Dharma Torch

Translated in the Tang Dynasty by Tripiṭaka Master Devaprajña and others by Imperial Command

Thus have I heard.

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling by the Ganges River, surrounded by the Four Heavenly Kings, Protectors of the World. At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Four Heavenly Kings, including Vaiśravaṇa: “You should know that all sentient beings, whether male or female, whether old or young, are beset by four great terrors, namely birth, aging, sickness, and death. Yet among these four great terrors, the terror of death is the most difficult to eliminate. I shall now expound for you the method of eliminating the terror of death.”

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings immediately rose from their seats, joined their palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Today we have obtained exceedingly great benefit and good fortune, for we have encountered the Tathāgata embracing the world and bestowing life upon sentient beings.”

At that time, the World-Honored One rose from his seat, faced the east, and snapped his fingers, saying: “All the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, the Worthy Ones, the Perfectly Awakened Ones in that direction have without exception attained Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi for the sake of all sentient beings. All Buddhas should know that, out of compassion for and in order to rescue and protect sentient beings, I now intend to turn a second Dharma wheel that has never before been turned, so that the physical form, strength, and lifespan of sentient beings may all increase, and so that they may forever be free from death before their proper time, premature death, and calamitous death. I beseech all Buddhas to come to this assembly and, for the sake of protecting and sustaining sentient beings, together employ your awe-inspiring spiritual power to eliminate the suffering of their calamitous deaths.”

The same was done toward the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, and below. At that time, the Tathāgata surveyed the worlds of the ten directions with the Buddha eye and saw that in every world Buddhas densely filled it like rice plants and hemp, and that they had all come to this assembly as companions. He further saw that throughout all the worlds of the ten directions, in every direction, Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones filled them completely and appeared distinctly. Then all these Buddhas, the Tathāgatas simultaneously raised their voices and uttered the incantation:

cale | calā cale | vinaṭi | svastike | cakrāṅgati | praśamantu | sarvaroga | anaṭe | kunaṭe | mahānaṭe | care care | hemaguri | hemaniśunti | hemasiṣi | gaurabhe gaurabhi | hīkurare | kurare | kumati | viṣamaṇi | śiṣuvibha | acale vicale | mā vilamba | humu humu

At that time, each of the Buddhas of the ten directions was attended and surrounded by Vajrapāṇi Kings. These immeasurable hosts of Vajra Kings then raised their voices together and uttered the incantation:

haṃ haṃ ṣi ṣye svāhā

At that time, the deva king Vaiśravaṇa said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! I too shall now proclaim a Dhāraṇī in order to protect sentient beings, so that they may no longer suffer death before their proper time, premature death, or calamitous death. I beseech the Tathāgata, out of compassion, to bestow power upon me.” He then uttered the incantation:

ṣuti ṣutali leli

At that time, the deva king Virūḍhaka likewise said: “I shall now proclaim a Dhāraṇī in order to protect and sustain sentient beings.” He then uttered the incantation:

mātaṅgi mātaṅgini śūmā śūmū

At that time, the deva king Dhṛtarāṣṭra also uttered an incantation in order to protect sentient beings:

care care svāhā

At that time, the deva king Virūpākṣa also uttered an incantation:

balampipa

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Four Heavenly Kings: “Devas and others! This Dhāraṇī arises from all Buddhas and is jointly known and seen by all Buddhas. If there is a virtuous man or virtuous woman, or even any person who is able to read it once in the course of a single day, that person will ultimately never fall into an evil destiny. Such a person should be regarded as a great teacher. If someone, for the benefit of all sentient beings, reads and recites this incantation every day, he will be able to increase the lifespans of sentient beings, and all his calamities, misfortunes, and fears will also be eliminated. He will encounter no various evil signs or numerous illnesses and sufferings. Water will not drown him, fire will not burn him, blades will not injure him, and poison will not harm him. Wherever there is someone able to read and recite this Dhāraṇī, you should know that that place will constantly be protected and kept in mind by all the Buddhas of the ten directions. If someone personally copies it in writing, or teaches another person to copy it, that person is thereby attending upon and making offerings to all Buddhas. Why is this? Because to benefit sentient beings is itself to make offerings to all Buddhas. If someone specifically wishes to protect himself, he should copy this incantation and wear it upon his body. If, in any place, virtuous men, virtuous women, and others who have deep faith in the Dharma encounter a calamity and wish to have it eliminated, they should promptly receive and uphold this incantation in accordance with the proper rite.

“The method for receiving and upholding this incantation is as follows. First, one should select a pure place, smear the ground with powdered sandalwood, and make a square altar measuring seven cubits on each side. Beginning on the eighth day of the lunar month, the practitioner should bathe in fragrant water, put on new and clean garments, undertake the Eight Precepts, and eat only polished rice, rock sugar, and cow’s milk. Take black agarwood and Borneo camphor, together amounting to one tael, and place them upon the altar. Also take white sandalwood, or agarwood, or Borneo camphor, or clove, or kakkola fragrance, and place it upon the altar. The practitioner should recite this Dhāraṇī incantation and empower these fragrances with the incantation, reciting it seven times seven each day for seven days. On the fifteenth day, he should abstain from food for the entire day. At midday, he should use turmeric fragrance to make twenty-one small altars upon the main altar. One is called the Tathāgata Altar, and the remaining twenty are called the Vajra King Altars. Outside the altar, he should also make four small altars called the Altars of the Four Heavenly Kings.

“He should then take musk, Borneo camphor, white sandalwood, kuṅkuma fragrance, and red sandalwood, grind them into powers, and either scatter or smear them upon the Tathāgata Altar as offerings. On each of the remaining altars, any one of these fragrances may be used as an offering. He should also take milk, curds, ghee, and sugar, and in this order place them separately in four new vessels upon the Altars of the Four Heavenly Kings. He should also fill a vessel with pure water and place within it flowers gathered from twelve kinds of fruit trees. He should light ten lamps with fragrant oil and place them upon the Tathāgata Altar as offerings to the Buddhas of the ten directions. On each of the remaining altars, he should light one lamp.

“From among the fragrances previously empowered by the incantation, he should take Borneo camphor and agarwood and burn them as offerings upon the Tathāgata Altar. On the remaining altars, he should burn the other fragrances. When preparing to burn the incense, the fragrances used on the Tathāgata Altar and on the remaining altars should each separately be empowered by reciting this divine incantation. If any sentient being smells these fragrances, all death before its proper time, premature death, or calamitous death will be eliminated. After all the fragrances previously empowered by the incantation have been burned, the food offered upon the Altars of the Four Heavenly Kings should be collected and scattered in a pure place.”

After the Buddha had finished preaching this Sūtra, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, together with the devas, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and all others in the world, rejoiced and respectfully put the teaching into practice.