Toh 1024The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All Suffering”

Summary

The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All Suffering” is a
short dhāraṇī text in which, at Vajrapāṇi’s request, the Buddha Śākyamuni
teaches a mantra associated with Mañjuśrī Vādisiṃha that serves as a method for
the pacification of suffering.

Acknowledgements

This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation
team. Catherine Dalton produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan
Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu
copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication
process.

Introduction

The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All Suffering” is
a short dhāraṇī text in which, at Vajrapāṇi’s request, the Buddha Śākyamuni
teaches a mantra associated with Mañjuśrī Vādisiṃha that serves as a method
for the pacification of suffering. The text opens at the Vajrāsana, where the
Buddha is teaching a large assembly. The bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi makes a
request that the Blessed One pacify the suffering of all beings, prompting
Śākyamuni to explain that a practitioner who wishes to pacify suffering
should meditate on Mañjuśrī Vādisiṃha for six months and recite the mantra
that the Buddha then proclaims. The remainder of the text describes the
benefits of reciting the mantra, which include the complete pacification of
suffering and a vision of a perfect buddha.

The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All Suffering”
does not appear to be extant in Sanskrit, or in Chinese translation. It also
lacks a translator’s colophon and does not appear in either of the surviving
imperial catalogs, or among the texts found in Dunhuang, so not much can be said about the work’s
history in Tibet.

The text is included in the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs section of the
Degé Kangyur and other Tshalpa lineage Kangyurs that include a separate
Dhāraṇī section.
In Tshalpa lineage Kangyurs that lack a section so named, the text is only
found in the equivalent but unnamed dhāraṇī collection comprising part of
the Tantra section. It is not included in any Themphangma lineage Kangyurs.

Notably, the dhāraṇī is one of only twelve works in the Compendium
of Dhāraṇīs section that are not duplicated in other sections of the
Kangyur. Therefore, it appears that these twelve texts found their way into
the Tshalpa lineage Kangyurs specifically because of being part of the
Compendium of Dhāraṇīs, which most likely was compiled based on earlier
collections of dhāraṇīs and associated ritual texts.
These collections, known in Sanskrit as dhāraṇīsaṃgraha, circulated throughout South Asia
and Tibet—as well as in Dunhuang—as extracanonical dhāraṇī collections.

The present English translation of The Dhāraṇī
“Pacifying All Suffering” was made based on the Degé
Kangyur recension of this work, with additional reference to the notes from
the Comparative Edition (dpe sdur ma). The text is stable across all
recensions consulted, with only minor variants. The mantra is rendered in
the translation exactly as it appears in the Degé recension of the work.

The Translation

The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All Suffering”

Homage to Mañjuśrī Vādisiṃha.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was teaching the Dharma to
his full assembly at the Vajrāsana. The bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi said
to him, “O Blessed One! Please pacify the suffering of beings.”

The Blessed One replied, “Sons or daughters of noble family who wish
to pacify outer, inner, and secret suffering should apply themselves to
meditation upon Mañjuśrī Vādisiṃha for six months while reciting this
mantra, which is derived from the vowels and consonants of the alphabet:

namo ratnatrayāya | namo
mañjunāthāya | namo yamāntakāya |

tadyathā | oṁ mañjubhara
mañjughoṣa hana hana hana daha daha paca paca vece vece bhita bhita
iphuta iphuta herate sottani namaḥ sottani pripiśale tang pritahasa
prabhinata jaya hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ herate sottani hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ
vāgīśvari muṁ mañjughoṣa hana vatisidhoharini svāhā ||

“By reciting this mantra just once, they will obtain the dhāraṇī of
longevity. If they recite it ten times, they will be able to impartially
elucidate wisdom. If they
recite it a hundred times, the whole world system will tremble. If they
recite it a thousand times, all desires will be fulfilled. If they recite it
ten thousand times, all suffering will be pacified. If they recite it a
hundred thousand times, they will behold the face of a perfect buddha.”

When the Blessed One had finished speaking, the bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi
along with all in the assembly were delighted, and respectfully
joined their palms together and praised what the Blessed One had said.

This completes The Dhāraṇī “Pacifying All
Suffering” taught by the Blessed Śākyamuni.

Notes

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources