法苑珠林 60.16

60.16

此之神呪先已流行。功能利益不可說盡。於晨朝時用楊枝淨口散華燒香。佛像前胡跪合掌。口誦七遍。若二七三七遍。滅四重五逆等罪。現身不為諸橫所惱。命終生無量壽國。又此呪能轉女身令成男子。今別勘梵本。并問真婆羅門僧等。此呪威力不可思議。但旦暮午時各誦一百遍。能滅四重五逆。拔一切罪根得生西方。若能精誠滿二十萬遍。則菩提芽生得不退轉。誦滿三十萬遍。則面見阿彌陀佛。決定得生安樂淨土。又陀羅尼雜集經云。爾時世尊告諸比丘。今當為汝演說。西方安樂世界今現有佛號阿彌陀。若有四眾能正受持彼佛名號。以此功德臨欲終時。阿彌陀佛即與大眾。往此人所令其得見。見已尋生慶悅倍增功德。以是因緣。所生之處永離胞胎穢欲之形。純處鮮妙寶蓮華中。自然化生具大神通。十方河沙諸佛。皆共讚彼安樂世界。所有佛法不可思議。神通現化種種方便不可思議。若有能信如是之事。當知是人不可思議。所得業報亦不可思議。其國號曰清泰。聖王所住。其城縱廣十千由旬。於中充滿剎利之種。阿彌陀佛父名月上轉輪聖王。其母名曰殊勝妙顏。子名月明。奉事弟子名無垢稱。智慧弟子。名曰慧光。神足精勤。名曰大化。爾時魔王。名曰無勝。有提婆達多。名曰勝寂。阿彌陀佛與大比丘六萬人俱。若有受持彼佛名號。堅固其心憶念不忘。十日十夜除捨散亂。精勤修集念佛三昧。受持讀誦此鼓音聲王大陀羅尼。十日十夜六時專念。五體投地禮敬彼佛。堅固正念悉除散亂。若能令心念念不絕。十日之中必得見彼阿彌陀佛。并見十方世界如來及所住處。唯除重障鈍根之人。於今少時所不能覩。一切諸善皆悉迴向願得往生安樂世界。垂終之日。阿彌陀佛與諸大眾現其人前。安慰稱善。是人即時甚生慶悅。以是因緣。如其所願尋得往生。佛告諸比丘。何等名為鼓音聲王大陀羅尼。吾今當說。汝等善聽。唯然受教。於時世尊即說呪曰。

This divine mantra has already circulated before. Its functions and benefits cannot be spoken of exhaustively. In the early morning, use a willow branch to cleanse the mouth, scatter flowers, and burn incense. Kneel with knees on the ground and palms joined before a Buddha image, and recite it with the mouth seven times. If recited fourteen or twenty-one times, it eliminates transgressions such as the four grave offenses and the five rebellious acts. In this present body, one will not be afflicted by various untoward disasters; and at the end of life, one will be reborn in the land of the Immeasurable Lifespan. Moreover, this mantra can transform a female body to make it male. Now, having collated separate Sanskrit manuscripts and questioned true Brahman monks and others: the mighty power of this mantra is inconceivable. Merely recite it a hundred times at dawn, dusk, and midday, and it can eliminate the four grave offenses and five rebellious acts, eradicate the roots of all transgressions, and obtain rebirth in the West. If one can be refined and sincere for a full two hundred thousand recitations, the sprout of bodhi will grow and one will attain non-retrogression. If one completes three hundred thousand recitations, one will see Amitābha Buddha face to face, and will definitely attain rebirth in the Pure Land of Peace and Joy. Moreover, the Scripture of the Miscellaneous Collection of Dhāraṇīs states: At that time, the World-Honoured One addressed the monks: 'I shall now explain for you: in the Western World of Peace and Joy, there is at present a Buddha named Amitābha. If there are four assemblies who can correctly receive and uphold the name of that Buddha, by this merit, when their lives are about to end, Amitābha Buddha together with the great assembly will go to where this person is to let them behold Him. Having seen Him, they will immediately give rise to joy and delight, redoubling their merit. Due to these causes and conditions, the place where they are born will forever leave behind the womb and forms of filthy desire, abiding purely within fresh and exquisite jewel lotus flowers, spontaneously transformed and born, endowed with great supernatural powers. All the Buddhas of the ten directions, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, together praise that World of Peace and Joy. All its Buddha Dharmas are inconceivable; its supernatural manifestations and various expedient means are inconceivable. If there are those who can believe in such things, you should know that these persons are inconceivable, and the karmic retribution they obtain is also inconceivable. That country is named Pure and Peaceful (Qingtai), the dwelling of a holy king. Its city is ten thousand yojanas in extent, and within it is filled with the kṣatriya lineage. Amitābha Buddha's father was named Candrodgata, a wheel-turning holy king; his mother was named Utkṛṣṭavarṇa; his son was named Candradīpa; his attendant disciple was named Vimalakīrti; his disciple of wisdom was named Matiprabhā; his disciple of supernatural travel and vigor was named Mahāvipura; the Māra King at that time was named Durjaya; and there was a Devadatta named Vijayakṣānti. Amitābha Buddha is accompanied by a great assembly of sixty thousand monks. If someone receives and upholds that Buddha's name, firms their mind, and remembers it without forgetting, casting off distraction for ten days and ten nights, diligently cultivating and gathering the mindfulness-of-Buddha samādhi, and receives, upholds, reads, and recites this Great Dhāraṇī of the King of the Sound of the Drum, single-mindedly mindful during the six periods of the day for ten days and ten nights, throwing the five limbs to the ground in worship of that Buddha, firming right mindfulness and entirely removing distraction—if they can make their mind sustain thought after thought without interruption, within ten days they will certainly behold that Amitābha Buddha, and also behold the Tathāgatas of the worlds of the ten directions and their dwelling places. Excluded only are those of heavy obstacles and dull faculties, who cannot behold them for a short time in the present. All wholesome deeds are entirely dedicated with the vow to attain rebirth in the World of Peace and Joy. On the day when life draws to its close, Amitābha Buddha together with the great assembly will appear before that person, comforting them and praising them as good. That person will immediately give rise to immense joy and delight. By these causes and conditions, they will soon attain rebirth in accordance with their wish.' The Buddha addressed the monks: 'What is called the Great Dhāraṇī of the King of the Sound of the Drum? I shall now explain it. Listen carefully.' They respectfully received the teaching. Thereupon the World-Honoured One spoke the mantra, saying: