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 6 - The Tathāgata's Praise

如來讚歎品第六

 爾時,世尊舉身放大光明,遍照百千萬億恆河沙等諸佛世界,出大音聲,普告諸佛世界一切諸菩薩摩訶薩,及天龍鬼神、人、非人等:「聽吾今日稱揚讚歎地藏菩薩摩訶薩,於十方世界,現大不可思議威神慈悲之力,救護一切罪苦之事。吾滅度後,汝等諸菩薩大士,及天龍鬼神等,廣作方便,衛護是經,令一切眾生,證涅槃樂。」

At that time, the World Honored One emitted a great bright light from his body that illuminated trillions of Buddha worlds, as many as grains of sand in the Ganges. With a a great voice he told all the bodhisattvas in the Buddha worlds, the eight kinds of demigods, spirits and devils, human beings, and non-humans, “Listen to that praise that I have today for Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahāsattva. for his deeds in the worlds of the ten directions where he manifests with inconceivable spiritual power and compassionate strength rescuing all who are suffering due to their own wrongdoing. After I have attained Nirvāṇa all you bodhisattvas as well as the eight kinds of demigods and spirits should use skillful means [upāya] to protect this sūtra and lead all sentient beings to realize the joy of Nirvāṇa.”

說是語已,會中有一菩薩,名曰普廣,合掌恭敬,而白佛言:「今見世尊讚歎地藏菩薩,有如是不可思議大威神德。唯願世尊為未來世末法眾生,宣說地藏菩薩利益人天因果等事,使諸天龍八部,及未來世眾生,頂受佛語。」

After the Buddha had finished speaking a bodhisattva in the assembly called Universally Expansive stood up, join palms with respect, and asked the Buddha, “Today we heard the World Honored One praising Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva for his inconceivably great spiritual power and virtue. I hope that the World Honored One, for the sake of sentient beings in the future in the Period of Declining of Dhárma will explain the causes and the results of the deeds that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has performed for the sake of living things so that devas, dragons, the eight kinds of demigods, and all living beings in future worlds will accept and maintain faith in the Buddha's teachings.”

爾時,世尊告普廣菩薩及四眾等:「諦聽!諦聽!吾當為汝略說地藏菩薩利益人天福德之事。」

The World Honored One said to Universally Expansive Bodhisattva and the fourfold assembly, “Listen carefully! Listen carefully! I will speak in brief about the virtuous deeds that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has performed in the interest of all living things.”

普廣白言:「唯然,世尊!願樂欲聞。」

Universally Expansive Bodhisattva said, “Yes, we will, World Honored One. We joyfully desire to listen.”

佛告普廣菩薩:「未來世中,若有善男子、善女人,聞是地藏菩薩摩訶薩名者,或合掌者、讚歎者、作禮者、戀慕者,是人超越三十劫罪。

The Buddha said to Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, “In future generations, if a virtuous man or woman, upon hearing the name of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahāsattva either joins palms, praises, bows to, or admires then it will overcome the sins from thirty kalpas.

「普廣!若有善男子、善女人,或彩畫形像,或土石膠漆,金、銀、銅、鐵,作此菩薩,一瞻一禮者,是人百返生於三十三天,永不墮於惡道。假如天福盡故,下生人間,猶為國王,不失大利。若有女人,厭女人身,盡心供養地藏菩薩畫像,及土石膠漆銅鐵等像,如是日日不退,常以華、香、飲食、衣服、繒綵、幢旛、錢、寶物等供養。是善女人,盡此一報女身,百千萬劫,更不生有女人世界,何況復受?除非慈願力故,要受女身,度脫眾生。承斯供養地藏力故,及功德力,百千萬劫,不受女身。

“Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if virtuous men and women create color paintings or images of Kṣitigarbha either from clay, stone, lacquer, gold, silver, copper, or iron and looks at it in admiration then that person will be reborn in the Heaven of Thirty-Three Gods and never degenerate into an evil rebirth. If their good fortune in hevean is used up then in the next life they will be reborn as a king with no loss of great benefits. If a women who loathes their female form and with all of their heart makes offerings to an image of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, whether clay, stone, lacquer, copper, or iron and they do this every day without fail, frequently offering flowers, incense, food and drink, colored silk, banners, money, and treasures then, after he retribition in this female form is exhausted, she will be reborn in a world without women for billions of kalpas, and certainly not be reborn in a world in a female form again. She would only be reborn as a woman again due to the power of a compassionate vow to save other beings. Due to the power of the merit of her offerings to Kṣitigarbha she will not be reborn in a female form again for a billion kalpas.

「復次,普廣!若有女人,厭是醜陋、多疾病者,但於地藏像前,志心瞻禮,食頃之間,是人千萬劫中,所受生身,相貌圓滿。是醜陋女人,如不厭女身,即百千萬億生中,常為王女,乃及王妃、宰輔大姓、大長者女,端正受生,諸相圓滿。由志心故,瞻禮地藏菩薩,獲福如是。

“Furthermore, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if a woman dislikes her unpleasant appearance and is prone to sickness but she wholeheartedly reveres and worships an image of Kṣitigarbha even for just a brief period then she will be reborn with perfect features in all her future lives for the tens of millions of kalpas thereafter. But if a woman with an unpleasant appearance does not loathe her body then for trillions of future lives she will be reborn as the daughter of a king, a princess, into a minister's family, or as the daughter of a great elder with proper form and perfect appearance in all aspects. She will attain this because of her wholehearted reverence and worship to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.

「復次,普廣!若有善男子、善女人,能對菩薩像前,作諸伎樂,及歌詠讚歎,香華供養,乃至勸於一人多人,如是等輩,現在世中,及未來世,常得百千鬼神日夜衛護,不令惡事輒聞其耳,何況親受諸橫?

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if there are virtuous men and women who play music and sing songs of praise, offer incense and flowers, and invite one or more people to do the same in front of an image of the bodhisattva then now and also in the future they will constantly receive the protection of thousands of spirits throughout the day and night and no evil will reach his or her ears. Much less no family members will have a premature death.

「復次,普廣!未來世中,若有惡人,及惡神惡鬼,見有善男子、善女人歸敬供養讚歎瞻禮地藏菩薩形像,或妄生譏毀,謗無功德及利益事,或露齒笑,或背面非,或勸人共非,或一人非,或多人非,乃至一念生譏毀者,如是之人,賢劫千佛滅度,譏毀之報,尚在阿鼻地獄,受極重罪。過是劫已,方受餓鬼。又經千劫,復受畜生。又經千劫,方得人身。縱受人身,貧窮下賤,諸根不具,多被惡業,來結其心,不久之間,復墮惡道。

“Furthermore, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if there are evil people, evil spirits and demons in the future, who see virtuous men and women taking refuge in, making offerings to, praising, revering and worshipping images of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva or lie and slander that these achievements and virtue has no benefit, and if these people sneer, or condemn the virtuous people behind their backs, or persuade others to do the same, either one person or more people to even have a single thought of slander, then they will fall into Avīci Hell. As retribution for their slander they will suffer in the extreme even after the thousands of Buddhas of the present kalpa have attained Nirvāṇa. Only after the present kalpa will those sinners be able to become hungry ghosts. After another thousand kalpas they will be reborn as animals. Only after a further thousand kalpas will they be reborn as humans. When they are reborn as humans they will be poor and at a low level in society, will be deformed in body, and commit many evil actions. They will grieve and before long will have another evil rebirth.

是故,普廣!譏毀他人供養,尚獲此報,何況別生惡見毀滅?

“For these reasons, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, slandering other people who make offerings has such a retribution. How much worse would holding other evil views be?

「復次,普廣!若未來世,有男子女人,久處牀枕,求生求死,了不可得,或夜夢惡鬼,乃及家親,或遊險道,或多魘寐,共鬼神遊,日月歲深,轉復尪瘵,眠中叫苦,慘悽不樂者,此皆是業道論對,未定輕重,或難捨壽,或不得愈。男女俗眼,不辨是事。

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if there are men and women in future generations who are bedridden for a long period and their prayers to either recover or die are not fulfilled. Or they dream of evil demons at night or family members travel over a dangerous road. Of they will have many nightmares of roamings amongst spirits and demons. Over the days and months their condition will worsen, becoming weak and sick, complaining during their sleep. They will be miserable and lonely, without joy. In each case the retribution from these people's karma will be undecided making it difficult for them to either die or recover. The ordinary eyes of men and women cannot distinguish this.

但當對諸佛菩薩像前,高聲轉讀此經一遍。 或取病人可愛之物,或衣服寶貝、莊園舍宅,對病人前,高聲唱言:『我某甲等,為是病人,對經像前,捨諸等物,或供養經像,或造佛菩薩形像,或造塔寺,或然油燈,或施常住。』如是三白病人,遣令聞知。

“The help such people one should face an image of a Buddha or a a bodhisattva and recite this sūtra aloud one time. Or take something belonging to the sick person, either clothes or some other treasured object, or donate up the person's residence as a temple and chant loudly in front of the sick person, 'I, name of the person, donate these items for the sake of the sick person, in front of the sūtra, as an offering to the sūtra or images of Buddha, bodhisattva, or stupa or burn oil lamps.' This should be done three times, ensuring that the sick person can hear and understand it.

假令諸識分散,至氣盡者,乃至一日、二日、三日、四日,至七日已來,但高聲白,高聲讀經。是人命終之後,宿殃重罪,至於五無間罪,永得解脫。所受生處,常知宿命。何況善男子、善女人,自書此經,或教人書,或自塑畫菩薩形像,乃至教人塑畫,所受果報,必獲大利。

“If the sick person's attention is scattered and they are not breathing then for one, two, three, four, or up to seven days the sūtra recitation and words of offerings should be continued. This will forever liberate the person after their death from serious crimes even those that would result in five-fold Relentless Retribution. The person will be aware of all their previous lives. How much more merit would virtuous men and women gain by copying this sūtra or commissioning somebody else to copy the sūtra or making sculptures or drawing pictures of bodhisattvas or commissioning somebody else to make sculptures or draw pictures of bodhisattvas. The positive karmic results [vipāka] would be much greater.

「是故,普廣!若見有人讀誦是經,乃至一念讚歎是經,或恭敬者,汝須百千方便,勸是等人,勤心莫退,能得未來現在千萬億不可思議功德。

“Therefore Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if you meet people reciting this sūtra, even just praising it once or showing it deferential respect then you should use a hundred thousand expedient means to urge these people to be mindful and not regress because they will achieve inconceivable merit in the future.

「復次,普廣!若未來世諸眾生等,或夢或寐,見諸鬼神乃及諸形,或悲或啼,或愁或歎,或恐或怖。此皆是一生十生,百生千生,過去父母、男女弟妹、夫妻眷屬,在於惡趣,未得出離,無處希望福力救拔,當告宿世骨肉,使作方便,願離惡道。普廣!汝以神力,遣是眷屬,令對諸佛菩薩像前,志心自讀此經,或請人讀。其數三遍,或七遍。如是惡道眷屬,經聲畢是遍數,當得解脫。乃至夢寐之中,永不復見。

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if beings in the future dream of demons in different forms, either sad or crying, either worried or sighing, or frightened, then these demons are the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wifes, and other family dependends from one, ten, a hundred, or a thousand past lives who have not yet been able to leave evil rebirths. They have no hope of the powerful merit needed to save them so they communicate with descendents from former lives, hoping that those descendents will be able to use skillful means to help them leave their evil rebirth. Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, spiritual powers can be used to help your family dependents by whole-heartedly reciting this sūtra or asking someone else to do so in front of an image of a Buddha or bodhisattva either three of seven times Thus, after hearing this sūtra being recited the proper number of times, those family dependents in evil rebirths will be liberated and will never again be seen in dreams.

「復次,普廣!若未來世有諸下賤等人,或奴或婢,乃至諸不自由之人,覺知宿業,要懺悔者,志心瞻禮地藏菩薩形像,乃至一七日中,念菩薩名,可滿萬遍。如是等人,盡此報後,千萬生中,常生尊貴,更不經三惡道苦。

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if people of low status in society in future generations, either slaves or servants, even people who are prisoners, and wish to repent, if they sincerely revere and worship an image of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva for seven days and recite the bodhisattva's name ten thousand times. Thus, after such people's karmic results are exhausted for the next ten million lives they will frequently have respectable rebirths and not experience suffering in the Three Lower Realms.

「復次,普廣!若未來世中,閻浮提內,剎利、婆羅門、長者、居士、一切人等,及異姓種族,有新產者,或男或女,七日之中,早與讀誦此不思議經典,更為念菩薩名,可滿萬遍。是新生子,或男或女,宿有殃報,便得解脫,安樂易養,壽命增長。若是承福生者,轉增安樂,及與壽命。

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, if in future generations in Jambudvīpa the pregnant wife of a Kṣatriya, Brahmin, elder, lay person, any other person, of any ethnic group, gives birth to either a baby boy or girl, within seven days recite this sūtra and chant the bodhisattva's name a full ten thousand times. The newborn baby boy or girl they will be free of the negative karmic results of their former lives, be raised in peace and happiness, and their life span will be increased. If they were to live a blessed life then their peace and happiness and life span will be increased.

「復次,普廣!若未來世眾生,於月一日、八日、十四日、十五日、十八日、二十三、二十四、二十八、二十九日,乃至三十日,是諸日等,諸罪結集,定其輕重。南閻浮提眾生,舉止動念,無不是業,無不是罪,何況恣情殺害、竊盜、邪婬、妄語,百千罪狀?能於是十齋日,對佛菩薩諸賢聖像前,讀是經一遍,東西南北,百由旬內,無諸災難。當此居家,若長若幼,現在未來百千歲中,永離惡趣。能於十齋日每轉一遍,現世令此居家無諸橫病,衣食豐溢。

“Moreover, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, in the future generations first, eighth, forteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, or twenty-ninth, or the thirtieth of the month the offenses of beings will be recorded and the seriousness judged. The manner and thoughts of the beings in Jambudvīpa create karmic results even those that are not sins. How much worse are those that indulge in killing and injuring, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and hundreds of thousands of other offenses? If they can recite this sūtra one time in front of an image of a Buddha, bodhisattva, or other holy figure on those vegetarian days then they will avoid disasters within one hundred yojanas to the east, west, south, or north. Those that live in the same household, whether old or young, for the present and the future hundred thousand years will not fall into an evil rebirth. If they can recite this sūtra once on each of the ten vegetarian days then all those people living in the household will not die an early death and will have plentiful food and clothes during this lifetime.

「是故,普廣!當知地藏菩薩有如是等不可說百千萬億大威神力利益之事。閻浮眾生,於此大士有大因緣。是諸眾生,聞菩薩名,見菩薩像,乃至聞是經,三字五字,或一偈一句者,現在殊妙安樂,未來之世,百千萬生,常得端正,生尊貴家。」

“So, Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, now you understand that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has these indescribable, billion-fold great divine powers for benevolent deeds. The beings of Jambudvīpa have a strong karmic affinity with this bodhisattva. If any of these beings hears this bodhisattva's name, sees this bodhisattva's image, or hears three words, five words, a verse, or a sentence of this sūtra then they will have especially wonderful peace and happiness and in the next billion lives they will mostly have fortunate rebirths in respected households.”

爾時,普廣菩薩聞佛如來稱揚讚歎地藏菩薩已,胡跪合掌,復白佛言:「世尊!我久知是大士有如此不可思議神力,及大誓願力。為未來眾生,遣知利益,故問如來,唯然頂受。世尊!當何名此經?使我云何流布?」

Then Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, after hearing the Buddha's praise for Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva he kneeled joining palms and once more asked Buddha, “World Honored One, I have know about the inconceivable divine powers of this bodhisattva for a long time and the power of this great vow. I ask the Tathāgata for the knowledge and benefit of sentient beings in the future and for them to have faith. World Honored One, what is the name of this sūtra? How should I propagate it?”

佛告普廣:「此經有三名:一名地藏本願,亦名地藏本行,亦名地藏本誓力經。緣此菩薩,久遠劫來,發大重願,利益眾生,是故汝等,依願流布。」

The Buddha told Universally Expansive Bodhisattva, “This sūtra has three names: The Sūtra of the Vow of Kṣitigarbha; The Sūtra of the Practice of Kṣitigarbha, and; The Sūtra of the Power of the Vow of Kṣitigarbha. The reason is that in the remote past, many kalpas ago, this bodhisattva repeatedly made a great vow for the benefit of sentient beings. You should propagate this sūtra in accordance with that vow.”

普廣聞已,合掌恭敬,作禮而退。

Upon hearing this Universally Expansive Bodhisattva respectfully joined palms, bowed, and retired.

地藏菩薩本願經捲上

End of Scroll 1 of Sūtra of the Great Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva

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