Thiên Địa Bát Dương Thần Chú Kinh

those who are intelligent and wise are few, while the foolish and dull-witted are many; those who live to a hundred years are few, while those who are short-lived and die prematurely are many; those whose minds are calm in meditation and concentration are few, while the distracted and restless are many; those who are wealthy, honored, well fed, and warm are few, while the poor, hungry, and miserable are many; those who are gentle and refined are few, while the obstinate and ferocious are many; those who are upright and honest are few, while the confused, flattering, and crooked are many; those whose conduct is pure and unsullied are few, while the greedy and defiled are many; those who possess magnanimous minds and practice generosity are few, while the deceitful and miserly are many;

those who are utterly faithful and sincere are few, while the dishonest and treacherous are many.
“For this reason, life has become harsh, and even kinsmen of the same flesh and blood cruelly harm one another. Moreover, the laws of officials and authorities are severe, corvée duties are oppressive, and taxes are heavy. The common people suffer poverty and hunger in an age of terror and oppression. The fruits of their sweat and toil barely suffice to feed their own mouths; how could they have anything left to sustain their wives and children?
“What is the cause of this? It is because their minds are deviant: they believe in absurd practices and hold perverse views, and therefore humankind must suffer such peril and misery. I humbly beseech the World-Honored One, out of compassion and pity for those of wrong view, to expound the teachings of right view for them, enabling them to awaken, turn away from error and return to what is right, and thereby escape those painful calamities.”
3
The Buddha praised him, saying: “Excellent indeed are the words you have spoken.”
“O Bodhisattva Unobstructed! Your great mind of loving-kindness and compassion truly cherishes the world. You now wish to assist those of wrong view and have therefore asked me about the teaching of right view.

How immense your merit and virtue are! You should now concentrate your mind, listen clearly, and retain this in your heart. Out of compassion, I shall assist you by explaining and expounding this Sutra of the Divine Mantra of the Eight Yang of Heaven and Earth.

This sutra is not something that I alone have begun to teach. Not only did the Buddhas of the past expound it, and not only will the Buddhas of the future expound it, but the Buddhas of the present are also expounding it now. Among the myriad forms of existence in heaven and earth, only human beings possess the highest spiritual capacity of all creatures.

As for the word ‘Human,’ it signifies ‘True’: to be human, one must possess a True Mind, harbor no erroneous thoughts, and perform every bodily action with uprightness. Thus, when the written character for ‘Human’ is analyzed, the left stroke is called ‘True,’ while the right stroke is called ‘Upright.’ Because one constantly acts with Uprightness and Truth, it is called the character ‘Human.’
“Therefore, there is a saying: ‘Do not say that becoming a true human being is easy,’ meaning: ‘While living in this world, do not say that it is easy to become a human being; only when one’s character accords with the principles embodied in the word “Human” is it truly so.’ You should know that if a person wishes to establish the Way, that person must first employ the Right Way to rectify oneself. By following the Right Way and observing human ethical relations, all may attain the fruit of Buddhahood.”
4
The Buddha again addressed Bodhisattva Unobstructed, saying: “A true human body is difficult to obtain, yet all people in the world have now obtained one. Why, then, do they not cultivate the path of merit and virtue? Instead, they abandon upright and truthful conduct to commit false and deceitful acts, creating nothing but evil karma.

When their lives end and their bodies die, their spirits fall into the sea of suffering and endure pain in a hundred forms. If all people in the world hear this sutra and give rise to reverence and faith without opposing it, they will escape calamities, bring all painful offenses to an end, and emerge from the sea of suffering. Benevolent Deities will secretly assist them, nothing will obstruct them, and they will also enjoy long lives and never die prematurely.
“Why will they obtain this? It is through the power of Right Faith that they attain such blessings. If anyone copies, receives, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra and practices in accordance with the True Dharma, that person’s merit and virtue will be immeasurable, boundless, and beyond calculation. When the end of that person’s life arrives, that person will certainly attain the fruit of Buddhahood.”
5
The Buddha said: “O Great Bodhisattva Unobstructed! If anyone is deviant in nature and holds perverse views, that person will encounter calamities caused by邪 māras, adherents of heterodox paths, li-mei spirits, wang-liang spirits, cat-owls, horned owls, screech owls, and pig-owls, whose cries portend a hundred strange misfortunes. Furthermore, evil ghosts and malevolent spirits will come and cause turmoil in the home; husbands and wives will quarrel bitterly, fathers and children will be in discord, or extraordinary illnesses will arise, causing them to endure every kind of painful disease without relief on any day.

If that person wishes to put an end to all the calamities just described, that person should invite a teacher of genuine cultivation to help recite this sutra three times. Then all the venomous and malicious ghosts and spirits will be entirely dispelled, all severe illnesses will also be eliminated, and the body will become healthy and regain its former strength. Through the merit and virtue of reading and reciting this Eight Yang Sutra, misfortune is thus transformed into blessing.
“Whenever people are addicted to lust, malicious and foolish, deceitfully greedy, envious, and jealous, yet upon hearing or seeing this sutra give rise to Right Faith, make offerings, and vow to recite this sutra three times, all the evil qualities previously mentioned will be completely eliminated. They will give rise to loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, and afterward attain the fruit of Buddhahood.”
6
The Buddha addressed Unobstructed, saying: “Whenever good men or faithful women wish to undertake any conditioned endeavor, they must first recite this sutra three times. Only afterward should they lay foundations, build walls, and construct houses, whether southern or northern halls, eastern or western wings, kitchens, guesthouses, gateways, wells, mortars, mills, storehouses, barns, or pens for raising the six kinds of domestic animals, and so forth.

Even if they should happen to encounter the direction of the Sun’s Wandering, the direction of the Moon’s Slaying, the Grand Duke General, the Huỳnh-phan star, the Bát-dĩ star, the spirits of the five soils, the Azure Dragon or White Tiger, or the direction of the Vermilion Bird or Black Tortoise; or violate the prohibitions of the Six Jia, the twelve earthly branches, and the ten heavenly stems; or encroach upon the local earth spirits, ghosts, hidden dragons, or any kind of specter—for before undertaking conditioned endeavors, how could one understand all the directions and stellar stations well enough to choose among them?—one need only recite this Eight Yang Sutra.

Through the protective awe-inspiring power of the Buddha, all ghosts and specters will disappear, retreat far away in the four directions, and vanish in both form and shadow. They will not dare to cause harm, and the undertaking will be auspicious, bringing immeasurable blessings.
“Now, whichever good men and faithful women follow the Buddha’s teaching and recite this Eight Yang Sutra before commencing construction, whether of houses or lofty buildings, their households will enjoy lasting peace and security. Moreover, they will gain wealth, honor, glory, and distinction without laboriously seeking them, for riches will come naturally.”

If anyone travels to a distant region, takes up an official appointment, or serves in the army, and recites this Eight Yang Sutra, that person will obtain all wholesome benefits: the household will prosper; its members will attain noble standing; descendants will enjoy glory and distinction; fathers will be kind and children filial; sons will be impartial, upright, and honest; daughters will be chaste, virtuous, and worthy; brothers and sisters will live in harmony; husbands will lead and wives will follow; the family will be harmonious; and with faithfulness and righteousness they will serve both parents. Whatever they wish for will be completely fulfilled. This is due to the awe-inspiring power of reciting this Eight Yang Sutra.
Whenever anyone is subjected to coercion by the authorities, or becomes implicated in a case of theft or robbery, if that person then calms the mind and recites this Eight Yang Sutra three times, that person will immediately escape such calamity.
Any good man or faithful woman who constantly receives, upholds, reads, and recites this Eight Yang Sutra, and assists others in copying it, even if by misfortune that person falls into water or fire, will, through the Buddha’s awe-inspiring power, escape drowning or burning. If that person is in mountains or forests inhabited by many tigers, wolves, and savage beasts, then when they see one who upholds this Eight Yang Sutra, all venomous creatures and ferocious beasts will withdraw far away and never dare take that person’s life. This is because heavenly deities accompany and protect one who recites this sutra. Not only that, but afterward such a person will also realize the fruit of Buddhahood.
If anyone has a sharp and deceitful tongue, speaks falsely, uses embellished and divisive speech, speaks with a double tongue, or utters harsh and evil words, but recognizes these faults, abandons them, and continually reads and recites this sutra, then the four preceding transgressions will all be extinguished. That person will also attain the four unobstructed eloquences and afterward realize the fruit of Buddhahood.
All you good men and faithful women! If your parents have committed offenses, then when the day of death arrives, they will surely fall into the nether realm and undergo suffering a hundredfold. But if their children and descendants in this world sincerely recite this sutra seven times, their parents will escape the sufferings of hell, their spirits will be reborn in the heavens, they will see the Buddha and hear the Dharma, attain the power of patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas, and ultimately perfect the path to Buddhahood.”
7
The Buddha called to Wú'ài and said: “In a past kalpa, when Vipasyin Buddha guided the world, there were good men and faithful women who placed no trust in false teachers or non-Buddhist paths, but possessed only right faith and reverence for the Buddha-Dharma. They diligently copied this Eight Yang Sutra and constantly received, upheld, read, and recited it. Whatever they wished to undertake, they simply resolved to do it.

In all their affairs, they had no need whatsoever to consult divination or choose auspicious dates and times, but relied solely upon an upright mind. Because the good men and faithful women of that time possessed right faith, practiced generosity, maintained impartial minds, and made offerings, they attained undefiled bodies and accomplished the bodhisattva path. They were known as Universal Light Tathagata and later attained Perfect Enlightenment.

That kalpa was called Great Fulfillment, and the land was named Boundless. Why did they attain this? It was because the people of that time possessed right faith, no longer held superstitious belief in false teachers or non-Buddhist paths, and cultivated the bodhisattva path of generosity, moral discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

Thus they enjoyed such blessed rewards through the awe-inspiring power of right faith and the recitation of this Eight Yang Sutra.”
8
The Buddha again addressed the bodhisattva Wú'ài, saying: “Wherever this Eight Yang Sutra is kept in Jambudvipa, five bodhisattvas, the Brahma Heavenly Kings, and all myriad spirits will gather around and protect it. Therefore, one who recites this sutra must prepare incense and flowers as offerings, just as one would make offerings to the Buddhas while they were still present in the world.”
9
The Buddha called to Wú'ài and said: “If any good man or faithful woman assists others in expounding this sutra so that both self and others clearly penetrate the principle of true suchness and awaken to its extremely profound and mysterious meaning, that person will immediately understand the fundamental principle of one’s own mind, the Buddha-mind, and the Dharma-mind. Having attained such understanding, that person will naturally acquire wisdom and also attain purity of the six faculties. The purity of the six faculties is as follows:
9.1. The eyes ordinarily behold infinitely many kinds of material forms. Yet as soon as the eyes see them, the inner spirit of wisdom discerns that all such forms arise from emptiness and that this emptiness becomes these material forms. By comprehending form, one fully understands that all five skandhas—feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as well—belong to the principle of emptiness. This is precisely the Tathagata of the Wondrous Form Body.
9.2. The ears ordinarily hear infinitely many kinds of sounds and speech. Yet as soon as the ears hear them, wisdom discerns that all such sounds belong to emptiness, and that this emptiness itself is also sound. This is precisely the Tathagata of Wondrous Sound.
9.3. The nose ordinarily smells infinitely many fragrances, such as the fragrance of aloeswood. Yet as soon as the nose detects a scent, wisdom discerns that all such fragrances belong to emptiness, and that this emptiness transforms into aloeswood fragrance. This is truly the Tathagata Fragrance Accumulation.
9.4. The tongue ordinarily tastes the infinitely many flavors of the world—spicy, bitter, sour, sweet, and so forth. Yet as soon as the tongue tastes them, wisdom discerns that all such flavors belong to emptiness, for emptiness itself is precisely worldly flavor. This is truly the Tathagata Dharma Joy.
9.5. The body ordinarily perceives the infinitely many things that make contact with it. As soon as contact is made with the body, wisdom discerns that all such objects of contact belong to emptiness, and that this emptiness consists entirely of contact. This is the Tathagata Supreme Wisdom.
9.6. The human mind ordinarily thinks about and discriminates among infinitely many matters. Yet, aided by wisdom, it discerns that all myriad dharmas belong to emptiness, for within that emptiness the myriad dharmas are manifested. This is precisely the Tathagata Dharma Illumination.”
The Buddha said: “O bodhisattva Wú'ài! Whenever any good man or faithful woman sees these six faculties manifested in the human realm, if that person’s mouth speaks wholesome and right words, wholesome karma will continually increase, and that person will attain the path to Buddhahood. If the mouth utters perverse words, evil deeds will increase with each passing day, and that person will certainly fall into hell and undergo the painful retribution.”
The Buddha said: “O Wú'ài! Within true principle, good and evil are clearly and certainly thus; one must not disbelieve this. You should understand that your own body and mind are truly vessels of the Buddha-Dharma and are also like the twelve divisions of the Great Canon of Sutras. They have existed since beginningless time, yet one may recite them endlessly without ever exhausting them. Only those who recognize the mind and see their true nature can know this treasury of the Tathagata’s scriptures. How could ordinary beings or those of the sravaka vehicle possibly comprehend it?”
10
The Buddha again called to Wú'ài and said: “If anyone reads and recites this sutra and awakens to true suchness, that person will know that this body and mind are indeed vessels of the Buddha-Dharma. But if anyone is intoxicated by the pursuit of sensual pleasures, does not awaken from the dream of the deluded spirit, and does not know that one’s own body and mind are the foundation of the Buddha-Dharma, that person will surely drift through the six realms, fall into the three evil destinies, and remain submerged in the sea of suffering, unable even to hear the name of the Buddha-Dharma.”
At that time, five hundred heavenly beings in the great assembly heard the Buddha expound the Dharma and all attained purity of the Dharma eye. Filled with great joy, they immediately resolved to attain Buddhahood.
CHAPTER THREE
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RIGHT PATH, BIRTH AND DEATH, AND BURIAL
11
The bodhisattva Wú'ài again addressed the Buddha, saying: “Reverently, O World-Honored One!

Furthermore, for all people in the world, birth and death are matters of great importance. Why, then, is no day chosen for birth—when the hour of birth arrives, one is born—and likewise no day chosen for death—when the hour of death arrives, one dies at once—yet for encoffining and burial, people seek an auspicious day and favorable hour before proceeding, hoping that their descendants will thereafter become wealthy, honored, and illustrious?

This is truly delusion. On the contrary, after the encoffining and burial have been performed, no auspicious benefit is seen; only calamities continually befall them, and their descendants become poor and distressed. Such cases are many, while wealth and honor are seldom seen.

We reverently beseech the World-Honored One to extend his compassionate mercy to those of wrong views and ignorance. May the Buddha explain the causes and conditions from which birth and death arise, so that worldly people may awaken and return to the right path, no longer committing such deluded and perverse acts as before.”
12
The Buddha said: “Excellent! Excellent! Because you now cherish compassion for those who are deluded, you have earnestly and sincerely asked me about birth and death, as well as the rites of encoffining and burial. Therefore, you and everyone in this great assembly should compose your minds and listen attentively. I shall now expound for you the principle of wisdom and the true Dharma of the Great Way. Consider the vast substance of heaven and earth: the sun and moon ever shine brightly; therefore, every year, month, day, and hour is auspicious. Truly, no day is different from another; every day is good.”
The Buddha said: “The calendrical calculations established in the world originated long ago with the Bodhisattva Humane King. Possessing vast loving-kindness and compassion, he pitied the people of the world just as parents pity their young children. He therefore descended and was born in the human realm as a sovereign, becoming the father and mother of the people.

He then accommodated the dispositions of worldly people and taught them customs, devised calendrical calculations, methods for examining days and hours, the fortunes and adversities of passing years, and geomancy, and disseminated them throughout the realm so that people might know and make use of the four seasons and eight seasonal divisions. He recorded such designations as Establishing, Leveling, Filling, Completing, Receiving, Opening, and Removing, as well as such terms as Holding, Danger, Destruction, and Slaying.
These were intended to be used through discernment of their true principles. Yet dull and ignorant people became deluded and clung to the literal words, believing in and applying them blindly; thus, they could not avoid calamity and misfortune. Not only that, they also invited heterodox masters into their homes to install talismans and suppress harmful influences, uttering all manner of confused claims, becoming spirit-mediums and inviting possession, petitioning false deities, and bowing and making offerings to hungry ghosts. By acting in this way, they merely create further paths of wrongdoing, while they themselves must endure distress, anxiety, and suffering.
Such people not only bring calamity upon themselves but also incur the offense of rebelling against the true principles of heaven and earth. Moreover, people in the world refuse to perform good deeds and cultivate merit, or to correct themselves in accordance with the true teaching. Instead, they invite sorcerers to cast spells against others, make offerings to false deities, and so forth, seeking thereby to dispel their calamities and escape misfortune. This is like abandoning the light of the sun and moon to crawl into darkness, forsaking the path of the true Way and mistakenly following the paths of heterodox teachings. Such people are exceedingly perverse.”
13
The Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Unhindered, saying: “If good men or faithful women are approaching the time of childbirth, instruct them first to recite this Eightfold Radiance Sutra three times. Then they will give birth quickly and easily; this is truly greatly auspicious and beneficial. The child will possess keen faculties, intelligence, and wisdom, will be endowed with merit and virtue, and need not fear the calamity of injury, death, or a shortened life. When anyone approaches death, this Eightfold Radiance Sutra should likewise be recited three times. That person will then die peacefully, the spirit will be serene and at ease, and no obstacle whatsoever will arise.”
14
The Buddha again addressed the Bodhisattva Unhindered, saying: “Every day is good, as is every month; no year is inauspicious. How, then, could any year, month, day, or hour be unfavorable? Therefore, once preparations for encoffining and burial have been completed, proceed immediately with the encoffining and burial without further examining the day or hour. Before the appointed time of encoffining and burial, however, this Eightfold Radiance Sutra should be recited seven times; this is truly greatly auspicious and beneficial. Not only will the departed spirit obtain immeasurable merit, but the descendants and disciples will also attain wealth and honor, enjoy long lives, and gain additional years. When their lives end, they will all realize the Buddha Way.”
15
The Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Unhindered, saying: “As for the burial ground, there is no need to distinguish east, west, south, or north. It is enough to determine that the site is peaceful and secure. If people are content and joyful, then ghosts and spirits will also consent and rejoice. Yet this sutra should be recited three times before the burial and the grave is established. Then there will be no calamity, obstruction, or harm whatsoever, while the family will attain wealth, honor, prosperity, and abundance. This is truly greatly auspicious and beneficial.”
16
At that time, wishing to restate the meaning above, the World-Honored One spoke these verses:
Whatever you wish to do, simply do it,
For every day is wholly good.
As for encoffining and burial,
Every day and hour is likewise good.
At the time of birth and at the time of death,
For every such matter, recite the Eightfold Radiance Sutra.
Then all will obtain great auspicious benefit,
For every month is wholly good.
Every year is also a greatly favorable time.
Therefore, whoever is sincere and rightly faithful,
And, after reciting the sutra, performs encoffining and burial,
Will enjoy merit, longevity, glory, and prosperity for ten thousand generations.
When the Buddha had spoken thus, seventy million people in the great assembly heard him proclaim the true Dharma. Their minds opened and became lucid; abandoning what was wrong, they returned to what was right. In exact accordance with the Buddhadharma, they eliminated all doubt and each aroused the aspiration to attain Buddhahood.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE CONVENTIONAL TRUTH OF MARRIAGE
17
At that time, the Bodhisattva Unhindered addressed the Buddha, saying: “Reverently I ask the World-Honored One: All people in the world regard marriage as establishing the closest of relationships. Yet beforehand they insist upon asking the dates of birth to determine whether the couple is compatible or incompatible. They then select an auspicious day and favorable hour before conducting the marriage.

Once the marriage is completed and the two families have formed the closest of bonds, why is it that few attain wealth, honor, and longevity, while many endure poverty, suffering, separation in life, and parting in death? Why do all those calculations and selections made through false beliefs ultimately yield results so different from what was foretold? I reverently beseech the World-Honored One to explain this matter clearly, thereby dispelling the doubts of both myself and the people of the world.”
18
The Buddha said: “For your sake and for all people in the world, I shall explain it. Compose your mind and listen clearly. According to the principles of heaven and earth, yin and yang exist in relation to one another and are not absolute.

The sun belongs to the energy of yang, while the moon belongs to the energy of yin. Water belongs to yin, while fire belongs to yang. Male and female, yin and yang, are energies united in harmony by heaven and earth; therefore, all grasses, trees, and myriad things rely upon these energies of yin and yang to arise through transformation.

The sun and moon revolve through the four seasons and eight seasonal divisions without error. The energies of water and fire depend upon one another to produce the myriad things. Men and women unite, and only then are children and descendants born.

All these are indeed the constant principles of heaven and earth, the natural order, and also the conventional truth.
19
O Unhindered! I pity those who are unlearned and therefore deeply deluded. Unable to distinguish the false from the true, they mistakenly trust heterodox masters who devise divinations of auspiciousness and misfortune. They hope to obtain wealth, honor, and longevity, yet refuse to perform good deeds and cultivate merit, continually creating hundreds of thousands of evil karmas. Not only do they suffer unceasing calamities in this present life, but after death they can scarcely escape the sufferings of the three evil destinies. Therefore, after this life ends, those who regain a human body are exceedingly few, as little as the soil upon a fingernail, while those who fall into hell or become animals or hungry ghosts are exceedingly numerous, like the earth of the vast land.
O Unhindered! Even among those who regain a human body, the people who arouse right faith and undertake cultivation are exceedingly few, like the soil upon a fingernail, while those who trust heterodox masters and create evil karma are exceedingly numerous, like the earth of the vast land.
O Unhindered!”

Now I shall teach this clearly. When people in the world wish to enter into marriage, they need not inquire whether their destinies correspond to water or fire, or whether they conflict or do not conflict. For while still in the womb, their yearly destinies are not the same.

They need only consult the Book of Fortune and Destiny to learn whether their merit and blessings are abundant or meager, and on that basis form a family bond. Yet on the day of the wedding, this Eightfold Radiance Sutra must be recited three times; then there will be auspiciousness and success in all affairs. Therefore, one should know how to cultivate wholesome merit, so that benevolent spirits will follow and protect one, favorable affinities will shine forth, and the couple will support and rely upon each other.

Thus they will attain wealth and honor; their descendants will be illustrious and prosperous, increasingly intelligent and wise, and possessed of extraordinary talents surpassing the multitude. Within the family they will live in filial harmony, showing mutual respect and deference. This is truly greatly auspicious and beneficial: there will be no calamity of injury, death, or premature demise; their merit and blessings will be complete, and afterward they will attain the Buddha Way.”
At that time, eight bodhisattvas, relying upon the awesome spiritual power and virtue of the Buddha, realized the Dharma of the great dharani. They vowed always to remain in the world, concealing their radiance and mingling with the dust among ordinary people, devoting all their spiritual strength and ability to destroying the hosts of false teachings, reestablishing the foundation of the True Dharma as in former times, and guiding all beings of the four modes of birth to perfect the eight liberations. The names of the eight bodhisattvas are recorded below:
1
Bodhisattva Bạc-Đà Bà-La, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
2
Bodhisattva La-Lân-Na-kiệt, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
3
Bodhisattva Kiều-Việt-Đẩu, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
4
Bodhisattva Na-La-Diên, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
5
Bodhisattva Tu Di Thâm, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
6
Bodhisattva Nhơn Kỳ Đạt, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
7
Bodhisattva Hòa Luân Điều, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
8
Bodhisattva Vô Duyên Quang, Exhaustion of the Outflows and Harmony
20
At that time, those eight bodhisattvas all addressed the Buddha, saying: “Reverently we address the World-Honored One. Because in the past the Buddhas transmitted and taught us this dharani mantra, we now vow to proclaim it in order to support and protect those who receive, uphold, read, and recite this Eightfold Radiance Sutra, so that they may be entirely free from fear, and so that all people and unwholesome beings will not dare harm anyone who reads and recites this Eightfold Radiance Sutra.”
The eight bodhisattvas then came forward together before the Buddha and recited this mantra:
A ĐÀ NI, A DÀ NI, A TỲ LA,
MẠNG LUỆ MẠNG ĐÀ LUỆ XÀ LÊ THẾ TÔN (21 times)
“Reverently we address the World-Honored One. If any unwholesome beings
should seek to trouble or disturb one who recites this Eightfold Radiance Sutra, then as soon as they hear us recite this mantra, their heads shall split into seven pieces like branches of the a-la-lê tree.”
CHAPTER FIVE
ON THE TITLE OF THE EIGHTFOLD RADIANCE SUTRA
21
At that time, Bodhisattva Boundless Body immediately rose from his seat, knelt, joined his palms, approached the Buddha, and said: “Reverently I address the World-Honored One. Why is it called the Eightfold Radiance Sutra? I beseech the World-Honored One to explain clearly the meaning of ‘Eightfold Radiance,’ so that each of us may hear and understand it, awaken to our original mind, penetrate the knowledge and vision of the Buddha, and thereby completely sever all doubt and uncertainty.”
22
The Buddha said to Boundless Body: “The question you have just asked is indeed excellent. All of you, concentrate and listen carefully. I shall now explain to this great assembly the meaning of the title of the Eightfold Radiance Sutra:
The word ‘Eightfold’ means clear and thorough discernment. The word ‘Radiance’ means elucidating the Mahayana principle of attaining Buddhahood and clearly discerning the causes and conditions of those eight consciousnesses, which can neither be found anywhere nor cling to anything whatsoever.
The Buddha taught that the eight consciousnesses constitute the horizontal dimension, while Radiant Illumination constitutes the vertical dimension. When the horizontal and vertical correspond and unite, they form this scriptural teaching; therefore, it is called the Eightfold Radiance Sutra.
The eight consciousnesses are:
The eyes see and discern beautiful and ugly forms.
The ears hear and discern wholesome and unwholesome speech.
The nostrils smell and discern fragrant and foul odors.
The tongue tastes and discerns salty and bland flavors.
This body perceives movement, contact, and touch.
The mind discerns all the myriad phenomena.
This storehouse consciousness contains every seed, lacking nothing.
And the alaya-consciousness encompasses everything. When these have been clearly and thoroughly discerned, the root of the eight consciousnesses cannot be found anywhere; to what, then, could it cling?
You should know that the two eyes are originally the Heaven of Wholesome Radiance, and within that Heaven of Radiance appears the World-Honored One Radiance of the Sun and Moon. The two ears are truly the Heaven of Hearers, and within that Heaven of Hearers appears the Tathagata of Immeasurable Sound. The two nostrils are truly the Heaven of the Buddha’s Fragrance, and within that Heaven of the Buddha’s Fragrance appears the Tathagata Accumulation of Fragrance.

The tongue is truly the Heaven of the Flavor of the Wholesome Dharma, and within that Heaven of Dharma Flavor appears the Tathagata Joy of Dharma. The body is truly the Heaven of Vairocana, and within that Heaven of Vairocana appears the Buddha Accomplishment of Vairocana. Whoever sees and knows that within their own mind dwells the virtue of revering the Buddha’s image thereby reveals the radiant Buddha Virocana.

The discriminating mind is truly the Heaven of Non-Discrimination, and within that Heaven of Non-Discrimination appears the Tathagata Akshobhya. The mind itself is truly the Heaven of the Dharma Realm, and within that Heaven of the Dharma Realm appears the Tathagata King of Emptiness. The storehouse consciousness is truly the Heaven of Consciousness; it contains all dharmas and is able to expound the Agama Sutras and the Great Prajnaparamita and Nirvana Sutras.

As for the alaya-consciousness, it too is vast and all-encompassing; therefore, it expounds the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom and the Lankavatara Treatise.”
23
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Boundless Body: “You should understand that Buddha is Dharma and Dharma is Buddha. When they unite as one essential form, the Tathagata Great Penetrating Wisdom Supreme immediately appears.”
While the Buddha was teaching this Eightfold Radiance Sutra, all the mountains, rivers, and great earth throughout the six directions of heaven and earth trembled. Moreover, a dazzling light illuminated heaven and earth, boundless and inexhaustible, majestic and immeasurably vast, beyond all reckoning. Every dark place was illumined; all the hell realms vanished; and all sinful beings were delivered from suffering.
At that time, within the great assembly, eighty-eight thousand bodhisattvas simultaneously realized Buddhahood, all bearing the name Tathagata King of Emptiness. The kalpa in which those eighty-eight thousand bodhisattvas attained Buddhahood was called the Stainless Kalpa, and the Buddha who appeared in that age to save the world was named the Boundless Buddha. All the people living in that kalpa attained the stage of bodhisattvas.
Because they cultivated together the Dharma of the six paramitas, resolutely practicing until they attained accomplishment, without thoughts of self and other, rivalry, or jealousy, they realized the samadhi free from contention. The bhikshus, bhikshunis, laymen, and laywomen all attained dharani and profoundly awakened to the Buddha’s principle of the One Vehicle. Countless devas, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhuman beings all attained the pure and luminous Dharma eye and cultivated the bodhisattva path.
CHAPTER SIX
REALIZING THE SUBLIME AND WONDROUS STATE
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When the Buddha had finished teaching this Eightfold Radiance Sutra, everyone in the great assembly praised this Dharma, saying that they had never heard it before. Now, having heard these wondrous words, their hearts and minds became luminous, and they rejoiced with great delight. They all manifested the forms and characteristics of the Buddhas, yet these were not the true characteristics of the Buddhas, because they still clung to the existence of characteristics. Therefore, they penetrated the knowledge and vision of the Buddha and awakened to the knowledge and vision of the Buddha; yet they did not cling to that penetration or to that awakening. One should not cling to any dharma whatsoever; only in this way can one realize the bliss of nirvana.
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At that time, wishing to restate these sublime words, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:
The body is adorned with excellent marks, the six faculties wholly complete,

All good men and faithful women,
Whose hearts rejoice in practicing generosity,
Having gained this body, should not be miserly.
Any woman who hears this sutra,
And gives rise to a heart of joyful delight,
Will afterward be freed from the female body,
And be born with the body of a man.
Weapons and warfare will be unable to harm that person;
Venomous creatures and savage beasts will be unable to harm that person;
Officials and authorities, as well as bandits and thieves,
Though wishing to harm that person, will be unable to do so.
People in the world will love, honor, and defer to that person;
Hundreds of thousands of calamities will all vanish.
From beginning to end, no harm will befall that person.
Men and women alike should recite this sutra,
And they will obtain the blessings described above.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JOINTLY PRACTICING AND SAFEGUARDING
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At that time, the bodhisattvas, together with Bodhisattva Maitreya and the Four Great Heavenly Kings, jointly addressed the Buddha, saying: “Most Revered Blessed One! Relying upon the awe-inspiring spiritual power of the Blessed One, we jointly vow to support and protect this Eightfold Yang Divine Mantra Sutra. Together we shall exert ourselves to rescue, assist, and safeguard beings. If anyone in the world suffers from any illness and sincerely reads and recites this sutra, we shall aid and protect that person, causing all illnesses to be dispelled.”
Then the bodhisattvas, the Venerable Sariputra, the bhiksus, bhiksunis, good men, faithful women, devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, asuras, and Wheel-Turning Sage Kings all bowed at the Buddha’s feet. Joyfully accepting it in faith, they respectfully practiced according to the True Dharma taught by the Buddha.
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WORDS OF THE BODHISATTVAS IN PRAISE OF THE BUDDHA
The Eightfold Yang Sutra is truly the right path.
The Buddhas of the three times have proclaimed it with perfect clarity.
The eight bodhisattvas also secretly render assistance.
All divine beings gather together and encircle it.
Through cultivation in past lives, wisdom arose and Buddhahood was attained.
Whoever now hears and remembers it will swiftly awaken.
Whatever one undertakes, one should recite this sutra.
How could such a virtuous person ever meet an untimely death?
I now make a universal vow for all beings:
May whatever they pray for be completely fulfilled.
Since beginningless time, we have been afflicted by deluded consciousness;
Having taken on this body, we undergo hardship and suffering.
The four great elements and greed, anger, and delusion blaze fiercely.
The six faculties, together with the ten bonds and ten fetters, bind us fast.
With a thunderous roar, the winds of karma drive us onward.
The mountain of ignorance looms dimly before us.
Stained and deluded by sensual pleasures, the spirit drifts helplessly.
The rootless fire of greed, anger, and delusion burns fiercely.
Thoughts dwell upon affection and attachment in the sea of birth and death,
Drifting endlessly upon the current of deluded emotion.
In such a state, liberation is difficult to attain,
Like a blind turtle hoping to encounter a hollow in a floating log,
Or a mustard seed cast toward the point of a needle, scarcely able to strike it.
The Buddha is within one’s own body; there is no other Buddha.
The sages established their teachings solely to rectify the human mind.
In faith, I bow to the Unobstructed Bodhisattva.
(The Buddha Speaks the Divine Mantra Sutra of the Eight Yang Principles of Heaven and Earth, translated by imperial decree by Tripitaka Dharma Master Yijing of the Tang dynasty; phonetic rendering translated by Most Venerable Thich Hai Trang; meaning translated by lay practitioner Thanh Tam.
The Eightfold Yang Sutra was not spoken by the Buddha but was composed by Chinese monks, who then honored the Buddha by attributing its teaching to him. The author Minh Thanh omitted the unnecessary sixth chapter.
The sutra expresses ideas opposing superstition, advocating the practice of good, avoidance of evil, accumulation of merit, cultivation of wholesome causes, and encouragement of recitation. It blends Buddhist thought with concepts from the philosophy of changes, geomancy, yin and yang, the five elements, and belief in fate (Most Venerable Thich Giac Quang, 2014).)