Preface to the Great Golden Peacock Bright King Sutra

The Sutra of the Great Peacock Wisdom King is the sacred utterance of the Great Sage Śākyamuni. It is a collection of essential mantras and a crucial gateway to compassion and salvation. It weaves together the profound path to spiritual accomplishment and calms the turbulent sea of suffering. The twenty-eight classes of divine beings have sworn together to protect this sutra. The formidable armies of rākṣasas, who devour poison, develop compassionate minds and stand guard. There are hundreds of billions of yakṣa generals, who can move mountains and lift boulders. Led by their chief, they offer incense and flowers in Śrāvastī, cultivate pure thoughts in Jeta’s Grove, revere the enlightened practitioner, delight in the profound Dharma he teaches, enjoy the bliss of meditative absorption, and long for the nectar of the Dharma to purify their minds.

The Buddha, out of compassion for future generations, used the story of a blacksmith's apprentice to teach this Dharma. He recounted how, in a past life, he was once the king of peacocks. Caught in a snare, his life was as precarious as a dewdrop. He suddenly remembered the ancient teachings of the supreme enlightened one and recited the dhāraṇī, which has the power to transcend all suffering. As soon as he recited it, his bonds melted like ice. He regained the joy of flying freely in the clear blue sky. Now, having attained Buddhahood, he fulfilled his past vow and taught this secret teaching in Jeta’s Grove.

He lamented for the ignorant beings of this degenerate age, who live far from the time of the Buddha. Born into an era that is merely an image of the true Dharma, they face many obstacles and various forms of demonic influence. Practitioners are confused, and householders are afflicted by all sorts of evils. Spirit hauntings, weird portents, and constant disasters appear. Without this sutra, what power could possibly subdue them? Therefore, the learned Ānanda, having personally received the Buddha’s holy words, compiled them into palm-leaf manuscripts, which were then spread throughout the world.

While this sutra has been translated several times in China, even though people faced difficulties, it has not yet been widely disseminated. This is because previous translators used language that was rough and awkward. The editors lacked the skillful Dharma-wordplay. Although the sacred meaning was not distorted, readers had to strain their necks and squint to understand it.

Now, this translation was made by the Tripitaka Master and State Preceptor Vajrabodhi from Central India. He is a master of both Chinese and Sanskrit, deeply versed in the teachings of the five regions of India. On imperial orders, he came to the Great Ming Palace and translated this sutra, producing three fascicles. It is titled "The Sutra of the Buddha Mother, the Great Golden Peacock Wisdom King." This work will, without exception, broadly illuminate the sun of the Buddha’s wisdom, shining brightly into the deep darkness. The secret, true teachings will flow everywhere for the benefit of all. Since this divine talisman has been revealed, a thousand obstacles will naturally be removed. As this sacred Dharma-medicine is universally administered, the karmic suffering of beings will be eliminated forever.

May this Dharma-lamp shine eternally, bringing purity and peace to the entire Dharma realm. May the emperor live for a thousand springs, keeping the royal lineage ever flourishing. May the gods and dragons always protect and watch over. May the Buddha's Dharma always be proclaimed. May the Buddha's command radiate its light, imperishable for eons.