The Buddha Speaks Amoghapāśa Dhāraṇī Ritual Sutra (佛說不空羂索陀羅尼儀軌經)

Sutra of the Ritual Procedures for the Amoghapasha Dharani, Spoken by the Buddha, Volume One

Translation by Tripitaka Master Amoghavajra of the Lion Kingdom, Under Imperial Decree

This is what I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was in the Pure Abode Heaven, amidst a great assembly of gods, including the Pure Abode Heaven King, the Isvara Heaven King, the Mahesvara Heaven King, the Great Brahma Heaven King, the Indra Heaven King, and all the heavenly multitudes. Seated upon a precious lotus lion throne, he expounded the wondrous Dharma, its brilliance surpassing the sunlight that illuminates all things.

Then, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokiteshvara, filled with joy and enthusiasm, rose from his seat. He bared his right shoulder, respectfully joined his palms, and bowed at the Buddha's feet. After adjusting his robes, he knelt upright, crossed his hands, and addressed the Buddha, saying:

"World-Honored One! I possess a Dharani called the 'Unfailing Lasso Heart-King Dharani Mantra Samaya Dharma.' In the distant past, ninety-one eons ago, in the final eon of that period, a Buddha appeared in the world named Tathagata Lokeshvararaja, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, endowed with wisdom and conduct, the Well-Gone One, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One, the Tamer of Beings, the Teacher of Gods and Humans, the Blessed One. Out of compassion for me, that Buddha, the World-Honored One, bestowed upon me this Dharani secret mantra and all its Dharma methods. His Buddha-world was called 'Supreme Observing Wisdom.'

World-Honored One! From that time until now, I have constantly upheld, practiced, and taught this Dharani mantra and all its Dharma instructions. I have guided and transformed immeasurable hundreds of thousands of beings, including the Pure Abode Heaven King, the Isvara Heaven King, the Mahesvara Heaven King, the Great Brahma Heaven King, the Indra Heaven King, all the heaven kings along with their retinues. I have led them to revere, make offerings to, respect, and praise it, enabling them all to abide in Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (the Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment), adorning them with the wisdom that is free from the net of doubts.

World-Honored One! When I first attained this Dharani Dharma, I realized and manifested before me the 'Hundred-Thousand Unfailing, Undeluded, Adorned-Head Samadhi Gate.'

World-Honored One! Through the power of this true mantra, I directly beheld the assemblies of all the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, in the immeasurable, countless, and varied Buddha-lands of the ten directions. I made offerings to them, listened to the profound Dharma, and in turn, taught and transformed immeasurable sentient beings, enabling them all to set their minds on attaining the Unsurpassed Bodhi. Therefore, those with wisdom should receive and uphold this.

World-Honored One! In any place where this sutra is practiced, know that in that very location, there will be immeasurable hundreds of thousands of Pure Abode Heaven Kings, Isvara Heaven Kings, Great Brahma Heaven Kings, Indra Heaven Kings, and one hundred and twenty-two thousand heaven kings along with their retinues, constantly protecting, revering, and surrounding it.

World-Honored One! In any place where this sutra resides, if there are those who can, according to the Dharma, purely copy, recite, uphold, practice, and praise it, know that such a place is the very stupa containing the complete body of all Buddhas.

World-Honored One! If any sentient being can, even temporarily, recite, hear, or circulate this 'Unfailing Lasso Heart-King Dharani Mantra Samaya,' know that this person will thereby draw near to, revere, make offerings to, and plant roots of goodness with immeasurable kotis of nayutas of hundreds of thousands of Buddhas. Why is this? Because this Dharma is the precious treasury of Bodhi for all Buddhas."

"World-Honored One! If there are beings who commit the most heinous acts—slandering all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas, and defaming the true Dharma by claiming there is no goodness, or who destroy the images, stupas, temples, scriptures, and teachings of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas—they should fall into the Avīci Hell, suffering ceaseless torment for countless eons. Even with their divine powers, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas cannot save them.

World-Honored One! Yet if such beings can generate remorse, cleanse themselves with bathing, anoint their bodies with fragrant oils, wear fresh and clean robes, and sincerely repent before the Buddha for the grave offenses committed in past and present lives, vowing never to commit them again; if they uphold precepts and purify their minds, abstaining from all disputes for seven days and seven nights, and each day recite this dhāraṇī mantra one hundred and eight times before the Bodhisattva Amoghapāśa Avalokiteśvara—then know that all their former ten evils, five heinous acts, and four grave offenses will be utterly eradicated. They will not fall into hell, except for the five heinous acts, which will be lightly borne in this present life.

How can this be verified? They may experience one, two, three, four, or up to seven days of malaria or fever; or suffer ailments of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, gums, teeth, head, back, shoulders, heart, abdomen, ribs, waist, thighs, knees; or afflictions like hemorrhoids, dysentery, cholera, pain in the hands and feet, leprosy, wind-sores, scabies, ulcers, swellings, abscesses, toxic tumors, jaundice, anal diseases, sores, blisters, itching, madness, demonic possession, and the like. They may be harassed by spirits, subjected to various slanders, insults, beatings, imprisonment, and all kinds of suffering, encounter other misfortunes, or have inauspicious dreams.

World-Honored One! Through these light sufferings, such a person can avert the severe retribution of hell's intense torments. How much more, then, will beings of pure faith with lighter offenses achieve success by upholding and reciting this dhāraṇī mantra? If beings experience physical or mental unease, face various disasters, fears, or inauspicious dreams, and each day purify themselves, recite, uphold, offer incense, and make offerings, they will attain elimination of these afflictions."