法苑珠林 60.48

60.48

At that time, after those two bodhisattvas received and upheld this dhāraṇī, in the time it takes a strong man to bend and extend his arm, they arrived at Śākyamuni's place. Having reverently paid homage, they fully explained the purpose of their coming, speaking thus: "Some are afflicted and harmed by ghosts and spirits; some are harmed by diverse venomous insects; some suffer from gu-sorcery illness; some suffer from corpse illness; or some suffer from fever illness and other various disturbing ghost illnesses. Thus, the Tathāgata Foremost Lamp King dispatched us to bring this dhāraṇī mantra in order to bring benefit to all sentient beings." And they spoke the previous mantra. At that time, the Buddha said to Ānanda: "You must uphold this mantra, explaining it and circulating it for others. The appearance of a buddha in the world is difficult to encounter; this mantra is also extremely difficult to hear. If there is someone who can uphold this dhāraṇī, fire cannot burn them, weapons cannot harm them, poisons cannot injure them, magistrate officials will not execute them, and Brahmā will not be angered with them. That person will constantly know their past lives for seven lifetimes. This mantra was spoken by seventy-seven billion past buddhas. If there is someone who slanders this mantra, that is equivalent to slandering those buddhas. If there are ghosts or spirits who do not respect this mantra, or who attempt to rob so-and-so of their majestic power, or who have already robbed it with a curse and do not return it, those ghosts and spirits' heads will split into seven pieces."