Sutra on the Original Vows of Bodhisattva Earth TreasureIn abbreviation, also known as Sutra of Earth TreasureTranslated into Chinese by
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Table of Contents |
Middle Volume |
Chapter Five : Names of Hells |
Chapter Six : The Tathagata's Proclamation of Praises |
Chapter Seven : Benefiting the Living and the Deceased |
Chapter Eight : Praising from Yan Luo and His Associate Kings |
| Chapter Nine : Extolling Epithets of Buddhas |
Then Great Bodhisattva Universal Goodness said to Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, "Kind One, for the sake of heavenly beings, dragons, the four assemblies, and all sentient beings at present or in the future, may you explain, with regard to sentient beings suffering from sins in the Saha world, including Jambudvipa, the names of hells where retributions are carried out and what punishments would be inflicted on them so that sentient beings in the future during the final period of the Dharma may know about such retributions." Earth Treasure replied, "Kind One, now through Buddha's awesome spirit and Your Greatness' power I will give a brief account of the names of hells and the retributions for sins or bad karmas.
"Kind One, to the east of Jambudvipa there is a mountain called 'Iron Circle.' That mountain is black and deep, without sunlight nor moonlight. Therein is a great hell called 'Extremely Unintermittent.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Great Unintermittent.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Four Horns.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Flying Knives.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Fiery Arrows.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Squeezing Mountains.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Piercing Spears.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Carriages.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Racks.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Bulls.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Clothing.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Thousand Blades.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Donkeys.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Molten Copper.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Pillars-Embracing.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Flowing Fire.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Tongues-Ploughing.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Heads-Breaking.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Feet-Burning.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Eyes-Eating.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Pellets.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Arguing.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Iron Axes.' In addition, there is a hell called 'Much Anger.'"
Earth Treasure said, "Kind One, within Iron Circle there are hells such as these, and their number is limitless. Furthermore, there are Wailing Hell, Tongue-Stripping Hell, Feces-and-Urine Hell, Copper-Lock Hell, Fiery-Elephant Hell, Fiery-Hound Hell, Fiery-Horse Hell, Fiery-Bull Hell, Fiery-Mountain Hell, Fiery-Rock Hell, Fiery-Rack Hell, Fiery-Bridge Hell, Fiery-Vulture Hell, Teeth-Sawing Hell, Skin-Peeling Hell, Blood-Drinking Hell, Hands-Burning Hell, Feet-Burning Hell, Inverted-Thorn Hell, Fiery-House Hell, Iron-House Hell, Fiery-Wolf Hell, and other hells like these. Within each one of them there are again various smaller hells. The number is one or two, three or four, and even up to hundreds of thousands. Each of these smaller hells has its own distinctive name."
Bodhisattva Earth Treasure told Bodhisattva Universal Goodness, "Kind One, as such these are all due to the karmic retribution of sentient beings in South Jambudvipa that committed evil activities. The power of karma is rather strong. It could conquer Mount Sumeru, be deeper than huge oceans, and block the holy path. Therefore, sentient beings should not take minor evils lightly and regard them as guiltless. After one's death there will be retributions for even the slightest offenses. As closest relatives as father and son, they would still go their separate ways. Even if they came across each other, none would be willing to take over the other's retributions.
"Now through the awesome power of the Buddha I would give a brief account of retributions for sins in hells. May the Kind One listen temporarily to these words." Universal Goodness replied, "Long have I known the retributions in the three bad realms. I hope that the Kind One would give an account so that all those sentient beings engaging in evil activities during the final period of the Dharma in the future would hear what the Kind One is about to say and thereby be converted to taking refuge in the Buddha."
Earth Treasure said, "Kind One, in hells retributions for sins are as described below. There are hells that pull sinners' tongues out for bulls to plough over. There are hells that pluck sinners' hearts out for yaksas to eat. There are hells that cook sinners' bodies in huge cauldron of vigorously boiling soup. There are hells that force sinners to embrace red burning copper pillars. There are hells that cause all kinds of fires to burn toward and reach the sinners. There are hells that are always cold and icy. There are hells that are engulfed in boundless amount of feces and urine. There are hells that have only flying maces. There are hells that have abundance of fiery spears. There are hells that hit only chest and back. There are hells that burn only hands and feet. There are hells that have iron serpents twining about sinners. There are hells that have iron hounds chasing after sinners. There are hells where sinners always ride on iron donkeys.
"Kind One, retributions such as these are numbered in hundreds of thousands in each hell. Instruments of karmic paths are made only of copper, iron, rock or fire. These four kinds of material resulted from karmas of sentient beings. If one were to extensively expound on retributions for sins in hells, in each hell there are additional pains and sufferings of hundreds of thousands of varieties, not to mention those in many hells. Now through the awesome spirit of the Buddha and Your Kind One's inquiry I have briefly expounded the matter as above. If I were to explain and describe the matter extensively, the account would not end throughout one kalpa."
Then the World Honored One emitted great brightness from his whole body that enlightened worlds of Buddhas as numerous as sands in hundreds of thousands of myriads of billions of Ganges Rivers, and in a loud voice proclaimed universally to all Great Bodhisattvas, and heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, gods, humans, and non-human beings in worlds of Buddhas, "Listen to me! Today I will commend, publicize and exclaim praises on the deeds of the Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure as to how he has demonstrated great inconceivable awesome spiritual power of compassion to rescue and protect beings from all sufferings of sins throughout worlds in the ten directions. After I will have entered Nirvana, all of you Great Bodhisattvas, and heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts and gods, should extensively contrive helpful means to guard and protect this Sutra so that all sentient beings would realize the joy of Nirvana."
After the Buddha had said so, among the assembly there was a Bodhisattva, named "Universally Extensive," who folded his palms together in reverence and said to the Buddha, "Now we have witnessed the World Honored One's exclaiming praises on Bodhisattva Earth Treasure as possessing such inconceivable great awesome spiritual merits. Only wish that the World Honored One, for the sake of sentient beings in the future during the final period of the Dharma, would proclaim the causal ways through which Bodhisattva Earth Treasure would benefit humans and heavenly beings so that heavenly beings, dragons, and the rest of the eight departments of protectors, and sentient beings in the future would receive Buddha's speech with prostration." Then the World Honored One told Bodhisattva Universally Extensive, the four assemblies and the rest, "Listen attentively, listen attentively, for your sake I will briefly expound on the matter of how Bodhisattva Earth Treasure benefits humans and heavenly beings through meritorious deeds." Universally Extensive said, "Yes, World Honored One, we are eager and willing to hear about it."
The Buddha told Bodhisattva Universally Extensive, "In the future if there would be a good man or good woman who would, upon hearing the name of this Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, either fold palms together, exclaim praises, salute, or adore, then this person would transcend sins accumulated over thirty kalpas. Universally Extensive, if there is a good man or good woman, who would make color painting of an image of this Bodhisattva, or use clay, stone, rubber, lacquer, gold, silver, copper or iron to make a statue of this Bodhisattva, and then glance it once and salute it once, then this person would gain rebirth in the Thirty-three Heaven for one hundred times, and would never fall into bad realms. If this person, due to exhaustion of his heavenly rewards, would be reborn down to the human realm, he would still be a king without loss of great benefits.
"If there is a woman who is weary of having a woman's body and who would wholeheartedly make offerings to painted images of Bodhisattva Earth Treasure and sculptured images thereof that are made of clay, stone, rubber, lacquer, copper, iron, etc., and she would continue in this way day after day without regress, regularly offer flowers, incenses, drinks, foods, clothing, colorful silks, pennants, banners, money, precious treasures, etc., then this good woman after having completed the karmic retribution of having this female body would, for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, not be born into worlds that have women, not to mention to receive such a body again. Unless, due to the power of compassionate vows, she would receive a female body in order to convert and liberate sentient beings. Through the blessing power of having made offerings to Earth Treasure, and the power of merits thus accrued, for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, she would not receive a female body.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if there is a woman who dislikes such ugliness or diseases-ridden conditions, simply by wholeheartedly viewing with reverence and saluting an image of Earth Treasure for the duration of a meal that person would receive bodies with perfect features in future lives for thousands of myriads of kalpas. Such an ugly woman, if she does not dislike a female body, would in hundreds of thousands of myriads of billions of lives normally be a princess, queen, or daughter of a premier, prominent family or great elder, with proper faculties and perfect features. Such fortunes would be obtained as consequences of wholeheartedly viewing with reverence and saluting the Bodhisattva Earth Treasure.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if there is a good man or good woman who has presented dances, music, singing, praising and offerings of incenses and flowers to an image of the Bodhisattva, and even up to having persuaded one person or many persons to engage in such activities, then all such persons at present and in the future would constantly be guarded and protected day and night by hundreds of thousands of ghosts and gods so that they would not even hear about bad things, not to mention to personally experience accidents.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, in the future if there would be bad persons, bad gods and bad ghosts that, upon seeing some good man or good woman taking refuge in, making offerings to, exclaiming praises on, viewing with reverence and saluting images of Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, would either arbitrarily disparage such activities as without merits nor benefits, or laugh with teeth revealed, or discredit them behind their backs, or persuade others to join in the discrediting activities, be it just one person discrediting, many persons discrediting or even just one person having a thought of disparaging, all such persons would suffer the retribution of disparaging by continuing to receive very heavy punishments in Unintermittent Hell even after all thousand Buddhas in the present Xian Kalpa will have entered Nirvana. After this kalpa will have passed only then would they receive the retribution of birth as hungry ghosts. Then, after one thousand kalpas will have passed, they would, in addition, receive the retribution of birth as animals. Again, after one thousand kalpas will have passed, only then would they be born as human beings. Even upon receiving a human body they would be poor, of low social status, and lacking some faculties. Their minds would frequently be entangled by bad karmas. Shortly afterwards they would fall into bad realms again. Therefore, Universally Extensive, disparaging others' making offerings would still receive such retributions, not to mention having additional bad view to destroy such activities.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, in the future if there would be a man or woman who has stayed in bed and on pillows for an extensive period without the freedom to choose life or death, or nightly dreams of bad ghosts, family members or relatives, or dreams of traveling through dangerous paths, or has many nightmares of interactions with ghosts and gods, and after days, months or years in such situation has become thinner and sicker, wails out of suffering in sleep, and is miserable and unhappy. All these are going through confrontations with regard to past karmic deeds but have not reached a verdict on how light or heavy the retribution would be, so either they would have difficulty to end their lives or they could not obtain recovery. Mundane men and women's eyes could not recognize such matters. One should simply, in front of images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, recite this Sutra once in a loud voice, or gather lovely possessions of the patient such as clothing, treasures, farms, gardens or houses, and in front of the patient, say aloud, 'I, of such and such a name, and others, so and so, for the sake of this patient, in front of Sutras and Buddhist images, are renouncing all these material possessions so as to make offerings to Sutras and Buddhist images, to have images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas made, to have pagodas or monasteries built, to light oil lamps, or to offer them to monasteries, nunneries, monks or nuns.' Thus telling the patient thrice, and let the patient hear the dispatching of such possessions. Suppose that the patient's consciousness has become disintegrated, and the breathing has even stopped for one day, two days, three days, four days, and up to seven days, one should simply say the above aloud and recite the Sutra aloud. Then that person after end of this life would be forever free from heavy sins, even up to the Five Unintermittent Sins, that were committed in the past, and at the place of rebirth would often recall past fate. Not to mention for a good man or good woman that copies this Sutra or has someone copy it, or molds or paints an image of the Bodhisattva or has someone mold or paint it, the fruition reward received must be of great benefits. Therefore, Universally Extensive, if you see someone recite this Sutra, or even just have one thought to praise or show respect for this Sutra, then you should apply hundreds of thousands of helpful means to encourage those people to continue such practices diligently, without regress, so as to obtain, at present and in the future, thousands of myriads of billions of inconceivable merits.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if in the future some sentient beings would, in dreams or during sleep, see various ghosts, gods and images that are either mournful, crying, worried, sighing, afraid, or terrified, all these are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, or relatives in the past one life, ten lives, one hundred lives, up to one thousand lives, that are still in bad realms and could not escape. They would have nowhere to plead to for salvation through the power of merits, except to inform their own flesh-and-bone relatives in past lives so as to have helpful means performed to satisfy their wish to leave the bad realms. Universally Extensive, using spiritual power you should cause those relatives to recite wholeheartedly this Sutra in front of images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or have others do the recitation, for three or seven times. Thus the relatives in bad realms would be liberated upon completion of recitation of the Sutra for so many times, and they would never be seen again in dreams or during sleep.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if in the future there would be people of low social status such as slaves or maids, and all those people who have lost their freedom, that realize the need to repent for past karmas, and would wholeheartedly view with reverence and salute images of Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, and even recite the epithet of the Bodhisattva for ten thousand times within one seven-day period, then such people after completion of the present retribution would constantly attain noble birth for thousands of myriads of lives, and would never undergo again the suffering of the three bad realms.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if in the future in Jambudvipa to any Ksatriya, Brahman, elder, householder, or person of any social status, including those of different races of various names, a male or female baby would be newly born, within seven days one should, as early as possible, recite this inconceivable Sutra to the newborn, and in addition, recite the epithet of the Bodhisattva on the newborn's behalf for ten thousand times. Thus this newborn offspring, male or female, would be liberated from harmful retributions due to past karma, live in security and happiness, be easy to raise, and have life span lengthened. If the baby is born of merits, the security and happiness would increase, so would life span.
"Furthermore, Universally Extensive, if in the future for sentient beings, on the first, eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth day of each lunar month, on such days their sins would be accumulated to determine the degree of their offenses. For sentient beings in South Jambudvipa, whatever the thoughts they entertain or the actions they take, none would not be karma, none would not be sin, not to mention killing and hurting at will, stealing, robbing, illicit sexual behaviors, deluded speeches, up to hundreds and thousands of sinful manners. If they could, on one of these ten days of fasting, recite this Sutra once in front of images of holy ones such as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then within the area of one hundred yojanas in all four cardinal directions, east, west, south and north, there would be no calamities. People within this household, whether elders or minors, from now on till hundreds and thousands of years in the future, would forever be free from bad realms. If it could be maintained that on each of these ten days of fasting the Sutra is recited once, then for the present it would render this household to be free from accidents and illnesses, and have clothing and foods in abundance and surplus. Therefore, Universally Extensive, one should know that Bodhisattva Earth Treasure could provide through great awesome spiritual power inexplicably many hundreds of thousands of myriads of billions of such benefits. Sentient beings in Jambudvipa have great causal connections with this Great Bodhisattva. These sentient beings, upon hearing the Bodhisattva's name, seeing the Bodhisattva's images, or even up to hearing three words, five words, one gatha, or one sentence from this Sutra, would enjoy extraordinarily wondrous security and happiness in this life, and for hundreds of thousands of myriads of lives in the future would regularly obtain bodies of proper forms and be born into noble families."
Then, Bodhisattva Universally Extensive, having heard the Buddha, the Tathagata, commended, publicized and exclaimed praises on Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, knelt down on his knees, folded his palms together, and said again to the Buddha, "World Honored One, I have long since known that this Great Bodhisattva has such inconceivable spiritual power and great vowing power. In order to let sentient beings in the future learn about the benefits, I purposely asked Tathagata about it. Now I willingly receive the teachings with prostration. World Honored One, what should be the name of this Sutra, and how would you let me propagate it?" The Buddha told Universally Extensive, "This Sutra has three names. One name is 'Sutra on the Original Vows of Earth Treasure'; it is also named 'Sutra on the Original Deeds of Earth Treasure'; it is also named 'Sutra on the Power of the Original Vows of Earth Treasure.' Now that this Bodhisattva, since long and distant kalpas in the past, has pledged great and profound vows to benefit sentient beings, therefore all of you should propagate it in accordance with such vows." Universally Extensive, having heard this, folded his palms together in reverence, made prostration and then retired.
Then Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, I have observed that for these sentient beings in Jambudvipa whatever intentions and thoughts that arise in them are nothing but sins. Once they escaped sins and gained benefits of being good, most of them would regress from such beginning of having good intentions. Suppose they encountered bad connections, they would progress on the evil path thought after thought. For this kind of people they are like walking on muddy paths while carrying heavy rocks, the load is ever heavier and their steps are ever more difficult to move, and their feet and steps are deeply embedded. If they had the opportunity to meet some knowledgeable guide who would help reduce their loads or take over their loads because that knowledgeable guide has great strength, and that guide would further lend a hand in supporting them, and advise them to place their feet steadily, then if they reached flat ground, they should avoid bad roads so as never to go through such experiences again.
"World Honored One, sentient beings that are in the habit of doing bad things would go from tiny bits to reach directly to immeasurable sins. For those sentient beings that have such bad habits, at the time near their death their parents and family members had better provide merits for them to help sustain their coming passage, by either hanging banners and canopies and lighting oil lamps, or reciting this supreme Sutra, or making offerings to images of Buddhas and holy ones, or repeating epithets of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Pratyeka-Buddhas, even if only one name or one epithet passed through the ears of the dying persons or was heard by their original consciousnesses. These sentient beings, upon evaluating the causal consequences of the bad karmas they had committed, would definitely fall into bad realms. Since these family members have accumulated such holy causes for the dying persons, all such sins would be extinguished. If in addition the family members could, within the seven consecutive seven-day periods from the time of death, do extensively all sorts of good deeds, then that would enable these sentient beings to stay away from bad realms forever, and be born within human or heavenly realms to receive supreme wondrous pleasures. Thereby the current family members would also be benefited immeasurably.
"Therefore, now in front of the Buddha, the World Honored One, and the eight departments of protectors such as heavenly beings and dragons, humans, non-human beings and the rest, I advise sentient beings in Jambudvipa that, on the day of dying they should be careful not to commit killing, hurting and other bad conditions so as to make offerings to entreat ghosts and gods, and to entreat those spirits of mountains, streams, woods or stones. Why is it so? The killing and hurting that you commit, and the related offerings and worships will not have the slightest power to benefit the deceased; instead they will just tie sinful conditions to increase the depth and heaviness of sins. Suppose that in future lives or the life of current rebirth the deceased had some share to holiness and would be born among humans or heavenly beings, due to the fact that while death was approaching the family members had committed such bad causes the deceased would be involuntarily complicated into proceedings of answering to accusations, and be delayed in being born into good places. Not to mention those dying persons that in life have not had little bit of good roots, now in accordance with each one's past deeds will personally experience the bad realms; how could they bear that the family members are adding karmas for them? For example, someone comes from far away places, has had no food for three days, and the load on his back is heavier than one hundred catty, and suddenly he meets a neighbor who adds a few things on his load. Due to this reason his load becomes heavier and his situation more cumbersome.
"World Honored One, I have observed that for sentient beings in Jambudvipa, if only they could do things in accordance with the teachings of Buddhas, or even just some good deeds, as little as one hair, one drop, one sand or one dust, then such benefits will all be theirs to obtain." As this was spoken there was among the assembly an elder by the name "Great Debate." This elder had long attained non-born and, appearing as an elder, had been converting beings in the ten directions. He folded his palms together in reverence and asked Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, "Great Bodhisattva, for those sentient beings in South Jambudvipa, after their lives ended, their minor or senior family members would cultivate merits for their sake, and even up to preparing meals as offerings and making all sorts of good causes. Would these deceased persons thereby gain great benefits and liberation or not?" Earth Treasure replied, "Elder, Now for the sake of all sentient beings at present or in the future, through the awesome power of the Buddha, I will give a brief account on this matter. Elder, for sentient beings at present or in the future, if upon the day of their death they could have heard the name of a Buddha, that of a Bodhisattva, or that of a Pratyeka-Buddha, then they would all be liberated regardless of their having sinned or not. If there were a man or woman who did not cultivate good causes in life but committed all sorts of sins, and after the life ended, the family members, minor or senior, had cultivated merits for the deceased's benefits, then only one seventh of the merits accrued through all such holy endeavors would be obtained by the deceased, while the remaining six sevenths would benefit those living beings themselves. Therefore, good men and good women at present or in the future that have heard about this while they are still healthy should cultivate merits on their own so that, piece by piece, all the merits would be theirs to obtain.
"The great ghost of Impermanence would arrive unexpectedly. The drifting consciousness in hazy state will be uncertain of the verdict of sins or merits. Within seven consecutive seven-day periods it will be like retarded or deaf, or will be retained in various offices to argue about the consequences of its karma. After the judgement has been decided, it will then take rebirth according to its karma. During the period of uncertainty it suffers thousands of myriads of worries, not to mention after it has fallen into those bad realms. This deceased person before obtaining the opportunity to be reborn, within seven consecutive seven-day periods, would hanker, thought after thought, for those flesh-and-bone relatives to do meritorious deeds on this person's behalf so as to help rescue the person. After those days have passed the deceased will receive retributions in accordance with karma. If the deceased is a sinner, then it is often the case that within thousands of hundreds of years there is no date for liberation. If the sin is among the Five Unintermittent ones, the deceased will fall into great hells to perpetually receive all kinds of suffering for thousands or myriads of kalpas.
"Furthermore, Elder, for such sentient beings of sinful karmas, after their lives have ended, when their family members or flesh-and-bone ones prepare offerings of meals for their sake to help them gain better realm of rebirth, before the meals are consumed and while the meals are being prepared, the water used for washing rice and the vegetable leaves should not be discarded onto the ground. In addition, all the foods should not be eaten before they have been offered to Buddhas and members of the Sangha. If there is violation of such manners of eating or carelessness in preparations, then the deceased person will not obtain the slightest strength of help. If the meals are diligently prepared and made sure to be clean, and offered to Buddhas and members of the Sangha, then the deceased person will obtain one seventh of the merits accrued. Therefore, Elder, for sentient beings in Jambudvipa, if they can, after their parents or family members have passed away, diligently and sincerely prepare meals for making offerings, then for such persons both the living and the deceased will obtain benefits." While these words were spoken in the Palace of Dao Li Heaven there were thousands of myriads of billions of inexplicably many ghosts and gods of Jambudvipa that all aspired toward the mind of immeasurable Bodhi. Elder Great Debate made prostration and then retired.
At that time within the Iron Circle of Mountains there were immeasurably many ghost kings. They and Emperor Yan Luo all came to Dao Li and arrived at where the Buddha was. They are so-called Ghost King Malicious, Ghost King Full-of-Evil, Ghost King Great Dispute, Ghost King White Tiger, Ghost King Bloody Tiger, Ghost King Scarlet Tiger, Ghost King Disasters-Spreading, Ghost King Flying-Body, Ghost King Flash-of-Lightning, Ghost King Wolf Fang, Ghost King Thousand-Eye, Ghost King Beasts-Eating, Ghost King Rock-Carrying, Ghost King Master-of-Famine, Ghost King Master-of-Calamities, Ghost King Master-of-Foods, Ghost King Master-of-Wealth, Ghost King Master-of-Livestock, Ghost King Master-of-Birds, Ghost King Master-of-Beasts, Ghost King Master-of-Demons, Ghost King Master-of-Deliveries, Ghost King Master-of-Life-Spans, Ghost King Master-of-Illnesses, Ghost King Master-of-Dangers, Ghost King Three-Eye, Ghost King Four-Eye, Ghost King Five-Eye, King Qi Li Shi, King Great Qi Li Shi, King Qi Li Cha, King Great Qi Li Cha, King A Nuo Zha, King Great A Nuo Zha. All such great ghost kings, each accompanied by hundreds of thousands of minor ghost kings, abide all over Jambudvipa. Each has distinct subject of responsibility and sphere of dominance. All these ghost kings and Emperor Yan Luo, through the awesome spirit of the Buddha and the power of the Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, arrived together in Dao Li, and stood on one side.
Then Emperor Yan Luo knelt down on his knees, folded his palms together, and said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, at present those of us, together with the ghost kings, only through the awesome spirit of the Buddha and the power of the Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, could have attended this great assembly at Dao Li; your blessings are also the reasons for our obtaining good benefits. Now I have doubt about some small matters, and I would like to ask the World Honored One for a clarification. May the World Honored One expound on it out of compassion!" The Buddha told Emperor Yan Luo, "Ask whatever question you like, and I will explain it to you." At this instant Emperor Yan Luo looked at the World Honored One with reverence and turned around to take a look at Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, and then said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, I have observed that Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, in the six realms, has used hundreds of thousands of helpful means to convert sentient beings that are suffering from sins, and he has not declined any such mission out of fatigue. This Great Bodhisattva has had such inconceivable deeds of supernatural powers. Nevertheless, those sentient beings, once they were liberated from retributions for their sins, before long would fall again into bad realms. World Honored One, now that this Bodhisattva Earth Treasure has had such inconceivable spiritual power, why would the sentient beings not to follow and stay on the good path so as to have liberation forever? I sincerely hope that the World Honored One would explain this to me."
The Buddha told Emperor Yan Luo, "Sentient beings in South Jambudvipa are of stubborn nature, difficult to train and difficult to tame. This Great Bodhisattva during hundreds of thousands of kalpas rescued each and every one of such sentient beings and had long since helped them achieve liberation. For those persons receiving retributions for sins, even to the point of falling into great bad realms, the Bodhisattva would apply power of helpful means to dig up the fundamental karmic conditions so as to enable them to comprehend events of past lives. It is just because sentient beings in Jambudvipa have heavy habits of entangling in bad deeds that they would reenter as soon as they have just gotten out. Consequently they have burdened the Bodhisattva to engage in salvation and conversion for long periods of numerous kalpas. For example, suppose there is someone who has lost the way back home and mistakenly enters a dangerous path. In this dangerous path there are many yaksas, tigers, wolves, lions, venomous serpents, and scorpions. Such a lost person in the dangerous path would instantaneously encounter various kinds of infliction. There is a knowledgeable person who is adept in many great skills and good at putting such infliction under control, even including the evil infliction from yaksas. This person comes across, by chance, the lost man that is about to enter the dangerous path, and says to that man, 'Alas! Man, for what matters are you entering this path? What special skills do you have that could control the various kinds of infliction?' This lost person suddenly hears these words, and only then realizes that it is a dangerous path, so right away he starts to regress and seeks to exit from this path. The knowledgeable person guides him by holding his hand, leads him out of the dangerous path to avoid various kinds of evil infliction, until reaching a good path so that he will be safe and happy, and then says to him, 'Alas! Lost man, from now on don't tread that path. Those who enter this path eventually could hardly attain exit, and in addition would lose their lives.' The lost man also feels deep appreciation. Upon their departure, the knowledgeable person says further, 'If you meet relatives and acquaintances, and those passersby, men or women, tell them about this road, that it has many kinds of evil infliction, and could cause people to lose their lives. Don't let those people go on the path that would bring them their own death.'
"Therefore, Bodhisattva Earth Treasure with great mercy and compassion would rescue sentient beings that are suffering from sins, and help them to be born among humans or heavenly beings so that they would receive wondrous pleasures. These sinful beings having learned about the suffering of karmic realms, if they could have escaped, then they would never go through again. Just as a person, that had lost the path, entered a dangerous path by mistake, and met a well-knowledgeable person to guide to exit, would never enter again. When this person meets others, the person would also advise others not to enter, by saying that it was due to delusion, and now that liberation has been attained one would never enter again. If upon their renewed treading they are still lost and mistaken, unaware of the dangerous path that they had fallen into previously, then they could even lose their lives. If they fall into bad realms, through the power of Bodhisattva Earth Treasure's helpful means they would attain liberation and be born among humans or heavenly beings, and immediately afterwards they would enter again. If the karmic knots are heavy, then they would forever stay in hells without a time for their escape."
Then Ghost King Malicious folded his palms together in reverence and said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, those of us ghost kings are immeasurable in number. In Jambudvipa each of us is distinct in his functions, either to benefit people or to harm people. However, due to karmic retributions, as our retinues roam through the world there are more deeds bad and less deeds good. When we pass through people's homes, cities, villages, farms, gardens or houses, if there is some man or woman who practices a hair of good deed, even just by hanging one banner or one canopy and using little bit of incense or a few flowers to make offerings to images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or by reciting this supreme Sutra and burning incenses as offerings to one sentence or one gatha therein, then those of us ghost kings will salute such a person as reverently as to Buddhas in the past, present or future. We will order those minor ghosts that individually possess great strength and land of control to protect and guard so that bad events, accidental events, bad diseases, sudden illnesses, and even including undesirable matters will not get near this house and its surroundings, not to mention to allow such matters to enter the door." The Buddha praised the ghost king, "Good, good, those of you and Yan Luo would protect and support good men and good women in such manners. I will also tell Mahabrahman and Sakra-devanam-indra to guard and protect you."
As these words were spoken, among the assembly there was a ghost king by the name of "Master-of-Life-Spans." He said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, in accordance with karmic conditions I am in charge of life spans of people in Jambudvipa. The time of birth and that of death are all controlled by me. My original intention was very much to benefit people. It is only due to the fact that sentient beings do not understand my intention, that consequently, both at birth and at death, they cannot have peace. Why is it so? These people in Jambudvipa, when newly born, be it male or female, or when near delivery, should just engage in doing good deeds to increase merits for the household, and thus naturally would cause the earth gods to be immeasurably happy, and they would protect and support the child and the mother to have great safety and pleasure, and would benefit the family members. Or when the child is born, they should be careful not to kill or harm beings to obtain various fresh nutrients for the delivery mother, nor to extensively gather relatives to engage in wine-drinking, meat-eating, singing, and playing music with string or woodwind instruments; these could cause the child and the mother not to obtain safety and pleasure. Why is it so? During the difficult hours of delivery there are innumerable evil ghosts and spirits of all sorts such as those of mountains, streams, trees and rocks that want to eat the smelly blood. It is I that have long since ordered spirits of the house and earth gods of the residence to carry the burden of protecting the child and the mother so that they will be safe and sound, and receive the benefits. Such people, seeing the safe and sound results, should arrange meritorious deeds to thank the earth gods; to the contrary, they commit killing and hurting so as to gather their relatives. Due to such causes they will receive the harmful consequences of the harms they commit; both the child and the mother will be damaged.
"Furthermore, in Jambudvipa, for those dying persons, regardless of their being good or bad, I would like to enable those dying persons not to fall into bad realms, not to mention those who have cultivated good roots on their own, and thereby enhanced my strength. For those people of good deeds in Jambudvipa, while they are dying, there are also hundreds of thousands of ghosts and gods of the bad realms that would transform into either their parents or various relatives to receive and lead the dying persons so as to make them fall into bad realms, not to mention those who originally have committed bad deeds. World Honored One, for such a man or woman in Jambudvipa during the dying period the consciousness is dull and confused, unable to distinguish good and evil, and even to the extent that eyes cannot see and ears cannot hear. Those family members should arrange great offerings, recite this supreme Sutra, and repeat epithets of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Such good causes can enable the deceased to depart from those bad realms, and all evil ghosts and gods to retreat and disperse. World Honored One, for all sentient beings, when near their death, if they could hear one Buddha name, one Bodhisattva name, or one sentence or one gatha from some Mahayana Sutra, I have observed that for such persons, except five kinds of unintermittent sins of killing, minor bad karmas that would have caused them to fall into bad realms would right away be dissolved."
The Buddha told Ghost King Master-of-Life-Spans, "Due to your great mercy you were able to pledge such a great vow that you would protect sentient beings during their birth and death. If in the future there would be a man or woman that is facing birth or death, you should not regress from such a vow, and by all means help the person to become liberated, and to attain security and happiness forever." The ghost king said to the Buddha, "May you be free from such worries. Up to the end of possessing this form I will, from thought to thought, protect and support sentient beings in Jambudvipa so that both at birth and at death they will have security and happiness. Only wish that those sentient beings, at the time of birth or death, would take my words in good faith, and thereby none would not be liberated nor gaining great benefits." Then the Buddha told Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, "This great ghost king, that is in charge of life spans, has been a great ghost king for hundreds of thousands of lives to protect and support sentient beings at the time of birth or death. He is indeed a Bodhisattva that, out of merciful and compassionate vows, appears in a great-ghost body, but is in essence not a ghost. Afterwards, beyond one hundred and seventy kalpas, he will attain Buddhahood, with the epithet of "Tathagata Formless." The kalpa is named "Security and Happiness," and the world is named "Pure Abiding." This Buddha's life span will be countlessly many kalpas. Earth Treasure, the story of this great ghost king is as inconceivable as such, and the number of humans or heavenly beings that will be converted by him is also immeasurable and boundless."
Then Great Bodhisattva Earth Treasure said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, now I will expound on beneficial matters for future sentient beings so that they would obtain great benefits within life and death. Only wish that the World Honored One would allow me to say it." The Buddha told Bodhisattva Earth Treasure, "Now you want to raise your compassion to rescue all sentient beings suffering from sins in the six realms by expounding on inconceivable matters. This is the right moment; just go ahead and say it right away. I am about to enter Nirvana. If you could have completed this wish sooner, then I would not worry about all sentient beings at present or in the future."
Bodhisattva Earth Treasure said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, immeasurably numberlessly many kalpas in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Boundless Body.' If there were a man or woman who, upon hearing this Buddha name, temporarily raises a feeling of respect, the person would right away transcend heavy sins accumulated through lives and deaths in forty kalpas, not to mention to mold or draw the images, and conduct offerings and praising, such a person would obtain merits immeasurable and boundless. Again, in the past, as numerous as sands-in-the-Ganges many kalpas ago, there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Precious Nature.' If there were a man or woman who, upon hearing this Buddha name, raises, for the duration of one snap of fingers, the intention to take refuge, this person would never regress on the unsurpassable path. Again, in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Bo Tou Mo Sheng.' If there were a man or woman who hears this Buddha name through the ears, this person would get rebirth in the Six-Levels-of-Heavens of the Desire Sphere for one thousand times, not to mention to wholeheartedly maintain its repetition.
"Again, in the past, inexplicably, inexplicably numberlessly many kalpas ago, there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Lion's Roar.' If there were a man or woman who, upon hearing this Buddha name, raises one thought of taking refuge, this person would encounter immeasurably many Buddhas that would caress the person's top of head and foretell the person's enlightenment in the future. Again, in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Buddha Ju Liu Sun.' If there were a man or woman who, upon hearing this Buddha name, wholeheartedly regards it with reverence, or in addition, exclaims praises, this person would be a great Mahabrahman in the assembly of The Thousand Buddhas of the Xian Kalpa and receive superior foretelling. Again, in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Pi Po Shi.' If there were a man or woman who has heard this Buddha name, then such a person would never fall into bad realms, and would constantly be born among humans or heavenly beings, and receive supreme wondrous pleasures.
"Again, in the past, as numerous as sands-in-immeasurably-and-countlessly-many-Ganges-rivers many kalpas ago, there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Precious Superior.' If there were a man or woman who has heard this Buddha name, then such a person would eventually not fall into bad realms, and would constantly live in heavens and receive supreme wondrous pleasures. Again, in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Precious Form.' If there were a man or woman who, upon hearing this Buddha name, raises reverence, this person would before long attain the fruit of Arhat. Again, in the past, immeasurably numberlessly many kalpas ago, there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Robe Banner.' If there were a man or woman who has heard this Buddha name, such a person would transcend sins accumulated through lives and deaths in one hundred great kalpas. Again, in the past there was a Buddha in the world with the epithet of 'Tathagata Great Mastery Mountain King.' If there were a man or woman who has heard this Buddha name, this person would encounter as many Buddhas as sands in the Ganges River that would expound teachings extensively to this person, and this person would definitely accomplish Bodhi.
"Again, in the past there were Buddha Pure Moon, Buddha Mountain King, Buddha Wisdom Supreme, Buddha Pure Name King, Buddha Wisdom Accomplishment, Buddha Unsurpassable, Buddha Wondrous Sound, Buddha Full Moon, Buddha Moon Face, and inexplicably many Buddhas such as these. World Honored One, all sentient beings at present or in the future, be they heavenly beings or humans, male or female, just by repeating one Buddha's epithet would generate immeasurable merits, not to mention by repeating many epithets. All these sentient beings, at the time of birth and that of death, would naturally obtain great benefits, and would eventually not fall into bad realms.
"If there were a dying person, and relatives in the family, even just one of them, would loudly repeat one Buddha name for the infirm person's sake, then for this dying person, except the Five Unintermittent sins, all remaining karmic retributions would be extinguished. These Five Unintermittent sins, even though extremely heavy, and often had not the slightest chance of escape for billions of kalpas, thanks to others' repetition of a Buddha name for that person's sake during the dying period, the sins would also gradually diminish till extinction. Not to mention the case when sentient beings repeat and think of Buddha names by themselves; they would obtain immeasurable merits and extinguish immeasurable sins."