妙臂菩薩所問經

VOLUME 3

INVITING THE EIGHT DEITIES TO DESCEND AND SPEAK

PART EIGHT

Furthermore, if one wishes to invite the Eight Deities to descend and speak, there are several places into which they may descend: a finger, a bronze mirror, clear water, a mass of fire, level ground, a crystal surface, a lamp flame, a child, empty space, or the articles of offering.

If the practitioner successfully invites the Eight Deities to descend into any of the aforementioned places, the Eight Deities will themselves speak of past, present, and future affairs in the human and heavenly realms, and even of all good and evil matters transcending the three times.

If, when performing the invitation, the practitioner does not follow the ritual rules; if the Dharma procedure is incomplete; if the text of the mantra being recited contains errors, additions, or omissions; if the practitioner lacks right faith, does not recite Mahayana scriptures, or fails to arrange offerings; if the offerings are made according to convenience without seeking pure ground; or if the head, face, eyes, hands, feet, and other parts of the child's body lack dignified marks—when such conditions exist, although those practitioners labor with utmost diligence, the Eight Deities will not come. Not only will the invitation fail, but in addition inauspicious events will occur.

If a practitioner of recitation wishes to perform the rite of inviting the Eight Deities, the preliminary practice must first be completed. The preliminary practice is as follows: First recite the mantra of the Eight Deities a full one hundred thousand times, or three hundred thousand times. Then select an auspicious day during the bright fortnight. On that day, one must not eat. Find pure earth, mix it with cow dung, and smear it on the ground to form a mandala as large as an oxhide. This is the place where the Eight Deities will descend.

If one wishes them to descend into a child, bathe the child thoroughly, dress the child in new clothes, and confer the Eight Precepts. Once the child is pure within and without, bring the child into the center of the mandala and seat the child facing west. Make offerings of various kinds of incense and flowers. The practitioner should also enter the mandala, spread kusa grass, sit facing east, and recite the mantra of the Eight Deities. With one-pointed concentration, make the invitation; success is certain.

If one wishes the Eight Deities to descend into a mirror, first obtain a fine, perfectly round mirror without any chips. Polish it with clean ash seven, eight, or ten times until it is bright and clear, and then place it in the center of the mandala. When the Eight Deities descend, they will appear in the mirror and speak of worldly and supramundane matters.

If one wishes the Eight Deities to descend upon a finger, first wash the thumb with purple mineral water. Then anoint it with fragrant oil, and the Eight Deities will descend.

If one wishes the Eight Deities to descend into water, obtain fresh water, filter it, and pour it into a vessel. The Eight Deities will then descend and reveal events within it.

If one wishes the Eight Deities to descend into empty space, onto the ground, into the flame of a lamp before sacred images, or into a mass of fire, first recite the mantra, empower clean water, and sprinkle it. The Eight Deities will then come.

If they have been successfully invited into any of the places described above, offer various kinds of incense and flowers to delight the Eight Deities. They will then speak of good and evil matters in dreams.

If one has completely performed all the aforementioned practices but the deities still do not descend, one should give rise to the greatly loving and compassionate resolve to benefit beings, abstain from food for one day, and again receive the Eight Precepts. Before an exquisite sacred image or a stupa containing relics, spread kusa grass, sit upright without swaying or moving, and single-mindedly recite the mantra of the Mother of one's own family or the Lord of one's own family one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand times. When the required number is complete, perform this rite. Recite the mantra of the Wrathful King and also utter my syllable An (OM)—I being Vajrapani. This can cause the Eight Deities to enter even a place of withered trees, much less a human body.

If one wishes the Eight Deities to descend into the body of a child, first select ten boys or ten girls. If that number is unavailable, eight, six, or two may be selected. They should be approximately ten or twelve years old and possess complete physical marks: no blood vessels, sinews, or bones should protrude anywhere on the body; the skin should be fresh and fair; the crown of the head straight; the hair black and lustrous; the face like the full moon; the eyes long; the teeth close-set and even; the arms slender, long, rounded, and pleasing; the breasts full; the bodily hair curling to the right; three folds between the chest and abdomen; the navel deep and even; the waist slender and straight;

and the thighs, calves, knees, shins, ankles, toes, and heels all endowed with dignified marks, so that whoever sees the child feels affection and does not wish to depart.

If such a boy or girl is found, select the eighth, fourteenth, or fifteenth day, or choose an auspicious day during the bright fortnight. First have the child bathe thoroughly and put on new white clothes or garments adorned with pearls. Once adorned, confer the Eight Precepts and bring the child into the mandala, seated facing east. On that same day, the practitioner should fast, bathe thoroughly, and put on new white clothes. With all kinds of incense, flowers, garlands, fragrant oil, burning incense, bright lamps, and various excellent foods, make offerings to the principal deity and the divine guardians of the eight directions. Separately arrange offerings and present them to devas, humans, asuras, and stealthily moving spirits, whose activities are concealed and leave no trace.

Having done this, the practitioner of recitation should scatter wondrous flowers over the child. Then, holding an incense burner, recite the mantra of the Eight Deities. At the beginning of the mantra, first utter the syllable Hum (HUM); around the middle add the words Grhna (GRHNA). At this point, give incense and flowers to the child, then utter Abhiseca Mam (ABHISECA MAM) three times, and then utter Ksa Pra (KSA PRA). When this has been recited, the Eight Deities will immediately come and enter the child's body. One should also inspect the signs carefully to ascertain this clearly.

If their arrival is manifested, the child's countenance will be joyful, the eyes will stare without blinking, and breathing will cease. One then knows that the Eight Deities have arrived. Incense may then be burned and arghya water offered. In one's mind, one should recollect the mantra of Vijaya Vidyaraja. Only after making obeisance and offerings may one ask questions:

“To which heavenly realm do you belong, that you have not begrudged the effort of coming here? I now have doubtful matters concerning myself and others. I pray that you quickly explain them.”

One should ask quickly, without delay, hesitation, or doubt. The Eight Deities will then explain each matter. They will speak chiefly of good and evil affairs of the three times, suffering and happiness, gain and loss, clearly explaining every kind of matter.

After they have spoken, one should faithfully accept their words and not give rise to doubt. When the questions are finished, quickly make offerings according to the Dharma in gratitude for their service, then formally dismiss the Eight Deities and invite them to return to their original stations.

Furthermore, when the Eight Deities themselves descend, there will be verifiable signs. The deity will cause the child's two eyes to become round and bright, with a faint redness outside the pupils. The head and face will be upright and handsome, the countenance joyful, the gaze unblinking, and the breathing stopped. The child will possess the bearing of a great person. If these signs appear, the Eight Deities have personally descended.

If obstructing maras enter instead, the child likewise will not breathe, but the countenance will be ugly and malevolent, the round eyes heavily reddened, the expression wrathful, and the gaping mouth terrifying. If these signs are seen, one should know that the intruder is a mara, raksasa, naga, or stealthily moving spirit. Once this has been ascertained, one should quickly perform the rite of expulsion. Within the mandala, the practitioner should recite the Auspicious Gatha, the Sutra of Mahabala Vidyaraja, the Samaja Sutra, and the mantra of Ucchusma Krodha Vidyaraja, or Mahayana dharanis, and thereby expel it.

If this is done but the mara does not depart, recite the mantra of the Lion Throne. Use arka wood and palasa wood as fuel, soaking them in ghee, honey, curds, and so forth, together with flowers, grains, sesame seeds, and so forth, and perform homa one hundred times. Then recite the mantra of Krodha Kundali and perform homa three or seven times. The obstructing mara will no longer dare remain and will depart of its own accord. The wise must clearly understand such Dharma procedures and practice each one. When undertaking this matter, do not allow diligent labor to remain without a spiritual response.

ON THE VARIOUS OBSTRUCTING HINDRANCES

PART NINE

Subahu Bodhisattva again asked Vajrapani: “What kinds of sinful obstructions prevent a practitioner of recitation from attaining siddhi? I pray that you explain them so that practitioners in future ages may clearly understand each matter of practice and remain free of doubt.”

At that time, Vajrapani Bodhisattva said to Subahu Bodhisattva: “Subahu, if practitioners, in past lives or in this life, fail to guard body, speech, and mind and commit grave offenses, the practices of the Dharma will therefore be difficult to accomplish.

“These offenses are: killing an arhat, killing one's father or mother, disrupting the harmonious Sangha, shedding the blood of a Buddha with an angry mind, destroying a Buddha stupa, killing a bodhisattva, or deliberately defiling the mother of an arhat through impure conduct. They also include directing others to seize or personally coercing and plundering the property of the Three Jewels. The Buddha declared such transgressions to be offenses of immediate retribution.

If one has committed these offenses, the Dharma is difficult to accomplish. Why? Because these grave offenses cause one to fall into the Avici Hell, where one suffers for a kalpa and is released only after the retribution corresponding to the former offense has been exhausted.

Therefore, although such a person may diligently undergo hardship, karmic obstructions will ultimately prevent the accomplishment of the mantras.

“Furthermore, if one angrily burns scriptures and Dharma teachings spoken by the Buddha, submerges them in water, intentionally destroys them, slanders the Dharmakaya, kills monks or nuns who observe the precepts, kills without cause men or women who observe the precepts, or angrily sets fire to a monastery, then, although one practices with diligence and hardship, one will not attain accomplishment.

“If one gives rise to a mind that harms the Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha, regardless of whether the harm is great or small, I shall now briefly describe the resulting retribution. Such a person will fall into the Avici Hell. When the retribution for the offense has ended, that person will again be born in the human realm.

Because of residual karma, even if a human body is obtained, birth will occur in a low and degraded station. Or the person may meet a good friend who urges them to bring forth the resolve for unsurpassed bodhi, but afterward they will remain indecisive and instead take refuge in the deities of non-Buddhist paths. Although those non-Buddhist deities see the person taking refuge, they will not rejoice but will instead become angry and inflict harm.

If such a person undertakes recitation and cultivation, there will ultimately be no accomplishment.

“If, on the other hand, a person has newly brought forth the resolve for unsurpassed bodhi, from that time onward devas and humans should make offerings to that person. Why? Such a person bears the burden of all sentient beings, can bestow fearlessness upon them, and can perpetuate the lineage of the Three Jewels. Therefore, it is said: ‘One should not turn away from one's course to bow to devas.’

“One must also not commit fiercely harmful transgressions or kill rishis.

“One must not cause mutual destruction among these mantra vidyas.

“Nor, out of anger, should one fail to make offerings to the Lord of the mantra vidyas.

“One must not tread with one's feet upon lotuses or mudras.

“One must not break plants or trees by hand without cause, and then bow to evil yaksas.

“One must not eat leftover food that has been offered, leftovers offered to spirits and deities, or food discarded upon the ground.

“One must not engage in impure conduct with female animals.

“One must not use spells or the power of medicines to harm insects or snakes. When riding elephants, horses, oxen, donkeys, and so forth, one must not whip or strike them to make them move faster.

“When with the sick or those undergoing calamity and suffering, one must not fail to bring forth loving-kindness and compassion and render aid.

“Such people will ultimately attain no accomplishment in mantra vidya.

“Furthermore, practitioner, just as empty space cannot be measured, if a person acts harmfully toward the Three Jewels, the karmic retribution subsequently incurred will also be immeasurable.

“Furthermore, practitioners must not use nets to injure sentient beings, raise cats to hunt insects and mice, or confine parrots, mynas, and other birds. Such people will not attain accomplishment.

“One must not use articles already offered to the Buddha. One must not bow to Mahesvara, Aditya, Candra, Agni, or Narayana. Even when encountering calamity and suffering, one should not bow to them. One should neither recite the teachings of those devas nor make offerings to practitioners of those teachings. Toward their teachings, one should be neither angry nor pleased, nor rejoice in their ritual procedures.

“If one possesses wealth and wishes to practice wisdom, one should first bring forth bodhicitta. At the outset, one should bow to all Buddhas. Next, one should bow to images of bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and sravakas. Why? Just as the newly risen moon surpasses all the stars and gradually illuminates the world, so too do bodhisattvas. Although they still occupy stages on the path, they will ultimately realize unsurpassed bodhi. Therefore, one should bow to such assemblies.

“Moreover, bodhisattvas are those who bear the work of all sentient beings. Having generated great compassion, they wish to perform works of rescue and relief. Therefore, one should first bow to these bodhisattvas.

“Furthermore, there are pitiful, foolish, and inferior sentient beings in the world who refuse to bow to bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas possess great diligence and inconceivable powers of spiritual penetration. If practitioners do not bow to them, the practices they recite will not be accomplished, and they will also incur the fault of slighting the Buddhas. Why? Just as all fruits in the world arise from flowers, flowers may be compared to bodhisattvas and fruits to bodhi. For precisely this reason, practitioners must faithfully bow to them.

“When bodhisattvas seek to benefit beings, they may manifest the practice of desire amid circumstances of sensual desire. Yet toward good and evil people alike, they actually possess neither love nor hatred. Through the power of great compassion, they employ skillful means of praise and censure. Why, then, should practitioners fail to give rise to faithful reverence toward bodhisattvas? These bodhisattvas also manifest all kinds of mantra vidya forms solely to accord with aspirations and satisfy the minds of sentient beings. Therefore, one must faithfully revere the teachers of all Lords of mantra vidya.

ON THE SUPREME PATH

CHAPTER TEN

Furthermore, practitioners of recitation must not give rise to doubt concerning the practices they cultivate. They should use the Noble Eightfold Path as their protection. By following this path, they will certainly attain siddhi in mantra practice. Moreover, in future lives they will continually be born in excellent and wondrous places among humans and devas. The Buddhas of the past attained perfect enlightenment by cultivating this path. The present and future Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, do likewise.

To employ the merit cultivated through body, speech, and mind, constantly following the Buddha's teaching without becoming weary, and to cultivate in this way is called right action.

To use food, drink, medicine, clothing, bedding, utensils, and so forth without giving rise to a mind of affection or attachment toward these articles of use is called right livelihood.

Neither praising nor censuring oneself or others, and swiftly leaving anger as one would flee a mass of fire—just as a powerful tiger is terrified upon seeing fire—while always maintaining such fear of transgression is called right conduct.

Not studying physiognomy or the auspicious and inauspicious signs of men and women; not studying astronomy, geomancy, yin and yang, the subjugation of nagas, the training of elephants and horses, writing, calculation, archery, and other arts; and swiftly distancing oneself from these faults is called right discrimination.

One should not discuss affairs of government, royal laws, or local administration; warfare between opposing forces; places of sexual indulgence or the attachments of courtesans; riddles; ancient tales; theories, writings, or useless worldly affairs. A practitioner of recitation must swiftly distance oneself from all such faults.

Furthermore, when a practitioner of recitation who seeks siddhi reaches the stage of accomplishment, one should not enter walled cities, villages, stupas or temples, monasteries, palaces, shrines, or dwellings of non-Buddhists. One should not go to any such place. If the work of recitation makes this unavoidable, one should seek a pure and excellent place, such as an isolated mountainside, the bank of a pond, an empty house, or an abandoned shrine; beneath a tree, on a riverbank, or beside a spring; far from noisy and crowded places, where no people are present; and there recite with one-pointed concentration.

Furthermore, during the year, one should not travel elsewhere only during the three summer months of the rains retreat. In mid-spring and at other times, one may freely go to mountains, forests, springs, ponds, and all the aforementioned excellent places to recite with one-pointed concentration.

If practitioners have completed the preliminary practice and the full number of recitations, they must nevertheless not perform the rite of accomplishment during the summer retreat. Just as bhiksus dwelling in the summer retreat must not engage in various activities but remain quietly seated, so too must practitioners of recitation. Although their recitation must not be interrupted, only after the summer retreat is completed should they protect the body according to the Dharma and then perform the rite of accomplishment.

Next, those wishing to seek siddhi should perform homa after completing the required number of recitations. Homa hearths have corresponding forms: lotus-shaped, circular, triangular, and square on four sides. These four types have different applications, and one must construct them steadfastly according to the Dharma.

Those wishing to construct a hearth should first find clean earth, mix it with cow dung to make plaster, and coat the hearth. The hearth should have firm handles, and on each of its four sides there should be a step-like ledge serving as a place for offerings to the sages.

For benevolent acts, the seeking of wealth, the rite of pacification, and the rite of respect and affection, one should make a circular hearth.

For seeking the accomplishment of all affairs, including obtaining a maiden attendant, one should make a lotus-shaped hearth.

For subjugating nagas and all spirits, or causing them to burn or suffer, one should make a square hearth with four sides.

For performing a fierce rite intended to make an enemy afraid, flee far away, and dare not approach, one should make a triangular hearth.

The hearth must be constructed according to the Dharma and in conformity with the ritual procedure. When it is complete, spread kusa grass on its four sides in accordance with the homa articles, placing the grass upon the ground outside the hearth where the cow-dung plaster has been applied. Then, beside the hearth, arrange all kinds of flowers, fragrant oil, burning incense, food, and drink, and make offerings to the Three Jewels, the Great Vajra Family, the Vidya Lord, and the Mantra Lord of one's own family.

After completing the offerings, kindle a fire within the hearth. The fire must not be blown upon with the mouth but should be fanned with a fan. Once the fire is burning, first mix rice flowers or sesame seeds with ghee.

Recite the mantra of the Vidya Lord of one's own family, casting in one offering with each recitation, seven, eight, or as many as twenty times. This is called the homa offering to the Vidya Lord.

After completing the offering, perform the homa according to the Dharma in order to seek siddhi. The practitioner should first protect oneself. Using the mantra procedure of Krodha Kundali, empower kusa grass seven, eight, or as many as twenty times, then bind it into a cord and wind it around the armpit.

After protecting the body, spread kusa grass and sit facing east. Mix ghee, honey, and curds with white mustard seeds and fill a vessel with them. Take the prescribed firewood, coat both ends with the mixture, recite the root mantra, and cast the sticks into the fire, one recitation for each offering. When the fire first catches and the wood burns vigorously, observe it to determine whether the signs are auspicious or inauspicious.

If the fire burns naturally without being fanned, blazes greatly without smoke, and the wood makes no cracking sound; if the flames gather together and incline to the right, shining like the unobstructed sun; if the color of the fire resembles gold or coral; or if the flame is broad or long—these and many other forms are auspicious. The flame may resemble a rainbow, a flash of lightning, a peacock's tail, a lotus blossom, a homa ladle, a vajra, a trident, a horizontal sword, a banner or streamer, the spiral of a conch-shaped vessel, a fly whisk, or a chariot.

Furthermore, it may produce sounds like musical instruments—drums, flutes, and so forth—and its fragrance may resemble burning ghee.

If any such signs appear, they are auspicious. One should know that vast siddhi will soon be attained.

Furthermore, if at first the fire is difficult to ignite; if, even after igniting, it produces much smoke; if it cannot blaze vigorously and extensively but gradually diminishes until it is entirely extinguished; or if, though the fire does not go out, the smoke has no rosy-red color and it resembles the sun obscured by clouds, unable to shine; if the flames rise in a shape like an ox's head, or like a donkey or horse; if the wood cracks loudly and sends out sparks as though burning the practitioner; or if the fire smells like a burning corpse—

If practitioners encounter such signs, they should clearly know that these are inauspicious omens and that the siddhi they seek will certainly not be attained. They should mix rice flowers and white mustard seeds with ghee and honey, then recite the mantras of the Red-Body Mahabala Vidyaraja and Ucchusma Krodha Vidyaraja while performing homa. The former inauspicious signs will then naturally disappear and all will be extinguished.

Furthermore, practitioners should not use a razor to shave the hair of the three places, nor apply medicine to cause it to fall out, nor pluck it out by hand. This is like a person holding a sharp knife: without wisdom, one will swiftly injure one's own body.

If a practitioner of recitation does not follow the prescribed ritual, not only will the rite fail, but the practitioner will also bring harm upon oneself.

If a practitioner performs recitation and cultivation without following the ritual rules, without keeping the precepts, or without purity, then even if the great Vidya Lord does not become angry and inflict harm, the attendants and retinue of that vidya, seeing the person's transgressions, will cause injury.

Furthermore, if practitioners of recitation wish swiftly to attain siddhi, they must not omit or violate even the slightest part of any ritual rule, thereby denying obstructing maras any opportunity to cause harm. According to their means, they must arrange all kinds of food, drink, incense, flowers, fruits, and so forth. They should make sacrificial offerings to devas, asuras, yaksas, nagas, garudas, kataputanas, gandharvas, bhutas, and all grahas, seeking their protection so that they do not create obstructing difficulties.

After fully arranging all sacrificial offerings, one should sincerely call each by name and invite them to descend, accept the offerings, and assist in bringing about accomplishment.

Then recite the Mantra of Invitation:

Ne phoc, A to la, Da Xoa, Bo cuu Nga, Tat Da da xoa-da, To ba la-noa, Yet tra bo dat nang that-ta, Nghien dat-ly phoc, La Sat, Ngat-la ha, Nha da da that-ta.

Due ke tuc bo mao vi nang, phien de ne vi-da ne-da, tat-doi ca nha no, tat-ly the vi da le ham, khat-ly dat-phoc noa le vi nha-noa ba da nhi dan do dat-la nai nai, sa ha.

Bo-ly dat-da, tang khe to-lo dat-phoc, y ha dien do. A no nga-la ha la-tham du nhi bat-ly sat-tri nhi van te, bo da due, nan na nhi due ta to la, la due so due mao na da tat-de, la man ne ly so nang nga ly so.

Tat ly-phe so tuc due phoc phien de sa ly so. Tat ly-phoc to ta tang nga di so, la dat-nang la due ta, be khat-ly da, dia phoc sa phoc be da noa nghe so-ta ba la phoc le-so, cau phe so thap-phoc bo-ly so ta, nhi ly-nha ly so due, nga-la ma cu the, bo la ca nang nhi phoc thau nhi-da la be ne phoc nga-ly tu so due ta, vi ha la tuc dat-da phoc sa tha that-la di so, ma tre so, xa la ta.

Cung nha la nan due bo bo-ly da, tuc da, nga-ly tu so, phien de la tha-da, to vi the so ta, ta dat-phoc ly so due, tai ca mot-ly sat so, ma ha phoc nhi so, tang tu dat ly-sa khat-xoa vi-du su da to due ta phoc phien de cu la to.

Ma ha tra vi to ne-vi be so, ne vi-due so, khat-ly da la da that-ta.

Ne lo xa-ma xa nhi, nhi phoc phien de due ta, ha-ly sat-tra, bat-la sa dat-nang sa-la nha, nghien da, ma la diem, do ba mat lan ne ba no de ta, ba khat dat-da, nga-ly han-nan, dong bo cuu do be van do tat noan, y nan ta ca ly-ma, sa pha lang to san do.

E noan, do khat-ly dat-phoc, nga-la ha, bo nha nam, do ne nga ly-ta nang dat-phue ca ma nang do cau ly-da, an nai-la do phoc nhat-ly, sa ha.

Bo da tang khe, y ham do, nga-ly han nan, do mat lan nhi tat-ly sat-tra, a nghe-nhi ly-da, mao nai ly de bo bat de that-ta.

A noan ba de ly-phoc du phoc nang dia phoc that-ta.

Y xa nang, bo da dia bat de that-ta.

Ne mao o ly-than do, tan nai-la ly-ca be da, ma ha that-ta.

Ne phoc, tam ma sa-da bo vi due ta.

Nang nga, da la, ngoc tu-da, nga nai sa di da, bat-la de, bat-la de, dat-phue nang ne phe nga nan do, sa-phoc ca, sa-phoc ca, tue phoc ne xa to bo dat-phoc, nga-ly han-nan, do do sat-tra sa phoc la sa trai nai-da sa bo dat-la na ly, sa-phoc nha nai sa di da, do ba mat lan, bo sat-ba, vi le ba nan ta.

Bo cuu do nha-da gia-lam do be van do tat noan, muoi dat-la diem di kiem, tat de di ham ne phien do.

E noan do duoc, tat ly-phoc ne noa ta la nan, ca lo dat-da nha sa-lam mat lan, ca ly-ma, ca ly diem.

SUBAHU BODHISATTVA'S QUESTIONS SUTRA

VOLUME 3 (End)