The Lotus Sūtra 7.28

7.28

妙法蓮華經觀世音菩薩普門品第二十五

the saddharmapuṇḍarīka samādhi.

The Gateway to Every Direction

[Manifested by

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara]

Thereupon arising from his seat with his right shoulder bared, Bodhisattva Akṣayamati faced the Buddha with his palms pressed together, and spoke thus to him: “O Bhagavat! For what reason is Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Hearer of the Sounds of the World) called Avalokiteśvara?”

The Buddha answered Bodhisattva Akṣayamati, saying: “O son of a virtuous family! If innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings who experience suffering hear of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and wholeheartedly chant his name, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara will immediately perceive their voices and free them from their suffering. Even if those who hold to the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara were to enter a great fire, because of this bodhisattva’s transcendent power, the fire would not be able to burn them. If they were adrift on the great waters, by chanting his name they would reach the shallows. There are hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings who enter the great ocean to seek such treasures as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, amber, and pearl. Even if a cyclone were to blow the ship of one of these toward the land of rākṣasa demons, they would all become free from the danger of those rākṣasa demons if there were even a single person among them who chanted the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. For this reason he is called Avalokiteśvara.

“If anyone who is about to be beaten chants the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the sticks and swords will immediately be broken into pieces and he will be delivered. If the yakṣas and rākṣasas filling the great manifold cosmos come with the intent to afflict the people but hear them chanting, those demons’ evil eyes will be unable to see them, so how could they possibly hurt them?

“If anyone, whether guilty or innocent, is bound with fetters or chains,

such bonds will be broken into pieces; and those who have been bound will

become free by chanting the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. When a

caravan leader travels on a dangerous road together with his fellow mer-

chants, carrying precious treasures in a great manifold cosmos filled with

evil robbers, if there be a single person who says:

O sons of a virtuous family! Do not fear! You should wholeheartedly

chant the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. This bodhisattva bestows

fearlessness upon sentient beings. If you chant his name, you will be

free from these evil robbers.

“Now, if those merchants chant loudly in unison, saying:

Homage to Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara!

“Then, by chanting his name, the caravan will immediately gain deliver-