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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
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!
尔时。观世音菩萨。即从座起。顶礼佛足。而白佛言。世尊。忆念我昔。无数恒河沙劫。于时有佛。出现于世。名观世音。我于彼佛。发菩提心。彼佛教我从闻思修。入三摩地。初于闻中。入流亡所。所入既寂。动静二相。了然不生。如是渐增。闻所闻尽。尽闻不住。觉所觉空。空觉极圆。空所空灭。生灭既灭。寂灭现前。忽然超越世出世间。十方圆明。获二殊胜。一者。上合十方诸佛本妙觉心。与佛如来同一慈力。二者。下合十方一切六道众生。与诸众生。同一悲仰。世尊。由我供养观音如来。蒙彼如来。授我如幻闻熏闻修。金刚三昧。与佛如来。同慈力故。令我身成三十二应。入诸国土。世尊。若诸菩萨。入三摩地。进修无漏。胜解现圆。我现佛身。而为说法。令其解脱。若诸有学。寂静妙明。胜妙现圆。我于彼前。现独觉身。而为说法。令其解脱。若诸有学。断十二缘。缘断胜性。胜妙现圆。我于彼前。现缘觉身。而为说法。令其解脱。若诸有学。得四谛空。修道入灭。胜性现圆。我于彼前。现声闻身。而为说法。令其解脱。若诸众生。欲心明悟。不犯欲尘。欲身清净。我于彼前。现梵王身。而为说法。令其解脱。若诸众生。欲为天主。统领诸天。我于彼前。现帝释身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。欲身自在。游行十方。我于彼前。现自在天身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。欲身自在。飞行虚空。我于彼前。现大自在天身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱统鬼神。救护国土。我于彼前。现天大将军身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱统世界。保护众生。我于彼前。现四天王身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱生天宫。驱使鬼神。我于彼前。现四天王国太子身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。乐为人主。我于彼前。现人王身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱主族姓。世间推让。我于彼前。现长者身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱谈名言。清净其居。我于彼前。现居士身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱治国土。剖断邦邑。我于彼前。现宰官身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。爱诸数术。摄卫自居。我于彼前。现婆罗门身。而为说法。令其成就。若有男子。好学出家。持诸戒律。我于彼前。现比丘身。而为说法。令其成就。若有女子。好学出家。持诸禁戒。我于彼前。现比丘尼身。而为说法。令其成就。若有男子。乐持五戒。我于彼前。现优婆塞身。而为说法。令其成就。若复女子。五戒自居。我于彼前。现优婆夷身。而为说法。令其成就。若有女人。内政立身。以修家国。我于彼前。现女主身。及国夫人。命妇大家。而为说法。令其成就。若有众生。不坏男根。我于彼前。现童男身。而为说法。令其成就。若有处女。爱乐处身。不求侵暴。我于彼前。现童女身。而为说法。令其成就。若有诸天。乐出天伦。我现天身。而为说法。令其成就。若有诸龙。乐出龙伦。我现龙身。而为说法。令其成就。若有药叉。乐度本伦。我于彼前。现药叉身。而为说法。令其成就。若乾闼婆。乐脱其伦。我于彼前。现乾闼婆身。而为说法。令其成就。若阿修罗。乐脱其伦。我于彼前。现阿修罗身。而为说法。令其成就。若紧陀罗。乐脱其伦。我于彼前。现紧陀罗身。而为说法。令其成就。若摩呼罗伽。乐脱其伦。我于彼前。现摩呼罗伽身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸众生。乐人修人。我现人身。而为说法。令其成就。若诸非人。有形无形。有想无想。乐度其伦。我于彼前。皆现其身。而为说法。令其成就。是名妙净三十二应。入国土身。皆以三昧。闻熏闻修。无作妙力。自在成就。世尊。我复以此闻熏闻修。金刚三昧。无作妙力。与诸十方三世。六道一切众生。同悲仰故。令诸众生。于我身心。获十四种无畏功德。一者。由我不自观音。以观观者。令彼十方苦恼众生。观其音声。即得解脱。二者。知见旋复。令诸众生。设入大火。火不能烧。三者。观听旋复。令诸众生。大水所漂。水不能溺。四者。断灭妄想。心无杀害。令诸众生。入诸鬼国。鬼不能害。五者。熏闻成闻。六根销复。同于声听。能令众生。临当被害。刀段段坏。使其兵戈。犹如割水。亦如吹光。性无摇动。六者。闻熏精明。明遍法界。则诸幽暗。性不能全。能令众生。药叉罗刹。鸠槃茶鬼。及毗舍遮。富单那等。虽近其傍。目不能视。七者。音性圆销。观听返入。离诸尘妄。能令众生。禁系枷锁。所不能着。八者。灭音圆闻。遍生慈力。能令众生。经过险路。贼不能劫。九者。熏闻离尘。色所不劫。能令一切多淫众生。远离贪欲。十者。纯音无尘。根境圆融。无对所对。能令一切忿恨众生。离诸嗔恚。十一者。销尘旋明。法界身心。犹如琉璃。朗彻无碍。能令一切昏钝性障。诸阿颠迦。永离痴暗。十二者。融形复闻。不动道场。涉入世间。不坏世界。能遍十方。供养微尘诸佛如来。各各佛边。为法王子。能令法界无子众生。欲求男者。诞生福德智慧之男。十三者。六根圆通。明照无二。含十方界。立大圆镜。空如来藏。承顺十方微尘如来。秘密法门。受领无失。能令法界无子众生。欲求女者。诞生端正福德柔顺。众人爱敬。有相之女。十四者。此三千大千世界。百亿日月。现住世间诸法王子。有六十二恒河沙数。修法垂范。教化众生。随顺众生。方便智慧。各各不同。由我所得圆通本根。发妙耳门。然后身心微妙含容。遍周法界。能令众生持我名号。与彼共持。六十二恒河沙诸法王子。二人福德。正等无异。世尊。我一名号。与彼众多名号无异。由我修习。得真圆通。是名十四施无畏力。福备众生。世尊。我又获是圆通。修证无上道故。又能善获。四不思议无作妙德。一者。由我初获。妙妙闻心。心精遗闻。见闻觉知。不能分隔。成一圆融。清净宝觉。故我能现众多妙容。能说无边秘密神咒。其中或现一首。三首五首。七首九首。十一首。如是乃至一百八首。千首万首。八万四千烁迦啰首。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。千臂万臂。八万四千母陀罗臂。二目三目。四目九目。如是乃至一百八目。千目万目。八万四千清净宝目。或慈或威。或定或慧。救护众生。得大自在。二者。由我闻思。脱出六尘。如声度垣。不能为碍。故我妙能现一一形。诵一一咒。其形其咒。能以无畏。施诸众生。是故。十方微尘国土。皆名我为。施无畏者。三者。由我修习。本妙圆通清净本根。所游世界。皆令众生。舍身珍宝。求我哀愍。四者。我得佛心。证于究竟。能以珍宝种种。供养十方如来。傍及法界六道众生。求妻得妻。求子得子。求三昧得三昧。求长寿得长寿。如是乃至求大涅槃得大涅槃。佛问圆通。我从耳门圆照三昧。缘心自在。因入流相。得三摩提。成就菩提。斯为第一。世尊。彼佛如来。叹我善得圆通法门。于大会中。授记我为。观世音号。由我观听十方圆明。故观音名。遍十方界。
尔时。世尊于狮子座。从其五体。同放宝光。远灌十方微尘如来。及法王子。诸菩萨顶。彼诸如来。亦于五体。同放宝光。从微尘方。来灌佛顶。并灌会中诸大菩萨。及阿罗汉。林木池沼。皆演法音。交光相罗。如宝丝网。是诸大众。得未曾有。一切普获金刚三昧。即时天雨百宝莲花。青黄赤白。间错纷糅。十方虚空。成七宝色。此娑婆界。大地山河。俱时不现。惟见十方微尘国土。合成一界。梵呗咏歌。自然数奏。
Buddha Mind 