Chapter
VI
Shakyamuni Buddha Praising
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Shakyamuni Buddha radiated great brilliant light to all the
Buddha-Worlds, as many as the grains of sand on the shores of the Ganges River. He sent
His great voice to all the Maha Bodhisattvas, devas, dragon-kings, spirits and human
beings, as well as the other sentient beings in the Buddha-Worlds.
"Listen to me today. I am praising the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on
how he converted, and will continue to convert, all erring beings in the ten quarters of
space by incalculable Infinite powers and Infinite love and compassion. I hope you will
endeavour in your utmost to protect and propagate the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra, so as
to lead all beings to attain Enlightenment after I enter Nirvana."
After Shakyamuni Buddha had spoken, Universal Bodhisattva spoke to the
Shakyamuni Buddha with clasped hands, respectfully, "I have just heard your Honoured
Self praising the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for his incalculable Infinite powers in
relieving sentient beings, and hope that you, the Honoured of the World, will tell us in
more detail the ways and means by which Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva brings happiness and
benefit to sentient beings, so that the future generations may understand and practice the
Teachings."
At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha told the Universal Bodhisattva, and all
those who were present, "Please listen to me carefully; I will tell you all briefly
how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva converted sentient beings, and brought them happiness and good
merit."
Universal Bodhisattva replied, "Please speak, Honoured of the
World, and we shall all listen to you carefully."
Shakyamuni Buddha told the Universal Bodhisattva, "If both males
and females in the future will chant the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with clasped
hands, praising him, paying homage to him, or admiring him, all those people will be
exonerated from the sins that they have committed even thirty kalpas ago. Universal
Bodhisattva, if both males and females draw the image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with
colours, or make images of him in earth, stone, wood, gold, silver, brass or iron, and pay
homage to him only once, or look at the image of his likeness only once, all of these
sentient beings will be reborn in the thirty-three Heavens for a hundred births, and will
never pass into the evil realms forever. When their happiness in the Heavens comes to an
end, they shall be reborn in the human world as kings of countries. If females do not wish
to be reborn as females, they must do their very best to make offerings to the images of
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in any likeness continuously without any retreat. If they always
continue to make offerings with scented flowers, drinks, food, clothing, embroidered
scrolls, money, jewels, etc., such women will never be reborn as females for thousands of
kalpas after this life. If they desire through compassion to be reborn as females again in
order to convert sentient beings, they may do so. [if they do not wish to be reborn as
females, then through the Infinite powers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, for millions of
kalpas, they will not be reborn as females.] Again, Universal Bodhisattva, if there are
females who are born with ugly faces or ill health they may simply pay homage to
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva by looking at his image for a short time with full respect, and
such females will be reborn with beautiful faces for millions of kalpas in the future. If
such ugly females do wish to be reborn as females again through their merit of paying
homage to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva earnestly, they will receive the happiness of being
reborn as queens of countries or daughters of nobles for millions of rebirths and they
will have beautiful appearances.
Again, Universal Bodhisattva, if there are males and females who play
music or chant mantra in praise of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or offering scented flowers to
him themselves, or if they encourage one or more persons to follow them by doing the same
thing, then all of these beings will have thousands of spirits and devas protecting them
day and night in the present life and in the lives to come. They will see no evil, nor
encounter any evil or even hear any evil at all forever."
Shakyamuni Buddha said to Universal Bodhisattva again, "If there
are wicked sentient beings jeering and laughing at people and those who make offerings,
praising, paying homage to the image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, saying that they will get
no benefit or merit out of this, or by turning their faces away from them or trying to
encourage one person or more persons to stop doing such good acts or deeds or by even a
single thought against these people paying tribute to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, then they
will be born into the Avici Hell for kalpas and kalpas and receive heavy punishment even
after many Buddhas enter Nirvana. After their punishment, they will be reborn as pretas
for thousands of kalpas After that, they will be born as animals for kalpas and kalpas.
They may be reborn as human beings after that, but will suffer great poverty, low births
and be handicapped in one way or the other. Their previous karma will cast them into the
evil realms again very soon."
Shakyamuni Buddha again addressed Universal Bodhisattva, "To
ridicule others for paying respect and making offerings to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will
receive such heavy punishment that it will be more dangerous by far than to have erroneous
view on the transformations of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and to destroy his images and
belittle his Teachings."
Shakyamuni Buddha continued, "If there are those who are long in
the beds of suffering, whose illnesses are very great, continuing for years and years,
having bad dreams, dreams of fierce devils, seeing their dead relatives in those dreams or
dreaming of travelling in dangerous paths, or with devils, and, perchance they shout aloud
in those disturbing dreams, all those sufferings are the result of evil deeds done before
in their last lives and their retribution is as yet undecided in its severity. Even though
the ill persons are sick unto death but cannot die, the karmic reason therefore not being
visible to the human eye, if someone will chant loudly the Ksitigarbha Sutra before images
of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and will take the cherished belongings of the ill
personjewels, raiment or other properties, saying, "On behalf of the sick
person we are making these offerings and paying homage." If they venerate Buddha
images, or make likenesses of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or shall construct pagodas or
temples, or endow oil lamps, or if they shall bestow charity on temples, repeating the
verbal part of the offering in front of the sick person and within his hearing distance
for three times, even though the sick person has already passed away, such information as
mentioned above should be continuous for seven days loudly. The Ksitigarbha Sutra should
also be chanted loudly during this period. Such benefited persons will be free forever
from being cast into the five Avici Hells for severe punishment. They will also have
recollection of their previous lives in their rebirths."
"If males and females write or copy the Ksitigarbha Sutra, or
teach others to write it, or to make his images, or teach others to do so, this will
produce benefits greater than by the above described way."
Shakyamuni Buddha continued speaking to Universal Bodhisattva, "If
you find persons who chant the Ksitigarbha Sutra, or who have even one thought of praise
of this Sutra, or showing respect for him, pray persuade them by all means to persevere
unremittingly in such work, never looking back. Tell them they will achieve inconceivable
merits in the present and in future.
If sentient beings in the future should see visions of devils, spirits
or other forms, crying, sighing or frightening them, they are their families in previous
lives. All are in evil realms from which they are unable to emerge and are begging for
benevolent acts to be done on their behalf in order that they may be relieved of their
sufferings."
Shakyamuni Buddha told Universal Bodhisattva, "Please tell those
who have frightening visions to chant the Ksitigarbha Sutra before images of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas and, if they cannot do this themselves, they ask someone else to act for
them, for three or seven times. When the deceased relatives have heard the Ksitigarbha
Sutra for a few times, these deceased ones will find relief and he led to Salvation.
Thereafter, the living ones will not again dream of the deceased relatives.
If there are people of low birth, being servants of others and without
freedom, please afford them to understand that they are reaping the results of bad karma
from their previous existences. Tell them to repent and to pay homage to Ksitigarbha
Bodhisattva for from one to seven days, chanting the Bodhisattva's name for ten thousand
times. The resultant good merit of these people of low birth will bring them into high
births for innumerable births and they shall never again fall into the evil realms.
If inhabitants of Jambudvipa in future times shall, at the advent of
newly born children, cause the parents to chant the Ksitigarbha Sutra and his name for ten
thousand times, then the newly-born children, whether male or female, will achieve
expiation of the sins of their previous lives and will live long and happy lives. If all
those about to be born into this life have done meritorious deeds in their previous
existences, their lives here will be even longer and happier.
Dwellers in the Jambudvipa world who are guilty of such sins in their
daily life as killing, stealing, adultery, lying etc., are advised to chant the
Ksitigarbha Sutra before images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for ten days within a month,
such as the first day, the eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third,
twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth and thirtieth days, once a day, there will be
no suffering to yojanas of distance, east, west, north and south. Within the family,
everyone, whether young or old, will not again be born into evil realms for thousands of
years.
If people can chant the Ksitigarbha Sutra all the above ten
"fasting" days of the month, they will not suffer from sickness and will enjoy
every comfort in life. That is why, Universal Bodhisattva, you ought to know that
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has such vividly great power and has accomplished so much to bring
benefit to sentient beings. Beings in the Jambudvipa world are closely linked to the
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and that is why when those people hear his name or see his
likeness, or hear even so much as three words, five words, one stanza or one sentence of
his Teaching, will live happily and contentedly in the present birth, and will be reborn
into noble families with pleasant complexion in the future for millions of rebirths."
At that time, the Universal Bodhisattva, having heard Shakyamuni Buddha
praising Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, knelt with clasped hands reverently and spoke to the
Buddha, saying, "Honoured of the World, I have long noted the inconceivable Infinite
powers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and his great vows to bring benefits and happiness to
sentient beings. That is why I inquire about his wonderful powers and his activities in
following and spreading the Teachings, which I promise to follow and spread by my own
efforts. Will the Honoured of the World graciously tell us the name of this Sutra and
indicate to me the ways and means of propagating this noble teaching?"
Shakyamuni Buddha replied, "This Sutra has three names as follows:
Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Vows.
Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Practices.
Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Determination.
Since Ksitigarbha made such great vows kalpas ago to bring happiness
and benefits to sentient beings, it is the duty of all of you to harmonise yourselves with
those vows and to propagate them."
After Universal Bodhisattva heard what Shakyamuni Buddha had said, he
withdrew with clasped hands reverently.