The Whole Assembly Making Vows
As soon as the World-Honored One finished speaking, countless Vajra Warriors in the assembly placed their palms together and bowed reverently to the Buddha: “With utmost sincerity we vow to protect all practitioners who cultivate Bodhi in accord with the Buddha’s teachings.” And the Brahma King, the Lord Sakra, as well as the Four Celestial Kings all bowed before the Buddha, speaking simultaneously, “If there are good people who study and practice accordingly, we vow to protect them with all our might and help them fulfill their wishes in their current lives.” Then innumerous ghost kings and ghost generals also placed their palms together and bowed before the Buddha, saying respectfully: “We too vow to protect these people and help them attain their Perfect Bodhi quickly.”
Furthermore, countless gods – such as the gods of the sun and moon, gods of rain, cloud, thunder and lightning, as well as the retinues of stars who patrol the whole world throughout the year, all prostrated at the Buddha’s feet and said reverently, “We also vow to protect all practitioners so that they may practice with peace of mind and without fear.”
Moreover, innumerous spirits of mountains, seas, and wind, all myriad creatures of land, water, and air, as well as spirits of the Formless Heavens, all simultaneously bowed before the Buddha and said, “Likewise, we will protect these practitioners to realize Bodhi without being obstructed by any demonic force.”
Then, the Vajra-Treasury-King Bodhisattvas, as measureless as eighty-four thousand million billion times the number of sand grains in the Ganges, all arose from their seats and prostrated at the Buddha’s feet, vowing reverently: “World-Honored One, although we have long since attained Bodhi, we have chosen not to enter Nirvana but to uphold this Mantra and safeguard all those who are cultivating Samadhi during the time of the Dharma’s ending. Whether they are sitting or walking, or even playing around with a scattered mind, we will nonetheless follow them and attend to them closely, so that even the demon kings or the gods of pleasure can never succeed in seducing them. And small-time ghosts and spirits will have to stay at least seventy miles away from these good people, except for those who are also resolved to joyfully practice meditation. World-Honored One, anyone who tries to intrude and disturb these good people, we will smash their skulls with our Vajra pestles, always making sure the good practitioners have their wishes fulfilled.”
說是語已會中無量百千金剛一時佛前合掌頂禮而白佛言。如佛所說我當誠心。保護如是修菩提者。爾時梵王并天帝釋四天大王。亦於佛前同時頂禮而白佛言。審有如是修學善人。我當盡心至誠保護。令其一生所作如願。復有無量藥叉大將。諸羅剎王富單那王。鳩槃茶王毘舍遮王。頻那夜迦諸大鬼王及諸鬼帥。亦於佛前合掌頂禮。我亦誓願護持是人。令菩提心速得圓滿。復有無量日月天子。風師雨師雲師雷師并電伯等。年歲巡官諸星眷屬。亦於會中頂禮佛足而白佛言。我亦保護是修行人。安立道場得無所畏。復有無量山神海神。一切土地水陸空行萬物精祇。并風神王無色界天。於如來前同時稽首而白佛言。我亦保護是修行人。得成菩提永無魔事。爾時八萬四千那由他恒河沙俱胝金剛藏王菩薩。在大會中即從座起。頂禮佛足而白佛言。世尊如我等輩。所修功業久成菩提。不取涅槃常隨此呪。救護末世修三摩提正修行者。世尊如是修心求正定人。若在道場及餘經行。乃至散心遊戲聚落。我等徒眾常當隨從侍衛此人。縱令魔王大自在天。求其方便終不可得。諸小鬼神去此善人十由旬外。除彼發心樂修禪者。世尊如是惡魔若魔眷屬。欲來侵擾是善人者。我以寶杵殞碎其首猶如微塵。恒令此人所作如願。
Buddha Mind 