龍舒增廣淨土文

The Pure Land Dharma-door, as glimpsed in the "Larger Sukhāvatī (Amitābha) Sūtra" together with the "Sūtra of the Sixteen Contemplations," speaks of a practice of cultivating the Pure Land that has its lower and its higher levels. One who cultivates by the lower method achieves but a small merit, and within the fruition of the "Nine Grades" abides only in the lower grades. But one who cultivates by the higher method achieves a great merit, and within the fruition of the "Nine Grades" attains the upper grades. Yet so long as one is born among the nine grades — whether upper or lower — one alike escapes the round of birth and death and gains everlasting life without aging.

Now we shall first set forth the fruition of those who cultivate, high and low, and thereby explain that there are the upper grades, the middle grades, and the lower grades.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE FIRST

The Buddha Amitābha made forty-eight vows to rescue and liberate sentient beings. Among them is the vow that says: "When I attain Buddhahood, should sentient beings throughout the ten directions, with wholehearted faith and acceptance, wish to be born in My land, then if they recite My name ten times they shall be born in My land. If it were not so, I vow not to become a Buddha."

Thus the Buddha already has His sworn vow to liberate beings, relying only upon a person's ten recitations to show the heart of utmost sincerity in taking refuge with the Buddha.

Therefore each day at early dawn, let us join our palms, turn to face the West, bow in homage, and recite "Namo Amitābha Buddha" (aloud). Bow again, and recite the verse of the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion. Make the vow once, thus: "I vow that those who together recite the Buddha's name may together be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, behold the Buddha, and end birth and death, as the Buddha vowed to liberate all!" Having finished reciting, bow in homage, then withdraw.

With such utmost sincerity, there is not one who shall fail to be born among the nine grades. Even in the lower grades one is able to hear the Buddha expound the Dharma. By hearing the Dharma one gradually realizes ascent to the middle grades, and to the upper grades.

QUESTION: What of those who do not know how to read?

ANSWER: Although they do not know how to read, if we teach them to recite this verse by heart, they too shall obtain a very great blessing and reward.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE SECOND

Each day at early dawn, join the palms, turn toward the West, bow in homage, and recite reverently: "Namo Amitābha Buddha. Namo Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. Namo Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. Namo all Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, and the host of supremely virtuous ones" (each title ten times).

Bow again, and recite the verse in which the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion praises the Buddha, repents of sins, and dedicates merit and makes vows. Recite the entire verse once, thus:

Among the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times,

Amitābha is foremost.

By the nine grades He liberates sentient beings,

His majestic virtue is beyond all measure.

I now wholly take refuge,

And repent the sins of the three karmas.

Whatever blessings and good I have,

With one heart I dedicate them all.

I pray that those who together recite the Buddha's name,

May feel His response — that the Buddha appear in due time.

That at the hour of death the scene of the Western land,

And the Buddha, may stand clearly before our eyes.

That those who see and those who hear may all be diligent,

And together be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

To behold the Buddha and end birth and death,

As the Buddha liberates all sentient beings.

Bow in homage, then withdraw.

This verse possesses very great majestic power; it can dissolve away all sins and increase all blessings. Whenever one recites it and adds homage, burns incense, and bows to the Buddha, one increases one's blessings yet further. Doing so each day, one shall surely be born into the middle grades.

And by teaching others to recite this verse, one obtains a very great blessing and reward.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE THIRD

In all respects one recites and chants as before; only, at the time of reciting the Buddha's name, let the mind imagine one's own body in the Pure Land, before the Buddha, joining the palms and reverently reciting. When reciting the names of the Bodhisattvas, do likewise. When reciting the names of all the Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, and the supremely virtuous ones, let the mind imagine one's body in the Pure Land, one's voice of recitation resounding everywhere before the Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, and the supremely virtuous ones. When bowing in homage, likewise imagine oneself within the Pure Land paying homage to the Buddha. When reciting the verse, likewise imagine oneself in the Pure Land, before the Buddha, joining the palms and reverently reciting the verse.

Only when there are images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas is there no need for such contemplation. Yet one must imagine those images as the Buddha and Bodhisattvas truly manifesting their bodies here in this very place, receiving one's homage and hearing one's recitation. Concentrating wholeheartedly thus, the grade of rebirth one attains is likewise not low (it is very high).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE FOURTH

A NARRATIVE: When the Buddha Śākyamuni was yet in the world, He taught two old people to recite the name of Amitābha — of this there should be no doubt. If a person with wholehearted devotion upholds and recites it and chants the dhāraṇī of rebirth, then having been reborn, one also gains extended lifespan (longevity), obtaining a very great blessing and reward. To realize ascent to the fruit of the Supreme Forbearance at the stage of Non-retrogression — how could this not be precious? Master Lü Yuanyi recorded these words to encourage cultivation.

To tell again: in the time when the Buddha Śākyamuni was yet in the world, there were an old man and an old woman, bent with age, who used grains of rice to keep count of their recitations. Reciting "Amitābha Buddha" to seek rebirth in the West, each time they recited "Namo Amitābha Buddha" they dropped one grain of rice into a jar. The Buddha Śākyamuni taught them: "I have a special method, very excellent, by which I shall teach you to recite the Buddha's name once and gain a very great count of rice." The two, overjoyed, at once bowed in homage and begged to be taught.

The Buddha told them to recite: "Namo, to the World of Ultimate Bliss in the West, the thirty-six hundred-thousand million, one hundred and ten thousand nine hundred and five hundred Buddhas of one and the same name and title, of great loving-kindness and great compassion, Amitābha Buddha." Pouring out the rice and counting it came to one hộc and eighteen hundred grains (that is, two thousand tạ of rice).

The Buddha often used this name to teach the two old people. Seeing this, one may know how vast indeed is the merit of reciting the Buddha's name — therefore one ought to understand this. (Drawn from the Treatise of the Jewel-King [Bửu Vương Luận].)

If a person is very dull and cannot remember to recite that long passage, then keeping to the recitation of the usual six syllables is also sufficient. And teaching others to recite obtains a very great blessing and reward; or one may together uphold and chant the Smaller Amitābha Sūtra, or the Larger Amitābha Sūtra, or other Buddhist sūtras (the Bhaiṣajyaguru Sūtra, the Universal Gate chapter, and so forth).

According to the number recited, whether much or little, after reciting one dedicates the merit and prays for rebirth in the West — this too suffices. And one recites the dhāraṇī, the "Dhāraṇī for Uprooting the Very Roots of All Karmic Obstacles and Gaining Rebirth in the Pure Land." That is to say: chanting the dhāraṇī for rebirth in the Pure Land. The dhāraṇī of rebirth is chanted thus:

Namo amitābhāya, tathāgatāya, tadyathā. Amṛtod-bhave, amṛta-siddhaṃ-bhave, amṛta-vikrānte, amṛta-vikrānta, gāmini, gagana, kīrtti-kare, svāhā.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE FIFTH

The Buddha asked Venerable Ānanda: "Do you wish to see the people who are in hell?"

Venerable Ānanda said: "Yes, I wish to see them; but how can I see them?"

The Buddha taught: "The people in hell are those whose bodies do evil deeds, whose mouths speak evil words, whose minds think evil things — these are the people in hell."

The treatise says: Whether the people of the world are good or evil, it comes to nothing beyond the three karmas of body, speech, and mind.

Now, when the three karmas are all evil, this is wholly called black karma — thus one enters hell.

If the three karmas are all good, this is wholly called white karma — thus one is born up in the heavenly realms.

But among the three karmas, when there is one karma of good, this is called mixed karma, and one is also spared from entering hell.

Therefore, though the body-karma and the mind-karma be evil, when the speech-karma recites the Buddha's name this is also reckoned as one karma of good. It is far better than having all three karmas evil.

How much more so when the speech-karma, in reciting the Buddha's name, is also able to make the mind imagine the Buddha — then the mind-karma is good. When the body sits upright and the hand holds the string of beads — then the body-karma is good. With the three karmas constantly good, used to cultivate the Pure Land, one shall surely be born into the highest grade — the upper grade, upper birth.

I (Wang Rixiu) once, in the land of Zhenjiang, heard a man selling shrimp. From his single cry hawking shrimp, one could know that his three karmas were all evil.

Why? His body carrying the shrimp — that is the evil body-karma. His mind wishing to sell the shrimp — that is the evil mind-karma. His mouth crying out to sell the shrimp — that is the evil speech-karma. Thus one knows that from his single cry hawking shrimp, his three karmas were all evil. This is why the Buddha said that such a person is one who is in hell.

Contemplating by this, then before one's very eyes one has already seen very many people who are in hell — how can one not be afraid? Sentient beings, through the mind's foolishness, not knowing cause and effect, sink into evil and sin — most worthy of pity. Because I wish to open and instruct them, this is called the Gift of Dharma. The Gift of Dharma is a most vast and great form of giving; the blessing and reward it obtains — how could it easily be measured?

Someone may ask: When a person recites the Buddha's name once or merely twice and just goes on reciting it forever, how does he escape the Buddha's dislike? It is like calling a person's name: at most two or three times, but if one keeps calling on and on, how shall one keep that person from arising anger?

Therefore one may know: To keep on reciting the Buddha's name forever, in my opinion, is not truly good!

ANSWER: To reason thus is not so at all. For sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas until now, the sins of the speech-karma are more than the mountains and the seas. One must recite the Buddha's name truly many times in order to hope to wash them clean — and even so one fears it is not enough. How can one cling to the name of an ordinary person and compare it with the name of the Buddha, who is the supremely honored one, brimful of loving-kindness and compassion!

How much more so when the Buddhas open and teach the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha's name — precisely to guide sentient beings to goodness in the speech-karma, and gradually toward goodness in the body-karma and the mind-karma. Therefore to say that single-mindedly reciting His name forever is still not enough to be good — how can one cling to the words of worldly speech and disparage the golden words from the very mouth of the Compassionate Father, by which He instructs sentient beings?

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE SIXTH

Whoever keeps wholly to fasting and the precepts, and moreover pays homage to the Buddha, recites the Buddha's name, reads and chants the Mahāyāna scriptures, and understands the foremost meaning — using this merit, dedicating it and vowing to be born in the West — shall surely be born into the upper grade.

— What is meant by upholding the fast?

— It means: not eating meat, not drinking wine, no sexual indulgence, and not eating the five pungent and rank foods (the five acrid herbs).

— What is meant by keeping the prohibitive precepts?

— It means: such matters as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, which are the three karmas of the body. Lying, frivolous speech, double-tongued speech, and harsh words, which are the four karmas of speech. Greed and craving, anger and hatred, and false views, which are the three karmas of the mind. In all, these are the ten precepts.

If one can keep these ten precepts without transgressing them, this is called the ten good deeds (the Ten Virtues). But if one does not keep them and lets them be transgressed, this is called the ten evil deeds (the Ten Evils).

By keeping these ten precepts entirely, one may be born up in the heavenly realms. As for keeping the first four precepts, with the addition of the precept against drinking wine, that comes to five precepts (the householder keeps the Five Precepts). Whoever can keep these five precepts shall constantly avoid losing the human body.

If one gives rise to the resolve to cultivate the Pure Land, then one does not belong to this category. As for one who keeps the ten precepts in full, with the addition of the merit gained as in the foregoing text, that one shall surely be born into the upper grade.

But if one keeps only the five precepts while cultivating the Pure Land, one shall still not fail to be born into the upper grade of the middle level, or the lower grade of the upper level. And if one cannot manage to keep the five precepts, how can one not strive at least to keep the precept against killing? Why? Because killing is the first of the five precepts. It is also the first of the ten precepts, and likewise the first of the two hundred and fifty precepts of the bhikṣu. Thus if one can keep this precept (against killing), one is called a person of Great Goodness. But to kill is to be called one of Great Evil.

Therefore the Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: Whoever wishes to kill — why does he not examine himself! Suppose someone were to slay you: would you bear it? The lives of creatures are likewise (just the same). Therefore one who does not kill obtains the blessing and reward of long life. But one who kills meets the retribution of dying young, of being crippled and lame. The treatise says: I wish my own life to be long; creatures too wish their own lives to be long. If I take their lives merely to wish to fill my mouth and belly, then the cravings of mouth and belly — when are they ever satisfied? After one sets down the chopsticks, the savory taste is already gone, yet the karma of killing still remains.

If one kills to entertain a guest — should that guest know that I never kill on ordinary days, then that guest will lay no blame nor be displeased at all. How much more so, since the sin of killing is one's own to do and one's own to bear (eating together, yet the sin is borne alone). Therefore the sūtra says: Coming to be reborn, one comes alone by oneself; dying, one goes alone by oneself. The round of rebirth, one bears alone by oneself. The fruits of retribution, one carries alone by oneself.

Seeing this, how then should one kill in order to entertain a guest! And if one kills to make offerings to the ancestors, there is surely no shortage of vegetarian dishes and precious foods. Confucius said: "Though it be coarse rice and a broth of herbs, the offering of sacrifice is still done with reverence" — and once there is reverence, then how could it not be acceptable?

But the offering of sacrifice lies not only in the foodstuffs; what is most needful is to burn incense and chant the scriptures, relying on the power of the Buddha, to pray for the rescue of the departed — then the departed shall surely gain transcendence in rebirth and escape from death. Therefore the offering of sacrifice is by no means a thing that must depend upon killing.

If anyone can keep this single precept against killing, and then go on to cultivate the Pure Land, he shall not abide in the lower grades (he shall be born into the middle grade or the upper grade).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE SEVENTH

Keeping the fast and precepts, purifying oneself, with a clear mind and tranquil thought (a settled heart, free of deluded imaginings). Sit facing toward the West, eyes half-closed and contemplate the true body, golden in hue, of the Buddha Amitābha in the Western land, within the pond of seven jewels, seated upon a very great lotus flower, His body one trượng and six in height (sixteen feet); midway between His brows there is a beam of radiant light shining forth; His face golden in hue, His body too golden in hue.

Next, stilling the mind, single-mindedly imagine the white radiant light, not letting there arise the slightest stir of any other deluded thought; with the eyes slightly, slightly closed (squinting), one altogether beholds the Buddha. Thus, with each and every thought, may one not forget. Doing so for a long, long while, the mind's contemplation grows mature, and naturally, by sympathetic response, one comes to behold the whole body of the Buddha.

This method is of the very highest order. That is to say: When the mind imagines the Buddha, then indeed this very mind is the Buddha. Moreover it has a superior portion of merit beyond reciting with the mouth. The latter body (the body of the next life) shall surely be born into the highest grade — the upper grade, upper birth.

In the Tang dynasty, the two men Master Huaifang and Master Yuanguo constantly cultivated this contemplation; in only five months they knew of themselves that their bodies went forth to the Pure Land, beheld the Buddha, and heard the Buddha expound the Dharma (this narrative will appear in the fifth volume). Not only here is the method of contemplation taught — in the Sūtra of the Sixteen Contemplations it has been set forth in full.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE EIGHTH

Contemplate the body of the Buddha Amitābha as very tall and very great. Seated upon the lotus flower, equally tall and great in proportion. Then single-mindedly imagine, midway between His brows, a beam of white radiant light flashing forth. Each and every detail as the foregoing passage has said. This method of contemplation is truly of the highest order. For when the mind imagines the Buddha, this mind is indeed the Buddha. When the heart's imagining is great, then the good thought too is great. If not, then one may instead contemplate a small image, and that too suffices. But one must be single-minded and refined, allowing no scattered and deluded thoughts to enter in.

For in the Sūtra of the Sixteen Contemplations it is said: Contemplate the Buddha Amitābha — His whole bodily form and His radiant light, dazzling like a hundred thousand myriad koṭis of Jambūnada gold. The Buddha's body is six hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas[1], as many yojanas as the sands of the Ganges[1], in height. The white radiant light between His brows covers over the five mountains of Sumeru. His eyes are clear like the water of the four great seas, white and blue distinctly, and with loving-kindness that is without conditions He gathers and liberates sentient beings.

To speak only of a single Ganges-sand of yojanas is already so great that it cannot be told. How much more so when it comes to six hundred thousand koṭis, and a myriad koṭis of Ganges-sands of yojanas?

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE NINTH

Imagine the Buddha Amitābha, and imagine the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, whose body too is tall and great — eight hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of yojanas. The body is of deep golden hue; the palms of the hands produce lotus flowers of many hues and many colors, with eighty-four thousand beams of radiant light, gentle and cool; whoever meets that radiant light is freed of illness and freed of affliction, for by His precious hands He guides and leads sentient beings.

Next imagine the Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta. His body too is eighty thousand koṭis of nayutas of yojanas; his whole body has radiant light glowing in golden hue; only those sentient beings who have the affinity are able to behold that radiant light.

Next imagine one's own body born into the World of Ultimate Bliss in the West, within a lotus flower, seated in the full lotus posture, within a lotus bud; then imagine the lotus flower opening, beholding the Buddha and beholding the Bodhisattvas filling all of empty space.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE TENTH

In cultivating the Pure Land, give rise to the resolve to rescue and liberate sentient beings, give rise to the resolve of utmost sincerity, give rise to the resolve that is firm and steadfast, give rise to the resolve that is deep and profound, and moreover add homage and recitation of the Buddha's name. Thus, in this present life one shall enjoy His protection and aid. The latter body (the next life) shall surely be born into the highest grade — the upper grade, upper birth.

To give rise to the resolve to rescue and liberate sentient beings is this: I vow to be born in the Pure Land, to behold the Buddha and attain the Way, and then to return and liberate all sentient beings sunk and drowning in the sea of suffering — not to liberate myself alone.

To give rise to the resolve of utmost sincerity is this: With utmost sincerity to take refuge and turn toward the Buddha, without carelessness (without distraction).

To give rise to the resolve that is firm and steadfast is this: Firmly and steadfastly to advance in cultivation, ever without retrogression.

To give rise to the resolve that is deep and profound is this: The mind one applies is deep and profound, going straight toward the Pure Land. Like one who dives deep to the bottom of the sea in order to find and obtain the pearl. The Buddhas of the three times together with all sentient beings throughout the Dharma-realm have likewise all come forth from one same mind. If my mind is such, then how could I not be born into the highest grade — the upper grade, upper birth?

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE ELEVENTH

Feasting the Saṅgha, making offerings to the Buddha, burning incense, presenting flowers, hanging banners, raising stūpas, reciting the Buddha's name, performing the rites of repentance — every act reverently serving the Triple Jewel. Using this merit, dedicating it and vowing to be born in the West — this too suffices. Or, for the sake of all that brings benefit in this world, let us by skillful means teach others: as a child one must devotedly nourish one's parents; as an elder brother one must love one's younger siblings; as a younger brother one must reverently obey the elder brother; within the household, how could there fail to be perfect goodness; within the clan, how could there fail to be harmony.

With one's hamlet and village, kin and relations, treat one another with propriety and righteousness, doing kindnesses that benefit one another. Even to the one who serves the sovereign — let him give his whole heart for the country; the one who holds office — let him be benevolent and benefit the people. As an elder — let him skillfully bring harmony among the multitude.

As a subordinate — let him diligently serve those above; or instruct the foolish and deluded, or assist the orphaned and the frail and weak. Or aid those in urgent distress, or give to the destitute and poor, or repair bridges and dig wells, or give medicine and give food, or reduce one's own portion to feed those in want, benefiting other people; or give one's goods to benefit others while diminishing one's own portion a little; or teach others to do right, or praise good deeds and restrain evil deeds.

According to one's strength and according to circumstance, do all the good works in the world; and taking this merit, dedicate it and vow to be born in the West — this too suffices.

Or, for the sake of all that benefits in this world, whether it be great or small, whether much or little — even giving a single coin to another, or holding out a single bowl of water to another, even to picking up a thorny twig from the road so that the passersby do not tread on it — this too is a good deed; and let us likewise rouse a single thought, thinking: Using this minute and humble merit, I dedicate it and pray to be born in the World of Ultimate Bliss in the West — and this too suffices. Constantly keep the mind upon such a single thought, allowing no interruption; with each and every thought directed toward the Land of Ultimate Bliss — then it is certain that one day one shall be born into the highest grade, the upper grade, upper birth.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE TWELFTH

In the Sūtra of the Sixteen Contemplations, the Buddha taught: One who wishes to be born in the Pure Land must cultivate three kinds of blessing:

1/ Devotedly nourish father and mother, serve teachers and elders, with a heart of loving-kindness refrain from killing, and cultivate the ten good karmas.

2/ Reverently uphold the rule of the Three Refuges, keep the precepts in full, and do not transgress the dignified deportment.

3/ Give rise to the bodhi-mind, believe deeply in cause and effect, read and chant the Mahāyāna scriptures, and exhort others to cultivate the Way — these are the three right causes of pure karma of the Buddhas of the three times.

The Three Refuges are: taking refuge in the Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma, and taking refuge in the Saṅgha.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND UPHOLDING

THE THIRTEENTH

I (Wang Rixiu), having looked everywhere throughout the canon of scriptures, find no place that speaks of the matter of depositing treasure-stores in the netherworld. Therefore I respectfully exhort the people of the world not to invent the depositing of treasure-stores, which wastes expense to no benefit.

One ought rather to invite the assembly of monks, prepare offerings of homage, and with single-minded devotion pray for the Western land — then one shall surely gain rebirth. If, instead of this, one performs the depositing of treasure-stores in the netherworld, then one's resolve is bent wholly upon the netherworld, and at death one shall enter the netherworld straightaway, without fail.

Why? It is as if a person, refusing to act according to the conduct of a noble man and to forge ties of friendship with the worthy and the noble, instead stoops to bribe and curry favor with the prison-keepers of the underworld, awaiting the time of entering prison so as to use that money to ransom his sins — how could this not be a delusion?

A DISCOURSE ON EATING MEAT

A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE EATING OF MEAT

The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: There are immeasurable causes and conditions why one ought not to eat meat. The flesh of all sentient beings is, from the first, not a thing for us to eat. Why? Because animals possess a conscious nature like our own — they know pain, know itching, know suffering, know joy, no differently from us. But because we, for so long, have grown accustomed to what our ears hear and our eyes see, we take it for something proper, never suspecting the sins like the sands of the Ganges (beyond number) — yet who has ever examined this?

Therefore, if any of us is able to cut it off entirely, then that person deserves to be called one of the highest order, or a Bodhisattva who rescues and liberates sentient beings. But for one who cannot yet manage to cut it off entirely, then provisionally and by permission one may eat the three kinds of pure flesh, gradually reducing.

The three kinds of pure flesh are: not having seen the killing, not having heard the killing, and not suspecting that it was killed for one's own eating — these are the three kinds of pure flesh.

Furthermore, when a meal has two dishes, let us reduce it by one dish. For instance, where there would be two meals of meat, we ought to take one meal as a vegetarian one.

The people of the world have a fixed measure of allotted fortune; by acting according to this, one gains added years of lifespan (long life).

Next it is said: One ought, for the sake of those sentient beings (that have been killed), to recite and chant prayers for their deliverance, so as to dissolve their grievance and dissolve their sins.

According to the words of King Yama, spoken to the man Zheng Lin[1], one may know that whoever, with utmost sincerity for those sentient beings, recites the Buddha's name, shall surely gain their rebirth.

A DISCOURSE ON THE SEATED FORM OF AVALOKITEŚVARA

A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE SEATED FORM OF THE BODHISATTVA AVALOKITEŚVARA

Examining the canon of scriptures, it is said: The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas — their hands, their feet, and all six sense-faculties are upright and proper; hence the phrase "Forty-eight-fold upright and dignified Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara." Because He possesses the forty-eight dignified and upright marks, seated in the full lotus posture in a manner of spiritual power and sovereign ease, He sends forth radiant light to rescue and liberate, according to the responsive feeling of sentient beings; hence He is called the Bodhisattva of Sovereign Contemplation (Avalokiteśvara, "He Who Contemplates at Ease"). The people of nowadays imitate this and also sit with one leg drawn up and the hand stretched out, and then say: "I am the sovereign-at-ease Avalokiteśvara" — this is a great error indeed.

NAMO ORIGINAL TEACHER ŚĀKYAMUNI BUDDHA

END OF THE FOURTH VOLUME