Translated by the Indian Tripitaka Master Jñānagupta during the Sui Dynasty.
At that time, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Guanyin, amidst the great assembly of that ocean-like gathering, rose from his seat. He straightened his robes, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms, and faced the Buddha. His countenance was joyful, his face open with a gentle smile, and he addressed the Buddha, saying:
"Bhagavan, there is a heart mantra named the King of the Unfailing Lasso. In the distant past, from the time I first aroused the mind for Enlightenment, more than ninety-one kalpas have passed. In one such kalpa, there was a world named 'Vision.' In that realm, there was a Buddha named World-King Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Out of compassion for me, that Tathagata taught this heart mantra. At that time, I received and upheld it from that Buddha, the World-Honored One, and have never forgotten it. Through the power of this mantra, from that time onward, I have constantly taught and guided immeasurable, boundless hundreds of thousands of Mahishvara and other great celestial multitudes, the kings of the Pure Abodes and their countless celestial sons, leading them toward Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
World-Honored One, after obtaining this mantra from that Buddha, I immediately attained ten thousand samadhis, including the Unforgetting Wisdom and Supreme Adornment. World-Honored One, wherever this heart mantra exists, know that there are great celestial multitudes there—such as Ishvara, Mahishvara, Mahabrahma, Brahma, and twelve thousand others—protecting and guarding it. World-Honored One, wherever this mantra is, one should regard that place as a stupa. World-Honored One, in whatever direction this heart mantra exists, one should know with certainty that those people have made offerings to hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of Buddhas and planted roots of goodness.
World-Honored One, if there is a person who hears this Unfailing Heart Mantra, know that if in the past they committed filthy evils toward others, engaged in wrongdoings, slandered teachers, or slandered the true Dharma, they are destined to fall into the Avici Hell in the future, and all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas will abandon them. If that person later feels remorse and resolves not to commit evil again, and if they can fast for a day and a night while reciting this heart mantra, their heavy offenses will be lightly received in this present life. They may suffer from fever and chills for one day, two days, three days, four days, or up to seven days; or experience eye pain, ear pain, pain in the lips or teeth, pain in the tongue or palate, heart pain, abdominal pain, knee pain, pain in the sides, back, spine, or ribs; or suffer from joint pain, hemorrhoids, constipation or diarrhea, ailments of the hands or feet, headaches, sores, ringworm, leprosy, white leprosy, ulcers, pustules, inverted sores, malignant sores, moon-eating sores, epilepsy, various spirit-induced illnesses, or encounter curses, wild incantations, and various malicious words; or suffer retribution for wrongs done to others, or have wrongs intended for oneself rebound; or be imprisoned, shackled, beaten, killed, threatened, reviled, insulted, or slandered.
World-Honored One, I will speak briefly: they may encounter distress from bodily, verbal, or mental karma, or have evil dreams at night. By experiencing these in the present, all those evil karmas will be completely eradicated. How much more so for pure beings with right faith and right conduct—it is impossible for their offenses not to be eliminated.
World-Honored One, if there are people of the fourfold assembly who, even with a deceitful mind, hear this mantra, recite it, uphold it, constantly recite it day and night, explain it to others, teach them to listen to it, or even speak this heart mantra in the presence of animals so that they hear it, and further, can speak these vajra phrases, thinking to themselves: 'What are these vajra phrases? They are: not abandoning anything, not discriminating anything, non-action, not arriving late, not creating anything, not being defiled, the mind of equality, not reaching anything, not forsaking anything, not separating from the five aggregates.' With such skillful means, one should contemplate the Buddha. For such people, a full thousand Buddhas from the ten directions will appear before them, and those Buddhas will teach them repentance and the removal of offenses.
World-Honored One, I will speak briefly: if a person writes this heart mantra on bamboo or silk, upholds it, and pays homage to it, they will obtain immeasurable, boundless masses of merit. World-Honored One, I will speak briefly: those who hear this mantra should not give rise to contention. World-Honored One, if people who are quarreling with others hear this mantra, or hear it out of fear of powerful people, to please others, or in jest, they should reflect: 'That my ear faculty hears this mantra is due to the majestic spiritual power of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, not my own power.'
World-Honored One, it is like someone who takes sandalwood, camphor, musk, or various other incenses, slanders, insults, and reviles them with words. After slandering, insulting, and reviling them, they then use those very incenses to anoint their body. Yet, that sandalwood, even down to the musk, does not think: 'That person slandered me, reviled me, insulted me.' How could it have the thought: 'I will give fragrance to this person, but not to that one?' Such a thing is impossible. World-Honored One, it is simply that the incense possesses its own fragrant nature and does not abandon its intrinsic quality. So it is, so it is.
World-Honored One, if there are people who, toward my heart mantra, insult it, speak against it, slander it, or even with a deceitful mind show respect and reverence as described above, those deceitful beings, in future lives, will have the potential for these good roots to become causes for Buddhahood. Life after life, in every existence, they will not be separated from precepts, concentration, and supreme wisdom, achieving masses of merit-fragrance, and in future lives will uphold the fragrance of precepts.
World-Honored One, if good men, good women, bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, upasikas, or other people, for the sake of this heart mantra, on the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the month, fast for a day and a night without eating, maintain bodily precepts, practice mental vigor, recite this heart mantra seven times during the day and seven times at night, then do not think of other matters and do not converse with others—World-Honored One, that person will obtain twenty kinds of merit in this present life.
What are the twenty kinds of merit? 1. All illnesses and pains will not afflict their body. Even if illness occurs, due to the power of merit, it will quickly be cured. 2. Their body will be subtle, soft, radiant, and loved by many. 3. Their faculties will be tamed. 4. They will obtain great wealth and treasures; their wishes will be fulfilled and not plundered by others. 5. Fire will not burn them. 6. Water will not drown them. 7. Kings will not seize from them; whatever they undertake will always be auspicious. 8. Harmful hail will not injure them; evil dragons will restrain their poison. 9. They will not suffer disasters or drought, nor fear violent winds or torrential rain. 10. If insects devour crops, one should take sand, ash, water, etc., recite the mantra over it seven times as one wishes, establish a boundary in the eight directions and all directions above and below—all fears and all insect poison will immediately be eradicated. 11. All evil spirits that suck people's vital energy, or those that in dreams act as spouses seeking to bewitch, will also be unable to harm. 12. Among all evil beings, they will always attain peace and happiness, their minds constantly respectful without momentary neglect. 13. If there are enemies who bear ill will and seek confrontation, it will dissipate by itself. 14. If there are evil people who wish to harm them, they will be unable to do so and will depart of their own accord. 15. All curses and all sorcery will quickly turn back upon themselves, unable to inflict harm. 16. When among a crowd, they will be the strongest. 17. All afflictions will be unable to entangle them. 18. When on a battlefield where blades and weapons bring harm, with single-minded recitation of the mantra, all knives, clubs, arrows, and darts will not touch their body. 19. All good spirits will constantly follow and protect them. 20. Life after life, in every existence, they will constantly not be separated from compassion, joy, loving-kindness, and equanimity.
World-Honored One, if a person can uphold this heart mantra thus, they will obtain these twenty kinds of merit.
World-Honored One, further, they will obtain eight kinds of attainments: 1. On the day of their death, the Bodhisattva Guanyin will appear before them in the form of a bhikkhu. 2. At the time of death, their mind will not be scattered, the four elements will be peaceful and stable, and no sufferings will disturb their body. 3. Even if illness is severe, there will be no leakage, filth, excrement, urine, or impurity. 4. On the day of death, they will attain right mindfulness, their mind not confused or disordered. 5. On the day of death, they will not die face down. 6. On the day of death, they will obtain immeasurable eloquence. 7. On the day of death, they may be reborn in whichever Buddha-land they wish, according to their desire. 8. They will constantly have good spiritual friends who do not abandon them.
Thus, these eight auspicious signs will appear before them. If a person can recite and uphold this mantra three times, three times a day, they should abstain from alcohol, meat, and the five pungent spices. Then, the merit obtained will increase day and night.
A Bodhisattva does not act for themselves alone. Knowing the mental capacities of beings, they should teach it. Do not be stingy, do not act with arrogance or jealousy, thinking, 'I can do this for you, but you cannot.' Why? A Bodhisattva abandons thoughts of jealousy, works for the great benefit of beings, attains Enlightenment, and enters the ranks of Bodhisattvas. 'Enlightenment' refers to great wisdom; 'beings' refers to skillful means. These two dharmas are obtained for the sake of beings.
World-Honored One, I beseech the Buddha to permit me to speak this heart mantra before the Tathagata, wishing to expound it for the sake of bringing peace, benefit, and the eradication of offenses to the fourfold assembly and other sinful beings."