CHAPTER 12

 

BENEFITS FROM SEEING AND

HEARING KISHITIGARBHA

 

 

At that time, the World-Honored One emitted hundreds, thousands, millions and billions of light rays from the top of his head: the White Ray, the Great White Ray, the Auspicious Portent Ray, the Great Auspicious Portent Ray, the Jade Ray, the Great Jade Ray, the Purple Ray, the Great Purple Ray, the Blue Ray, the Great Blue Ray, the Azure Ray, the Great Azure Ray, the Red Ray, the Great Red Ray, the Green Ray, the Great Green Ray, the Gold Ray, the Great Gold Ray, the Good Luck Cloud Ray, the Great Good Luck Cloud Ray, the Thousand-Wheeled Ray, the Great Thousand-Wheeled Ray, the Jewelled Ray, the Great Jewelled Ray, the Solar Disc Ray, the Great Solar Disc Ray, the Lunar Disc Ray, the Great Lunar Disc Ray, the Palace Ray, the Great Palace Ray, the Ocean Cloud Ray and the Great Ocean Cloud Ray.

 

And the Buddha again emitted wonderfully subtle sounds and informed all beings, gods, dragons and the others, both human or non-human, "Here in Trayastrimsa Heaven Palace, all listen to me as I glorify the merits that Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha has performed for those in heaven and the human world. This is an inconceivable and super saintly thing. It is his certification of the Tenth Ground - the highest ground of Bodhisattva, and shows us that he will never regress from the Buddhadharma."

 

At that time, there was a great Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, named Avalokiteshvara. He rose from his seat, then knelt down, placed his hands together and said, "World-Honored One, Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha, Mahasattva, has a merciful and benevolent heart. He pities the suffering and incarnates himself into billions of different forms to cultivate all beings. All his merits and unimaginable divine power I have heard from the mouths of the World-Honored One and limitless Buddhas. Even all the Buddhas now and in the future cannot extol all of Kishitigarbha's merits. And now, you again want to tell all beings and praise him for all his merits. World-Honored One, please speak of the inconceivable divine power of Kishitigarbha. Then allow the gods, dragons and the others to obtain benefits and merits."

 

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, "You have a close relationship with the Saha World. If heavenly beings, dragons, men, women, gods, ghosts or all beings suffering from their crimes in the six levels hear your name, see your image, adore you or praise you, they will never regress from the Dharma, and they will always be born in heaven or a human world and enjoy happiness. When their good fruit ripens, they will encounter Buddhas and be prophesied as a future Buddha. Now, having mercy and a kind heart for all heavenly beings, dragons and the others, you come here to listen to my explanation of the inconceivable benefits of the Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha. You should listen to me carefully. I shall explain this to you." Avalokiteshvara said, "Yes, World-Honored One, I will be glad to hear your words. "

 

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, "Now and in the future worlds, when the heavenly beings are going to complete their happy life there, they will show five signs of decay. Some will even fall into an evil level. When such heavenly beings, regardless of whether they are male or female show the five weak signs, if they can see Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha's image, hear Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha's name, and gaze in worship, they will obtain more merits, enjoy more happiness and never fall into the three evil levels. If they see this Bodhisattva and offer him flowers, clothing, food, treasures or jewels, the merits and benefits they earn will be endless and uncountable.

 

"Moreover, Avalokiteshvara, now and in the future, if those beings in the six levels who are about to die can hear the name of the Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha deep in their ears, they will not go through the pain of the three evil levels. If, for example, one sells the house, treasures, possessions and clothing which belong to this person who is about to die, and uses the money to paint or carve an image of Kishitigarbha - or the sick person himself hears or sees that a relative on his behalf has sold his properties to paint or carve a statue of Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha for him. If this person's karma retribution is to suffer a serious illness, then by inheriting these merits, he will recover from the illness soon and will live longer. What if this person's karmic retribution is to fall into the evil levels? By inheriting the merits, his crimes and karma will be eliminated. After he dies he will ascend to heaven and enjoy wonderful happiness. All other crimes will also be eliminated.

 

"Moreover, Avalokiteshvara, in the future, if there is a man or woman whose parents, or brothers or sisters die; or if when a person was young, was separated from his or her parents or relatives and wonders where they are or to which heaven they have gone: if they can carve or paint an image of the Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha, or can respect and worship him continuously for seven days, constantly and attentively hearing his name and worshipping, then the accumulated merits will allow this person's relatives to be relieved from suffering soon, even though this person's relatives should fall into the evil level for many aeons, and suffer pain because of their karma. The person's relatives can be reborn in heaven, where they will enjoy wonderful bliss. If the relatives by their own merits have ascended to heaven they will possess Buddha's wisdom and have endless happiness. If a person can bow and kneel to the image of Kishitigarbha with an attentive heart for twenty-one days, and recite his name ten thousand times, the Bodhisattva will appear and tell the person where his relatives have gone. Or, in his dream, he will see the Bodhisattva show great divine power and personally lead him to every world to meet his relatives.

 

"If one can recite the name of Bodhisattva one thousand times a day, continuously for a thousand days, the Bodhisattva will send a god or a ghost to protect and guard him for his whole life and make sure that he lives in affluence. No hardship or sickness will come to him or his house. This person will finally be blessed when Bodhisattva comes to touch his head and predict that he will become a Buddha.

 

"Moreover, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in the future, when any good man or good woman benevolently makes a vow towards cultivating an helping all beings, wishes to learn about the Dharma an hopes to be released from the three evil levels, if that person sees Kishitigarbha's image, hears his name, follows him with an honest heart or contributes fragrant flowers, clothing, treasures or food in worship, then al their wishes will soon be brought to completion without any obstruction. Moreover, Avalokiteshvara, in the future, any good man or good woman who make millions of wishes, as long as he or she takes refuge in worships respectfully, offers and praises the image of Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha, then all wishes and goals can be realized. If he or she makes a vow for Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha to show his great mercy and protect and guard him or her forever, and dreams that Bodhisattva touches his or her head making a mark, then he or she will finally be a Buddha.

 

"Moreover, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in the future, what if a good man or good woman cherishes and reverently reads Mahayana sutras and raises a sincere heart in reading sutras, but even though he or she meets a good teacher, soon forgets the contents of the sutra and cannot read or recite it? This is because this person has karmic obstructions from a former life. This person should tell the Bodhisattva reverently when they hear his name or see his face that they are unable to remember or read the Mahayana sutra. And they should offer flowers, clothing, food or even playthings to the Bodhisattva, prepare a glass of clean water, place it in front of Bodhisattva's image for one day and night, then place both hands together, ask to drink the water, face the south, and with a sincere and respectful heart, drink the water. After that, be careful not to drink wine, eat meat and the five pungent plants. Do not be licentious, use false speech or kill living creatures. After seven or twenty-one days, this good man or good woman will see Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha show his limitless body in their dream. Kishitigarbha will himself anoint their head with water. This person will then be intelligent when he or she awakes. Any sutra he or she hears will be remembered forever; not a single word or sentence will be forgotten.

 

"Furthermore, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in the future, anyone who lacks food or clothing, who cannot obtain the thing he or she wants, who usually falls sick, who always meets evil, whose family is disturbed, who loses his or her relatives, who is often hit by a misfortune or who is terrified in their dreams, they will gradually be removed from those unpleasant things. If they have a reverent and sincere heart when reciting Bodhisattva's name ten thousand times, or while hearing Kishitigarbha's name or seeing his image, they will also obtain peace, happiness and wealth - even in their dreams.

 

"Furthermore, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in the future, any good man or good woman who needs to enter a mountain or forest, cross an ocean or river, or pass along a dangerous road for personal or official business in a life or death situation or emergency, should first recite Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha's name ten thousand times. Then, this place will be protected by gods and ghosts, regardless of whether he or she walks, sits or lies. He or she will surely be peaceful and happy. Even though they meet a tiger, wolf, lion or any other fierce beast, these beasts will be unable harm them at all. The Buddha told Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, "Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha has a deep relationship with those beings of the worlds. Even through hundreds or thousands of aeons, I still could not convey all the ways he benefits all beings. Therefore, Avalokiteshvara, you should use your divine power to spread this sutra to make sure that all those beings in all worlds can enjoy the merits of peace and happiness through thousands of aeons."

 

At that time, World-Honored One spoke a verse:

"I observe Kishitigarbha's divine power,

Like the Ganges sand-like aeons,

It cannot be described.

To see, to hear, or to worship are all in a thought;

Endless benefits for humanity and heaven.

Men, women, dragons or gods,

If by their retributions should fall into evil,

Sincerely take refuge in Mahasattva,

Lifespan will increase and karmic obstacles will be eliminated.

If children lose parents' love when they are young,

And wonder where their spirits are,

And they never met brothers, sisters or relatives,

Since they grew up:

Carve or paint an image of the Mahasattva.

Look, worship and adore it without stopping,

Recite the name from seven to twenty-one days.

Bodhisattva will show the limitless body,

Show where the relatives have gone.

Even falling into evil can be removed.

If one does not go back on his first thought,

Kishitigarbha will touch his head and anoint it.

Anyone who wants to follow Bodhi,

Or be relieved from the suffering of the three levels,

This person should raise a great merciful heart,

To gaze at and worship Mahasattva's image.

Any wish will come true immediately,

And no karma obstacle can stop him.

Anyone who raises his heart to read the sutra

Hoping to save all beings,

Although this vow is inconceivable,

Still the person reads and forgets it soon

Because karma obstacles confuse him.

Offerings of fragrant flowers,

Clothing, food or any playthings to Kishitigarbha.

Preparing clean water before the Mahasattva,

Then to drink after a day and a night.

Be careful to avoid the five pungent plants,

Not to drink wine, eat meat or be licentious,

Not to kill living beings for twenty-one days.

Recite Mahasattva's name reverently.

You can see Kishitigarbha in your dream.

Becoming intelligent when awakening.

After instruction, no sutra will be forgotten,

Never ever forget through thousands of generations.

This is caused by Mahasattva's inconceivable power,

Which makes this person wise.

Those beings who are poor or sick,

A family whose fortune is declining,

The people who have uneasy dreams,

Wishes never come true.

Sincerely worship Kishitigarbha's image.

All evil things can be eliminated,

Even dreams can be peaceful.

Clothes and food will be opulent,

Gods and ghosts will protect them.

Anyone who enters the forest or crosses the ocean,

Afraid of ferocious animals and evil people,

All such disaster and distress,

Gaze at, worship and makes offerings to the image of Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha, Mahasattva.

The evils of the forest and ocean will be eliminated.

Avalokiteshvara, listen to me,

Kishitigarbha is inconceivable,

Through thousands of aeons it cannot be told.

 Proclaim and exalt Mahasattva's divine power.

Anyone hearing Kishitigarbha's name,

Anyone seeing Kishitigarbha's image and worshipping,

Offering flowers, clothing or food

Can enjoy wonderful pleasure for thousands of aeons.

Dedicating the merits to those beings in the Dharma-World,

Finally become a Buddha, crossing over life and death.              

Avalokiteshvara, thus you should know                     

And proclaim through the worlds -

More numerous than the Ganges’ sands."