Sūtra of the Great Vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva

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The Sūtra of the Great Vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Kṣitigarbha Sūtra) is a story about the Buddha teaching to his mother in the Palace of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven about the merits of Kṣitigarbha. It was translated into Chinese, assumedly from Sanskrit, by the monk Śiksānanda from Khotan circa 700....

Chapter 1 - Miracles in the Palace of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven

忉利天宮神通品第一

 如是我闻:一时,佛在忉利天,为母说法。赞叹释迦牟尼佛,能于五浊恶世,现不可思议大智慧神通之力,调伏刚彊众生,知苦乐法,各遣侍者,问讯世尊。

Thus I have heard: At one time the Buddha was in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven teaching the Dhárma on behalf of his mother. At that time innumerable Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and mahasattvas of the limitless ten directions were assembled there. They praised Śākyamuni Buddha for his inconceivable strength of his great wisdom and supernatural powers that in this Sahā World [the Evil World of the Five Turbidities] he is able to guide stubborn sentient beings to understand the difference between suffering and joyful dharmas. Each one of them dispatched an attendant to greet the Buddha.

是时,如来含笑,放百千万亿大光明云——所谓大圆满光明云、大慈悲光明云、大智慧光明云、大般若光明云、大三昧光明云、大吉祥光明云、大福德光明云、大功德光明云、大归依光明云、大赞叹光明云。放如是等不可说光明云已,又出种种微妙之音——所谓檀波罗蜜音、尸波罗蜜音、羼提波罗蜜音、毘离耶波罗蜜音、禅波罗蜜音、般若波罗蜜音、慈悲音、喜舍音、解脱音、无漏音、智慧音、大智慧音、师子吼音、大师子吼音、云雷音、大云雷音。出如是等不可說不可說音已,娑婆世界及他方國土,有無量億天龍鬼神,亦集到忉利天宮。所謂四天王天、忉利天、須焰摩天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天、梵眾天、梵輔天、大梵天、少光天、無量光天、光音天、少淨天、無量淨天、遍淨天、福生天、福愛天、廣果天、無想天、無煩天、無熱天、善見天、善現天、色究竟天、摩醯首羅天,乃至非想非非想處天,一切天眾、龍眾、鬼神等眾,悉來集會。

At that time the Buddha smiled and radiated one hundred trillion great bright clouds — clouds of great satisfaction, clouds of great compassion, clouds of great wisdom, clouds of great prajna, clouds of great samadhi, great auspicious clouds, clouds of good fortune, clouds of great virtue, clouds of great reliance, and clouds of great praise. After he had radiated these bright clouds the Buddha emitted many wonderful sounds — sounds of the paramita of generosity, paramita of proper conduct, paramita of tolerance, the paramita of diligence, paramita of meditative concentration, prajnaparamita, compassion, charity, liberation, Nirvana, wisdom, great wisdom, a lion's roar, a great lion's roar, thunder, and great thunder. After he had emitted these indescribable sounds dragons, spirits, and demons from the Sahā World, other worlds of all directions, and innumerable heavens also congregated at the Palace of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. They came from the Heaven of the Four Kings, Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, Suyama Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, Nirmanarati Heaven, Paranirmita-Vasavartin Heaven, Brahmā-Parisdya Heaven, Brahmā-Purohita Heaven, Mahabrahma Heaven, the Heaven of Limited Radiance, the Heaven of Infinite Radiance, the Heaven of Radiant Sound, the Heaven of Limited Purity, the Heaven of Infinite Purity, the Heaven of Pervasive Purity, the Heaven Produced by Virtue, the Heaven of Lovers of Virtue, the Heaven of Bountiful Fruits, The Heaven without Thought, The Heaven without Affliction, the Heaven without Heat, the Heaven of Skillful Vision, Sudrsa Heaven, the Heaven of Ultimate Form, the Maheshvara Heaven, and even the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought. The devas, dragons, and spirits all assembled.

復有他方國土,及娑婆世界海神、江神、河神、樹神、山神、地神、川澤神、苗稼神、晝神、夜神、空神、天神、飲食神、草木神,如是等神,皆來集會。

Moreover, sea spirits, river spirits, stream spirits, tree spirits, earth spirits, brook and marsh spirits, sprout and crop spirits, daytime and nighttime spirits, space and sky spirits, food and drink spirits, grass and wood spirits came from the Sahā World and other worlds of many directions to assemble.

復有他方國土,及娑婆世界諸大鬼王——所謂惡目鬼王、噉血鬼王、噉精氣鬼王、噉胎卵鬼王、行病鬼王、攝毒鬼王、慈心鬼王、福利鬼王、大愛敬鬼王,如是等鬼王,皆來集會。爾時,釋迦牟尼佛告文殊師利法王子菩薩摩訶薩:「汝觀是一切諸佛菩薩,及天龍鬼神,此世界,他世界,此國土,他國土,如是今來集會,到忉利天者,汝知數不?」

Moreover, many great ghost kings — the Evil Eye Ghost King, the Blood Eating Ghost King, the Spirit Eating Ghost King, the Fetus and Egg Eating Ghost King, Disease Spreading Ghost King, Poison Collecting Ghost King, Compassionate Hearted Ghost King, Benevolent Ghost King, Great Desire Ghost King — came from the Sahā World and worlds of many directions to assemble. At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha told the Dhárma Prince Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, “You see that all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, devas, dragons, demon, and spirits from this world and other worlds, from this land and other lands have thus come to assemble at Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Do you know how many there are?”

文殊師利白佛言:「世尊!若以我驅役,千劫測度,不能得知。」

Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, if I used my divine powers, I could not calculate that in a thousand kalpas.”

佛告文殊師利:「吾以佛眼觀故,猶不盡數。此皆是地藏菩薩久遠劫來,已度、當度、未度,已成就、當成就、未成就。」

The Buddha said, “Using the Buddha Eye, I can also not count them. These are the beings that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva guided across, is guiding across, or will guide across since kalpas in the ancient past and has already accomplished, is in the process of accomplishing, or will accomplish.”

文殊師利白佛言:「世尊!我已過去久修善根,證無礙智,聞佛所言,即當信受。小果聲聞、天龍八部,及未來世諸眾生等,雖聞如來誠實之語,必懷疑惑,設使頂受,未免興謗。唯願世尊,廣說地藏菩薩摩訶薩因地作何行?立何願?而能成就不思議事。」

Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, I have already been cultivating virtuous roots for many ages and have realized unobstructed wisdom. I accept everything that I hear the Buddha say with faith. However, Hearers of small achievement, the eight kinds of demigods, and sentient beings to be born in the future, even though the Buddha has honestly said this, may doubt or be confused. If they were to hear this they may slander it. I only wish that the World Honored One would tell everybody what conditions enabled Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to act and what vows he made to achieve these inconceivable achievements?”

佛告文殊師利:「譬如三千大千世界,所有草木叢林,稻麻竹葦,山石微塵,一物一數,作一恆河,一恆河沙,一沙一界。一界之內,一塵一劫,一劫之內,所積塵數,盡剋為劫。地藏菩薩證十地果位已來,千倍多於上喻。何況地藏菩薩在聲聞、辟支佛地。文殊師利!此菩薩威神誓願,不可思議。若未來世,有善男子、善女人,聞是菩薩名字,或讚歎,或瞻禮,或稱名,或供養,乃至彩畫、刻鏤、塑漆形像,是人當得百返生於三十三天,永不墮惡道。

The Buddha said the Mañjuśrī, “If in the great chiliocosm all the grass, wood, bushes, rice, sesame, bamboo, reeds, mountains, stones, specks of dust, and every other object were each a Ganges River. Each grain of sand in each Ganges River would be a world. Inside each world each speck of dust would be a kalpa and inside that kapla the number of specks of dust that would accumulate would itself be a kalpa. The time that has elapsed since Kṣitigarbha realized the ten grounds of the bodhisattva path has been one thousand times greater than that analogy. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva spent an even greater time to attain the levels of Śrāvaka and Pratyeka-Buddha. Mañjuśrī, the great spiritual power and vows of this bodhisattva are inconceivable. If in future lifetimes virtuous men and women hear the bodhisattva's name, praise him, revere and worship him, call his name, make offerings, paint or carve pictures, or make clay figures then they will be reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven for one hundred lifetimes and never degenerate into an evil rebirth.

「文殊師利!是地藏菩薩摩訶薩,於過去久遠不可說不可說劫前,身為大長者子。時世有佛,號曰師子奮迅具足萬行如來。時長者子,見佛相好,千福莊嚴,因問勝佛:『作何行願,而得此相?』

“Mañjuśrī, in the distant past, an indescribable number of kalpas ago, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, was born as the son of a great elder. At that time there was a Buddha called Swift Lion Myriad Accomplishment Tathāgata. The elder's sone saw the Buddha's virtuous and stately appearance and so asked him 'What vows did you practice to attain such an appearance?'

時師子奮迅具足萬行如來告長者子:『欲證此身,當須久遠度脫一切受苦眾生。』

“Swift Lion Myriad Accomplishment Tathāgata said to the Elder's son, 'If you wish to have a body like this then you must liberate all suffering sentient beings for a long period.'

「文殊師利!時長者子,因發願言:『我今盡未來際不可計劫,為是罪苦六道眾生,廣設方便,盡令解脫,而我自身,方成佛道。』以是於勝佛前,立斯大願,於今百千萬億那由他不可說劫,尚為菩薩。

“Mañjuśrī, because of that vow the edler's son said, 'From now until incalculable kalpas in the future I will use many different skillful means to liberate the suffering sentient beings in the Six Realms before I realize Buddhahood myself.' Since he made that great vow in front of the Buddha many nayutas have passed, not to mention an incalculable number of kalpas. That is why he is still a bodhisattva.

「又於過去,不可思議阿僧祇劫,時世有佛,號曰覺華定自在王如來。勝佛壽命,四百千萬億阿僧祇劫。像法之中,有一婆羅門女,宿福深厚,眾所欽敬;行住坐臥,諸天衛護。其母信邪,常輕三寶。是時聖女,廣說方便,勸誘其母,令生正見。而此女母,未全生信,不久命終,魂神墮在無間地獄。時婆羅門女,知母在世不信因果,計當隨業,必生惡趣。遂賣家宅,廣求香華,及諸供具,於先佛塔寺,大興供養。見覺華定自在王如來,其形像在一寺中,塑畫威容,端嚴畢備。時婆羅門女,瞻禮尊容,倍生敬仰。私自念言:『佛名大覺,具一切智,若在世時,我母死後,儻來問佛,必知處所。』時婆羅門女,垂泣良久,瞻戀如來。

“Again, in the distant past, an unimaginably large number of asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha called Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata. The Buddha had a life had a life span of four trillion asaṃkhyeya kalpas. In the Period of Semblance Dhárma there was a Brahman woman who had profound in former times so that all people admired and respected her. Devas protected her when she was walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. However, her mother worshipped demonic spirits and frequently belittled the Triple Gem. The Brahman girl used many different skillful means to try to persuade and induce her mother to have proper understanding. However, this woman's mother did not totally change her views. After a short time she died and her soul went to Avīci Hell. The Brahman girl knew that because her mother did not believe in cause and effect and reckoned that Karma would lead her mother to have an evil rebirth. She sold her family's house and aquired fragrent flowers and other items to make large offerings outside a pagodas and temples. She saw an perfectly dignified and stately sculpted and painted image of Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata in a temple. The Brahman girl worshipped the sacred image, with extra reverence. She thought to herself Buddha means a great enlightened one, one who posesses all knowledge. If he were alive at this moment then I could ask him myself where my mother went to after she died and he must know the place. The Brahman girl cried for a long time, looking up at the Tathāgata in admiration.

忽聞空中聲曰:『泣者聖女!勿至悲哀,我今示汝母之去處。』

“Suddenly, a voice from the air said, 'Weeping Brahman girl, do not grieve. I will show you the place where your mother has gone to now.'

婆羅門女合掌向空,而白空曰:『是何神德,寬我憂慮。我自失母已來,晝夜憶戀,無處可問知母生界。』

“The Brahman girl joined her palms towards the empty space and said to the empty space, 'Which virtuous divinity relieves me of my worry? Since I lost my mother I think about her day and night but there is nowhere that I can ask where she has been reborn in her next life.'

時空中有聲,再報女曰:『我是汝所瞻禮者,過去覺華定自在王如來。見汝憶母,倍於常情眾生之分,故來告示。』

“The voice in the void replied to the girl saying, 'I am that which you are worshipping, the former Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata. Since I saw that you miss your mother double the amount that most sentient beings would, so I have come to tell you.'

婆羅門女聞此聲已,舉身自撲,支節皆損。左右扶侍,良久方穌,而白空曰:『願佛慈愍,速說我母生界。我今身心,將死不久。』

“After the Brahman girl heard the voice, she lunged towards it injuring her body. Attendants supported her and after a long time she recovered. She said to the empty space, 'I hope that the Buddha will be compassionate and quickly say where my mother has been reborn in her next life. Due to my present state of body and mind, I am now near death myself.'

時覺華定自在王如來告聖女曰:『汝供養畢,但早返舍。端坐思惟吾之名號,即當知母所生去處。』 

“Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata said Brahman girl, 'When your offerings are complete go straight back to your home. Sit in meditation and think about my name. You will then know where your mother has been reborn.' The Brahman girl bowed to the Buddha and afterwards returned to her home.

「時婆羅門女,尋禮佛已,即歸其舍。以憶母故,端坐念覺華定自在王如來,經一日一夜。忽見自身,到一海邊。其水涌沸,多諸惡獸,盡復鐵身,飛走海上,東西馳逐。見諸男子女人,百千萬數,出沒海中,被諸惡獸爭取食噉。又見夜叉,其形各異,或多手多眼,多足多頭,口牙外出,利刃如劍,驅諸罪人,使近惡獸,復自搏攫,頭足相就。其形萬類,不敢久視。時婆羅門女,以念佛力故,自然無懼。

“Sustained by the memory of her mother she sat in meditation and thought of Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata, continuing for one day and one night. She suddenly saw herself arrive at the seashore. The water gushed abd boiled. There were many kinds of evil beasts, each with an iron body, flying and walking on the sea, racing back and forth from east to west. She saw billions men and women appearng and disappearing into the sea being fought over and eaten by the evil beasts. She saw yaksas, each one with a different shape, either with many hands and many eyes or with many feet and many heads, outward pointing teeth, sharp like swords, driving the sinners close to the evil beasts, continually capturing their prey or forcing their feet near to their heads. They had tens of thousands of different shapes and she did not dare look at them for long. However, by virtue of the Brahman girl's power of prayer to the Buddha she felt natural and without fear.

「有一鬼王,名曰無毒,稽首來迎,白聖女曰:『善哉!菩薩何緣來此?』

“One ghost king with the name of No Harm bowed to greet the Brahman girl and said, 'Very good! Bodhisattva, what conditions lead you here?'

時婆羅門女問鬼王曰:『此是何處?』

“The Brahman girl said, 'Where is this place?'

無毒答曰:『此是大鐵圍山西面第一重海。』

“No Harm replied to her, 'This is the first sea to the west of the Great Iron Ring Mountain.'

聖女問曰:『我聞鐵圍之內,地獄在中,是事實不?』

“The Brahman girl asked, 'I heard that there are hells inside the iron wall. Is that true?'

無毒答曰:『實有地獄。』

“No Harm answered, 'Yes, it is true, there are Hells there.'

聖女問曰:『我今云何,得到獄所?』

“The Brahman girl asked, 'How did I get to the hells?'

無毒答曰:『若非威神,即須業力,非此二事,終不能到。』

“No Harm replied, 'If it were not for your mighty spirit then for your karmic deeds. If not for either one of these two things then you could not come here.'

聖女又問:『此水何緣,而乃涌沸?多諸罪人,及以惡獸?』

“The Brahman girl asked again, 'What causes the water to gush and boil? Why are there so many sinners and evil beasts?'

無毒答曰:『此是閻浮提造惡眾生新死之者,經四十九日後,無人繼嗣為作功德,救拔苦難,生時又無善因,當據本業所感地獄,自然先渡此海。海東十萬由旬,又有一海,其苦倍此。勝海之東,又有一海,其苦復倍。三業惡因之所招感,共號業海,其處是也。』

“No Harm replied, 'These are sentient beings from Jambudvīpa that sinned and who have recently died. After fourty nine days they have no relatives to perform good deeds on their behalf to save them from suffering. During their lives they did not plant any good roots so, according to their own karma, they will suffer in Hell. They first cross this sea. One hundred thousand yojana east of this sea, which has twice as much suffering as this. East of that sea is another with twice as much suffering again. Because of the evil caused by their Three Actions these are altogether called the seas of karma and this is that place.

聖女又問鬼王無毒曰:『地獄何在?』

“The Brahman girl asked the ghost king No Harm again, 'Where are these hells?'

無毒答曰:『三海之內,是大地獄,其數百千,各各差別。所謂大者,具有十八。次有五百,苦毒無量。次有千百,亦無量苦。』

“No Harm replied, 'Inside the three seas. They are great hells, numbering hundreds of thousands, each one different. Of the great hells, there are eighteen. After that there are five hundred secondary hells with infinite pain and suffering. Next, there are hundreds of thousands of hells with immeasurable misery.'

聖女又問大鬼王曰:『我母死來未久,不知魂神當至何趣?』

“The Brahman girl asked the great ghost king again, 'My mother died not long ago. Does the ghost king know what realm her spirit has gone to?'

鬼王問聖女曰:『菩薩之母,在生習何行業?』

“The ghost kind asked the Brahman girl, 'Where was the bodhisattva's mother's born? What were her habits and occupation?'

聖女答曰:『我母邪見,譏毀三寶。設或暫信,旋又不敬。死雖日淺,未知生處。』

“The Brahman girl replied, 'My mother held perverse views and slandered the Triple Gem. If she believed it temporarily then later she would disrespect it again. Even though she has not been dead for long, still I do not know where she has been reborn.'

無毒問曰:『菩薩之母,姓氏何等?』

“No Harm asked, 'What is the bodhisattva's mother's name?'

聖女答曰:『我父我母,俱婆羅門種。父號尸羅善現,母號悅帝利。』

“The Brahman girl replied, 'My mother and father were Brahmans. My father's name was Sila Sudrsa and my mother's name was Yue Di Li [Mandarin reading].'

無毒合掌,啟菩薩曰:『願聖者卻返本處,無至憂憶悲戀。悅帝利罪女,生天以來,經今三日。雲承孝順之子,為母設供、修福,布施覺華定自在王如來塔寺。非唯菩薩之母得脫地獄,應是無間罪人,此日悉得受樂,俱同生訖。』鬼王言畢,合掌而退。

“No Harm joined palms and explained to the bodhisattva, 'Please, Worthy One, return to your home. There is no need for you to be concerned or to remain attached to your grief. The sinning woman Yu Di Li was reborn in heaven three days ago. It is said that this is because of her child's continuing filial piety, giving offerings on her mother's behalf, accumulating merit, and practicing generosity to Realization Flower Meditation at Ease King Tathāgata at pagodas and temples. Not only the bodhisattva's was liberated from the hells. These days all the sinners destined for Avīci Hell recieved a joyful blessing and were reborn with her.' After he finished speaking, the Ghost King joined his palms and withdrew.

婆羅門女,尋如夢歸。悟此事已,便於覺華定自在王如來塔像之前,立弘誓願:『願我盡未來劫,應有罪苦眾生,廣設方便,使令解脫。』」

“The Brahman girl returned quickly as if waking from a dream. She understood the situation, in front of the Realization Flower Meditation At Ease King Tathāgata statue at the pagoda, she stood and said solemnly, 'I vow that, until the end of future kalpas, to help all the sentient beings that suffer for their sins, using many kinds of skillful means and to lead them to liberation.'”

佛告文殊師利:「時鬼王無毒者,當今財首菩薩是。婆羅門女者,即地藏菩薩是。」

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī, “The Ghost King No Harm of that time is now Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth. The Brahman girl is now Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

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