka T1005. There are also two other variant translations: T1006 (translated by Bodhiruci) and T1007 (translator unknown). The Romanized Sanskrit follows T1005B and Jian Feng-qi’s (簡豐祺) work “Buddhist Mantras in Sanskrit of Siddham”, with some corrections made—particularly to the errors found in T1005B.)
Wheel of the Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī
(Translator’s Note: This image is a high-definition reproduction, with corrected errors in the Siddham Sanskrit script around the circle. The original image mistakenly wrote tathatā as tathāgata. Another image, numbered 0619a07, is written in Devanagari script and has not been reproduced here.)
Namaḥ sarva tathāgatānāṃ / Oṃ vipula garbhe maṇi prabhe tathatā nidarśane / maṇi maṇi suprabhe vimale sāgara gambhīre / hūṃ hūṃ jvala jvala / buddha vilokite guhyādhiṣṭhita garbhe svāhā
This Sutra says: This dhāraṇī mantra possesses great majestic power. The Buddha relied on it to accomplish Buddhahood, relied on it to subdue demonic obstacles. It can eliminate evil karmic obstructions; it can accomplish the six pāramitās. If it is written on paper, silk, archways, walls, banners, or pavilions—if someone merely glances at it briefly, recites it, upholds it, hears its sound, wears it on the body, or even comes into indirect contact with someone else who has—it will eliminate that person’s karmic offenses such as the five heinous sins, the four grave transgressions, the ten evil deeds, and so forth. That person will not encounter weapons, poison, floods, fire, robbers, malicious ghosts and demons, malaria, plagues, chills and fevers, or any other painful illnesses—they will all be kept far away. In this very life one can obtain blessings and auspiciousness, and all wishes will be fulfilled as desired. At the time of death, all Buddhas will come to offer comfort, and one will attain rebirth in a pure land. All sentient beings such as birds and beasts, moths, mosquitoes, and insects—so long as their shadows fall upon it or they touch the dust upon it—can also attain liberation.
The Sutra of the Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī, Upper Volume
Chapter One: Preface
Thus have I heard:
Once, the Bhagavān was residing in the great city of Rājagṛha. At the initial Dharma assembly, he subdued armies of māras numbering in the koṭis, and he tamed all non-Buddhist practitioners, renounced live and death, and crossed over the turbulent currents.
At that time, armies of māras numbering in the tens of thousands of bimbara times the grains of sand in the Ganges River, spread throughout the entire continent of Jambudvīpa. Then, the World-Honored One, by the divine power of the Buddha, transformed the entire earth into indestructible vajra, so that all beings in Jambudvīpa could no longer hear frightening sounds. At that time, all the weapons cast down by those armies of māras were transformed into flowers. In the center of the four great roads of Rājagṛha, from beneath the earth naturally sprang forth a great lotus flower. This lotus had a thousand petals, adorned with the seven treasures, with gold as its platform and lapis lazuli as its stem, its height reaching straight up to the Brahmā heavens. The lotus emitted various lights, illuminating all ten directions of the world. Within the lotus, a sound naturally emerged, proclaiming a dhāraṇī named “Awakening.” The dhāraṇī is as follows:
namaḥ sarva tathāgate bhyo matiṣṭaṃti daśadiśe / oṃ maṇi vajra hṛdaya vajre / mārasainya vidrāpaṇi / hana hana vajragarbhe / trāsaya trāsa ya sarva māra bhavanāni / hūṃ hūṃ saṃdhara saṃdhara buddhā maitrī sarva tathāgata vajrakara padhiṣṭite svāhā
At that time, after this dhāraṇī mantra flowed out from the lotus, there was again a subtle and wonderful sound that pervaded the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds, praising: “Excellent! Śākyamuni Tathāgata! You have already crossed over the great ocean of birth and death, annihilated the armies of māras, distanced yourself from afflictive defilements, shattered the shell of ignorance, and ignited the great torch of Dharma. It is due to the majestic power of this dhāraṇī mantra that the earth turned into vajra and the māra armies were subdued.” At that moment, the Bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets, was filled with joy and leapt with elation. His entire body bristled with goosebumps. He prostrated at the Buddha’s feet and said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! In which Buddha’s Dharma assembly was this dhāraṇī first obtained? From the past until now, I have never heard or seen anything like it among all the worlds.”
The Buddha told Vajrapāṇi, the Secret Holder Bodhisattva: “There is a dhāraṇī mantra named ‘Great Mani-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret.’ Due to the majestic power of this dhāraṇī, the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds can be transformed into vajra, and all weapons of the armies of māras become flowers. Because of the divine power of this dhāraṇī, all the demonic multitudes are subdued, including those like Kṛtānta and others. Due to the divine power of this dhāraṇī mantra, a lotus sprang forth in the center of the great road.”
The Buddha further told Vajrapāṇi: “If it were not for this dhāraṇī, I would not have been able to accomplish unsurpassed complete enlightenment, would not have been able to subdue demonic beings numbering in koṭis, would not have been able to dry up the ocean of afflictions, and would not have been able to ignite the great torch of Dharma. Vajrapāṇi! Even though I cultivated difficult ascetic practices through countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas, I still could not attain the fruition of bodhi; it was only after hearing this great dhāraṇī mantra and practicing in accordance with it that I was able to become a Buddha. Vajrapāṇi! This dhāraṇī mantra has great power, is supremely marvelous—it is the true Dharma nature of all Tathāgatas, and it enables all Tathāgatas to fully realize the Dharma body. Vajrapāṇi! Merely by reciting the name of this dhāraṇī mantra, it is equivalent to reciting the names of all Tathāgatas in the ten directions; just by briefly recalling it, it is equivalent to bowing in reverence and making offerings to all Tathāgatas.”
At that time, the great bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi made offerings to the Buddha using various fresh flowers, various incenses, scented pastes, and powdered incense. After completing the offerings, he circumambulated the Buddha three times to the right, prostrated at the Buddha’s feet, and said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, this dhāraṇī possesses great majestic power and supreme excellence. I earnestly request the World-Honored One to explain to all sentient beings—what kind of extraordinary merit will manifest in that world? All sentient beings, if not endowed with deep and profound roots of virtue, will not be able to hear this dhāraṇī. This dhāraṇī is equivalent to the Tathāgata’s body; it is equivalent to the śarīra’s Dharma nature.”
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi: “Vajrapāṇi! There are sentient beings whose faculties are inferior and who do not diligently cultivate with vigor; whose minds are scattered and unfocused, ignorant and dull; who are greedy and attached to various desires, and who do not believe in the true Dharma; who do not honor their parents, do not honor śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, do not respect the noble ones. Therefore, this dhāraṇī will not fall into the hands of such people. Those with shallow blessings and meager wisdom—such sentient beings cannot hear it, cannot uphold it, and will not give rise to pure faith. This dhāraṇī can eradicate all karmic offenses and is the secret treasure of all Tathāgatas.”
The Buddha further said to the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi: “Virtuous man, I shall now explain this to you. From this world toward the east, passing through immeasurable worlds equal in number to the grains of sand in the Ganges River multiplied by koṭis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, there is a world called ‘Jewel Lamp.’ That world is composed of the seven precious substances. Its cities extend one yojana in width on all four sides, the population is vast, and all live in peace and abundance. The men, women, boys, and girls there all adorn their bodies with various types of jeweled garlands and decorate their heads with the most superior, exquisite jeweled crowns. Their appearances are dignified and splendid, possessing great majestic power, being courageous and diligent, fully endowed with wisdom, and skilled in various arts. In that city there is a king named ‘Wondrous Jewel,’ surrounded and supported by eighty koṭis of great ministers. The queen is named ‘Radiant Jewel,’ and she is served by twenty thousand palace maidens, all as graceful as celestial goddesses, attending upon her from front and behind. The flowers and various fragrant trees that grow in that world are all made of the seven precious substances. The flowers growing in water are formed from the seven jewels; the flowers growing on land are all made of Jambūnada gold. The people of that land have life spans that reach eighty thousand kalpas. All of them have perfected the ten wholesome paths of action and give rise to pure and undefiled faith in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. The king governs the country with true Dharma, not with non-Dharma, and constantly performs beneficial deeds for sentient beings.
“In that world, there is a Buddha named ‘Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment,’ Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who attained Buddhahood in that world, extensively performing the deeds of a Buddha, accompanied by innumerable great bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as well as koṭis of great deities who are mantra-holders as his retinue. That Tathāgata’s body is purple-golden in color, endowed with the thirty-two major marks and eighty secondary marks. His aura extends one arm-span and radiates light universally, shining brightly like the seven jewels. Those bodhisattvas all have golden-colored bodies, adorned with physical characteristics and marks, and they sit upright on lotus thrones made of the seven treasures. They possess unobstructed eloquence and wisdom that comprehends all luminous realities. All of them collectively contemplate the ‘Great Jewel Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī.’ It is due to the miraculous power of this dhāraṇī that such supreme merit has come into existence. That Buddha, the World-Honored One, expounds this dhāraṇī Dharma for the sake of all sentient beings. Because those sentient beings hear this dhāraṇī, they constantly obtain happiness. They are far removed from the realms of hell beings, animals, and Yama’s domain; even those in the bodies of asuras are liberated. All the gates to evil destinies are completely closed, and all the gates to the heavenly realms and auspicious paths are completely opened. The sentient beings of that world all abide in unsurpassed bodhi; all sentient beings harbor minds of great compassion, as harmonious and blended as water and milk.
That Buddha, the World-Honored One, in the distant past when cultivating the bodhisattva path, practiced this dhāraṇī Dharma and made this vow: ‘Any sentient being born in my land will certainly not regress from unsurpassed perfect bodhi.’ If there are sentient beings who hear this dhāraṇī, uphold it, recite it, diligently cultivate and remember it without letting it go, seeking great accomplishment—even if they merely hear its name, or touch it with the hand, or wear it on their bodies, or see it with their eyes, or write it down in a scripture, or inscribe it on silk or cloth, or write it on walls—any sentient being who sees this mantra, even those who have committed the five heinous transgressions, the four grave offenses, those who slander the true Dharma, who slander the noble ones; hunters, butchers, executioners, nava (the original text in Chinese is ‘喃婆’, which meaning is uncertain), pulkasa; the blind, the deaf, the vision-impaired, the hunchbacked, the despised, the mute, lepers, those who are poor and lowly; those bound by indeterminate karma, those entangled in demonic nets, those fallen into wrong views, those afflicted by Vināyaka, those oppressed by inauspicious stars, those harmed by the seven luminaries—all of these people, if they hear this dhāraṇī, will certainly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Even sentient beings in the animal realm—such as deer, birds, mosquitoes, moths, ants, and others born from eggs, wombs, moisture, or transformation—all these types of beings, if they merely hear the name of this dhāraṇī, will certainly attain Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi. You should not have any doubt about this.”
At that time, after the World-Honored One had spoken these words, the entire assembly felt immense joy, and their bodies bristled with goosebumps. At that moment, padma flowers, puṇḍarīka flowers, māndāra flowers, and great māndāra flowers rained down from the sky. In the empty sky, various exquisite celestial music spontaneously resounded without being played. Everyone in the Dharma assembly at that time saw light emitting from their own bodies. In front of the Tathāgata, a pavilion made of seven treasures naturally emerged, splendid and magnificent, delightful to behold. This jeweled pavilion had four pillars, four doors, and four staircases, radiating brilliant light. At each of the four corners of the pavilion sat a great precious jewel, blazing brightly like the sun. Countless maṇi gems adorned the jeweled nets, countless precious bells were suspended, and countless colorful banners served as decoration, with all kinds of wondrous flowers gracefully hanging down in elegant layers. At that time, the earth underwent six kinds of tremors: shaking, quaking, jolting, roaring, surging, and subsiding. All the palaces of the gods were illuminated by this radiance. Wherever the light reached, sentient beings were awakened. This was also the case for the Four Great Heavenly Kings and the mantra-holding dities. All the palaces of the māras were engulfed in blazing fire. All the barrier makers Vinayaka were overwhelmed with terror and fled in all directions, crying out loudly in fear.
At that time, the World-Honored One emitted a great radiance from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows. The light universally illuminated and awakened all the Buddhas in the Buddha-lands of the ten directions. After the awakening, the light then returned and re-entered the Buddha’s crown. At that moment, all the Buddhas in the ten directions spoke in unison to praise Śākyamuni Tathāgata: “Excellent! Excellent! Śākyamuni Tathāgata! Now is the time to journey to the Jewel Lamp World, to visit the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment, so that this great assembly may follow along, venerate, pay homage, and make offerings, and so that they may extensively hear the Dharma of the Great Jewel Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī. Why is this? Because this dhāraṇī possesses great majestic power, great effectiveness, and it has been empowered by all past Buddhas collectively. If anyone can hear this dhāraṇī, even if only hearing its name, or merely touching it with the hand, that person will surely attain non-retrogression and realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”
At that time, Śākyamuni Tathāgata, upon hearing the invitation of all the Buddhas in the worlds of the ten directions, emitted immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of rays of light and told everyone in the Dharma assembly: “I am now going to the Jewel Lamp World. The time has come. You should all prepare quickly to follow me.”
Then, the Tathāgata rose from his seat and walked toward the jeweled pavilion. He touched it with his hand. Immediately, within the pavilion there appeared a miraculous vajra lion throne, made of the seven treasures, adorned magnificently and extraordinarily sublime, such that anyone who saw it would give rise to joy. Upon this seat then appeared a wondrous lotus flower, also composed of the seven treasures, with a golden stalk and a ruby platform. At that moment, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, spread his seat over the lotus flower and sat upon it.
At that time, the entire world underwent a great tremor. The Tathāgata immediately entered the Samādhi of Great Jeweled Purity. Relying on the power of samādhi, he comforted all beings and led them into the sky. Together with the entire gathering present at the assembly, along with their retinues, the great bodhisattva retinue, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, countless mantra-holding deities, Vajrapāṇi the Lord of Secrets, all the Indra gods, Brahmās, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings who protect the world—all ascended into the sky and flew toward the east, passing through immeasurable numbers of Buddha-lands, as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges River multiplied by tens of millions, arriving in a single instant at the Jewel Lamp World. Descending from the sky, they approached the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment, and reverently inquired: “Are you well? Are your afflictions few? Are your activities at ease and comfortable?” At that time, Śākyamuni Tathāgata offered a thousand-petaled lotus flower made of seven treasures to that Buddha. That Tathāgata, seated amidst a great Dharma assembly in a celestial palace of exquisite beauty, extended his golden arm and offered words of comfort to Śākyamuni, the Perfectly Enlightened One. After offering comfort, he sat within the jeweled pavilion and said to Śākyamuni: “Bhagavān, you have already turned the great Dharma wheel, subdued the armies of māras, lit the Dharma torch, established the Dharma banner, beaten the Dharma drum, and blown the Dharma conch. You have already performed the Buddha’s work in that world and attained Sarvākārajñāna. Now, Bhagavān, you will turn the second Dharma wheel and should open the treasury of the true Dharma in Jambudvīpa.”
Just as these words were spoken, that Buddha-land experienced eighteen kinds of tremors, namely: shaking, great shaking, universal shaking; quaking, great quaking, universal quaking; vibrating, great vibrating, universal vibrating; roaring, great roaring, universal roaring; striking, great striking, universal striking; surging, great surging, universal surging. At that time, wondrous flowers rained down from the heavens, and great divine manifestations appeared. In the empty sky, all kinds of music naturally resounded, the sounds delightful and pleasing. Then, celestial sons performed various musical pieces, and all the devas and nāgas showered down various precious treasures, various incenses, various sandalwood waters, various garments, and various adornments and ornaments. They rained down celestial sublime red pearls, agates, great Vairocana jewels, Sun Treasures, Moon Delight, Sun Delight, the Auspicious Treasury Great Maṇi Jewel. They rained down the sublime celestial utpala lotuses, kumuda lotuses, puṇḍarīka lotuses, māndāra flowers, great māndāra flowers. They rained down celestial exquisite Jambūnada golden flowers, celestial exquisite silver flowers, and supremely wondrous celestial pearls. The celestial sons in the sky emitted subtle and wonderful sounds, joyfully praising and proclaiming to one another: “Excellent! Excellent! Śākyamuni Tathāgata! You are now once again turning the Dharma wheel, establishing the great wondrous precious Wish-Fulfilling Heart Dharma banner in Jambudvīpa—namely, the Great Jewel Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī, the great Dharma King of teachings, which now be widely propagated in Jambudvīpa.” At that moment, the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, emitted a beam of light from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows. The light universally shone upon the Buddha-lands of the ten directions, awakening all the Tathāgatas. The light then illuminated the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds, as well as all celestial palaces, all dragon palaces, all hells, all animal realms, all Yama realms, all asura hosts—after illuminating and awakening all these, the light then retracted, circled to the right around that Buddha and Śākyamuni Tathāgata three times, and finally vanished into the crown of their heads.
At that time, in the ten directions, all Buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River manifested great divine transformations within their own Buddha-lands. After these manifestations, each Buddha, within their own world, used great spiritual power to conjure jeweled pavilions made of the seven treasures. Within those pavilions appeared Jambūnada golden lion thrones, upon which those Buddhas and their assemblies all sat in the jeweled pavilions. Then, the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment consoled those Tathāgatas and, through great supernatural power, made vast offerings to those Buddhas, and returned to his lion throne and sat peacefully.
At that time, the great bodhisattva Maṇi Treasury came before the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment, bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said respectfully: “World-Honored One! Today there is a grand assembly. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas, as well as devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, and the great hosts of mantra-holding deities, with Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva as their lead, together with the great bodhisattvas, have manifested great divine transformations. I earnestly request the World-Honored One to proclaim the Great Jewel Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī—now is truly the appropriate time.” He made this request three times.
At that time, the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment said to Maṇi Treasury Bodhisattva Mahāsattva: “Go to Śākyamuni Tathāgata and make a request to him; he will proclaim it for you.”
Thereupon, Maṇi Treasury Bodhisattva came before Śākyamuni, the Worthy One, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One. He circumambulated the Buddha three times, joined his palms, bowed in reverence, and respectfully said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Today I request the World-Honored One to proclaim The Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī, for the sake of compassion and benefit to all sentient beings.”
At that time, Śākyamuni Tathāgata accepted Maṇi Treasury Bodhisattva’s request and then said to Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets: “Lord of Secrets! Go into the midst of the assembly and strike the ground with your vajra.” Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets, in accordance with the Buddha’s command, struck the ground in the assembly hall with the vajra. As soon as he struck the ground, the earth split into four fissures. The Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds underwent six kinds of tremors. From the places where the ground split, a pavilion made of seven treasures emerged. This pavilion had four corners, four pillars, and four gates. It was splendid and magnificent, adorned with perfect characteristics, radiating blazing light, and had four staircases. The pavilion rose three yojanas in height and extended five yojanas in both length and width.
Inside the pavilion appeared a stupa made of Jambūnada gold, adorned with various jewels, covered by a jeweled net made of the seven treasures. At its four corners hung countless precious bells, decorated with wondrous flowers and colorful banners placed in elegant patterns. In that stupa were three Tathāgatas.
At that time, all the Tathāgatas together with the great assembly of bodhisattvas made offerings to the stupa within the jeweled pavilion and to the three Tathāgatas in it. The offerings included flower garlands, burning incense, perfumed ointments, powdered incense, banners, canopies of jewels, and performances of various music, with palms joined in reverence and acts of homage. At the same time, the entire assembly of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans alike, all gazed upon it, giving rise to thoughts of wonder and rarity, and exclaimed one after another: “From where has this jeweled pavilion stupa come?” They praised loudly: “Truly rare indeed!” And they circumambulated it, sang hymns, and made offerings of flowers, incense, perfumed ointments, powdered incense, and all kinds of music to the jeweled pavilion stupa, joining their palms in homage and respectfully gazing upon it.”
At that time, a voice issued forth from within the pavilion, saying: “Assembly, you may now look into the sky.” Upon hearing the voice, the entire assembly looked up into the sky, and immediately saw a vast expanse of cloud-leaf formed from vaiḍūrya gems, suspended in the empty space. On that jewel cloud-leaf, written in gold, were the words: The Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī. Again, a voice was heard in the sky: “All you Buddhas and assemblies of bodhisattvas may now recite the dhāraṇī written upon this jewel cloud-leaf.” As soon as the words were spoken, before each Buddha who had gathered from the ten directions, there appeared a jewel cloud-leaf formed from vaiḍūrya gems, upon which this dhāraṇī was written in gold.
Another voice was heard: “Namo Śākyamuni Tathāgata! Now, please open the door of this jeweled pavilion stupa. Inside are three Tathāgatas. Due to the miraculous power of these three Tathāgatas, marvelous and extraordinary manifestations have appeared. These three Tathāgatas, in this very Dharma assembly, will expound in detail The Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī, along with the method of mandala and accomplishment mantra practices.””
At that time, all the Buddhas who had come from the ten directions spoke in unison: “May Śākyamuni Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One, open the door of this stupa for the sake of the great assembly, so that all present may behold the three Tathāgatas—namely, the Tathāgata Mani Jewel Blossom Banner King, the Tathāgata Variegated Mani, and the Tathāgata Vajra-Surpassing-Surge King, all Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened Ones.”
At that moment, Śākyamuni Tathāgata, manifesting great supernatural power, approached the stupa of the Seven-Treasured Pavilion, extended his golden arm adorned with a hundredfold merits, and after opening the door of the stupa, the three Tathāgatas appeared. The three Tathāgatas praised Śākyamuni Buddha, saying: “Excellent! Excellent! Śākyamuni Tathāgata! You are now once again turning the Dharma wheel in Jambudvīpa. World-Honored One! Please take your seat here.”
Śākyamuni Tathāgata then ascended the precious stupa and sat together with the three Tathāgatas.
At that time, Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva Mahāsattva bowed to Śākyamuni Tathāgata and said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! This pavilion that has now appeared and the three Tathāgatas within the stupa—where did they come from?”
The Buddha replied: “In inconceivably countless kalpas in the past, the people of the world of Jambudvīpa lived in peace and happiness. Fragrant rice ripened naturally without the need for cultivation. People had no sense of separation from one another and did not accumulate wealth. At that time, there was no Buddha present in the world. There existed a mountain king of treasures, and within that mountain lived three deities. The first was named Jeweled Topknot, the second Golden Topknot, and the third Vajra Topknot. These three deities firmly contemplated the Three Jewels—Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha—and made a vow: ‘When will we become Buddhas, attain unsurpassed perfect and complete enlightenment, and liberate all sentient beings?’
“After thinking in this way, they remained silent for a moment. Because they once again gave rise to the same thought as before, they immediately attained the samādhi called Variegated Pavilion Compassion and Joy toward All Sentient Beings, and acquired the divine eye, with which they beheld the heavens of Pure Abode above them. At that moment, a voice came from the sky: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Virtuous men, for giving rise to such supreme bodhicitta! Have you ever heard of The Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī? All past Tathāgatas, for the benefit of sentient beings, have expounded this Dharma. Merely upon hearing this dhāraṇī, one becomes irreversible on the path of unsurpassed bodhi; all Buddha-Dharmas will manifest; all samādhis will be attained; all dhāraṇī practices will be revealed. One can subdue all demonic armies and ignite the great torch of Dharma. All roots of virtue will come forth, the six pāramitās will be perfected; one can rescue beings in the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, the Yama world, and asuras, bringing them to eternal liberation from the sorrows and sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death.”
“In the future world, sentient beings in Jambudvīpa will be unfilial toward their parents, disrespectful toward śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, and lacking reverence for elders. They will slander the true Dharma, revile noble beings, and by karmic consequence ought to fall into hell. Those who slander the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, who kill arhats, who commit the five heinous offenses of uninterrupted retribution; those who kill brāhmaṇas and oxen; those who engage in robbery, theft, false speech, deceit, sexual misconduct, sowing discord, harsh speech, giving short weight or measure, forcibly seizing others’ wealth, encroaching on others’ property, betraying trust and righteousness; and all sentient beings bound by evil karma from previous lives—so long as they recite or uphold this dhāraṇī, or wear it on their bodies, or write it on garments, or place it on banners and canopies, or transcribe it on scriptures, white cloth, walls, or archways, or even if they merely hear its sound, touch it with their hand, or their shadow comes into contact with it, or they come into indirect contact with others who previously encountered this mantra—then all of them will certainly attain non-retrogression on the path to unsurpassed bodhi.
‘In this very life, they will obtain immeasurable merit: they will be free from all evil karma, accomplish all roots of goodness, and subdue all māras. They will be respected and loved throughout the world, honored and supported everywhere. Kings, princes, ministers, consorts, and all their retinues will rejoice in them; all śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas will also rejoice in them. Their voices will be dignified, solemn, and pleasing to hear; their hands and feet will be soft, and their speech will be harmonious and gentle. They will escape poverty and not be harmed by poison, weapons, floods, fires, or calamities. Fierce beasts will not injure them. They will be free from the fear of thieves, bandits, caṇḍālas, or nama (the original word in Chinese is indisguinshable). They will travel untroubled. They will not be disturbed by ghosts, spirits, rākṣasas, piśācas, Ḍākinīs, venomous snakes, or the like. They will not contract malaria or any other diseases. They will be free from ailments of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and all bodily organs. They will not suffer headaches, blindness, deafness, or hunchbacked deformities. They will not die an untimely death. They will attain unobstructed eloquence and, at the time of death, their minds will remain undistracted, and all Buddhas will appear to comfort them. They will not be harmed by curses, poisons, or black magic, and will rest in peaceful sleep. In their dreams, they will behold immeasurable Buddha-lands and see Buddhas and bodhisattvas surrounded by retinues. All of this is due to the miraculous power of this secret dhāraṇī, by which such supreme merit can be attained.’
“At that time, upon hearing the Dharma, the three deities were filled with joy and their hearts leapt with delight. Right at the place where they lived, they abandoned their physical bodies and lives. The bodies they relinquished dissolved and were absorbed into the earth like freshly churned ghee. Immediately, from the place where their bodies vanished, three bamboo shoots sprouted forth. The stems and leaves of these bamboos were made of gold, the roots composed of the seven kinds of precious substances, and pearls hung from the tips of their branches. A rich fragrance filled the air, and they constantly emitted radiant light. All who saw them gave rise to joy in their hearts.
“These three bamboo stalks grew for ten months, and then naturally split open. From within each bamboo emerged a young boy. The boys were dignified in appearance, delightful to behold. They were supremely magnificent and adorned, their radiance was extraordinarily beautiful, and they were fully endowed with perfect physical marks. At that time, the three young boys sat in lotus posture upon the earth beneath the bamboo grove and entered into right concentration. On the seventh night at midnight, they each attained perfect enlightenment. Their bodies were golden in color, adorned with the thirty-two major marks and eighty secondary signs, resplendent with radiant halos.
“At that moment, the three bamboo stalks transformed into pavilions of seven treasures. Simultaneously, in the sky there suddenly appeared the Great Jewel-Extensive Pavilion Excellent Abiding Secret Dhāraṇī, written in golden script.
“At that time, four great heavenly kings — Treasure-Topknot Nāga-Lord Heavenly King, Treasure Kumbhāṇḍa-Lord Heavenly King, Sublime Light Mahoraga-Lord Heavenly King, and Maṇi Vajra Yakṣa-Lord Heavenly King — each held jeweled canopies above the pavilions and praised the Buddha’s virtues. Each of these four great kings led innumerable hundreds of thousands of attendants, all bearing exquisite flowers as offerings. Together they said in unison: ‘Now the World-Honored Buddha has appeared in the world.’”
At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha said to Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva Mahāsattva: “Those three deities of the past—could they be anyone else? They are precisely the three Tathāgatas now dwelling within this Jeweled Pavilion Stupa. The three bamboo stalks of that time are now this wondrous pavilion. The land of that time is this very land. The world of that time is this present world. Because the three deities heard this dhāraṇī and diligently cultivated it, they abandoned their deity bodies and attained perfect and complete enlightenment. Furthermore, Vajrapāṇi! The celestial being of the Pure Abode who praised this dhāraṇī in the sky—could he be someone else? He is none other than my previous incarnation. At that time, there was an attendant also named Pure Abode, who constantly served the three deities with utmost diligence. After the three deities attained Buddhahood, he continued to make offerings to them. The three Tathāgatas bestowed a prophecy upon this Pure Abode, saying: ‘In a future lifetime, you will certainly attain Buddhahood.’ That attendant named Pure Abode—could he be anyone else? He is now the Tathāgata Sublime and Majestic Mani Various Purity and Establishment.”
Dharma Torch 