Chapter 9 - Asura-āśvāsana

Asurāśvāsanaṃ Navamaṃ Prakaraṇam
(Chapter Nine named Asurāśvāsanam )

Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ratnapāṇi said to Bhagavat,

‘Bhagavat, this is extraordinarily marvelous. I have never seen nor heard of such a thing before. Not even the Tathāgatas have what Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.’

Bhagavat said,

‘Noble son, in this Jambudvīpa there is a cave named Vajrakukṣi in which a hundred thousand million times ten million Asuras live. Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Asuras there in the form of an asura. He teaches them the precious king of the Mahāyāna Sūtras, the Sūtra of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra. He says to the listening Asuras, “You must listen’. Then all other Asuras, with loving minds and peaceful minds, with palms placed together, come to listen to this dharma teaching from Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara: ‘Those who turn their minds to this king of the Sūtras will have happiness in this world. Hearing it will purify them of the five actions with immediate results on death. At the time of death, twelve Tathāgatas will come and reassure them, saying, ‘Noble son, do not be afraid. You have heard the precious king of the Mahāyāna Sūtras, The Sūtra of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra. You have prepared various paths for going to Sukhāvatī. You have prepared various parasols, various crowns, various earrings, and various necklaces. When that king of omen appears, at death they will go without impediment to Sukhāvatī.’ Ratnapāṇi, in that way, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the dharma of nirvāṇa to the Asuras and shows them the entranceway to nirvāṇa. Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi bowed his head to Bhagavat Śikhin’s feet and departed.

End of the Chapter Nine named Asurāśvāsanam.