Kim Cang Thọ Mạng Đà La Ni Kinh Pháp

At that time, Vairocana Tathagata entered the Fourth Dhyana at the summit of the Realm of Form (Rupadhatu) and attained Perfect Enlightenment. He then descended to the jeweled Vajra pavilion on Mount Sumeru. All the Tathagatas throughout the entire Dharma Realm, to the very limits of empty space, came and assembled there, surrounding him in successive ranks.

With different mouths but a single voice, they said: “We beseech the Blessed One to turn the profound and secret wheel of the Wondrous Dharma. These are: the Wheel of the Vajra Realm, the Command Wheel for Subjugating the Three Worlds, the Dharma Wheel of Universal Subjugation, and the Wheel of Accomplishing All Aims. These four wheels all issue from the mind of Vairocana.

Each wheel has thirty-seven Holy Ones, each with a mantra, a samadhi, a mudra, prescribed deportment and ritual procedures, the power of vows and great compassion… In defiled Buddha-realms and in pure and wondrous worlds, whether concealed or manifest, they turn the wheel that brings benefit and deliver all sentient beings, each doing so in a different manner.”

After Vairocana Buddha accepted the request of the Tathagatas, he wished to turn the Dharma wheel. He then entered samadhi and perceived that Maheshvara, the Great Sovereign Deva, was obstinate and difficult to teach, firmly clinging to wrong views… and that none but he, assuming a peaceful body of great compassion, would be capable of subjugating him.

At that time, the Blessed One entered the Samadhi of Compassionate Wrath. From his breast he manifested the Five-Peaked Vajra Mind of Great Bodhi, from which emerged the four-faced, eight-armed, awe-inspiring, fiercely blazing, extraordinary, and invincible Trailokyavijaya Vajra Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva bowed universally to Vairocana Tathagata and all the Buddhas, saying: “I beseech the Blessed One to instruct me as to what I should do.”

The Buddha said: “Trailokyavijaya Bodhisattva! You must now subdue those great devas who are difficult to tame, causing them all to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and to give rise to the mind of bodhi.”

Trailokyavijaya Bodhisattva then went forth and subdued all the devas. Only the Great Sovereign Deva, relying upon his exceptionally great majestic power, resisted him. Trailokyavijaya Bodhisattva subjected him to every kind of painful chastisement, even unto death. His left foot trampled upon the Great Deva, and his right foot trampled upon the Deva Queen.

At that time, after Vairocana Tathagata entered the Samadhi of Great Compassionate Pity, he proclaimed the Vajra Life Dharani. He then entered the Vajra Life Samaya and formed the secret mudra, empowering Maheshvara, King of Devas, so that he returned to life, his lifespan increased, he took refuge in the Buddhas, gave rise to the mind of bodhi, received abhisheka and a prediction of enlightenment, and realized the Eighth Bhumi, the Immovable Ground.

Vajra Life Mantra:

湡 向忝仰守 送扣

Om, phoc nhat-la du sai, sa-phoc ha

OMÏ VAJRAYUSÏAI (? VAJRA AYUSÏAI) SVÀHÀ

The Buddha said: “Vajra Bodhisattva! If a good man or good woman receives, upholds, and recites this, doing so at three periods each day and reciting it one thousand times during each period, then all the causes and conditions of evil karma from past and present lives—short lifespan, premature death, and so forth—shall, through upholding this mantra, be extinguished as the mind of faith becomes pure and karmic obstructions are eliminated. That person’s lifespan shall then increase.

“If a person cultivates samadhi, then in this very life, without changing the body born of their parents, that person shall attain the five supernormal powers and fly freely through empty space.”

Next, the gateway of samadhi is explained. Sit in the full lotus posture, close the eyes, and hold the body upright. Place the hands one upon the other, or form the Meditation Mudra and place it below the navel. Visualize all the Buddhas throughout empty space, each one distinctly and clearly. Then, within your own body, directly above the heart, contemplate a perfectly full lunar disc radiating clear and translucent light. Upon it is the form of a five-pronged vajra. Its light extends and expands until it equals the size of your own body, transforming into Trailokyavijaya Vajra Bodhisattva, with Vairocana Tathagata upon the crown of his head. From every pore of his body flows white amrita, which pours over and fills your own body.

Next, within the heart, contemplate Vajrasattva Bodhisattva, endowed with supremely excellent marks, majestic power, and sovereign mastery.

Next, form the secret Vajra Life Empowerment Armor Mudra. Make Vajra Fists with both hands. Using the two index fingers, called Progress and Strength, place the right over the left and hook them together, then set them upon the crown of the head.

Recite the Life Mantra seven times. Bring the hands before the forehead, separate them, and bind the neck. After binding the back of the neck, straighten the two index fingers and rotate them like a ring.

Lower them to the heart and rotate them together in the same manner, thereby binding on the armor. Next, bind behind the back. Proceed to the navel, the two knees, the back of the waist, the heart, the two shoulders, the front of the crown, and the back of the crown; then return to the forehead and again bind the back of the neck.

With the Vajra Fists performing the binding, gradually let both hands descend slowly downward, as though letting ornamental sashes hang. Recite the mantra and thereby don the armor that protects the body. The Armor Mantra is:

湡 鈰 向忝僝

Om (1) cham (2) phoc nhat-la duc (3)

OMÏ DDHAMÏ (?趐: TÏÙMÏ) VAJRAYUHÏ (?VAJRA AYUHÏ)

Through the empowering majestic power of forming this secret mudra, the body becomes as firm and indestructible as vajra, one is freed from all calamities and untimely misfortunes, those who see one are filled with joy, and all people give rise to great reverence.

Next, the secret Homa Dharma is explained. It averts calamities and prolongs life, increases benefits, brings auspiciousness and abundance, bestows unobstructed eloquence, and dispels calamities caused by epidemics, winds, rains, and the like. If it is performed according to the Dharma, all wishes shall be fulfilled.

There are four kinds of homa altar: square, round, triangular, and lotus-shaped. According to what is sought, sit facing the prescribed direction. The image of the principal deity and the other figures should be drawn in accordance with the Dharma, and the altar should be anointed according to the ritual procedures described in the other divisions.

I shall now briefly explain the Dharma for establishing an altar to avert calamities and prolong life.

Purify and prepare a chamber. Dig down to a depth of one cubit and remove impure and defiled objects, ashes, bones, tiles, stones, and the like. Fill it with clean earth and construct a square altar about three cubits wide. Anoint and adorn it with cow dung until it is as pure as the surface of a mirror. When digging the ground, if a precious object is found, this is a supremely auspicious sign, and all wishes shall swiftly be accomplished.

If any strange object is found, fill the place with clean earth taken from a riverbank, pound it level, and maintain it according to the Dharma. Blend various kinds of incense with cow dung, then apply it in successive layers to anoint and adorn the altar.

At the exact center of the altar, use white powder to draw the Vajra Armor, measuring approximately one and a half cubits. At its center, dig through to make a fire pit one cubit wide and, according to the ritual, half a cubit deep. If digging is not possible, a brazier may instead be placed at the center of the altar. The mudras, positions, flowers, borders, and other details should be arranged in their prescribed places.

After completing the altar, hang banners and canopies and install the image of the Vajra Lord of the Three Worlds. Arrange offerings, flowers, fruits, food, and drink around the four sides of the altar. Place the medicinal homa substances before the practitioner. Also place four vases at the four corners of the altar. Facing the principal deity, perform the recitations according to the Dharma.

First, take sticks from a milk-sapped tree, each twelve finger-widths long and as thick as a thumb. Dip both ends in ghee twenty-one times, then burn them in the fire pit until the coals blaze brightly. Recite the Life-Prolonging Mantra to empower the firewood; with each recitation, cast one stick into the fire.

When the fire is blazing brilliantly, contemplate within its radiant flames an eight-petaled lotus. Upon its central dais, contemplate a seed syllable emitting brilliant light, which shines everywhere and transforms into the Great Vajra Life Bodhisattva.

Next, use the Four-Syllable Vidya to invoke the Bodhisattva, requesting him to descend and enter the altar to receive the offerings. The Four-Syllable Secret Mantra is:

切 狫 圳 趌

Nha hong noan hoc

JAHÏ HÙMÏ VAMÏ HOHÏ

Then form the Half-Vajra Mudra with the right hand, sprinkle water upon the fire, and purify it.

Next, take a vessel filled with ghee. Take 1,008 stalks of Cốt Lâu grass, or 108 stalks… dip them in the ghee and recite the Life-Span Mantra. According to the number of stalks, with each recitation cast one stalk into the fire. When they have all been cast in, next burn and offer incense, milk, and curds. As before, after completing the prescribed number of recitations, use a ladle to pour ghee into the fire. Proceed in this manner at the beginning and the end.

If one is able to make this offering during the three months of prolonged fasting, or in the month of one’s birth, up to and including one’s birthday, it will avert calamities, increase one’s life span, bring great merit and wisdom, and fulfill one’s supreme aspirations. In travel, coming and going, promotion to high official rank, wealth, money, and precious possessions… everything will accord with one’s wishes.

If one seeks sons or daughters, as well as intelligence, one should wait until a solar eclipse, empower ghee, and then drink it; these will immediately be obtained.

If one empowers Nine-Jointed Acorus until the three signs—smoke, warmth, and flame—appear, and then drinks it, that aspiration will immediately be fulfilled. One will recite ten thousand words in a single day and speak eloquently without impediment.

If one seeks to fly through the sky and to appear or disappear at will, one should use bezoar and, in every respect, follow the preceding Dharma method, empowering it without interruption. When the three signs have appeared, rub it upon the soles of the feet and mark the forehead with it; one will then travel freely through the sky.

As for seeking all other aspirations, one need only follow the other divisions and practice according to one’s intention; all will be accomplished, and nothing will fail to accord with one’s wishes. This will also cause the nation to be peaceful, free from calamities and epidemics, with wind and rain arriving in due season and the people dwelling in happiness; all sages and saints will protect and support that person.

The benefits, if explained extensively, could never be exhausted; they are fully set forth in detail in the Yoga Sutra.

If performing the Dharma of Pacifying Calamities and Prolonging Life, sit facing north and construct a circular altar. Visualize all the sacred assembly as white in color, their bodies clothed in white garments. Offer white foods; all articles used as offerings should likewise be white. Burn agarwood incense.

If performing the Dharma of Increasing Benefit and Abundance, sit facing east. One’s own body, the sacred deity, the garments worn upon the body, as well as the vessels, foods, fruits, utensils… offered in worship should all be yellow. Burn white sandalwood incense.

If performing the Dharma of Subjugation, sit facing south. One’s own body, the principal deity, the garments, and the offerings should all be a deep blue-black color. Burn benzoin incense.

If performing the Dharma of Attraction and Affection, sit facing west. One’s own body, the principal deity, the garments, and the offerings should all be red. Burn incense of the storax group. The character is the seed syllable of Samantabhadra Who Prolongs Life (? 兆 :YAHÏ).

THE VAJRA LIFE-SPAN DHARANI SUTRA RITUAL (End)

The second fascicle of the Chấn Division Ritual Manual has incorporated the Vajra Life-Span Dharani Recitation Method into the book to complete the Great Ming Canon.

When Vajrabodhi and the śramaṇa Amoghavajra translated the sutra, this text derived from the same original, but not a small portion of it had been lost.

We have now obtained three transmitted editions: the Ten’ei First Year, Metal-Tiger edition; the Enpō Fourth Year, fifth-month edition; and the Tenmei First Year, Metal-Ox, fifth-month edition… At Chishaku-in, these were reviewed by the Sōjō Jishun and recorded in Kỳ Dị Quan Mệnh Công Lệnh Thọ. This edition was brought back by the three masters Henjō Kongō, Jikaku, and Chishō. It is truly an excellent edition.

In the Kyōwa era, first year, Metal-Rooster, in autumn, on the night of the twenty-first day of the eighth month, the collation and comparison were completed beneath the lamplight—recorded by the śramaṇa Kaidō of Sōji-in, Fūzan.

The collation and comparison were completed in a single sitting with the brush. Kyōwa, Water-Boar year, first month of summer, sixth day. Jishun