English (machine translation)

Translation of 仁王般若念誦法

Language: English
Extent: 37 passages, 2,824 words
Text: complete digital text
Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.995 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

1 — 37 parts

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1.1

Preface to the Newly Translated Ritual Manual for the Dhāraṇī Recitation of the Humane Kings Prajñā Sūtra

1.2

Composed by Huiling, translation-sifting śramaṇa of Daxingshan Monastery.

Our Emperor's sagely virtue extends far and wide, benevolently nurturing all living beings; having already ascended the throne, he blows the great Dharma conch, refines the weight of Sanskrit words, and awakens the ears and eyes of the bewildered. How magnificent! Thereupon he summoned Amoghavajra, Tripiṭaka Master of Great and Broad Wisdom of Daxingshan Monastery, together with Liangbi and other monks learned in doctrinal interpretation, fourteen in all, as well as Yu Chaoen, Opener of the Office, and Hanlin Academician Chang Gun and others, to retranslate this scripture last year in the fourth month of summer at the Southern Peach Orchard. In the ninth month of autumn, an imperial decree ordered one hundred seats to expound and illuminate it at Zisheng and Ximing [monasteries]. Descending from the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, five-colored clouds embraced and emerged; passing along the grand boulevards, the myriad common folk made obeisance; pathways and city walls were filled as dense as partitions. Inspecting the monastic records and perusing the historical annals, from the time Kāśyapa Mātanga entered the Han dynasty and Kang Senghui traveled to the Wu kingdom, never has there been an arrival of the auspicious Dharma equal to this. The sūtra states: 'If in future ages there are kings who establish the correct Dharma and protect the Three Jewels, I will dispatch the Bodhisattvas of the Five Directions to go protect their countries, rendering them free of disasters and perils.' It also states: 'The Five Bodhisattvas themselves made a great vow before the Buddha, saying: "We have a dhāraṇī capable of empowerment and protection, which is the swift gate practiced originally by all Buddhas. If someone hears it pass their ear even once, all sinful obstacles will be eradicated, and how much more so if they practice and recite it until fluent!" The Buddha then praised them, saying: "If someone recites and upholds this dhāraṇī, I and all the Buddhas of the ten directions will constantly protect them; all evil ghosts and spirits will revere them as they do the Buddha, and before long they will attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."' Thus we know that this dhāraṇī is the root of the syllabary and the marsh of the various yogas, just as waters and trees return to their primal source. Therefore bodhisattvas expound it, kings establish it, common people recite it, and all Buddhas praise it, causing you to flourish and blaze, causing you to be blessed and profited—by this one can perceive the mind of the Sage. Its benefit is so vast, and its ritual procedures so wondrous; if one cannot be sincere, how could [Heaven] bestow excellence upon them? The Tripiṭaka Master therefore translated the complete Sanskrit text, and Master of the Law Liangbi thereupon received and simplified it: beginning with the preparatory requisites of the locus, and ending with the ritual rules for meditative practice, he arranged them into ten portals, each in orderly sequence, every one made clearly evident so that none may be bewildered. Whoever among our monastics and laity wishes to preserve their person and fulfill their quests, desiring to tread the path of bodhi and ascend to the realm of benevolence and longevity—how could they not follow this way?

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Translated under imperial decree by the Śramaṇa Amoghavajra, Tripiṭaka Master of Daxingshan Monastery, Specially Advanced, Acting Chamberlain for the Court of Imperial Regalia, Duke of the State of Su with a Fief of Three Thousand Households, Granted the Purple Robe, Posthumously Conferred the Title of Minister of Works, Posthumous Name Dajian, Official Title Great and Broad Wisdom, Opening the Office with the Same Ranks as the Three Excellencies.

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At that time, the Buddha said to King Prasenajit: 'I will now explain for the king the method of the vidyā-dhāraṇī of the Humane Kings Prajñāpāramitā Protecting the Nation. The king must receive it with full attention and listen single-mindedly and well. First, I explain the ritual procedures for entering the sanctuary.

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'If humane kings wish to quell disasters, they must first bathe and put on clean, new garments; if they are dharma-practicing kings, they should take the upavāsa precepts. They must arouse a profoundly earnest Mahāyāna mind, seeking accomplishment without begrudging body or life, broadly generating compassionate vows to deliver all boundless sentient beings; those who can do so will swiftly attain accomplishment. Having entered the sanctuary, cast the five limbs to the ground and make full obeisance to all the Three Jewels of the Dharma realm. Place the right knee on the ground and repent all sinful obstacles of the three karmas; exhort the Buddhas of the ten directions to turn the wheel of the correct Dharma; request all Tathāgatas to abide long in the world; rejoice in the merit and wisdom cultivated by the three vehicles; and dedicate all the merit cultivated by me, so-and-so, to unsurpassed bodhi, wishing that together with all sentient beings of the Dharma realm, whatever siddhi is sought may be swiftly fulfilled. Next, sit cross-legged. If circumstances are lacking and bathing is not possible, anoint both hands with fragrant paste, arouse a profoundly earnest mind, and form the purification seal: hold the two hands before the heart with hollowed palms joined like an unopened lotus flower. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'Recite this mantra three times. While reciting, direct the mind to expand broadly, [contemplating that] all dharmas are inherently pure, and therefore my body is also completely pure. Then close the eyes and visualize: fill the entire space of the sky with the great assemblies in the sanctuaries of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas; holding various supreme and wondrous incense and flowers, pay reverent homage with head to the ground in full sincerity of the three karmas.'

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'First: Forming the Samaya Seal of the Buddha Family'

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'Hold both hands before the heart, interlock the fingers inward to form fists, and raise the two thumbs erect together. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'Without making sound, recite this mantra three times—and all following instances are to be understood accordingly—and release it above the crown of the head. By forming this mudrā and reciting this samaya mantra of the Buddha Family, all the Buddhas of the Dharma realms in the ten directions will assemble like clouds filling the empty sky, empowering the practitioner to be free from all obstacles and afflictions, to have their three karmas purified, and to swiftly accomplish the practices and vows they undertake.'

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'Second: Forming the Samaya Seal of the Bodhisattva Family'

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'Hold both hands before the heart to form fists as before, bending the left thumb into the palm. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'As before, recite three times and release it above the crown of the head. By forming this mudrā and reciting this samaya mantra of the Bodhisattva Family, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and all other bodhisattvas of the Dharma realms in the ten directions will assemble like clouds filling the empty sky, empowering the practitioner of the ritual to have their three karmas purified and be free from all calamities and disasters; that is, the bodhisattvas, relying on their original compassionate vows, cause all that is sought to be completely fulfilled.'

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'Third: Forming the Samaya Seal of the Vajra Family'

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'As with the previous seal, extend the left thumb and bend the right thumb into the palm. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'As before, recite three times and release it above the crown of the head. By forming this mudrā and reciting this samaya mantra of the Vajra Family, all the vajras of the Dharma realms in the ten directions will manifest wrathful bodies, assembling like clouds to fill the realm of empty space, empowering the practitioner of the ritual to make their three karmas solid as vajra; that is, those holy beings, relying on the Buddha's spiritual power and their own vow power, on a large scale protect the state to keep it free from disaster, and on a small scale protect even a single person to keep them free from all misfortune.'

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'Fourth: Forming the Body-Protection Seal'

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'Furthermore, using the mudrās formed for the three families and reciting the mantras, empower the five places: namely the forehead, left shoulder, right shoulder, heart, and throat—these five places—and release [the seal] above the crown of the head; one then dons the solid vajra armor. Due to this empowerment, the practitioner's entire body radiates brilliant and blazing majesty, so that all māras who create obstacles and afflictions will not dare gaze upon it with their eyes and will flee in haste.'

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'Fifth: Forming the Expulsion Seal and the Vajra Directional Boundary Seal'

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'With the previous mudrā of the Vajra Family, recite its mantra and circumambulate the altar to the left three times, which will expel all powerful māras, and any who hide following the Buddhas and bodhisattvas will depart far away to other realms. Circumambulating to the right three times according to the size desired in one's mind will establish the vajra directional jeweled boundary; even Buddhas and bodhisattvas do not transgress it, so how could those who create obstacles and afflictions find an opportunity? Release it above the crown of the head.'

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'Sixth: Forming the Seal to Invite the Holy Assembly to Descend to the Altar'

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'Use the previous mudrās and recitation mantras of the three families, gesturing inward toward the body with the thumbs to beckon: beckon three times over three recitations. Then the holy assemblies of the three families who previously filled the sky will each abide tranquilly in their respective original seats without obstruction to one another. Release [the seal] above the crown of the head.'

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'Seventh: Offering the Argha Fragrant Water Seal'

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'Hold and lift a mani jewel vessel filled with fragrant water with both hands, place it between the eyebrows, and recite the mantra, saying:

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'As above, recite three times. Direct the mind to expand broadly, bathing all the holy beings universally in sequence. Release [the seal] above the crown of the head. Due to offering the argha, from the stage of earnest practice up to the stage of the Dharma Cloud, in stage after stage the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Dharma realms in the ten directions will all protect and empower, and all Buddhas will bestow consecration.'

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'Eighth: Offering the Jeweled Throne Seal'

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'Hold both hands before the heart with hollowed palms joined, the two thumbs and two little fingers touching each other and slightly bent, and the remaining six fingers spread apart and slightly bent, like an open lotus flower. The mantra says:

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'By forming the mudrā and reciting the mantra, the jeweled thrones offered will be genuinely enjoyed by all the holy assemblies, causing the practitioner of the ritual to obtain a solid vajra jeweled throne in the fruit stage.'

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'Ninth: Forming the Universal Offering Seal'

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'With both hands, join the palms and interlace the five fingers, pressing the left with the right, and place them over the heart. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'By forming this seal and reciting the mantra, the lotus-heart expands broadly throughout the sea-like assemblies of the sanctuaries of Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the Dharma realm, raining down all offering implements everywhere. Reciting it once at first, jeweled vessels as numerous as dust and sand, filled with scented paste, universally anoint the holy assemblies. Reciting it a second time, various flower garlands universally adorn them. Reciting it a third time, various incenses are burned as a universal offering. Reciting it a fourth time, supreme celestial food and drink rain down, placed in jeweled vessels as a universal offering. Reciting it a fifth time, various mani jewels rain down as radiant lamps, universally offered to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Due to the empowering force of reciting the mantra, the incense and other offerings will all be genuine in the ocean-like assemblies and enjoyed by the holy assemblies, and the practitioner of the ritual will constantly receive this retribution in future ages.'

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'Tenth: Forming the Fundamental Seal of Prajñāpāramitā'

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'Further, place the backs of both hands together, draw in the two index fingers, bend the two little fingers into the palms, press the tips of the two fingers with the thumbs, and place them over the heart. Recite the dhāraṇī in the sūtra seven times. By forming this seal and reciting the dhāraṇī, the practitioner of the ritual themselves transforms into Prajñāpāramitā Bodhisattva, who is the mother of all Buddhas. The image of the bodhisattva sits cross-legged on a white lotus flower, golden in color, the whole body adorned with various jewel necklaces, wearing a jeweled crown on the head, with white silk ribbons tied to the crown hanging down on both sides. The left hand holds the Sanskrit pothi of Prajñā before the heart, and the right hand forms the teaching mudrā before the breast, pressing the tip of the ring finger with the thumb. Then visualize light flowing forth from all the pores of the bodhisattva's body from head to foot, displaying various colors and filling the Dharma realm, with countless transformed Buddhas in each ray of light, who universally expound the profound Dharma of Prajñāpāramitā according to their faculties for all sentient beings throughout all worlds in the realm of empty space, causing them all to understand. The ritual-practicing king dwelling in samādhi, having made this visualization, releases the seal above the crown of the head, takes the recitation beads and places them in his palms, joining the palms before the heart. Recite the mantra, saying:

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'Recite this three times, empower the rosary and place it above the crown of the head, and then hold it before the heart; receive the beads with the left hand and move the beads with the right hand, with every thought in accord, abiding in the samādhi of the Mother of Buddhas. Do not let the contemplation of the mind be interrupted, reciting 108 times or 21 times. Recite the mantra, saying:

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"In this way, according to the foregoing, chant and recite with the utmost sincerity. When the number of repetitions is complete, place the rosary on top of your head and set it down in its original place. Form the samādhi mudrā: extend both hands horizontally with the right resting on the left, and place them below the navel. Sit upright, close the eyes, slightly bend the head, and focus your attention on the heart. Carefully visualize upon the round, clear Mirror-like Wisdom [a disc] one cubit in width and breadth, gradually pervading the Dharma realm. Arrange the rows of letters in a clockwise direction, sequentially visualizing each letter shining with penetrating radiance: from the outside inward up to the syllable di, and from the inside outward gradually visualizing each letter, beginning again when finished. By the third round, the mind becomes exquisitely tranquil and still; clearly and distinctly visualize the signified meaning as neither arising nor ceasing, each and every one equal, all pervading the Dharma realm, neither moving nor still. When concentration and wisdom are operated in tandem, forever transcending all marks, this is the samādhi visualization of Prajñāpāramitā. Thereupon, form the Prajñāpāramitā mudrā again, chant the dhāraṇī seven times, and release it above the crown of the head. Next, form the Universal Offering mudrā, sequentially making offerings by directing the mind as before. Before the holy assembly, take all the merit generated from what has been practiced and completely apply it toward fulfilling all aspirations: for the state and for the family, fulfilling the benefit of others; then dedicate it to sentient beings, dedicate it to adorning the pure land, dedicate it toward reality itself, and dedicate it toward seeking unsurpassable bodhi, wishing that all sentient beings may quickly reach the other shore. Next, form the previously described boundary-consecration mudrā, chant the previous mantra three times while rotating to the left, which effects the releasing of the boundary. Next, form the mudrās of the three divisions as before, and chant their previous mantras three times, in each case flicking outward with the thumbs, which effects the dismissal of the holy assembly, each returning to their original realm. The practitioner makes prostrations and departs, engaging as usual in walking meditation and in accepting, upholding, reading, and reciting the Mahāyāna, without distraction or agitation. In this manner, from the fifth watch until dawn is regarded as the first period; from afternoon until the wei hour (1:00–3:00 p.m.) is the second period; from after dusk until midnight is the third period; and from after midnight until the fifth watch is the fourth period. In these periods, diligently practice without laxity according to each prescribed count, and all external enemies will naturally submit, and all disasters and calamities will never arise again."

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At that time, King Prasenajit, having heard the Buddha speak, arose from his seat, made prostrations, circumambulated him, and leaped with great joy, faithfully accepting and practicing it.

1.46

Recitation Method of the Humane Kings Prajñāpāramitā, in one fascicle.

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