Vajra Yakṣa Wrathful King Calamity-Pacifying Great Majestic Miraculous Recitation Ritual (金剛藥叉瞋怒王息災大威神驗唸誦儀軌)

Vajra Yaksa Wrathful King's Calamity-Pacifying Great Majestic Spiritual Efficacy Recitation Ritual

Vajrabodhi of South India, Commissioned to Translate by Imperial Decree

At that time, the great bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the Guardian of the Treasury of Space, observed the great bodhisattvas in the heavenly palace, along with the eightfold assembly of devas, dragons, and others. Rising from his seat, he bared his right shoulder and addressed Śākyamuni Buddha, saying:

"In countless eons of the distant past, for the sake of seeking the Dharma, I have wandered through the world of material existence. Many kings of Māra and others have caused me to regress in the Buddha's teachings many times. I beseech the Bhagavān to permit me to manifest a provisional form and proclaim a great, powerful, and efficacious mantra."

The Buddha asked, "What provisional form do you wish to manifest?"

He replied, "I wish to manifest the form of the great holy yakṣa Vajra. Past Buddhas have already manifested it, present Buddhas now manifest it, and future Buddhas will manifest it. I am neither past, present, nor future. I manifest the wrathful samādhi of my own mind to protect the Buddha's Dharma and to have compassion for sentient beings."

The Buddha said, "Excellent! Great sage, you wish to protect and uphold the Buddha's Dharma and have compassion for sentient beings. Noble one, you may well manifest this provisional form and proclaim the great, efficacious mantra. I will join you in empowerment, protection, and mindfulness, and together we will proclaim the mantra."

The Compassionate Guardian, without even rising from his seat, instantly manifested a form of great, wrathful power with three faces and six arms, appearing fierce and formidable. He adorned his body with the seven precious jewels. His body was immeasurably tall and vast, covered entirely in blazing flames, like the fire and smoke at the end of an eon, mighty and awe-inspiring. He gazed in the four directions like a lion, the king of beasts, brave and powerful.

Before reciting the mantra, the practitioner should hold the left hand in the bell-fist mudrā at the level of the chest. With the right hand, form the sword-binding mudrā and place it on the knee. With the left hand, together with the first syllable "a," turn the fist inward and draw it back. Together with the second syllable "vaṃ," turn the right hand outward. Then, with both hands, form the gesture like a phoenix spreading its wings. Together with the third syllable "a," bring the left hand down and the right hand up, clapping to produce a sound. Together with the fourth syllable "haṃ," draw both hands and rotate them in a grinding motion. Together with the fifth syllable "phaṭ," alternately move the left and right hands up and down three times, then wrap the fists around the body. Place them atop the head, turning to the left three times to perform purification, then to the right three times to establish a boundary.

Afterward, press the mudrās together four times. With glaring eyes and a wrathful mouth, in a most terrifying form, recite the clear mantra, saying:

I take refuge in all Buddhas. A ka ya vi na ya ah vi jña ya vajra am Sattva vam ah Dharma sarva ta ka re vi ka li ni vi ka li ni Sattva hum ah Hrih hrih Gha m gha m gha gha m Kam U cu ma ra m sattva hum Vajra vajra Ta gha m ya ta gha m ya Sva ha sva ha Hum phat

At that moment, when the Buddha spoke this mantra, the three thousand great thousand worlds shook in six ways. The palaces where the great lords of power, such as Maheshvara, and their retinues dwelled, all trembled and became unsettled. They gathered together and bowed to the Yaksha Vajra, saying, "O Great Lord of Power, have compassion, grant us fearlessness, peace, and majestic virtue." The Yaksha King addressed the Buddha, saying, "These demon kings and others are distressed and troubled. What is to be done? What is your wish?" The Buddha replied, "For now, let them be pitied and granted relief." Having granted this, the demon kings immediately addressed the Wrathful King, saying, "We will join together and apply our divine power to protect the Buddha's teachings." Then each withdrew and dispersed.

"If evil people, harboring resentment, cause disturbance and trouble for good people, the Dharma teacher should draw an image of the miraculous and wrathful king, of any size, and construct a triangular altar facing the direction where the person resides. With malicious intent, recite the supremely efficacious mantra above, three times a day, twenty-one times each session. After three full days, the evil person will die, and none of their family will remain. If one wishes to revive them, take lotus root, pound it into powder, and with the great compassion samadhi mantra, fast without food or drink for one day and one night, reciting it one hundred and eight times. Then the evil person and their family will be revived and will turn to revere the Buddha's teachings. With both hands forming fists, bend the index fingers, making a gesture as if scooping from a valley, and give rise to great compassion in the heart. The mantra is as follows:"

Homage to all Buddhas. Ghaṭa-bharā-saṭhuru-hūṃ-svāhā.

To obtain great spiritual efficacy from the Dharma, first, before the image, create a square altar four cubits in size. On the altar, place a large white copper vessel filled with fragrant water. From the first day of the month until the fifteenth, burn incense, scatter flowers, offer sincere reverence and worship, and recite the Great Spiritual Efficacy Mantra day and night without interruption, not even sleeping, maintaining firm and steadfast diligence. Do not settle in one place, do not stand still and linger; for these fifteen days, without ceasing, complete one hundred thousand recitations. The Yaksha King will personally manifest to empower the reciter. Out of compassion for sentient beings, he will reveal a wondrous form. How could the Enlightenment of both this life and the next not be achieved? Immediately, with joy and awe, one is blessed by this wrathful deity. At that time, even if evil people, evil spirits, evil beasts, or even curses, sorcery, goblins, demons, and malevolent spirits arise with malicious intent to harm the practitioner, and they come from near or far toward the practitioner's dwelling, they will be destroyed along the way. This divine protection forms a circle thirty miles around, ensuring there are no obstacles. Furthermore, Vajra Yaksha, to bestow subjugation, proclaimed the Great Wrathful King's Root Heart Mantra(Because this mantra and mudra are extremely secret, they are not presented in this ritual text but are found in a separate volume. One should draw near to an Acharya, serve them, and then learn it, as it is very secret.). When reciting this mantra, all demon kings and ghostly multitudes find no peace; the fears they experience are no different from those caused by the Great Spiritual Efficacy Mantra. The mantra and mudra are distinct. If one wishes to practice this mantra, follow the ritual procedures for reciting the Sacred Immovable One. In performing the practice, first place the right knee on the ground, wholeheartedly take refuge in all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, repent for the karmic obstacles accumulated throughout beginningless lifetimes, rejoice in all the roots of goodness gathered by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, entreat all Tathagatas and the holy assembly, generate the Bodhi Mind, and make offerings to all Buddhas. The mantra for entreaty is as follows:

Om Vajra Yaksha, swiftly come and subdue, hūṃ hūṃ svāhā.

The mantra for bathing the statue is:

Om Hum Svara Ni Ya Ham

The mantra for the water offering is:

Om Aparati Hūṃ

The mantra for offering the seat is:

Om Vikanila Zolani (second) Ah (entering)

The Mantra for Adorning Robes and Jewelry is:

Om, Jūni Jūni Sajūniya Imu

The mantra for offering incense, flowers, lamps, and unguents is:

Om mani naga gana samasama jyoti ah svaha

Praise to the Vajra Yaksha, saying:

Vajra Aṭṭa Yakṣa, Vajra Trīśūla Vīra, Hāṃ Vajra Mahāyakṣa, Yakṣa Bhagaṇya Aḥ.

If your heart is filled with joy and delight, you may recite this verse of praise:

The mantra for blessing the prayer beads is:

Om Vajra Shuni

The mantra for offering is:

Om Vighnashaya Hum Ah

"The ten types of offering, praise, and other mantras mentioned above should all be performed while holding a three-pronged vajra scepter. Hold the scepter in both hands, bring it to the heart, and recite each mantra, visualizing their majestic power flowing forth. The mantra for holding the vajra scepter is as follows:

Om, Sam Vajra He Hum Vai Vajra Ah

If you wish to be freed from all obstacles and difficulties, take two ounces of medicinal pills, hold them in your left and right palms, and while sitting, recite the Great Miraculous Mantra seven times to empower them. Apply them to your back, and all obstacles and difficulties—including slander, untimely death, and short lifespans—will be instantly resolved.

If you wish to swiftly subdue a wicked person, draw their likeness and write their name, then place it on a subjugation altar. First, sharpen a bamboo nail and drive it through the abdomen of the image. Recite the Great Miraculous Mantra with a fierce and wrathful mind, striking the image once with each recitation for one hundred and eight times, and the person will perish.

If you wish to swiftly bind a wicked person and lead them to the Buddhist path, recite the Great Mantra three times with a wrathful mind. Take a black stone and, after reciting the mantra, rotate it within a feather, and the person will naturally be bound.

If you wish to release them from this binding, recite the Great Compassion Samadhi Mantra three times. They will regain their original mind and say, "From now on, I take refuge in the Buddhist path and will no longer give rise to wrong views or unwholesome thoughts."

If you wish to attract a desirable woman for yourself or for someone else, write her name on pine bark and tie it before the image. Recite the Great Compassion Samadhi Mantra seven times and make a petition to the Wrathful King. If you do this three times a day with focused intent and make your petition, the Wrathful King, out of compassion, will cause the woman to be drawn to you and not to others. She will leave her home and come to you, devoted solely to you without any other thoughts. Even if she is another's wife or if husband and wife are estranged, her heart will turn solely to you. Afterward, both husband and wife will constantly generate the mind of enlightenment and always teach and transform each other.

If you wish to attain an official position, sincerely burn incense before the image and make various offerings. For three days and three nights, or even seven days and seven nights, recite the Great Compassion Samadhi Mantra and make your wish. Not a single wish will go unfulfilled. Then, perform the enhancement practice to achieve success. Only when practicing this method, focus your thoughts toward the desired direction and carefully arrange the direction as you would for a homa altar ritual.

When you wish to leave the practice area, recite this mantra to dismiss the sacred assembly. The mantra is:

Om Vajra Yaksha Dina Tathā Vi Hūṃ Hūṃ Āḥ

When these various wrathful methods of subduing demons are taught, all hostile forces are pacified and become protectors, vowing to uphold the Dharma. Therefore, when practitioners engage in these practices, they must take great care not to harbor ill will or repeatedly harm others. Those with wisdom should deeply understand this secret path; it must not be chanted recklessly, except by those who are gentle, patient, and over forty years of age, capable of harmonizing themselves and others. If the wise engage in these recitations while still immature in practice, they will not attain liberation and will instead bring harm to themselves and others, creating grave faults. Practitioners should cultivate great compassion, benefiting all sentient beings. After leaving the practice hall, they may freely study the Mahayana sutras, abiding in the stage of irreversible progress.

Vajra Yaksha Recitation Ritual