A Thousand Hands and Eyes for a Suffering World

Thus have I heard. At one time Śākyamuni Buddha was on Mount Potalaka, in Avalokiteśvara's palace, seated on a lion throne within a jeweled and adorned bodhimaṇḍa. That throne was adorned entirely with measureless, many-colored maṇi jewels, and hundred-jeweled banners and pennants hung arrayed all around it. At that time the Tathāgata, seated there, was about to expound the dhāraṇī of total retention. He was accompanied by countless bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, named as follows: Dhāraṇī-King, Jeweled King, Medicine King, Medicine Superior, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Flower Adornment, Great Adornment, Jewel Treasury, Virtue Treasury, Vajra Treasury, Ākāśagarbha, Maitreya, Samantabhadra, and Mañjuśrī — bodhisattva-mahāsattvas such as these, every one a Dharma Prince who has received the consecration.

He was also accompanied by measureless, countless great śrāvaka monks, every one having attained the ten grounds of arhatship, with Mahākāśyapa foremost among them; by measureless Brahmā-heaven gods, with the Brahmā king Suddhāvāsa foremost; by measureless sons of the gods of the desire realm, with the god-son Gopika foremost; by measureless world-protecting Four Heavenly Kings, with Dhṛtarāṣṭra foremost; by measureless gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans, with the great nāga-king Devaguṇa foremost; and by measureless goddesses of the desire realm, with the goddess Bālanetra foremost. Measureless spirits of empty space, of rivers and seas, of springs, of streams and marshes, of medicinal herbs, of forests, of dwellings, of water, of fire, of earth, of wind, of soil, of mountains, of stone, and of palaces, all came together and gathered.

At that time Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, in the midst of this great assembly, secretly emitted a spiritual radiance, its light shining brilliantly, so that the lands of the ten directions and this great trichiliocosm all turned the color of gold. The palaces of the gods, the nāgas, and every venerable spirit all shook and trembled; rivers, great seas, the Iron Ring Mountains, Mount Sumeru, earthen mountains, and dark mountains, all likewise shook greatly. The light of the sun, the moon, pearls, fire, and the stars, all alike ceased to appear.

Then the bodhisattva Dhāraṇī-King, seeing this rare and marvelous sign, marveled at what he had never seen before. He at once rose from his seat, joined his palms together, and questioned the Buddha in verse as to who had emitted this sign of spiritual power: "Who has, on this very day, accomplished true awakening, that such great light is broadly emitted everywhere? The lands of the ten directions have all turned to gold, and the trichiliocosm itself has done the same. Who has, on this very day, attained mastery, that such rare and great spiritual power is displayed? Measureless buddha-lands have all been shaken, and the palaces of nāgas and spirits are all disturbed. This whole great assembly now shares one doubt: whose power is this, and by what cause does it come? Is it a buddha's, a bodhisattva's, a great śrāvaka's, or Brahmā's, Māra's, the heavens', or Śakra's own? I beg only that the World-Honored One, in great compassion, explain to us the very source of this spiritual sign."

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Dhāraṇī-King: "Good son, you and this assembly should know: within this gathering there is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva named Avalokiteśvara. Since measureless kalpas past, he has accomplished great kindness and great compassion, and is well able to cultivate measureless gateways of dhāraṇī; wishing to bring peace and happiness to all beings, he has secretly emitted this display of great spiritual power."

Once the Buddha had spoken these words, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva rose from his seat, arranged his robes, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and said to him: "World-Honored One, I possess a Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī, and I now wish to speak it — so that beings may attain peace and happiness; so that every illness may be removed; so that long life may be attained; so that abundance and wealth may be attained; so that every evil karma and grave offense may be destroyed; so that every obstruction and hardship may be left behind; so that every wholesome quality may be increased; so that every wholesome root may be accomplished; so that every fear may be left far behind; and so that every wish may swiftly be fulfilled. I beg only that the World-Honored One, in compassion, grant permission and listen."

The Buddha said: "Good son, your great compassion brings peace and happiness to beings. Now is exactly the time to speak this spiritual mantra — you should speak it at once. The Tathāgata rejoices in it, and so do all the buddhas."

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva said again to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, I recall that in ages past, measureless hundred millions of kalpas ago, there was a buddha who came into the world named the Tathāgata King of a Thousand Lights, Dwelling in Stillness. That buddha, out of pity for me, and for the sake of all beings, spoke this Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī. He placed his golden-hued hand upon my crown and said: 'Good son, you should hold this heart-mantra, and for the sake of all beings of the evil age to come, bring about great benefit and happiness.'

"At that time I had only just attained the first ground; yet on hearing this mantra once, I leapt at once past it to the eighth ground. My heart, filled with joy, at once made this vow: 'If, in the future, I am able to bring benefit and happiness to every being, then let a thousand hands and a thousand eyes appear on my body, all at once, complete.' Having made this vow, in that very instant, a thousand hands and a thousand eyes appeared complete upon my body; the great earth of the ten directions shook in six ways; and a thousand buddhas of the ten directions all emitted light, which touched and illumined my body, and illumined the measureless worlds of the ten directions as well.

"From that time onward, in the presence of measureless buddhas, and within measureless assemblies, I came again and again to hear this dhāraṇī, and received and upheld it in person. Filled again with joy, leaping beyond all measure, I thereby transcended innumerable hundred millions of kalpas of the subtlest cycle of birth and death. From that time to this, I have constantly recited and upheld it, never once forgetting it; and because I have held this mantra, wherever I have been born, I have always been born in the presence of a buddha, transformed into being from within a lotus flower, never again taking on a body conceived in a womb. If there are monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, boys, or girls who wish to recite and hold this mantra, they should first, giving rise to a mind of compassion toward all beings, make this vow after me:"

Having made this vow, hold my name in mind with a sincere heart, and hold in mind, too, my own teacher, the Tathāgata Amitābha — and only then recite this dhāraṇī mantra. Recite it five times in a single night, and every grave sin of birth and death, accumulated over hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, will be destroyed.

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva said again to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, if there are gods or humans who recite and hold the verses of the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī, then at the moment of their death, buddhas of the ten directions will all come to give them their hand; whatever buddha-land they wish to be born in, they will, according to their wish, attain rebirth there."

He said again to the Buddha: "World-Honored One — if there are beings who recite and hold the Great Compassion Mantra and yet fall into one of the three evil destinies, then I vow I shall not attain true awakening. If there are those who recite and hold it and yet are not born in a buddha-land, then I vow I shall not attain true awakening. If there are those who recite and hold it and yet do not attain measureless samādhi and eloquence, then I vow I shall not attain true awakening. For those who recite and hold it: whatever they seek in this present life, if it is not fulfilled, then it cannot rightly be called the Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī — except should the wish itself be unwholesome, or sought without a sincere heart.

"If there are women who are weary of and disdain a woman's body, and wish to become a man's body, and recite and hold the verses of the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī, then, if their woman's body is not transformed into a man's body, I vow I shall not attain true awakening. But one who gives rise even to the smallest doubt will certainly not have this wish fulfilled.

"If there are beings who have encroached upon or damaged the food or wealth of the permanent assembly — a sin that a thousand buddhas coming into the world could not absolve through repentance, and which even repentance itself cannot dissolve — reciting the Great Compassion Mantra will now cause it to be dissolved. If they have encroached upon or made use of the permanent assembly's food or wealth, they must confess and repent before teachers of the ten directions before it can begin to be dissolved; but now, at the moment they recite the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī, teachers of the ten directions will come at once and bear witness on their behalf, and every karmic obstruction will be entirely dissolved. Every one of the ten evils, the five heinous crimes, slandering others, slandering the Dharma, breaking the fast, breaking the precepts, destroying stūpas, ruining monasteries, stealing property of the monastic assembly, and defiling pure conduct — every evil karma and grave offense such as these will be entirely destroyed. Only in one case does it fail: if one gives rise to doubt about the mantra itself, then not even the smallest, lightest offense will be dissolved — how much less a grave one? Even though a grave offense is not dissolved at once in such a case, the mantra can still, in the long run, serve as a cause of bodhi."

He said again to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, if there are gods or humans who recite and hold the Great Compassion Heart Mantra, they will obtain fifteen kinds of good rebirth, and will not undergo fifteen kinds of bad death. As for those bad deaths: first, they will not die of hunger and hardship. Second, they will not die by shackles, imprisonment, or the rod. Third, they will not die at the hands of an enemy bent on revenge. Fourth, they will not die in the mutual slaughter of battle. Fifth, they will not die torn apart by wolves or savage beasts. Sixth, they will not die from the bite of a venomous snake or scorpion. Seventh, they will not die by drowning or fire. Eighth, they will not die by poison. Ninth, they will not die from a cast spell. Tenth, they will not die deranged, out of their senses. Eleventh, they will not die falling from a mountain, a tree, or a cliff. Twelfth, they will not die bewitched by a malicious person. Thirteenth, they will not die at the hands of an evil spirit or ghost seizing its chance. Fourteenth, they will not die consumed by a terrible disease. Fifteenth, they will not die improperly, by their own hand. Those who recite and hold the Great Compassion Mantra will not undergo bad deaths such as these fifteen.

"As for obtaining fifteen kinds of good rebirth: first, wherever they are born, they will always meet a good ruler. Second, they will always be born in a good country. Third, they will always encounter a good season. Fourth, they will always meet good friends. Fifth, their bodily faculties will always be complete. Sixth, their heart set on the path will be mature and ripe. Seventh, they will not violate the precepts. Eighth, all their family will be affectionate and harmonious. Ninth, their resources, wealth, and food will always be abundant. Tenth, they will constantly receive the respect and support of others. Eleventh, no one will plunder whatever wealth they have. Twelfth, whatever they wish and seek will all be fulfilled. Thirteenth, nāgas, gods, and good spirits will constantly guard and protect them. Fourteenth, wherever they are born, they will see a buddha and hear the Dharma. Fifteenth, whatever true Dharma they hear, they will awaken to its most profound meaning. Anyone who recites and holds the Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī will obtain these fifteen kinds of good rebirth. All gods and humans should constantly recite and hold it, and never grow slack."

Once Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva had said this, he stood before the whole assembly with palms joined, gave rise to a mind of great compassion toward every being, and, smiling, spoke the wondrous verses of the "Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great Compassion Heart Great Dhāraṇī" as follows:

Once Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva had spoken this mantra, the great earth shook in six ways, and heaven rained down jeweled flowers, falling in profusion. The buddhas of the ten directions all rejoiced; heavenly demons and non-Buddhist practitioners trembled in fear; and the whole assembly attained realization — some the fruit of stream-entry, some once-returning, some non-returning, some arhatship; some the first ground, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and on up to the tenth ground. Measureless beings gave rise to the mind of bodhi.

At that time the Great Brahmā King rose from his seat, arranged his robes, joined his palms in reverence, and said to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva: "Excellent, great one! Since long ago, throughout measureless assemblies of buddhas, I have heard every kind of teaching, every kind of dhāraṇī — yet never before have I heard spoken such an unimpeded Great Compassion Heart, such wondrous verses of the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī. I beg only that you, great one, tell us the very form and appearance of this dhāraṇī — this whole assembly wishes gladly to hear it."

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva said to the Brahmā king: "You ask this question as a skillful means, for the benefit of all beings. Listen well now — I will explain it briefly for you all."

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva said: "It is the mind of great compassion. It is the mind of equanimity. It is the mind of non-action. It is the mind free of attachment and defilement. It is the mind that contemplates emptiness. It is the mind of reverence. It is the mind of humility. It is the mind free of confusion and disorder. It is the mind free of grasping at views. It is the mind of unsurpassed bodhi. Know that mental states such as these are themselves the form and appearance of the dhāraṇī. You should practice in accordance with this."

The Great Brahmā King said: "We, this whole assembly, only now come to recognize the form and appearance of this dhāraṇī. From this day forward we will hold it, and dare not let it be forgotten."

Avalokiteśvara said: "If there are good sons or good daughters who recite and hold this mantra, they should give rise to vast bodhicitta, vowing to liberate every being; keep the fast and precepts with their whole body; give rise to a mind of equanimity toward all beings; recite this mantra constantly, never letting it lapse; dwell in a pure room, bathe until clean, and wear clean clothing; hang banners, light lamps, and offer incense, flowers, and food of every flavor, in worship; and, holding the mind fixed on one point, with no other distraction, recite and hold it in accordance with the Dharma.

"At such a time, Sun Light Bodhisattva and Moon Light Bodhisattva, together with measureless spirit-immortals, will come to bear witness, and add to its efficacy. I will then, with my thousand eyes, watch over that person, and, with my thousand hands, protect them. From that time on, they will be able to master every scripture in this world; they will also come to understand every non-Buddhist art and Vedic text. For one who recites and holds this mantra, the eighty-four thousand kinds of illness in this world will all be cured, with none left untreated. It will also enable them to command every spirit, subdue every heavenly demon, and master every non-Buddhist practitioner. Should they be reciting sūtras or sitting in meditation in the mountains or wilderness, and mountain spirits, goblins, or malicious ghosts disturb them and unsettle their mind, reciting this mantra once will bind every one of these spirits at once."

"If one is able to recite and hold this in accordance with the Dharma, giving rise to a mind of compassion toward all beings, I will then command every good spirit, every nāga king, and the Vajra-Guhyapāda spirits to guard and protect that person constantly, never leaving their side, guarding them as they would their own eyes, as they would their own life."

He then spoke a verse of command, naming some thirty guardian spirits, nāga-kings, and generals by name (kept below in their original transliteration, as proper names, rather than translated) — closing each line with the refrain "let them forever guard whoever holds this."

"These good spirits, together with the nāga kings and the mother-spirits, each command five hundred followers, mighty yakṣas, who constantly follow and guard whoever recites and holds the Great Compassion Mantra. Should such a person be alone in an empty mountain or a vast wilderness, sleeping in solitude, these good spirits will take turns keeping watch through the night, warding off disaster and misfortune. Should they lose their way deep in the mountains, then, because of their reciting this mantra, good spirits and nāga kings will transform themselves into kindly people and show them the right path. Should they be short of water or fire in mountain forests or the wilderness, the nāga kings, out of their protection, will conjure water or fire for them."

At that time Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva said to the Brahmā god: "Recite this mantra five times, take a cord of five-colored thread, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, tie twenty-one knots in it, and bind it around the neck.

"This dhāraṇī was spoken by ninety-nine hundred million buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in ages past. Those buddhas spoke it so that practitioners cultivating the six pāramitās, not yet perfected in them, might swiftly perfect them; so that those who had not yet given rise to bodhicitta might swiftly give rise to it; and so that śrāvakas who had not yet realized the fruit might swiftly realize it. So that spirits and immortals throughout the great trichiliocosm who had not yet given rise to unsurpassed bodhicitta might swiftly give rise to it. So that beings who had not yet attained the root of faith in the Great Vehicle might, through this dhāraṇī's majestic spiritual power, have the seed of the Great Vehicle within them, and the sprout of the Dharma, grow and increase. Through the power of my own skillful means and compassion, whatever they require will be brought to completion.

"So that beings in the hidden, dark places of the great trichiliocosm, in the three evil destinies, hearing this mantra of mine, might all be freed from suffering. So that bodhisattvas not yet arrived at the first abiding-ground might swiftly attain it, and even attain the ten grounds of abiding; and might attain the ground of buddhahood itself, naturally accomplishing the thirty-two marks and the eighty subsidiary refinements. If a śrāvaka, hearing this dhāraṇī pass once through his ear, or practicing it, or copying it out, dwells in it, honestly and in accordance with the Dharma, he will attain the four fruits of the śramaṇa path without even seeking them.

"Within the great trichiliocosm, it can make mountains, rivers, cliffs of stone, and the waters of the four great oceans surge and boil; it can make Mount Sumeru and the Iron Ring Mountains themselves shake; it can even shatter them into fine dust — and cause every being within them to give rise to unsurpassed bodhicitta. If beings seeking some wish in this present life keep the fast purely for three periods of seven days and recite this dhāraṇī, their wish will certainly be fulfilled; every evil karma, from one span of birth-and-death to the next, will be entirely destroyed. Every buddha, bodhisattva, Brahmā, Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, spirit, and nāga king within the great trichiliocosm will bear witness to this.

"If gods or humans who recite and hold this dhāraṇī bathe in a river or the great sea, then any being in that water who comes into contact with the water that has touched their bathing body will have every evil karma and grave offense entirely dissolved, and will at once be reborn transformed in another land's pure realm, born from within a lotus, never again taking on a body conceived in a womb or from moisture or an egg — how much more so, then, one who actually holds and recites it themselves? If, as one who recites and holds it walks along a road, a great wind should come and blow against that person's body, hair, and clothing, and that same wind, passing onward, touches any other kind of being, then every grave offense and evil karma of that being, too, will be entirely destroyed, and they will never again undergo the retribution of the three evil destinies, but will forever be born in the presence of a buddha.

"Know that the blessed reward of one who holds this is inconceivable. Whatever sound comes from the mouth of one who recites and holds this dhāraṇī, whether it seems good or ill, every heavenly demon, non-Buddhist practitioner, god, nāga, or spirit who hears it will hear it as a pure Dharma-sound, and will give rise to a reverent mind toward that person, honoring them as they would a buddha.

"Know that one who recites and holds this dhāraṇī is himself a treasury of the buddha-body, cherished by ninety-nine hundred million buddhas as numerous as the Ganges' sands. Know that he is a treasury of light, illumined by the light of every tathāgata. Know that he is a treasury of compassion, forever rescuing beings by means of this dhāraṇī. Know that he is a treasury of the wondrous Dharma, universally gathering in every gateway of dhāraṇī. Know that he is a treasury of meditative absorption, with hundreds of thousands of samādhis constantly manifest before him. Know that he is a treasury of empty space, forever contemplating beings with the wisdom of emptiness. Know that he is a treasury free of fear, forever guarded by nāgas, gods, and good spirits. Know that he is a treasury of wondrous speech, the sound of this dhāraṇī never ceasing in his mouth. Know that he is a treasury of the eternally abiding, unable to be destroyed by the calamitous kalpas of the three disasters. Know that he is a treasury of liberation, unable to be detained by heavenly demons or non-Buddhist practitioners. Know that he is a treasury of the medicine-king, forever healing beings' illness by means of this dhāraṇī. Know that he is a treasury of spiritual powers, roaming the buddha-lands with complete mastery. This person's merit could never be praised to its end.

"Good son, if there is again a person weary of the suffering of this world, who seeks the bliss of long life, let them, in a quiet and pure place, set a pure boundary. Recite the mantra over their clothing before wearing it. Whether it be water, food, incense, or medicine, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times, and take it, and long life will certainly be attained.

"If one can set the boundary in accordance with the Dharma, and hold this in accordance with the Dharma, everything will be accomplished. As for the method of setting the boundary: take a knife, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and draw a line on the ground for the boundary. Or take clean water, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and sprinkle it in the four directions. Or take white mustard seed, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and scatter it in the four directions. Or simply hold the boundary in mind wherever one wishes it. Or take clean ash, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, for the boundary. Or recite the mantra over five-colored thread twenty-one times, and encircle the four sides with it. Any of these will do.

"If one can hold this in accordance with the Dharma, the result will come of itself. If merely hearing the name of this dhāraṇī can still dissolve grave sins of birth-and-death accumulated over measureless kalpas, how much more so one who recites and holds it? Know that anyone able to recite this mantra has already, in the past, made offerings to measureless buddhas, and planted wholesome roots far and wide.

"If one is able, for the sake of all beings, to draw out their suffering and hardship, reciting and holding it in accordance with the Dharma, know that such a person already possesses great compassion. Buddhahood is not far off for them; whatever beings they see, they recite it entirely for their sake, causing it to reach their ears, and creating for them a cause for bodhi — the merit of such a person is measureless, boundless, and could never be praised to its end.

"If one can, with sincere and earnest intent, keep the fast with one's whole body, repenting, on behalf of all beings, the sins of past karma, and also repenting one's own countless kinds of evil karma accumulated over measureless kalpas, reciting this dhāraṇī with the mouth unceasing, sound after sound without interruption, the four fruits of the śramaṇa path will be realized in this very life. One of sharp faculties and wisdom, skilled in seeing the skillful means at work, will find the fruit of the ten grounds no difficult thing to attain — how much less some small worldly blessing? Whatever they seek and wish for, none of it will fail to be fulfilled.

"If one wishes to command a ghost, take a wild skull, wash it clean, set up an altar before an image of the Thousand-Eyed One, and make offerings of every kind of incense, flowers, and food before it, day after day; within seven days, it will certainly come and manifest itself in person, to be commanded as one wishes. If one wishes to command the Four Heavenly Kings, recite the mantra over sandalwood and burn it. All this is because of this bodhisattva's own profound great-compassion vow-power, and because of this dhāraṇī's own vast, majestic spiritual power."

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "If, in some land, calamity should arise, and the king of that land governs by the true Dharma, showing generosity and forbearance to his people, doing no injustice to any being, and pardons every offense, and for seven days and seven nights applies himself diligently in body and mind, reciting and holding this Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī, then every calamity in that land will be entirely removed, the five grains will ripen in abundance, and all his people will live in peace.

"And should that land instead be repeatedly invaded and troubled by the enemies of another country, its people unsettled, its ministers plotting rebellion, plague spreading, flood and drought out of balance, the sun and moon losing their proper course — when calamities such as these arise, the king should have an image made of the Thousand-Eyed Great Compassionate One, facing west, and make offerings before it with all manner of incense and flowers, banners and pennants, jeweled canopies, and food of a hundred flavors, worshipping with a sincere heart. Should that king further apply himself diligently, in body and mind, for seven days and seven nights, reciting these wondrous verses of the dhāraṇī, the foreign enemy will of itself submit, each returning to its own governance, no longer troubling the other; the land will be united as one, hearts turned toward each other in kindness. Princes and officials will all act with loyalty and sincerity; consorts, queens, and court ladies will be filial and reverent toward the king. Every nāga and spirit will guard and protect that land. Rain will fall in its proper season, harvests will be abundant, and the people will rejoice.

"And should some household meet with some grave and terrible illness, a hundred strange calamities arising at once, spirits and evil demons disturbing and unsettling that family, wicked people maliciously spreading rumors to plot harm against them, the members of that household, young and old, within and without, no longer at peace with one another — let them set up an altar before an image of the Thousand-Eyed Great Compassionate One, and hold Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva in mind with a sincere heart, reciting this dhāraṇī a full thousand times; every evil thing described above will be entirely dissolved, and lasting peace will be attained."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, what is this mantra called, and how should it be held?"

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "This spiritual mantra has many names. It is called the Vast and Perfect; it is called the Unimpeded Great Compassion; it is called the Dhāraṇī That Rescues from Suffering; it is called the Dhāraṇī of Long Life; it is called the Dhāraṇī That Destroys Evil Destinies; it is called the Dhāraṇī That Breaks Through Evil Karmic Obstruction; it is called the Dhāraṇī That Fulfills Every Wish; it is called the Dhāraṇī of Mastery According to the Mind; it is called the Dhāraṇī That Swiftly Surpasses Into the Higher Grounds. Hold it under these names."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, what is the name of this bodhisattva-mahāsattva, who is so skilled in proclaiming this dhāraṇī?"

The Buddha said: "This bodhisattva is named Avalokiteśvara; he is also named the Twiner of the Lasso; he is also named Thousand-Light Eyes.

"Good son, this Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva's inconceivable, majestic spiritual power comes from this: in ages past, measureless kalpas ago, he had already accomplished buddhahood, under the name Tathāgata of the Bright, True Dharma. Out of the power of his great-compassion vow, wishing to inspire every bodhisattva, and to bring peace and maturity to every being, he now appears in the form of a bodhisattva.

"You, this whole assembly, every bodhisattva-mahāsattva, Brahmā, Śakra, nāga, and spirit, should all hold him in reverence, and never give rise to contempt. All gods and humans should constantly make offerings to him. Whoever single-mindedly calls upon his name will obtain measureless blessing, dissolve measureless sin, and at death be reborn in Amitābha Buddha's land."

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "The spiritual mantra spoken by this Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is true, not false. If one wishes to summon this bodhisattva, recite the mantra over guggulu incense (that is, benzoin resin) twenty-one times and burn it, and the bodhisattva will come at once.

"If someone is possessed by a cat-spirit, take the skull of a dead cat, burn it to ash, mix it with clean earth into mud, and mold it into the form of a cat; before an image of the Thousand-Eyed One, recite the mantra over a blade of fine steel one hundred and eight times, and cut the figure into a hundred and eight pieces, reciting the mantra once for each cut, calling the spirit's name each time — and the possession will end forever.

"If one is harmed by a cast poison, take camphor (that is, dragon-brain incense) and guggulu incense in equal parts, boil them together in a measure of well-water down to a single measure, recite the mantra over it before the Thousand-Eyed image one hundred and eight times, and drink it, and one will be cured at once. If one is stung by a venomous snake or scorpion, take powdered dried ginger, recite the mantra over it seven times, and apply it to the wound, and it will be cured immediately.

"If one is plotted against by a malicious enemy, take clean earth, or flour, or wax, and mold it into that person's form; before the Thousand-Eyed image, recite the mantra over a blade of fine steel one hundred and eight times, cutting once with each recitation and calling that person's name, until the figure is entirely cut into a hundred and eight pieces — and that enemy will then rejoice, and for the rest of their life hold you in deep affection and regard.

"If one suffers ruined eyesight — dim sight, night-blindness, a white haze or a red film clouding the eyes without light — take one fruit each of harītakī, āmalaka, and bibhītaka, pound and grind them fine. While grinding, take care to keep them pure, and do not let a woman who has just given birth, or a pig or dog, see them. Recite the Buddha's name while mixing them with white honey, or with human milk — it must be the milk of a mother nursing a boy; a mother nursing a girl will not do. Once the medicine is mixed, recite the mantra over it before the Thousand-Eyed image one thousand and eight times, then apply it in the eyes; for a full seven days, remain in an inner room, guarding against wind, and the eyesight will be restored. Night-blindness and white haze will clear with an especially fine radiance.

"If one is afflicted by malarial fever, take the hide of a tiger, leopard, jackal, or wolf, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and drape it over the body, and one will be cured at once; a lion's hide is best of all. If bitten by a snake, take the sloughed skin of the person who was bitten, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and apply it to the wound, and it will be cured at once.

"If one suffers a severe malarial fever, so grave the heart grows faint and one is near death, take a piece of peach resin, the size of a peach pit, boil it in a measure of clean water down to half a measure, recite the mantra over it seven times, and drink it all at once, and one will be cured; this medicine must not be boiled by a woman.

"If one suffers from a wasting corpse-spirit illness, take guggulu incense, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and burn it to fume the nostrils. Also take seven pellets the size of rabbit droppings, recite the mantra over them twenty-one times, and swallow them, and one will be cured; avoid wine, meat, the five pungent roots, and harsh speech during this time. Or take realgar mixed with white mustard seed pressed into a salt-cake, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and burn it beneath the sickbed of the afflicted child, and the demon afflicting the child will flee at once, and dare not remain.

"If one suffers deafness, recite the mantra over sesame oil and place it in the ear, and one will be cured at once. If one suffers a one-sided paralysis, the ear and nose obstructed, hand and foot unresponsive, take sesame oil, boil it with costus root, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and rub it on the body, and one will be permanently cured. Or, alternatively, take pure ghee, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and rub it on, and this too will cure it.

"If a woman suffers a difficult labor, take sesame oil, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and rub it on the navel and the birth passage of the woman in labor, and the birth will come easily. If a pregnant woman's child has died within the womb, take one large measure of achyranthes root, boil it in two measures of clean water down to one measure, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and drink it, and the child will come forth at once, without pain. If the afterbirth does not come, drinking this same medicine will likewise cure it.

"If one suddenly suffers an unbearable pain in the heart, called a "hidden-corpse affliction," take a single piece of frankincense formed into a nipple-shape, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, chew and swallow it, in whatever amount is needed to induce vomiting, and it will be cured; avoid the five pungent roots, wine, and meat.

"If one is burned by fire, take fresh cow dung, warmed, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and apply it to the burn, and it will be cured at once. If one suffers from roundworms gnawing at the heart, take half a measure of fresh white horse urine, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and drink it, and one will be cured at once; in a severe case, take a full measure, and the worms will come out like a twisted cord.

"If one suffers a boil, take the pounded juice of the lingsuo leaf, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and drip it onto the boil, and its very root will be drawn out, cured at once. If a fly's sting afflicts the eye, filter the juice of fresh donkey dung, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and apply it to the eye at night, and it will be cured.

"If one suffers a pain within the belly, mix well-water with twenty-one pressed salt-cakes, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and drink half a measure, and it will be cured. If one suffers red, inflamed eyes, or a growth or film upon the eye, take the leaf of the wolfberry, pound and filter its juice, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, soak a bronze coin in it overnight, recite the mantra over it seven more times, and apply it to the eye, and it will be cured.

"If one suffers fear of the night, unease, and terror, startled and afraid whenever going out or coming in, take a white thread, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, tie twenty-one knots in it, and bind it around the neck, and the terror will be removed at once — and not only the terror, but sin as well will be dissolved.

"If some disaster suddenly arises within a household, take pomegranate branches, cut into a thousand and eight one-inch pieces, coat both ends of each with ghee, honey, and cream, and burn each piece with one recitation of the mantra, completing all one thousand and eight — and every disaster will be entirely dissolved; this must be done before an image of the Buddha. Take white calamus root, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and bind it to the right arm, and one will prevail in every dispute or debate.

"Take the branches of the sesami tree, cut into one-inch pieces, coat both ends with pure ghee mixed with white honey, and burn each piece with one recitation, completing a thousand and eight pieces, three times a day, a thousand and eight recitations each time, for a full seven days, and the one reciting the mantra will awaken, of themselves, to penetrating wisdom.

"If one wishes to subdue a mighty and malicious spirit, take soap-nut wood, recite the mantra over it forty-nine times, and burn it in a fire, coating it first with ghee, honey, and cream; this must be done before an image of the Great Compassionate One. Or take one large measure of bezoar, place it in a crystal vessel before the image of the Great Compassionate One, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times, and anoint the body and mark the forehead with it, and every god, nāga, ghost, spirit, human, and non-human will rejoice.

"If one is bound in chains and shackles, take white pigeon droppings, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times, smear it on the hands, and rub the chains with it, and the chains will fall away of themselves. If a husband and wife are at odds, as incompatible as fire and water, take the tail-feathers of a pair of mandarin ducks, recite the mantra over them before the image of the Great Compassionate One one thousand and eight times, and wear them, and the couple will, for the rest of their lives, hold each other in joyful affection.

"If crops in the field, or the fruit of the five kinds of trees, are being eaten by insects, take clean ash, clean sand, or clean water, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, and scatter it around the edges of the field, and the insects will retreat and scatter at once. If fruit trees are likewise sprinkled with mantra-recited water, insects will not dare eat the fruit upon them."

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "For wealth and abundance, and every kind of treasure and resource — turn to the wish-fulfilling jewel hand. For every kind of unrest, seeking peace — turn to the lasso hand. For every illness within the belly — turn to the jeweled bowl hand. For subduing every goblin and malicious spirit — turn to the jeweled sword hand. For subduing every heavenly demon-spirit — turn to the vajra hand. For overcoming every enemy — turn to the vajra-pestle hand. For fear and unrest wherever one may be — turn to the hand that grants fearlessness. For dimness of the eyes, lacking light — turn to the sun-essence maṇi hand. For a burning, poisonous illness, seeking coolness — turn to the moon-essence maṇi hand. For advancement in office and rank — turn to the jeweled bow hand. For soon meeting good and virtuous friends — turn to the jeweled arrow hand. For every kind of illness of the body — turn to the willow-branch hand. For removing evil obstructions from the body — turn to the white whisk hand. For a household of harmonious, well-matched kin — turn to the vase hand. For warding off tigers, wolves, jackals, leopards, and every savage beast — turn to the shield hand.

"For avoiding official trouble at any time or place — turn to the axe hand. For servants, male or female — turn to the jade ring hand. For every kind of merit — turn to the white lotus hand. For rebirth in the pure lands of the ten directions — turn to the blue lotus hand. For great wisdom — turn to the mirror hand. For beholding, face to face, the buddhas of the ten directions — turn to the purple lotus hand. For treasure buried within the earth — turn to the jeweled casket hand. For the way of the immortals — turn to the five-colored cloud hand. For rebirth in the Brahmā heaven — turn to the kuṇḍikā-vase hand. For rebirth in the palaces of the heavens — turn to the red lotus hand. For warding off invading enemies from another land — turn to the jeweled halberd hand. For summoning every good heavenly spirit — turn to the conch hand. For commanding every spirit — turn to the skull-staff hand. For having buddhas of the ten directions swiftly come to give their hand — turn to the rosary hand. For accomplishing every supreme and wondrous brahmā-voice — turn to the bell hand.

"For skillful and eloquent speech — turn to the seal hand. For good spirits and nāga kings constantly coming to protect one — turn to the iron hook hand. For compassionately sheltering and protecting every being — turn to the monk's staff hand. For every being always holding one in respect and affection — turn to the joined-palms hand. For never being parted, birth after birth, from the presence of the buddhas — turn to the transformation-buddha hand. For always dwelling, birth after birth, within a buddha's own palace, never taking a body conceived in a womb — turn to the transformation-palace hand. For broad learning and wide knowledge — turn to the jeweled sūtra hand. For a mind of bodhi that never turns back, from this very body all the way to buddhahood — turn to the never-turning-back golden wheel hand. For having buddhas of the ten directions swiftly come to place their hand upon one's crown and grant a prediction — turn to the crown transformation-buddha hand. For fruits, melons, and every kind of grain and harvest — turn to the grape hand. Methods that may be sought in this way number in the thousands; I have here only roughly and briefly told a few of them."

Sun Light Bodhisattva, for the sake of those who recite and hold the Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī, spoke a great mantra to protect them (retained below in transliteration, as with the mantras above): "Namo Buddhagunami, namo Dharmamahati, namo Saṃghatayani, tili bhūbi satu-ḍanoma."

"Reciting this mantra dissolves every sin, and can also ward off demons and calamity from the heavens. If one recites it once, then bows once to the Buddha, and does so three times each day, then, in ages to come, the body one receives will be well-formed and pleasing in every feature, a joyful result."

Moon Light Bodhisattva likewise spoke, for the sake of practitioners, a dhāraṇī mantra to protect them: "Śintide-tusuṭa, ajñamite-uduṭa, śinkiṭa, balaite, yamiñaṭe-uduṭa, kulate-kimaṭa, svāhā."

"Recite this mantra five times, take a five-colored thread, and make a mantra-cord of it, and bind it wherever there is pain. This mantra was spoken by forty hundred million buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in ages past, and I now speak it as well — for the sake of protecting practitioners, removing every obstruction and hardship, removing every terrible illness and pain, accomplishing every wholesome dharma, and leaving every fear far behind."

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "You should, with a deeply purified heart, hold this dhāraṇī, and spread it far and wide throughout Jambudvīpa, never letting it lapse. This dhāraṇī can bring great benefit to beings of the three realms; anyone bound up in suffering and affliction who is treated with this dhāraṇī will be cured, without exception. This great spiritual mantra, recited over a withered, dead tree, can still make it put forth branches, boughs, flowers, and fruit — how much more so, then, a being with feeling and consciousness? That a bodily illness treated with it should fail to be cured is simply not possible.

"Good son, this dhāraṇī's majestic spiritual power is inconceivable! Inconceivable! No praise could ever exhaust it. Had one not, in ages long past, widely planted wholesome roots, one could not so much as hear its name — how much less see it? You, this whole assembly, gods, humans, nāgas, and spirits, hearing my praise of it, should all rejoice together. Whoever slanders this mantra thereby slanders those ninety-nine hundred million buddhas as numerous as the Ganges' sands. Whoever gives rise to doubt and disbelief toward this dhāraṇī should know that they will forever lose this great benefit, and for a hundred thousand myriad kalpas will constantly sink in evil destinies, with no time of release, forever failing to see a buddha, hear the Dharma, or behold the monastic assembly."

The whole assembly — bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, the Vajra-Guhyapāda spirits, Brahmā, Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits — hearing the Tathāgata praise this dhāraṇī, all rejoiced, and undertook to practice as they had been taught.