Merit and Virtue of
the Past
Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata
Translation into Chinese by
Tripitaka Master Hsuan Tsang
(Text) Tripitaka Master Yi Jing (Mantra) of Tang Dynasty (ca. A.D.
700)
Translation into English by The Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
(1997)
Thus I have heard. At one time the Bhagavan was travelling
through various lands to teach living beings. He arrived at Vaishali ["City of
Extensive Adornments"] and stayed beneath a tree from which music resounded.
With him were eight thousand great Bhikshus and thirty-six thousand
Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas; also kings, ministers, Brahmans, lay disciples; gods,
dragons, and the rest of the eightfold division; beings both human and
non-human. The immeasurable great multitude respectfully surrounded him, and he
spoke Dharma for them.
At that time,
the Dharma Prince Manjushri, receiving the awesome inspiration of the Buddha,
rose from his seat, bared one of his shoulders, knelt on his right knee, and,
inclining his head and placing his palms together, said to the
Bhagavan,
"World Honored One! We wish you would speak about such Dharmas
as the Buddhas' names, the great vows they made in the past, and their supreme
merit and virtue, so that those who hear them will be rid of their karmic
hindrances. This request is also for the sake of bringing benefit and joy to
sentient beings in the Dharma-Image Age."
The Buddha then praised the
Pure Youth Manjushri:
"Good indeed! Good indeed, Manjushri. With great
compassion you now request that I speak about the Buddhas' names and the merit
and virtue of their past vows, for the sake of rescuing sentient beings who are
bound up by karmic obstacles, and for the purpose of bringing benefit, peace,
and joy to beings who live in the Dharma-Image Age. Listen attentively to my
words and reflect on them extremely well, for I will now answer
you."
Manjushri said, "Please do speak. We are glad to
listen."
The Buddha told Manjushri, "Passing from here to the east,
beyond Buddhalands numerous as the sand grains in ten Ganges rivers, is a world
called 'Pure Vaidurya.' The Buddha there is named Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, Of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, Perfect in Understanding and
Practice, Well Gone One, One Who Understands the World, Supreme Lord, Regulating
Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavan. Manjushri, when that World
Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, was practicing the
Bodhisattva path in the past, he made twelve great vows that enable all sentient
beings to obtain what they seek.
The First Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life, when I attain
anuttarasamyaksambodhi, my body will shine with dazzling light that will
illumine measureless, countless, boundless worlds. My body will be adorned with
the thirty-two heroic features and the eighty subsidiary characteristics, and I
will enable all beings to become as I am.'
The Second Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, my body
will be as bright and clear as vaidurya, flawlessly pure, vastly radiant,
majestic with merit and virtue, abiding at ease, adorned with blazing nets
brighter than the sun and the moon. Beings dwelling in darkness will be
illuminated and will succeed in all their endeavors.'
The Third
Great Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I
will, by means of limitless, unbounded wisdom and skill-in-means, enable all
sentient beings to obtain an inexhaustible supply of material necessities so
they are without the slightest want.'
The Fourth Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall
lead those sentient beings who practice deviant paths to reside in the Way of
Bodhi, and those who travel on the vehicles of the Hearer or Pratyekabuddha to
abide in the Great Vehicle.'
The Fifth Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall
enable limitless and boundless numbers of sentient beings who cultivate Brahma
conduct within my Dharma to perfectly uphold the three clusters of precepts
without exception. Should there be any violation, upon hearing my name, they
will regain their purity and not fall into the evil
destinies.'
The Sixth Great Vow:
'I vow that in a
future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are sentient beings whose bodies are
inferior and whose faculties are imperfect, who are ugly, dull, blind, deaf,
mute, deformed, paralyzed, hunch-backed, or afflicted with skin disease,
insanity, or
various other sicknesses and sufferings, upon hearing my name
they shall all become endowed with upright features, keen intelligence, and
perfect faculties, and they shall be free of sickness and
suffering.'
The Seventh Great Vow:
'I vow that in
a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall cause sentient beings who are
oppressed by many illnesses and who are without aid, without a place to turn,
without a doctor,without medicine, without relatives, and without a family, who
are poverty-stricken and filled with suffering to be cured of their sicknesses
upon having my name pass by their ear, so they are peaceful and happy in body
and mind. They will have a family and relatives, and acquire an abundance of
property and wealth, and even realize unsurpassed Bodhi.'
The
Eighth Great Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain
Bodhi, if there are women who give rise to a deep loathing for their female body
and wish to renounce it because they are oppressed and disturbed by the myriad
sufferings of being female, upon hearing my name, they will be able to turn from
women into men who are replete with male features and ultimately realize
unsurpassed Bodhi.'
The Ninth Great Vow:
'I vow
that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall liberate sentient beings from
the nets of demons and the bonds of external sects. If they have fallen into the
dense forests of evil views, I shall lead them to have proper views and to
gradually cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas so they will quickly realize
unsurpassed, proper and equal Bodhi.'
The Tenth Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall
cause sentient beings who fall into the hands of the law and are bound,
interrogated, whipped, fettered, imprisoned, sentenced to execution, or
subjected to endless disasters, hardships, abuse, and humiliation so that they
are torn by grief and distress and suffering in body and mind, to obtain, upon
hearing my name, liberation from all worry and suffering by means of my
blessings, virtue, and awesome spiritual power.'
The Eleventh
Great Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I
shall cause all sentient beings who are so plagued by hunger and thirst that
they create all kinds of bad karma in their quest for food, upon hearing my name
and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, to be filled with delicious
food and drink and afterward, by means of the flavor of Dharma, to settle in
ultimate peace and happiness.'
The Twelfth Great
Vow:
'I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there
are sentient beings who are poor and without clothes so that day and night they
are troubled by mosquitoes and flies, and by cold and heat, upon hearing my name
and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, they shall obtain all kinds of
fine and wonderful garments that accord with their tastes, as well as a variety
of precious adornments, flower garlands, fragrant balms, and the enjoyments of
music, and various kinds of talents, so that
all their hearts' delights will
be fulfilled.'
"Manjushri, these are the twelve sublime and wonderful
vows that the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One
of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, made while cultivating the
Bodhisattva
Way."
"Moreover, Manjushri, if I were to speak for an eon or more about
the great vows made by the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, when he practiced the Bodhisattva Way and about the merit, virtue,
and adornments of his Buddhaland, I could not finish."
"That Buddhaland
has always been completely pure; there are no women, no evil destinies, and no
sounds of suffering. The ground is made of vaidurya, with golden cords lining
the roads. The city walls , towers, palace pavilions, studios, windows, and
latticework, are all made of the seven treasures.
The merit, virtue, and
adornments of this land are identical to those of the Western Land of Ultimate
Bliss."
"Residing in that land are two Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas; the
first is called Universally Radiant Sunlight, and the second, Universally
Radiant Moonlight. They are the leaders among the immeasurable, uncountable
hosts of Bodhisattvas in that land and will be the successors to that
Buddha.
They are able to maintain the precious treasury of the Proper
Dharma of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
Therefore, Manjushri, all good men and women who have faith should vow
to be born in that Buddha's land."
At that time, the World Honored One
again spoke to the Pure Youth Manjushri saying,
"Manjushri, there are
living beings who don't distinguish good from evil, who indulge in greed and
stinginess, and who know nothing of giving or its rewards. They are stupid,
ignorant, and lack the foundation of faith. They accumulate much wealth and many
treasures and ardently guard
them. When they see a beggar coming, they feel
displeased. When they have to practice an act of charity that does not benefit
themselves, they feel as though they were cutting a piece of flesh from
their body, and they suffer deep and painful regret."
"There are
other innumerable avaricious and miserly living beings who hoard money and
necessities that they don't use even for themselves, how much less for their
parents, wives, or servants, or for beggars! At the end of their lives, such
beings will be reborn among the hungry ghosts or animals. If they heard the name
of that Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, in their former human
existence, and they recall that Tathagata's name for the briefest moment while
they are in the evil destinies, they will immediately be reborn in the human
realm. Moreover, they will remember their past lives and will dread the
sufferings of the evil destinies. They will not delight in worldly pleasures,
but will rejoice in giving and praise others who give. They will not begrudge
giving whatever they have.
Gradually, to those who come to beg, they will be
able to give away their own head, eyes, hands, feet, and even their entire body,
to say nothing of their money and property!"
"Moreover, Manjushri, there
are beings who, although they study under the Tathagata, nonetheless violate the
shila.
Others, although
they do not violate the shila, nonetheless transgress the rules and
regulations.
Others, although they do not violate the shila or rules and
regulations, nonetheless destroy their own proper views.
Others,
although they do not destroy their own proper views, nonetheless neglect
learning, so they are unable to understand the profound meaning of the Sutras
that the Buddha speaks.
Others, although they are learned, nonetheless
give rise to overweening pride. Shadowed by overweening pride, they justify
themselves and disparage others, slander the Proper Dharma, and join the retinue
of demons.Such fools act on their misguided views and further, cause
immeasurable millions of beings to fall into pits of great danger.
These beings
will drift endlessly in the realms of the hells, the animals, and the ghosts.
But if they hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they will
be able to renounce their evil practicesand cultivate wholesome Dharmas, and
thereby avoid falling into the evil destinies.
If those who have fallen
into the evil destinies because they could not renounce their evil practices and
cultivate wholesome Dharmas, by the awesome power of the past vows of that
Tathagata, get to hear his name for only a moment, then after they pass out of
that existence, they will be reborn again as human beings. They will hold proper
views and will be ever vigorous. Their minds will be well-regulated and joyful,
enabling them to renounce their families and leave the householder's
life.
They will take up and maintain study of the Tathagata's Dharma without
any violation, they will have proper views and erudition; they will understand
profound meanings and yet be free from
overweening pride.
They will
not slander the Proper Dharma and will never join the ranks of demons.
They will progressively cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas and will
soon bring them to perfection."
"Moreover, Manjushri, if there are
sentient beings who harbor stinginess, greed, and jealousy, who praise
themselves and disparage others, they will fall into the three evil destinies
for countless thousands of years where they will undergo intense
suffering.
After undergoing intense suffering, at the end of their lives
they will be born in the world as oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys that are
constantly beaten, afflicted by thirst and hunger, and made to carry heavy
burdens along the roads.
Or they may be reborn among lowly people, as
slaves or servants who are always ordered around by others and who never for a
moment feel at ease.
If such beings, in their former lives as humans,
heard the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, and by this good cause are able to remember it and sincerely take
refuge with that Buddha, then, by means of the Buddha's spiritual power, they
will be liberated
from all sufferings. They will be endowed with keen
faculties, and they will be wise and erudite.
They will always seek the
supreme Dharmas and encounter good friends. They will eternally sever the nets
of demons and smash the shell of ignorance. They will dry up the river of
afflictions and be liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, anxiety,
grief, suffering, and vexation."
"Moreover, Manjushri, there may be
beings who delight in perversity and engage in legal disputes, bringing trouble
to others as well as themselves.
In their actions, speech, and thoughts,
they create ever-increasing amounts of evil karma.
Never willing to
benefit and forgive others, they scheme to harm one another instead.
They
pray to the spirits of the mountain forests,trees, and graves.
They kill
living beings in order to make sacrifices of blood and flesh to the yaksha and
rakshasa ghosts.
They write down the names of their enemies and make
images of them, and then they hex those names and images with evil mantras.
They summon paralysis ghosts, cast hexes, or command corpse-raising
ghosts to kill or injure their enemies.
However, if the victims hear the
name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then all those evil things
will lose their power to do harm.
The evildoers will become kind to one
another.They will attain benefit, peace, and happiness and no longer cherish
thoughts of malice, affliction, or enmity.
Everyone will rejoice and
feel content with what they have. Instead of encroaching upon each other,
they will seek to benefit one another."
"Moreover, Manjushri, there
may be those among the fourfold assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and
Upasikas, as well as other good men and women of pure faith, who accept and
uphold the eight precepts, either for one year or for three months, practicing
and studying them.
With these good roots, they may vow to be born in the
Western Land of Ultimate Bliss where the Buddha of Limitless Life dwells, to
hear the Proper Dharma, but their resolve may not be firm.
However,
if they hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, then as the end of their lives draws near, before them will appear
eight great Bodhisattvas, whose names are:
Manjushri Bodhisattva,
The
Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World,
Great Strength
Bodhisattva,
Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva,
Jeweled Udumbara
Flower Bodhisattva, Medicine King Bodhisattva,
Medicine Superior
Bodhisattva, and
Maitreya Bodhisattva.
Those eight great Bodhisattvas
will appear in space to show them the way, and they will naturally be born by
transformation in that land, amid precious flowers of a myriad colors.
Or
they may be born in the heavens due to this cause.
Although reborn in
the heavens, their original good roots will not be exhausted and so they will
not fall into the evil destinies again.
When their life in the heavens
ends, they will be born among people again.
They may be wheel-turning
kings, reigning over the four continents with awesome virtue and
ease,
bringing uncountable hundreds of thousands of living beings to abide in
the practice of the ten good deeds.
Or they may be born as kshatriyas,
Brahmans, laymen, or sons of honorable families.
They will be wealthy, with
storehouses filled to overflowing.
Handsome in appearance. they will be
surrounded by a great retinue of
relatives.
They will be intelligent and
wise, courageous and valiant, like great and awesome knights.
If a woman
hears the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata,
and sincerely cherishes it, in the future she will never again be
born as a female."
"Moreover, Manjushri, when Medicine Master Vaidurya
Light Tathagata attained Bodhi, by the power of his past vows he contemplated
all the sentient beings who were undergoing various kinds of sickness and
sufferings.
Some suffered from diseases such as emaciation,atrophy,
severe thirst, or yellow fever; others were harmed by paralysis ghosts or by
poisonous hexes; some died naturally when young, while others experienced
untimely deaths.
He wished to dispel all their sicknesses and
sufferings, and to fulfill their wishes."
At that time, the World Honored
One entered a samadhi called "extinguishing the suffering and distress of all
beings."
After he entered this samadhi, a great light came forth from
his flesh-cowl.
From amid that light he proclaimed this magnificent
dharani:
Na mo bo qie fa di
Bi sha she
Ju lu bi liu li
Bo la
po
He la she ye
Da tuo jie duo ye
E la he di
San miao san pu tuo
ye
Da zhi tuo nan
Bi sha shi
Bi sha shi
Bi sha she
San mo jie di
Suo he.
After he had spoken that mantra from amid the light, the
earth trembled and emitted great light. All beings' sicknesses and sufferings
were cast off, and they felt peaceful and happy.
"Manjushri, if you see a
man (or a woman) who is ill, you should single-mindedly and frequently clean and
bathe him and rinse his mouth. Provide him with food, medicine, or water that is
free of insects, over any of which the dharanihas been recited 108 times. After
the sick person has taken it, all his sicknesses and sufferings will be gone.
If this person has a wish, he should recite this mantra with utmost
sincerity. Then he will obtain whatever he wished for, and his life will be
prolonged and free from illness. At the end of his life, he will be reborn in
that Buddha's land. He will become irreversible and will ultimately attain
Bodhi.
Therefore, Manjushri, if there are men and women who, with
utmost sincerity, diligently worship and make offerings to Medicine Master
Vaidurya Light Tathagata they should always recite this mantra and
never
forget it."
"Moreover, Manjushri, men or women of pure faith, who have
heard all the names of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One of Proper
and Equal Enlightenment, should recite and uphold them. In the early morning,
after brushing their teeth and bathing, they should make offerings of fragrant
flowers,incense, perfumed balms, and various kinds of music before an image of
that Buddha.
They should personally write out this Sutra or ask others
to do so, and they should single-mindedly and constantly recite it. If they
listen to explanations of its meaning from a Dharma Master, they should make
offerings to him of all necessities, so that he is without the slightest
want.
In this way, they will receive the mindful protection of the
Buddhas. All of their wishes will be fulfilled, and they will ultimately attain
Bodhi."
At that time, the Pure Youth Manjushri said to the Buddha,
"World Honored One, I vow that in the Dharma-Image Age, using various
expedient means, I shall enable good men and women of pure faith to hear the
name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Even
during their sleep, I will awaken them with this Buddha's name."
"World
Honored One, there may be those who accept and uphold this Sutra, read and
recite it,explain its meanings for others, write it out themselves, or tell
others to write it out.
They may revere it by making offerings of
various flowers, paste incense, powdered incense, stick incense, flower
garlands, necklaces, banners, canopies, and music.
They may make bags of
five-colored thread in which to keep the Sutra.
They may sweep clean a place
and arrange a high altar on which to place this Sutra.
At that time, the
Four Heavenly Kings with their retinues and other innumerable hundreds of
thousands of gods will come to that place to worship and protect
it.
World Honored One, it should be known that if, in the places where
this precious Sutra circulates, people can accept and uphold it, then due to the
merit and virtue of the past vows of that World Honored One, Medicine Master
Vaidurya Light Tathagata, because they have heard his name,
none of those
people will meet with untimely death.
In addition, none of them will
be robbed of his vital energy by evil ghosts and spirits.
Those people
whose vital energies have already been robbed will have their health restored,
and they will be happy and at peace in body and mind."
The Buddha told
Manjushri, "So it is, so it is! It is exactly as you say, Manjushri, if there
are good men and women of pure faith who wish to make offerings to that World
Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they should first make an
image of that Buddha and arrange a pure and clean dais on which to place the
image. Then they should strew all kinds of flowers, burn various incenses, and
adorn the place with a variety of banners and streamers. For seven days and
seven nights they should hold the eight precepts and eat pure food. Having
bathed until clean and fragrant, they should put on clean clothes. Their minds
should be undefiled, without thoughts of anger and malice. Toward all sentient
beings, they should cherish thoughts of benevolence, peace, kindness,
compassion, joy, giving, and equanimity.
Playing musical instruments and
singing praises,they should circumambulate to the right of the Buddha's image.
Moreover, they should recall the merit and virtue of that Tathagata's
past vows.
They should read and recite this Sutra, ponder its meaning,
and lecture on and explain it.
Then, they will obtain whatever they seek:
Those who seek long life will attain longevity; those who seek wealth will gain
wealth; those who seek an official position will obtain it; and those who seek a
son or a daughter will have one.
"Moreover, if a person who suddenly has
nightmares, sees ill omens, notices strange birds flocking together, or
perceives many uncanny events in his dwelling can worship and make offerings of
many fine things to that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, then the nightmares, ill omens, and inauspicious things will
disappear and will no longer trouble him.
When a person is endangered by
water, fire, knives, or poison; or finds himself on a steep cliff or in a
dangerous place; or faces fierce elephants, lions, tigers, wolves, bears,
poisonous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, mosquitoes, gnats, or other
frightful things, if he can single-mindedly recollect, worship, and make
offerings to that Buddha, he will be liberated from all those frightful
things.
When other countries invade or when there arethieves or riots, if
a person can recollect and worship that Tathagata, then he will be free of all
of these as well.
Moreover, Manjushri, there may be good men and women of
pure faith who, all their lives, do not worship other gods, but single-mindedly
take refuge with the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. They accept and uphold
precepts, such as the five precepts, the ten precepts, the four hundred precepts
of a Bodhisattva, the two hundred and fifty precepts of a Bhikshu, or the five
hundred precepts of a Bhikshuni.
Perhaps they have violated some of the
precepts they received and are afraid of falling into the evil
destinies.
If they concentrate on reciting that Buddha's name and worship
and make offerings to him, they definitely will not be reborn in the three evil
destinies."
"If there is a woman about to give birth who suffers great
pain, if she sincerely recites his name and worships, praises, venerates, and
makes offerings to that Tathagata, all her sufferings will be dispelled.
The
newborn child will be sound and healthy, and will have upright features. Seeing
him will make people happy.
He will be keen and intelligent, peaceful and
secure, and with few ailments, and no evil spirit will come to rob him of his
vitality."
At that time the World Honored One said to Ananda:
"The merit and virtue of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya
Light Tathagata, which I have just extolled, is the extremely profound practice
of all Buddhas. It is difficult to fathom and to comprehend. Do you believe it
or not?"
Ananda said, "Greatly virtuous World Honored One, I have
absolutely no doubts regarding the Sutras spoken by the Tathagata. Why? Because
all Buddhas' karmas of body, speech and mind are pure.
World Honored One, the
sun and moon could fall, Wonderfully High, the king of mountains,
could be
toppled or shaken, but the words of the Buddhas never change."
"World
Honored One, there are sentient beings deficient in faith who hear about the
extremely profound practices of all Buddhas and think to themselves, 'How could
one obtain such supreme merit and benefit merely by reciting the name of a
single Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata?'
Due to this
lack of faith, they give rise to slander. During the long night, they lose great
benefit and joy and fall into the evil destinies, where they wander
ceaselessly"
The Buddha told Ananda, "If these sentient beings hear the
name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata and
sincerely accept and uphold it without any doubts, they cannot possibly fall
into the evil destinies.
Ananda, this is the extremely profound practice
of all Buddhas which is difficult to believe and to understand! You should know
that your ability to accept this comes from the awesome power of the
Tathagata.
Ananda, all Hearers, Solitarily Enlightened Ones, and the
Bodhisattvas who have not yet ascended to the Grounds are incapable of believing
and understanding this Dharma as it really is. Only the Bodhisattvas who are
destined in one life to attain Buddhahood are capable of understanding.
Ananda, it is difficult to obtain a human body. It is also difficult to
have faith in and to revere the Triple Jewel. It is even more difficult to be
able to hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata.
Ananda, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata possesses
boundless Bodhisattva practices,
limitless skillful expedients, and
immeasurably, vast, great vows.
If I were to speak extensively of those
for an eon or more, the eon would soon end, but that Buddha's practices, vows,
and skillfulexpedients have no end!"
At that time within the assembly, a
Bodhisattva Mahasattva named One Who Rescues and Liberates
arose from his
seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, leaned
forward with his palms joined together, and said to the Buddha,
"Greatly
virtuous World Honored One! During the Dharma-Image Age, there will be living
beings afflicted with various diseases, emaciated from chronic illnesses, unable
to eat or drink, their throats parched and their lips dry. Such a being sees
darkness gathering all around him as the signs of
death appear. While lying
in bed, surrounded by his weeping parents, relatives, and friends, he sees the
messengers of Yama leading his spirit before that king of justice.
Every
sentient being has spirits that stay with him throughout his life. They record
his every deed, both good and evil, to present to Yama, the king of
justice.
At that time, King Yama interrogates this person in order to
tally his karma and mete out judgement according to his good and evil
deeds.
At that time, if the sick person's relatives and friends, on his
behalf, can take refuge with the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya
Light Tathagata, and request members of the Sangha to recite this Sutra, to
light seven layers of lamps, and to hang up the five-colored banners for
prolonging life, then it is possible for his spirit to return.
As if in
a dream, the person will see everything very clearly himself.
If his
spirit returns after seven, twenty-one, thirty-five, or forty-nine days, he will
feel as if awakened from a dream and will remember the retributions that he
underwent for his good and bad karma.
Having personally witnessed the
retributions of his own karma, he will never again do any evil, even if his very
life is endangered.
Therefore, good men and women of pure faith should
accept and uphold the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata and,
according to their capability, worship and make offerings to him."
At
that time, Ananda asked the Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates,
"Good
man, how should we worship and make offerings to the World Honored One, Medicine
Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata? And how should we make the banners and lamps
that prolong life?"
The Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates said,
"Greatly Virtuous One, if there is a sick person who wishes to be freed from
sickness and suffering, for his sake one should accept and uphold the eight
precepts for seven days and seven nights, and make offerings to the Bhikshu
Sangha of as many items of food, drink and other necessities as are in his power
to give.
During the six periods of the day and night one should worship,
practice the Way, and make offerings to the World Honored One, Medicine Master
Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
Read and recite this Sutra forty-nine times,
light forty-nine lamps, and make seven images of that Tathagata. In front of
each image place seven lamps, each as large as a cartwheel.
These lamps
must be kept burning continuouslyfor forty-nine days.
Hang up
five-colored banners that are forty-nine spans long.
Liberate a variety
of living creatures, as many as forty-nine species.
Then the sick one
will be able to surmount the danger and will not suffer an untimely death or be
held by evil ghosts.
Furthermore, Ananda, in the case of kshatriya
princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of their heads, at a time when
calamity arises, such as pestilence among the population, invasion by foreign
countries, rebellion within their territories, unusual changes in the stars, a
solar or lunar eclipse,
unseasonal winds and rains, or prolonged drought,
those kshatriya princes should bring forth an attitude of kindness and
compassion toward all sentient beings and grant amnesty to all
prisoners.
They should follow the above-mentioned methods to make
offerings to that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata.
Due to these good roots and the power of thatTathagata's past
vows, the country will be safe and peaceful, the winds and rains will be timely,
the crops will ripen, and all sentient beings will be blissful and free of
disease.
Within this country there will be no violence, nor any yakshas
or other spirits that harm sentient beings, and all evil omens will
vanish.
The kshatriya princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of
their heads will enjoy longer lives and good health, and they will be at ease
and free from illness."
"Ananda, if the queens, the princes, the
ministers or court counselors, the ladies of the palace, the provincial
officials or the common people suffer from diseases or other difficulties, they
should also hang up five-colored spiritual banners, light lamps and keep them
burning, liberate living creatures,
strew flowers of various colors, and
burn precious incense.
Then those people will be cured of their diseases
and relieved of their difficulties."
Then Ananda asked the Bodhisattva
Who Rescues and Liberates,
"Good man, how can a life that has come to an
end be prolonged?"
The Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates answered,
"Greatly Virtuous One, did you not hear the Tathagata say that there are nine
kinds of untimely death?
That is why people are exhorted to make
life-prolonging banners and lamps and to cultivate all kinds of blessings.
Through such cultivation of blessings, they will be freed from suffering
and adversity for the rest of their lives."
Ananda asked, "What are
the nine kinds of untimely death?"
The Bodhisattva Who Rescues and
Liberates said, "There may be living beings who, although not seriously ill,
have neither medicine nor a doctor to treat them, or else they meet a doctor who
gives them the wrong medicine; consequently, they meet with an untimely
death.
Some of them believe in worldly cults, whose deviant teachers
frighten them with false prophecies .
Unable to set their minds at ease,
they consult oracles to find out what calamities are in store for them.
In order to propitiate the spirits, they kill various
creatures.
They pray to wang liang ghosts for aid and protection.
Although they wish to prolong their lives, their efforts are to no avail.
They deludedly hold to wrong beliefs and perverse views. Thus they meet
with an untimely death and fall into the hells, never to come out.
This
is the first kind of untimely death.
The second kind of untimely death is
to be executed at the hands of the law.
The third kind is to hunt for
sport, to indulge in drinking and lust, or to become excessively dissipated, and
then to be waylaid by non-human beings that rob one's essence and energy.
The fourth is to be burned to death; the fifth is to drown; the sixth is
to be devoured by wild beasts;
the seventh is to fall from a steep cliff; the
eighth is to be harmed by poison, voodoo, evil mantras, or the corpse-raising
ghosts; the ninth is to die from hunger and thirst.
These are the nine
kinds of untimely deaths generally spoken of by the Tathagata.
There are
also innumerable other kinds which cannot all be spoken of
here."
"Moreover, Ananda, King Yama keeps track ofthe karmic records of
all the inhabitants of the world.
If there are beings who are not filial
to their parents, who commit the Five Rebellious Acts, who revile the Triple
Jewel, who destroy the laws of the country, or who violate the precept of
truthfulness, then Yama, the king of justice, examines and punishes them
according to the severity of their offenses.
Therefore, I encourage
people to light lamps and make banners, to liberate beings and cultivate
blessings so that they can overcome suffering and peril and forestall all
disasters."
At that time, twelve great yaksha generals were present in
the assembly.
They were:
General Kumbhira, General Vajra,
General Mihira, General Andira,
General Anila, General
Sandira,
General Indra, General Pajra,
General Makura, General
Kinnara,
General Catura, and General Vikarala.
These twelve
great yaksha generals, each with a retinue of seven thousand yakshas,
simultaneously raised their voices and addressed the Buddha, "World Honored One!
Today, by relying on the Buddha's awesome power, we are able to hear the name of
the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata!
As a
result, we are no longer afraid of the evil destinies.
All of us are of
one mind to take refuge with the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha to the end
of our lives.
We vow to support all living beings and to benefit them, so
that they may live in peace and happiness.
In whatever cities, villages,
countries, or secluded forests this Sutra circulates, or wherever people accept
and uphold the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata and venerate and
make offerings to him, we, together with our retinues, will guard and protect
them, deliver them from all distress and fulfill all their wishes.
If a
person wishes to dispel illnesses and difficulties, he should read or recite
this Sutra and tie a five-colored thread into knots, forming the letters of our
names. He should untie the knots when his wishes have been fulfilled."
At
that time, the World Honored One praised the great yaksha generals, saying,
"Good indeed, good indeed, mighty yaksha generals! All of you who want
to repay the kindness of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light
Tathagata, should always benefit beings and bring peace and happiness to them in
this way."
Then Ananda said to the Buddha,
"World Honored One,
what should we call this teaching? How should we uphold it?"
The Buddha
told Ananda,
"This teaching is called, 'The Merit and Virtue of the Past
Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya
Light Tathagata.' It is also called,
'Twelve Spiritual Generals' Vows to Use Spiritual Mantras to Benefit
Living
Beings.' It is also called, 'Eradicating All Karmic Obstacles.' You should
uphold it in this way."
When the Bhagavan had finished speaking, all the
Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, great Hearers, kings, ministers, Brahmans, laypeople,
gods,dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans
and non-human beings, and all the great assembly, on hearing what the Buddha had
said, were greatly delighted.
They received it with faith and
respectfully practiced it.
End of the Sutra of the Merit
and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
- http://www.fodian.net/English/Medicine%20Master%20Sutra.htm
- wong chee tat :)
