The Bodhisattva of Compassion
Then Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (a.k.a. the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World) rose from his seat, prostrated and said, “World Honored One, countless eons ago, there’s a Buddha named Avalokitesvara, who inspired me to make the vow to realize the Bodhi Mind. It was Him who taught me to enter Samadhi through hearing and meditating. At first, I directed my hearing inward and entered the stream of meditation. Then I detached the hearing from its objects, making no distinctions between sound and silence, disturbance and stillness. Gradually, both hearing and its objects ceased. My awareness of this state and the state itself were emptied too, with both subject and object merging into the void, while the pure mind becoming all-embracing. Then even the process of emptying and emptiness itself vanished. Thus, without either arising or ceasing, the ultimate state of Nirvana was present.
“All of a sudden I transcended both the ordinary world and the extraordinary, realizing the perfect brightness pervading throughout the ten directions, and gaining two supreme powers: First, my mind ascended to unite with the enlightened mind of all Buddhas in all ten directions, thus acquiring the same power of compassion as the Tathagatas. Second, my mind stayed connected with all beings of the six realms in all ten directions, remaining attuned to their sorrows and prayers.
爾時觀世音菩薩，即從座起，頂禮佛足，而白佛言：世尊。憶念我昔無數恒河沙劫，於時有佛出現於世，名觀世音。我於彼佛發菩提心。彼佛教我從聞思修，入三摩地。初於聞中，入流亡所。所入既寂。動靜二相了然不生。如是漸增。聞所聞盡。盡聞不住。覺所覺空。空覺極圓。空所空滅。生滅既滅。寂滅現前。忽然超越世出世間。十方圓明。獲二殊勝。一者，上合十方諸佛本妙覺心，與佛如來同一慈力。二者，下合十方一切六道眾生，與諸眾生同一悲仰。
“World Honored One, since I kept on making offerings to the Tathagata Avalokitesvara, He led me to realize Vajra Samadhi, which gave me the same power of compassion as all Buddhas, enabling me to manifest in thirty-two forms so as to come to all lands to answer the prayers of all beings:
“(1) For Bodhisattvas who practice Samadhi to end outflows and attain the transcendental, I will appear as a Buddha to transmit them the Dharma, leading them to final liberation.
“(2) For practitioners who practice solitude and stillness to attain self-enlightenment, I will appear as a Self-enlightened One to show them the Path, leading them to liberation.
“(3) For practitioners who are working on ending the chain of dependent arising, I will appear as a Pratyeka to teach them the Dharma, leading them to liberation.
“(4) For practitioners who have understood emptiness through studying the Four Noble Truths, I will appear as a Sravaka to share the Dharma, leading them to liberation.
“(5) For beings who have come to realize the harm of desires, who try to refrain from all worldly cravings, who wish to attain the purity of body, I will appear as Brahma King to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to liberation.
“(6) For beings who desire to become celestial lords to rule over the heavens, I will appear as Lord Sakra to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(7) For beings who wish to roam freely throughout the ten directions, I will appear as Lord Isvaradeva to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(8) For beings who wish to fly freely in the space, I will appear as Lord Mahesvara to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(9) For beings who wish to have control over ghosts and spirits so as to protect their homelands, I will appear as a great warrior to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(10) For beings who wish to rule over the world so as to protect all beings, I will appear as one of the Four Celestial Kings to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(11) For beings who wish to be born in the heaven and in charge of ghosts and spirits, I will appear as a prince of the Four Celestial Kings to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(12) For beings who wish to be kings of mankind, I will appear as a human king to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(13) For beings who wish to be heads of clans and superior to their clansmen, I will appear as a respectable elder to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(14) For beings who are fond of citing famous quotes and consider themselves leading a more righteous life, I will appear as a layperson to inspire them with the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(15) For beings who are ambitious about governing cities, districts or countries, I will appear as a minister of state to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(16) For beings who are interested in numerology or other esoteric disciplines for their own benefit, I will appear as a Brahmin to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(17) For men who wish to learn the Dharma and live a monastic life, I will appear as a bhiksu to instruct them on the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(18) For women who wish to learn the Dharma and live a monastic life, I will appear as a bhiksuni to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(19) For men who observe the five precepts, I will appear as a upasaka to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(20) For women who observe the five precepts, I will appear as a upasika to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(21) For women who devote their lives to fulfil domestic duties, raising families or even the whole country, I will appear as a queen or a noble lady to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(22) For men who wish to live as celibate, I will appear as a male virgin to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(23) For women who wish to preserve their virginity and stay single, I will appear as a female virgin to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(24) For celestial beings who wish to be freed from the celestial realms, I will appear as a godly figure to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(25) For dragons who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as a dragon to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(26) For yaksas who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as a yaksa to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(27) For gandharvas who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as a gandharva to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(28) For asuras who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as an asura to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(29) For kinnaras who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as a kinnara to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(30) For mahoragas who wish to be freed from their realms, I will appear as a mahoraga to instruct them in the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(31) For humans who wish to be reborn as humans, I will appear in human form to teach them the Dharma, leading them to reach their goals.
“(32) For nonhumans who wish to be freed from their realms, whether they have a body or not, and no matter they have cognition or not, I will appear exactly as they are to lead them to reach their goals.
“These are the thirty-two transformation-bodies I manifest in all lands, responding to the prayers of all beings. I achieve it with Samadhi, in which I turn my faculty of hearing inward, merging it with the enlightened nature, thereby sublimating the faculty of hearing to realize the most wondrous power.
世尊。由我供養觀音如來。蒙彼如來，授我如幻聞熏聞修金剛三昧，與佛如來同慈力故，令我身成三十二應，入諸國土。世尊。若諸菩薩，入三摩地，進修無漏，勝解現圓。我現佛身而為說法，令其解脫。若諸有學，寂靜妙明，勝妙現圓。我於彼前現獨覺身，而為說法，令其解脫。若諸有學，斷十二緣，緣斷勝性，勝妙現圓。我於彼前現緣覺身，而為說法，令其解脫。若諸有學，得四諦空，修道入滅，勝性現圓。我於彼前現聲聞身，而為說法，令其解脫。若諸眾生，欲心明悟，不犯欲塵，欲身清淨。我於彼前現梵王身，而為說法，令其解脫。若諸眾生，欲為天主，統領諸天。我於彼前現帝釋身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，欲身自在遊行十方。我於彼前現自在天身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，欲身自在飛行虛空。我於彼前現大自在天身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛統鬼神，救護國土。我於彼前現天大將軍身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛統世界，保護眾生。我於彼前現四天王身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛生天宮，驅使鬼神。我於彼前現四天王國太子身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，樂為人王。我於彼前現人王身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛主族姓，世間推讓。我於彼前現長者身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛談名言，清淨自居。我於彼前現居士身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛治國土，剖斷邦邑。我於彼前現宰官身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，愛諸數術，攝衛自居。我於彼前現婆羅門身，而為說法，令其成就。若有男子，好學出家，持諸戒律。我於彼前現比丘身，而為說法，令其成就。若有女人，好學出家，持諸禁戒。我於彼前現比丘尼身，而為說法，令其成就。若有男子，樂持五戒。我於彼前現優婆塞身，而為說法，令其成就。若有女子，五戒自居。我於彼前現優婆夷身，而為說法，令其成就。若有女人，內政立身，以修家國。我於彼前現女主身，及國夫人命婦大家，而為說法，令其成就。若有眾生，不壞男根。我於彼前現童男身，而為說法，令其成就。若有處女，愛樂處身，不求侵暴。我於彼前現童女身，而為說法，令其成就。若有諸天，樂出天倫。我現天身而為說法，令其成就。若有諸龍，樂出龍倫。我現龍身而為說法，令其成就。若有藥叉，樂度本倫。我於彼前現藥叉身，而為說法，令其成就。若乾闥婆，樂脫其倫。我於彼前現乾闥婆身，而為說法，令其成就。若阿修羅，樂脫其倫。我於彼前現阿修羅身，而為說法，令其成就。若緊那羅，樂脫其倫。我於彼前現緊那羅身，而為說法，令其成就。若摩呼羅伽，樂脫其倫。我於彼前現摩呼羅伽身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸眾生，樂人修人。我現人身，而為說法，令其成就。若諸非人，有形無形，有想無想，樂度其倫。我於彼前皆現其身，而為說法，令其成就。是名妙淨三十二應，入國土身。皆以三昧聞熏聞修無作妙力，自在成就。
“World Honored One, this supreme hearing power achieved through Diamond Samadhi also allows me to resonate with all living beings in the six realms, three periods, and ten directions, and to bestow upon them fourteen kinds of fearlessness using my body and mind:
“First, by meditating on all suffering beings, I can hear their cries throughout the ten directions and bring them rescue and relief. Second, by turning discrimination around and restoring everything to its original state, I can ensure that all beings, even if in a great fire, never get burned. Third, by turning hearing around and restoring it to its absolute state, I can ensure that all beings, even if in a great flood, never get drowned.
“Fourth, by putting an end to all delusions and therefore cleansing the mind of harmful thoughts, I can ensure all beings, even if in the realm of evil ghosts, never get harmed.
“Fifth, by merging the faculty of hearing with its enlightened nature, meanwhile purifying and unifying all six sense organs into one with hearing, I can shatter blades and make any attack feel like merely gentle water or puff of wind, should beings ever find themselves in a great danger.
“Sixth, by infusing the faculty of hearing with essential light, which illuminates the entire Dharma-Realm and dispels all darkness, I can make sentient beings become invisible to yaksas, raksasas, kumbhandas, pisacas, putanas, or any other ghosts who come near.
“Seventh, by reversing the direction of hearing and dissolving the sound, all distorted perceptions of sense-objects are freed, in this way I liberate all beings who are bound with fetters.
“Eighth, by extinguishing sound, perfecting hearing, and making the power of compassion pervading, I protect beings from robbers on dangerous roads.
“Ninth, by sublimating their hearing and making them immune from sensual objects and attractive forms, I empower lustful beings to detach themselves from cravings and desires.
“Tenth, by purifying all sounds and eradicating all subject as well as object, I enable all resentful beings to disengage themselves from anger and hatred.
“Eleventh, by eliminating all sense data, reuniting with the enlightened nature, therefore making the entire Dharma-Realm, as well as the body and mind become crystal clear and free of all impediments, I enable all ignorant beings to steer clear of stupidity and darkness.
“Twelfth, I have the power to fulfill the wishes of childless people if they pray for good sons. I do so by harmonizing the body with the enlightened nature of hearing, by traveling everywhere without leaving anywhere, by making offerings throughout all ten directions to all the Buddhas, also by serving each Tathagata as a Dharma-Prince.
“Thirteenth, I have the power to fulfill the wishes of childless people if they ask for good daughters. I do so by purifying the six senses and unifying their lights to illuminate everything throughout the ten directions, thus realizing the Great Perfect Mirror that reflects the emptiness of the Tathagata Matrix, and serving all the Tathagatas in the ten directions, and thereby receiving all esoteric aspects of the Dharma.
“Fourteenth, throughout the billions of worlds, with their suns and moons, there are now sixty-two times as many Dharma-Princes as there are sand-grains in the Ganges. They practice the Dharma and set good examples to all living beings, teaching and guiding them with skillful expedients. Since I have made perfect breakthrough to the root source of hearing and have realized its enlightened nature, and my body and mind have become all-encompassing of everything subtle and wondrous throughout the whole Dharma-Realm, I can bestow upon beings who recite my name all the blessings they would get from calling on the names of all Dharma-Princes.
“World Honored One, the power of my name alone is equal to the power of all other names. I have attained perfect enlightenment through my spiritual practice, thereby I bestow upon all living beings these fourteen kinds of fearless powers.
世尊。我復以此聞熏聞修，金剛三昧無作妙力。與諸十方三世六道一切眾生，同悲仰故。令諸眾生，於我身心，獲十四種無畏功德。一者，由我不自觀音以觀觀者。令彼十方苦惱眾生，觀其音聲，即得解脫。二者，知見旋復。令諸眾生，設入大火，火不能燒。三者，觀聽旋復。令諸眾生，大水所漂，水不能溺。四者，斷滅妄想。心無殺害。令諸眾生，入諸鬼國，鬼不能害。五者，熏聞成聞，六根銷復，同於聲聽。能令眾生，臨當被害，刀段段壞。使其兵戈，猶如割水，亦如吹光，性無搖動。六者，聞熏精明，明遍法界，則諸幽暗性不能全。能令眾生，藥叉、羅剎、鳩槃茶鬼、及毗舍遮、富單那等。雖近其傍。目不能視。七者，音性圓銷，觀聽返入，離諸塵妄，能令眾生，禁繫枷鎖，所不能著。八者，滅音圓聞，遍生慈力。能令眾生，經過險路，賊不能劫。九者，熏聞離塵，色所不劫，能令一切多婬眾生，遠離貪欲。十者，純音無塵，根境圓融，無對所對。能令一切忿恨眾生，離諸瞋恚。十一者，銷塵旋明，法界身心，猶如琉璃，朗徹無礙。能令一切昏鈍性障諸阿顛迦，永離癡暗。十二者，融形復聞，不動道場，涉入世間。不壞世界，能遍十方。供養微塵諸佛如來。各各佛邊為法王子。能令法界無子眾生，欲求男者，誕生福德智慧之男。十三者，六根圓通，明照無二，含十方界。立大圓鏡空如來藏。承順十方微塵如來。秘密法門，受領無失。能令法界無子眾生，欲求女者，誕生端正福德柔順，眾人愛敬有相之女。十四者，此三千大千世界，百億日月，現住世間諸法王子，有六十二恒河沙數，修法垂範，教化眾生，隨順眾生，方便智慧，各各不同。由我所得圓通本根，發妙耳門。然後身心微妙含容，周遍法界。能令眾生持我名號，與彼共持六十二恒河沙諸法王子，二人福德，正等無異。世尊，我一名號，與彼眾多名號無異。由我修習得真圓通。是名十四施無畏力，福備眾生。
“Because of my perfect realization of the Supreme Path, World Honored One, I have also acquired four inconceivably wondrous virtues:
“First, since I have realized the innermost nature of hearing, the Essence of Mind pervades everything – seeing, hearing, feeling and knowing are no longer separated but become one perfect, pure and precious Bodhi. So I can manifest different forms and perform countless efficacious mantras. I may appear with one head, three heads, five heads, seven heads, nine heads, eleven heads, or even one hundred and eight heads, a thousand heads, ten thousand heads, or even as many as eighty-four thousand heads as indestructible as diamonds. Likewise, I may appear with numerous arms, with each hand forming a powerful mudra. And I may appear with numerous eyes, clear, pure, and precious, expressing either mercy or wrath, transmitting samadhi and wisdom, in order to save and protect living beings, empowering them to attain great peace and liberation.
“Second, I have completely rid of the six kinds of sense-data through concentrated hearing and contemplating. Nothing could ever stop my coming and going, just like no wall could obstruct a sound passing through. Therefore, I have the absolute power to appear in various forms and to recite countless mantras, bestowing courage and confidence upon whoever need to be rescued from dangers. This is why beings in all lands throughout the ten directions have regarded me as the Giver of Fearlessness.
“Third, I have reached such perfection in my fundamental practice by purifying the faculty of hearing, that beings in whichever land I visit are inspired to give up on their worldly attachments in exchange for my compassionate aid.
“Fourth, as I have realized the Buddha Mind, the Ultimate Reality, I can make offerings of all precious kinds to all Tathagatas throughout the ten directions, and I can make the dreams of all sentient beings come true. No matter what dreams they have in mind, be it seeking a mate, an offspring, a long life, a Samadhi state, or the Great Nirvana – they shall get it if they pray for it.
“The Buddha now asks about the best means of attaining perfection, I believe it is in this order: purifying the faculty of hearing, quieting the mind, entering the stream of meditation, attaining the state of Samadhi, and realizing the ultimate state of Bodhi.
世尊。我又獲是圓通，修證無上道故，又能善獲四不思議無作妙德。一者，由我初獲妙妙聞心，心精遺聞，見聞覺知不能分隔，成一圓融清淨寶覺。故我能現眾多妙容，能說無邊秘密神咒。其中或現一首三首五首七首九首十一首，如是乃至一百八首，千首萬首，八萬四千爍迦羅首。二臂四臂六臂八臂十臂十二臂，十四十六十八二十至二十四，如是乃至一百八臂，千臂萬臂，八萬四千母陀羅臂。二目三目四目九目。如是乃至一百八目，千目萬目，八萬四千清淨寶目。或慈或威。或定或慧。救護眾生。得大自在。二者，由我聞思，脫出六塵，如聲度垣，不能為礙。故我妙能現一一形，誦一一咒。其形其咒，能以無畏施諸眾生。是故十方微塵國土，皆名我為施無畏者。三者，由我修習本妙圓通清淨本根。所遊世界，皆令眾生捨身珍寶，求我哀愍。四者，我得佛心，證於究竟。能以珍寶種種，供養十方如來，傍及法界六道眾生。求妻得妻，求子得子。求三昧得三昧。求長壽得長壽。如是乃至求大涅槃得大涅槃。佛問圓通，我從耳門圓照三昧，緣心自在，因入流相，得三摩提，成就菩提，斯為第一。
“Word Honored One, the Buddha Avalokitesvara praised my mastery of the best means and bestowed upon me His own title ‘Avalokitesvara’ (which means ‘He Who Hears the Cries of the World’). Thereafter, I am known everywhere as ‘the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World’, because I can see and hear with absolutely perfect clarity in all the worlds throughout the ten directions.”
世尊彼佛如來，歎我善得圓通法門。於大會中，授記我為觀世音號。由我觀聽十方圓明。故觀音名遍十方界。
At this particular moment, on His lion seat, the World Honored One radiated beams of such magnificent light from His hands, His feet, as well as His forehead, that they extended far and beyond to infuse into the crowns of countless Tathagatas and Bodhisattvas throughout the ten directions. Simultaneously, all the Tathagatas sent back rays of splendid light to infuse into the Buddha’s crown, as well as the crowns of all great Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the assembly. Echoes of the Dharma teachings reverberated in all groves, ponds, and streams, while all those beams of light interlaced into magnificent nets, such an exceptional spectacle! Everyone in the assembly realized the Diamond Samadhi all at once! Right then, showers of lotus-flowers adorned with gems in various colors – some emerald, some gold, some ruby, some pearl – descended from the heavens, turning the whole space into one great expanse of precious rainbows. All mountains, rivers, and everything else in this Saha world, together with all other worlds as countless as dust motes throughout the ten directions, all vanished at the same time, merging into one Buddha-Land, where Dharma verses, chants and songs ring clear and true!
爾時世尊於師子座，從其五體同放寶光，遠灌十方微塵如來，及法王子諸菩薩頂。彼諸如來亦於五體同放寶光，從微塵方來灌佛頂，并灌會中諸大菩薩及阿羅漢。林木池沼，皆演法音。交光相羅如寶絲網，是諸大眾，得未曾有。一切普獲金剛三昧。即時天雨百寶蓮華，青黃赤白，間錯紛糅。十方虛空，成七寶色。此娑婆界大地山河，俱時不現。唯見十方微塵國土，合成一界。梵唄詠歌，自然敷奏。
Buddha Mind 