佛說聖佛母小字般若波羅蜜多經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Blessed One was dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain near the city of Rājagṛha, together with twelve hundred and fifty great bhikṣus and many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Bodhisattvas. There were also hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Brahmā kings, Śakras, World-Protectors, and great assemblies who reverently surrounded him.

At that time, the Blessed One was seated in the lotus posture upon the Lion Throne of the Auspicious Jeweled Treasury. Then the great Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, gazed upon the Blessed One without turning his eyes away, joined his palms reverently with boundless joy, and bowed down at the two feet of the Blessed One, saying:

"World-Honored One! I humbly beseech the Blessed One to expound for me the Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom in a Few Syllables, so that all sentient beings who hear this Dharma may attain great merit, that all their karmic hindrances may certainly be eradicated, and that in lives to come they may attain Supreme Enlightenment. If there are sentient beings who arouse a sincere and earnest mind and uphold, recite, and intone this true word (mantra), they will certainly accomplish whatever they wish, and will be free from all the calamities of the maras."

At that time, the Blessed One said to the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara:

"Excellent! What you have said is very good. Excellent! Excellent! O good son! That you are so wholehearted is to bring peace, joy, and long life to all sentient beings. O good son! You should listen attentively and most carefully; with a wholehearted mind hear me expound the Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom in a Few Syllables. If sentient beings hear this Dharma expounded, they will attain great merit, all their karmic hindrances will be eradicated, and they will certainly and swiftly realize Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. If there are sentient beings who arouse the mind to uphold this true word (mantra), they will be free from all the deeds of the maras, and all things will be accomplished."

Then the great Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara again addressed the Buddha:

"World-Honored One! O Well-Gone One! That you speak thus brings peace and joy to all sentient beings."

At that time, in a single moment, the Blessed One entered into the samādhi named the Liberation of All Sentient Beings. When he emerged from the concentration, the mark of the white tuft of hair between the brows of the Buddha emitted hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of rays of light. This great light illuminated all the lands of the Buddhas. By means of that brilliant light, all sentient beings would certainly and swiftly realize Supreme Enlightenment. All the sentient beings in the hells attained peace and joy, and all the Buddha-lands quaked in six ways. Above the Buddhas there rained down the fragrance of candana and aloeswood as an offering.

When the Blessed One expounded the Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom, all the great Bodhisattvas aroused the mind of equality, aroused the mind of loving-kindness, aroused the mind of mindful remembrance to benefit others, aroused the mind to swiftly depart from all transgressions and hindrances, aroused the mind of all benefits, and aroused the mind of the Perfection of Wisdom.

Then the Blessed One said to the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara:

"All of you, listen most attentively. For your sake, I shall now expound the Holy Mother of the Buddhas, the Perfection of Wisdom in a Few Syllables. The true word (mantra) says:

"Naṃ mạc xá kết dã, mẫu nẳng duệ đát tha, nga đa dã thúc khát, đế tam dược ngật tam một đà dã, đát nhĩ dã tha mẫu ninh mẫu ninh ma hạ mẫu nẳng duệ sa phược hạ."

The Buddha said to the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara:

"By means of this true word (mantra) of the Holy Mother of the Buddhas, the Perfection of Wisdom in a Few Syllables, all Buddhas have realized Supreme Enlightenment. I too, by means of this true word of the Perfection of Wisdom in a Few Syllables, realized and accomplished Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. In ages past there was a Buddha also named Śākyamuni Tathāgata, and I heard that Buddha expound this Dharma. That Buddha expounded it thus to all the Buddhas of the three times. It was by means of this Dharma that they attained Buddhahood."

The Buddha further taught the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara:

"Now I bestow upon you this prediction: in a future age among humankind you shall accomplish the Way of the Buddha, named Universally Radiating Light Auspicious Jewel-Peak King Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One. Having heard such a wondrous and subtle Dharma, you should uphold, recite, and intone it, and copy it down yourself, or have others copy it down, and contemplate it so as to understand it clearly.

Moreover, for the sake of all sentient beings, expound its meaning so that they may copy down that sūtra. Whoever, within their own dwelling, upholds, recites, and intones it, in a future age will swiftly realize and accomplish Supreme, Perfect Enlightenment. At that time, all the Tathāgatas will bear witness for you.

Today, for your sake, I shall further expound the Dhāraṇī of the Perfection of Wisdom:

"Đát nhĩ dã tha, an thứ dã thứ dã bát nộp ma tích ngộ phược minh tát ra tát rị lí nê vĩ lý vĩ ra vĩ lý, xã lý xã lý nhĩ phược đa, cung phan ra kiết một độ đa ra ni bố ra ni, bố ra dã, bà nga phược, đế thúc phược, thương ma ma bố ra dã, tát lật phược tát đát phược, tát lật phược, phược lật ma, phược ra nổ kết vĩ hợi đà dã, vĩ hợi đà dã một đà địa cầm sá, ninh nẳng sa phược hạ."

The Buddha taught the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara:

"This Dhāraṇī of the Perfection of Wisdom, this supreme and wondrous Dharma, is the mother who gives birth to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If there are sentient beings who but once hear this Dharma, then all the transgressions and hindrances they have committed will be eradicated. With regard to this Dharma, were all the Buddhas and the assembly of Bodhisattvas to speak of the merits of such a person throughout a hundred koṭis of kalpas, they could never exhaust them. Whoever upholds, recites, and intones this Dhāraṇī thereby equally enters into all maṇḍalas and receives consecration (abhiṣeka). Whoever upholds it accomplishes all true words (mantras)."

Then the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara, said to the Buddha:

"World-Honored One! Why do you again expound this Dhāraṇī of the Perfection of Wisdom?"

The Blessed One said:

"Out of loving-kindness for all indolent sentient beings, by employing a few perfect skillful means, I expound this Dhāraṇī of the Perfection of Wisdom so that they may uphold, recite, and intone it. Whoever copies it down themselves, or has others copy it down, will swiftly realize Supreme Enlightenment. So it is! So it is! The Blessed One has fully expounded this Dhāraṇī of the Perfection of Wisdom."

Then the great Bodhisattva, the Holy Avalokiteśvara, said to the Buddha:

"World-Honored One! This Dharma is truly unprecedented! World-Honored One! This Dharma is truly unprecedented! O Well-Gone One, World-Honored One of great loving-kindness, wishing to liberate all indolent sentient beings, you employ a few perfect skillful means so that they may attain benefit, peace, and joy, and thus you expound such a wondrous and subtle Dharma."

After the Buddha had expounded this sūtra, the great Śrāvakas, the great Bodhisattvas, and all the world—devas, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and the rest—having heard what the Buddha had thus expounded, were greatly delighted; they believed, received, and reverently practiced it, and then paid homage and withdrew.