Monday, August 10, 2015

The Lotus Sutra Verses Dedicated to Avalokitesvara (as translated by Gene Reeves)


Listen to the actions of the Cry Regarder.
How well he responds in every region.
His vow is as deep as the sea,
Unfathomable even after eons.

Serving many hundreds
Of billions of buddhas,
He has made a great pure vow.
Let me tell you briefly about it.

Those who listen to his name,
See his body, and keep him in mind,
Not wasting time,
Will be able to put an end to all their suffering.

If someone intending to harm you
Throws you into a burning pit,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And the pit of fire will become a pond!

Or if you are drifting around in a great ocean,
Threatened by dragons, fish, and various demons,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And you will not drown in the waves!

If you are on the peak of Sumeru
And someone pushed you off,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And you will stay in the sky like the sun!

Or if you are pursued by bad people
And thrown down from Diamond Mountain,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And not a hair will be injured!

If you are surrounded by robbers,
Each with a knife ready to use on you,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And their hearts will become compassionate!

Or if you get into trouble with the king
And are threatened with execution,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And the executioner's sword will break into pieces!

If you are imprisoned, shackled, and chained,
Your arms and legs in stocks,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And you will be freed from your bonds!

Of if someone tries to hurt you
With curses or poisons,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And the harm will revert to its originator.

Or if you meet evil ogres,
Poisonous dragons or various spirits,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And none of them will dare to harm you.

If you are surrounded by evil beasts,
With sharp tusks and frightening claws,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And they will flee in every direction.

If there are lizards, snakes vipers, or scorpions
With poisonous breath that burns like fire,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And at the sound of your voice they will flee.

Or if clouds bring thunder and lightening flashes,
Hail pelts you, or rain pours down,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And all will instantly disappear.

If living beings suffer adversity
And are oppressed by countless pains,
The power of the wonderful wisdom of the Cry Regarder
Will liberate them from the world's suffering.

Perfect in divine powers,
Practicing wisdom of skillful means everywhere,
Throughout the universe there is no place
Where he does not appear.

All evil circumstances
In the realms of purgatories, hungry spirits, and animals,
In suffering birth, old age, sickness, and death—
Gradually he brings all of them to an end.

True regarder, pure regarder,
Vast wisdom regarder,
Compassionate and kind regarder—
Always called upon, always looked up to!

His pure and spotless radiance
Is a wisdom-sun, destroying all kind of darkness,
He subdues the storms and fires of disaster,
He illumines the whole world!

Precepts from his compassionate body shake like thunder.
His compassion is like a great cloud
Pouring Dharma rain like nectar,
Quenching the flames of affliction!

If you are brought before a judge in a dispute,
Or terrified in the midst of a battle,
Keep in mind the Cry Regarder's powers
And all vengeance will be driven away.

Wonderful voice, regarder of the cries of the world,
Brahma-voice, voice of the rolling tide,
World-surpassing voice—
He should always be kept in mind.

Never have a moment of doubt about him,
The pure and holy Regarder of the Cries of the World.
By those in suffering and agony, or facing death,
He can be relied on for protection.

Equipped with all blessing,
Viewing all with compassionate eyes,
His ocean of accumulated blessings is immeasurable.
Heads should be bowed to him.


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