Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra, 천수경, 숭산스님의 영문 천수경

Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra, 천수경, 숭산스님의 영문 천수경

 

 

Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra
숭산스님의 영문 천수경,
Foreword by Zen Master Seung Sahn

This is the beginning of the Thousand
Eyes and Hands Sutra.
Mantra that cleans away all bad karmas created by mouth:

Suri Suri Mahasuri Susuri Sabaha

Mantra that consoles the gods of the five directions:

Namu Samanda Mot Danam Om Doro Doro Jimi Sabaha

Opening chant of the sutra:

The supreme, profound, and marvelous Buddha’s dharma
could not be encountered in a million kalpas.
But now that I fortunately have seen it, heard it,
and obtained it, I vow to attain the true meaning.

Opening mantra:

Om A Ra Nam A Ra Da

I request Avalokitesvara bodhisattva, who saves this
world with its thousand eyes and hands, to grant its
all-embracing, perfect, and compassionate dharani.1
I bow before Avalokitesvara bodhisattva,
who possesses mighty strength and graceful appearance,
who uses every one of its thousand arms
to protect this world,
and whose thousand eyes’ brightness
overlooks every part of this world.

Avalokitesvara’s unimpeachable speech
teaches secret meanings.
It unceasingly shows us the empty compassionate mind.
Avalokitesvara fulfills our wishes fast and completely
wipes out all bad karmas.
While the heaven, the dragon, and the holy beings
protect us with compassion, samyak sambodhi will be
attained. The newly attained body will be
the bright flag; the newly attained mind
will be the wonder. With new body and mind,
we will get rid of all worldly dust and cross
the Sea of Suffering to attain the expediency
which will lead us to the gate of the Bodhi.2
Since I now receive the bodhisattva by memorizing
the chant, all my wishes will be fulfilled.

I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to attain all true dharmas as soon as possible.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to attain the eye of wisdom quickly.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to save this world as soon as possible.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to promptly attain the expediency.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
aboard the ship of wisdom.3
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
across the sea of suffering as soon as possible.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to attain the path of precepts as soon as possible.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to reach nirvana promptly.

I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to reach the house of emptiness promptly.
I faithfully depend on Kwan Se Um Bosal to guide me
to become Buddha as soon as possible.

If I go to the hell filled with swords,
swords will break into pieces by themselves.
If I go to the hell filled with boiling metal,
boiling metal will dry up by itself.
If I go to the hell of endless suffering,
the hell will be destroyed of itself.
If I go to the world of starving demons,
demons’ appetite will be satiated.
If I go to the world of warlike demons,
demons will surrender themselves.
If I go the animal world,
animals will attain great prajna by themselves.

I hereby receive Kwan Se Um Bosal Mahasal.
I hereby receive Dae Se Ji Bosal Mahasal.4
I hereby receive Chon Su Bosal Mahasal.5
I hereby receive Yo Ui Ryun Bosal Mahasal.6
I hereby receive Dae Ryun Bosal Mohasal.7
I hereby receive Kwan Ja Jae Bosal Mahasal.8
I hereby receive Jong Chwi Bosal Mahasal.9
I hereby receive Man Wol Bosal Mahasal.10
I hereby receive Su Wol Bosal Mahasal.11
I hereby receive Gun Da Ri Bosal Mahasal.12
I hereby receive Ship Il Muon Bosal Mahasal.13
I hereby receive Je Dae Bosal Mahasal.14
I hereby receive Bonsa Amitabul.

Shin myo jang gu dae dharani—mantra; not translated

Chant lauding the four directions:
First, a Bodhi-mandala has been established by
wiping away delusions in the east.
Second, coolness has been attained by
wiping away distress in the south.
Third, an elysium has been attained by
wiping away desires in the west.
Fourth, everlasting tranquility has been attained by
wiping away lewdness in the north.
Chant praising the Bodhi-mandala:
Now that every part of the Bodhi-mandala is free
of dust, the three treasures and the dragon
of the sky come down to it.
Since I now possess and constantly repeat the marvelous
mantra, I will be protected by great compassion.

Repentance:
I now repent, from the bottom of my heart, of the sins,
whether large or small, which I have committed since
time immemorial, and which were created by the desires
and committed by the body, mouth, and will.
Twelve lines of repentance chant and
names of twelve bodhisattvas:
Namu cham je op chang bo sung jang bul
bo kwong wang hwa yom jo bul . . .

Today, I repent for killing sentient beings.
Today, I repent for stealing.
Today, I repent for committing adultery.
Today, I repent for lying.
Today, I repent for my alienating remarks.
Today, I repent for my evil tongue (utterances).
Today, I repent for craving sex.
Today, I repent for getting angry.
Today, I repent for my foolish behaviors.
Our karma which we have accumulated for millions of
kalpas is banished by one thought, as the dry bush that
is set on fire and burned away without leaving any trace.
Our karma has no self-nature; it arises
only out of mind. If the mind disappears,
our karma will also disappear.
The only way to attain repentance is to let the mind
and karma disappear and attain emptiness.

Repentance Mantra:
Om Sal Ba Mot Cha Mo Ji Sadaya Sabaha (three times)

If you repeat the pious acts of Junje bodhisattva with a
clear mind, no difficulty will arise, and whether you
will be reborn as Buddha in heaven or as a human being,
Buddha’s fortune will always be with you.
I receive the great Junje Bosal,16
who is the mother of seven billion Buddhas.

Mantra that cleans the realm of dharma:
Om Nam (three times)

Mantra for self-protection:

Om Chi Rim (three times)

Six-lettered mantra which illustrates the mysterious
original mind of Kwan Se Um Bosal:

Om Ma Ni Ban Me Hum (three times)

The mantra of Junje bodhisattva:

Namu Sadanam Samyak Samotda Guchinam Danyata
Om Ja Rye Ju Rye Junje Sabaha Burim (three times)

Now that I vow to recite the great Junje Mantra
faithfully and to retain great Bodhi-mind,
I am confident that I shall be directed to practice
through samadhi and wisdom and see the brightness,
to do charitable and pious acts,
to attain victorious fortunes,
and to attain Buddhahood with the people of this world.
The ten great vows:

I will always stay far from the three evil ways.
I will quickly cut off desire, anger, and ignorance.
I will always listen to Buddha, dharma, and sangha.
I will diligently cultivate precepts, meditation, and
cognition.
I will constantly cultivate Buddha’s teaching.
I will never abandon the enlightenment-mind.
I will always be reborn under favorable conditions.
I will quickly see Buddha-nature.
I will project myself throughout the universe.
I will freely save all beings.

The four vows:

Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them all.
Passions are endless; I vow to extinguish them all.
The teachings are infinite; I vow to learn them all.
The Buddha way is inconceivable; I vow to attain it.
Receiving of the three treasures:
I now receive the Buddha,
who is present in all the ten directions.
I now receive the dharma,
which is present in all the ten directions.
I now receive the sangha,
which is present in all the ten directions.



Notes on the Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra:

1.    Literally, dharani means having everything or cutting off from everything; here it means possessing every good dharma.
2.    Expediency: the way to attain the Buddhahood.
3.    Prajna
4.    Teacher of bodhisattva action, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
5.    Bodhisattva with one thousand hands, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
6.    Bodhisattva possessing the wheel of treasure (symbolic of the Buddhadharma), one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
7.    Bodhisattva possessing the cosmic wheel, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
8.    Giver of freedom bodhisattva, another name of Kwan Se Um Bosal.
9.    Bodhisattva symbolizing purity and quietness, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
10. Bodhisattva with a face like the full moon, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
11. Bodhisattva with a face like moon reflected on the water, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
12. The power-giving bodhisattva, one of Kwan Se Um Bosal incarnations.
13. Eleven-headed Kwan Se Um Bosal.
14. Numerous great bodhisattvas.
15. Bonsa means original teacher. Amitabha Buddha, the original Buddha.
16. Bodhisattva possessing magical powers.