大通方廣懺悔滅罪莊嚴成佛經 1.9

1.9

At that time, there were also the Great Brahmā King, the Thirty-Three Devas, the Four Heavenly Kings protecting the world, Guhyapada Vajra, all the ghost and spirit kings, General Saṃjñeya, dragon kings such as Nala, the dragon king Nanda, the dragon king Upananda, asura kings, garuḍa kings, the deva king Mahāpratibhāna, the devī of the nine sons (Hārītī), mountain spirit kings, tree spirit kings, river spirit kings, ocean spirit kings, earth spirit kings, water spirit kings, fire spirit kings, and wind spirit kings—countless and boundless such spirit kings and great devas. They arose from their seats, bowed their heads and faces at the Buddha's feet, joined their palms in reverence, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Bhagavat, we shall now constantly guard and uphold the vaipulya classic spoken by the Bhagavat. Wherever this sūtra is present, we spirit kings will constantly be before it to keep it pure. Whether it is in a stūpa, in a monastic chamber, in the house of a white-robed layperson, or in an empty place—if there is anyone who grasps this sūtra with impure hands, or who reads and recites this sūtra irreverently, we will cause this person, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, to be uneasy in body and mind, to be fearful everywhere, to encounter untimely misfortunes, to be insecure in the present life, and upon death to enter the hells. But if a person reverently and purely holds and keeps this sūtra, bathes, burns incense, reads, recites, accepts, upholds, or copies it, and remembers it without forgetting—remembering this classic and committing no evil deeds—if they can be like this, we spirit kings, for the sake of this sūtra, will protect this person. When this person lies down, we will stand before them, not letting them see evil, nor letting evil people or evil ghosts harm this person untowardly. At their dwelling place, we will guard their house. When they wish to travel, we spirit kings will guide them ahead, provide whatever is needed, so that their coming and going in the four directions is unobstructed. They will always see good events, and at the end of their lives be born in the heavens, thereby encountering the buddhas and never falling from the Mahāyāna."