Phật Thuyết Thập Nhứt Diện Quán Thế Âm Thần Chú Kinh

Thus have I heard:

At one time the elder bhikkhus were dwelling in the Cock's Park at Pāṭaliputta, not long after the Blessed One had attained Parinibbāna.

At that time there were ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, who possessed much wealth and had come to Pāṭaliputta to make their living. Then those ten householders of Aṭṭhakanagara, having brought their wealth and goods for trade and having sold them all, were greatly delighted; having gained profit, they were greatly delighted, and their hearts were exceedingly joyful. They went out from the city of Pāṭaliputta to the Cock's Park.

Having arrived, they bowed down at the feet of the elder bhikkhus and sat down to one side. When those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, had sat down to one side, the elder bhikkhus then taught them the Dhamma, exhorting them to be diligent... equally exhorting and instructing them to be diligent, equally teaching them, using countless skillful means to teach the Dhamma, urging them to be earnest, and even to teach them equally, causing them all to rejoice; then the venerable ones abided in silence.

Then those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, having heard the elder bhikkhus teach the Dhamma exhorting them to be diligent, and all having rejoiced, said to the elder bhikkhus:

"Venerable sirs, where is the Venerable Ānanda now dwelling? We wish to see him."

"Householders, the Venerable Ānanda is dwelling on the bank of the Monkey River at Vesālī. If you wish to see him, go there."

Then those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, rose from their seats, bowed down at the feet of the elder bhikkhus, circumambulated them, and departed. They went to the place where the Venerable Ānanda was; having arrived, they bowed down at the feet of the Venerable Ānanda and then sat down to one side. When those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, had sat down to one side, they said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"Venerable Ānanda, we have something we wish to ask. If you permit us, then we shall venture to ask."

"Ask, householders."

"Venerable Ānanda, is there one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One, who has knowledge and vision, the Tathāgata, the One Free of Attachment, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme meaning, by which a noble disciple may abide, and elsewhere bring the taints to an end, so that the mind is liberated?"

"Householders, there is one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One, who has knowledge and vision, the Tathāgata, the One Free of Attachment, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme meaning, by which a noble disciple may abide, and elsewhere bring the taints to an end, so that the mind is liberated."

"How is it, Venerable Ānanda, that there is one thing proclaimed by the Tathāgata, the One Free of Attachment, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme meaning, by which a noble disciple may abide, and elsewhere bring the taints to an end, so that the mind is liberated?"

"Householders, a noble disciple who has learned, having become liberated with regard to sensual desire, and so on up to the fourth jhāna, abides in right concentration. Relying upon the Dhamma, he practices the contemplation of cessation of the marks of phenomena. Relying upon the Dhamma, he abides in the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena; and because of this, where he abides the taints are brought to an end, and by not abiding there the taints are brought to an end.

He himself delights in the Dhamma, he himself loves the Dhamma, he himself practices the Dhamma, he himself reveres the Dhamma, and he gains joy; for him the five lower fetters are brought to an end, and he attains spontaneous rebirth. He attains Parinibbāna there and becomes a Non-Returner (Anāgāmin), no longer returning to this world. Therefore, householders, there is one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One, who has knowledge and vision, the Tathāgata, the One Free of Attachment, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme meaning, by which a noble disciple may abide, and elsewhere bring the taints to an end, so that the mind is liberated.

"Furthermore, householders, a noble disciple who has learned, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, having pervaded one direction, abides in right concentration. So too the second, third, and fourth directions, above and below; with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, he pervades all directions—without enmity, without harming, without hatred—vast and great, clearly distinguished; having pervaded all directions, he abides in right concentration.

In the same way, with a mind imbued with compassion, with sympathetic joy, and with equanimity, having pervaded all directions, he abides in right concentration. Relying upon the Dhamma, he practices the contemplation of cessation of the marks of phenomena. Relying upon the Dhamma, he abides in the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena; and because of this, having abided therein, he straightaway brings the taints to an end, and by not abiding there, he brings the taints to an end.

If he, by delight in the Dhamma, by love of the Dhamma, by practicing the Dhamma, by revering the Dhamma, gains joy with regard to the Dhamma, the five lower fetters are brought to an end, and he attains spontaneous rebirth; right there he attains Parinibbāna and becomes a Non-Returner (Anāgāmin), no longer returning to this world. Householders, this is the one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One, who has knowledge and vision, the Tathāgata, the One Free of Attachment, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme meaning, by which a noble disciple may abide, and elsewhere bring the taints to an end, so that the mind is liberated.

"Furthermore, householders, a noble disciple who has learned, surmounting all perceptions of form, and so on up to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, abides in right concentration; relying upon the Dhamma, he practices the contemplation of cessation of the marks of phenomena, and so on, until the taints are brought to an end, and the mind is liberated."

Then those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"How marvelous, Venerable Ānanda! We asked the Venerable Ānanda about a single door to the Deathless, yet he has spoken of twelve doors to the Deathless. Venerable Ānanda, with regard to these twelve doors to the Deathless, relying upon any single door to the Deathless, one will attain safety and master oneself.

It is just as, Venerable Ānanda, not far from a village there is a mansion, and that mansion has twelve doors. Perhaps a person enters within it because of some small matter; or perhaps a person dwells in that house without purpose, without benefit, without safety, without delight; or perhaps a person uses fire to burn down that mansion. Venerable Ānanda, with regard to these twelve doors, a person may go out to safety as he wishes.

Just so, how marvelous it is! Venerable Ānanda, we only asked the Venerable Ānanda about a single door to the Deathless, yet he has spoken of twelve doors to the Deathless. Venerable Ānanda, since there are so many doors, with regard to the twelve doors to the Deathless, relying upon each door to the Deathless, one may then go out by each door.

Venerable Ānanda, those brahmins, holding to evil doctrines, offer gifts of goods to their teachers; how much more should we now, toward the great teacher, not use our wealth to make offerings?"

Then those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, during that night, prepared in full pure and excellent food and drink; and when they had prepared in full the pure and excellent food and drink, they spread out seats, and having spread out the seats, they invited the community of bhikkhus at the Cock's Park and the community of bhikkhus at Vesālī all to gather together. When the community of bhikkhus at the Cock's Park and the community of bhikkhus at Vesālī had all gathered together, they served the pure and excellent food and drink with their own hands.

When they had served the pure and excellent food and drink with their own hands, and knew that the venerable ones had finished eating, they put away the bowls, brought water for the venerable ones to wash their hands, and then took five hundred items of goods, purchased a dwelling, and offered it to the Venerable Ānanda for his use. The Venerable Ānanda took those goods and in turn offered them to the Saṅgha of the four directions.

Thus did the Venerable Ānanda speak; and those ten householders, men of Aṭṭhakanagara, having heard the Venerable Ānanda speak, were delighted and rejoiced.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SUTRA OF

THE TEN HOUSEHOLDERS, MEN OF AṬṬHAKANAGARA