---
title: "觀自在菩薩如意輪咒課法 · 釋疑第七"
description: "觀自在菩薩如意輪咒課法由宋代天台宗高僧仁岳撰寫。該典籍形成於中國佛教儀軌成熟時期，系統闡述了如意輪咒的修持儀規。主要內容包含禮敬、發願、持咒、回向等完整次第，並詳解觀想方法與手印配合要領。作為漢傳密教重要儀軌文本，它體現了宋代顯密融合的修行特色，為研究觀音法門與咒語修持提供了關鍵文獻依據，在佛教儀軌史與修行實踐中具有承前啟後的學術價值。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn0ikf321tpl404oaco13z9"
---
### 釋疑第七
> Chapter 7: Resolving Doubts
疑者曰觀音所說諸陀羅尼皆遮極惡盡持妙善馥瞻蔔而無異鳴迦陵而不殊何故經云更無明呪與此如意呪王勢力齊者釋曰法有權實教有抑揚蓋言小乘三藏大乘初門及歷別所談斯等明呪不能齊於圓頓呪王也何以明之如法華普門品云受持觀世音名號為彼受持六十二億恒河沙菩薩名字是二人福正等無異智者解云圓人唯一偏人則多格六十二億偏菩薩等一圓菩薩也以彼例此人法雖異義旨攸同問流志所譯廣明壇法分為二院內院當中心畫如意輪觀自在東面畫圓滿意願明王北面畫大勢至等外院東面畫天帝釋左右畫諸天眾等今不依之而於道場但安法寶并釋迦彌陀觀音之像將無返經之過歟答壇法本為呪三種藥一佩藥二含藥三服藥今世人民見聞歡喜而相愛敬獲大勝願當候太陰太陽蝕時預二七日於閑靜處築之乃至畫諸形像而為供養今既藥法不行所以壇法亦寢況彼經前自云不假占擇日月吉凶亦不作壇故此廢之非為過也如請觀音經中本無道場儀式國清百錄令安佛像南向菩薩像東向斯出智者之神襟耳今經菩薩既須面西則依百錄不便子所敷置非可以也蓋諸佛所師所謂法也故置之上級釋迦為娑婆之主彌陀為觀音之師故左右焉菩薩居次級之中亦不失其正也倘有方法異於見者當擇善從之問證驗中既能殄滅一切病苦成就一切事業今或覩受持積年而無所驗者何耶答機有親踈障有輕重機親者心急加以觀慧機踈者心緩或唯讀誦定業障重不定障輕機障對論大約則有四類差別經云若誦一徧如上諸事悉皆遂意者此就機親障輕者言之亦誘進之辭也若乃機踈障重纔方讀誦便責感應何其謬哉古語云土性勝水掬壞不可以塞河金性勝木寸刃不可以殘林理必然矣又以滅惡例乎生善亦由宿植深淺對於現機親踈致使休應遲速之異也是知聖無虛授授於可受者書云皇天無親惟德是輔傳曰小信未孚神弗福也但勤誦習功至自驗何芥蔕於胷臆乎先民有以吉凶禍福在德不在命或曰在命不在德公孫弘謂桀紂行惡受天之罸禹湯文武積德以王天下此在德也公孫弘對武帝䇿臣間堯遭洪水使禹治之未聞禹之有水也若湯之旱則桀之謂烈也桀紂行惡受天之罸禹湯積德以王天下因此觀之天德無私親矣見漢本紀劉孝標謂仲由厲節不能息其結纓商臣殺逆盛業光於後嗣此在命也選辯命論商臣則穆王名也仲由子路也衛太子蒯聵以戈擊子路割其纓子路曰君子死冠不脫於地乃結纓而死結纓繫冠也言其惡者乃盛善者乃死也詳見史記本斯皆偏一之見豈謂通方之說苟迷三世因緣生法又何異夕死之類而論春秋之變哉今之人亦有見積德而無驗惟賦命而是聽固執美惡之運周而必復天數定矣詎假念聖人誦神呪為之移易乎又謂積德在心焉用事行凡厥求福則曰吾禱久矣吁挾邪距正蒙己蔽物未習滋甚其將奈何且陰陽之流示灾福之運俾人禳祈齊景公三十二年彗星見景公坐栢寢栢寢宮名謂晏子曰此其以真可禳否晏子曰使福可祈而來灾亦可禳而去也見史記齊世家以慎咎悔若其天數不可逃聖人不能救何故宋景一言法星三徙法星熒惑也宋景公三十七年熒惑守心心經星也屬宋之分野景公憂司星子韋曰可移於相景公曰相吾之股肱曰可移於民景公曰君者待民曰可移於歲公曰歲飢民因吾誰為君子韋曰天高聽卑君有君人之言三熒惑冝有動於是候之謂占候其纏度果徙三舍舍行七里里當一年故延二十一年景公在位六十四年而卒見史記宋世家補註熒惑退舍又見吕氏春秋柳子厚真符詩云宋之君以法星壽王謨免刑戮於麾下南中云齊王玄謨性營貨財時制輔國將軍蕭斌北侵玄謨為前鋒玄謨貨一疋布責八百利以此頗失士人之心麾下散亡略盡斌將斬之沈慶之因諫乃止初將見斬玄謨夢人令念觀世音經千徧當得免既覺念之旦得千徧明日將刑猶念之不輟忽聞傳唱停刑徐義脫杻械於禁中晉書云偽秦符丕左丞相徐義為慕容永所獲械理其足將殺之念觀音經至夜中杻械自脫於重禁之中若有人導之因遂得免遂奔揚詮期詮期以為洛陽令前志昭然安可不信若言吾禱久矣請以近事驗于感應夫仁義不行奸諂斯作人倫尚遠天道奚從至於欵附勢權則靡辭折節苟合富貴則無憚足恭由此觀之何禱於人而不禱於佛乎縱是內有實德亦須外假熏修何必土梗其身木舌其口然後為道哉故菩薩之行有緣因焉有了因焉了謂正觀智德之基也緣謂助道福德之本也如是二因譬車輪不可單運鳥翅不可隻飛課法所以先觀想次禮誦等庶兩全矣經云惟須深信不得生疑故因撰錄聊此伸釋願諸聞見終身誦之。
> Someone might ask: "All the dharani spoken by Guanyin prevent extreme evils and uphold wonderful virtues. They are as fragrant as the champaka flower and as melodious as the kalavinka bird, with no difference among them. Why then does this sutra say that no other mantra can match the power of this Wish-Fulfilling Mantra King?" The explanation is: The Dharma has expedient means and ultimate truth; the teachings sometimes emphasize restraint and sometimes encouragement. This statement means that the mantras of the Small Vehicle's Three Baskets, the initial stages of the Great Vehicle, and those discussed in specific contexts cannot equal the perfect and immediate Mantra King. How can this be demonstrated? As the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra says: "To uphold the name of Guanyin is equal to upholding the names of sixty-two billion Ganges-sands' worth of bodhisattvas. The merit of these two persons is exactly equal, without difference." The wise explain this: A perfect person is singular, while a partial person is multiple. Thus, sixty-two billion partial bodhisattvas equal one perfect bodhisattva. Using this analogy, though the person and the method differ, the underlying principle is the same. Question: The translation by Bodhiruci extensively describes the mandala method, dividing it into two enclosures. In the inner enclosure, at the center, the Wish-Fulfilling Wheel Avalokiteshvara is drawn; on the east side, the Perfectly Satisfied Vow Bright King; on the north side, Mahasthamaprapta, and so on. In the outer enclosure, on the east side, Indra is drawn, with various heavenly beings on the left and right, etc. Now, if we do not follow this but instead place only the Dharma treasures and images of Shakyamuni, Amitabha, and Guanyin in the practice area, would that not be a transgression against the sutra? Answer: The mandala method was originally for consecrating three types of medicine (1. medicine to wear, 2. medicine to hold in the mouth, 3. medicine to ingest). In this world, when people see and hear it, they rejoice, feel mutual affection and respect, and attain great, supreme vows. One should wait for a solar or lunar eclipse and, two weeks prior, build it in a quiet place, even drawing the various forms for making offerings. Since the medicine method is no longer practiced today, the mandala method has also fallen into disuse. Moreover, the sutra itself states earlier: "It does not require choosing auspicious days or months, nor does it require making a mandala." Therefore, omitting it is not a fault. For example, the \*Sutra on Inviting Avalokiteshvara\* originally had no ritual format for the practice area; the \*Tiantai's Hundred Records\* instructs to place the Buddha image facing south and the bodhisattva image facing east. This comes from the profound insight of Master Zhiyi. Now, since this sutra's bodhisattva must face west, following the \*Hundred Records\* is not convenient. The arrangement you have set up is acceptable. What all Buddhas take as their teacher is the Dharma; therefore, it is placed on the upper level. Shakyamuni is the lord of this Saha world; Amitabha is the teacher of Guanyin; therefore, they are placed to the left and right. The bodhisattva resides in the center of the middle level, which also does not lose its correctness. If there are methods that differ from what is seen, one should choose the good and follow it. Question: In the testimonies of efficacy, it is said to be able to eradicate all sickness and suffering and accomplish all endeavors. Yet now, sometimes we see people who have upheld it for years without any sign of efficacy. Why is this? Answer: Affinity can be close or distant; hindrances can be heavy or light. Those with close affinity have urgent minds and add contemplative wisdom; those with distant affinity have lax minds or merely recite. Fixed karmic hindrances are heavy; non-fixed hindrances are light. Considering affinity and hindrances together, there are roughly four categories of difference. The sutra says, "If one recites it once, all the aforementioned matters will be fulfilled as wished." This is spoken regarding those with close affinity and light hindrances; it is also an encouraging statement. If one has distant affinity and heavy hindrances and expects a response immediately upon reciting, how mistaken that is! An ancient saying goes: "Earth's nature overcomes water, but a handful of dirt cannot dam a river. Metal's nature overcomes wood, but an inch of blade cannot fell a forest." The principle is necessarily so. Also, comparing the eradication of evil with the generation of good, it is due to the depth of past planting and the closeness or distance of present affinity that causes differences in the swiftness or slowness of auspicious responses. Thus, we know the sage does not bestow in vain; he bestows upon those who can receive. The \*Book of Documents\* says: "The great heaven has no affections; it helps only the virtuous." The \*Commentary\* says: "Small sincerity is not yet proven; the spirits will not bless it." Just diligently recite and practice; when the merit is complete, the effect will naturally appear. Why harbor doubt in your heart? The ancients held that good fortune, misfortune, blessing, and calamity lie in virtue, not in fate. Some said they lie in fate, not in virtue. Gongsun Hong said: "Jie and Zhou acted wickedly and received heaven's punishment; Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu accumulated virtue and ruled the world. This lies in virtue." (Gongsun Hong's response to Emperor Wu's policy question: "I have heard that Yao encountered floods and had Yu control them, but I have not heard that Yu had floods. As for Tang's drought, it was due to Jie's tyranny. Jie and Zhou acted wickedly and received heaven's punishment; Yu and Tang accumulated virtue and ruled the world. From this perspective, heaven's virtue is impartial and shows no favoritism." See the Han Dynasty Basic Annals.) Liu Xiaobiao said: "Zhong You maintained his integrity but could not avoid having his cap-strings tied; Shang Chen committed regicide, yet his flourishing enterprise glorified his descendants. This lies in fate." (From the \*Discourse on Determining Fate\*: Shang Chen was King Mu's name. Zhong You is Zilu. When Crown Prince Kuai Kui of Wei attacked Zilu with a halberd, he cut Zilu's cap-strings. Zilu said, "A gentleman dies without his cap leaving his head." So he tied his cap-strings and died. "Tying the cap-strings" means fastening the cap. This says the wicked prosper while the good die. For details, see the \*Records of the Grand Historian\*, basic annals.) These are all one-sided views; how can they be called comprehensive doctrines? If one is confused about the three periods of time and the arising of dharmas from conditions, how is one any different from a mayfly discussing the changes of spring and autumn? People today also see those who accumulate virtue without apparent effect and listen only to what fate decrees, stubbornly believing that the cycle of good and evil necessarily revolves and that heavenly numbers are fixed. How could reciting the sage's holy mantra change it? They also say, "Accumulating virtue is in the heart; what use are external practices?" When seeking blessings, they say, "I have prayed for a long time." Alas! Clinging to the wrong, resisting the right, deluding oneself, obscuring the truth—if one does not study, it grows worse. What then can be done? Moreover, the followers of yin and yang show the workings of calamity and fortune, making people perform rituals and prayers (In the thirty-second year of Duke Jing of Qi, a comet appeared. Duke Jing sat in the Boqin Palace \[Boqin is a palace name\] and said to Yanzi, "Can this truly be averted by prayer?" Yanzi said, "If blessings can be prayed for and come, then calamities can also be averted and depart." See the \*Records of the Grand Historian\*, Annals of Qi.) to be cautious and repent of faults. If heavenly numbers cannot be escaped and even sages cannot save, then why did a single word from Duke Jing of Song make the law-star shift three places? (The law-star is Mars. In the thirty-seventh year of Duke Jing of Song, Mars guarded the Heart constellation. The Heart is a classic star, belonging to Song's celestial division. Duke Jing was worried. The astrologer Ziwei said, "It can be shifted to the prime minister." Duke Jing said, "The prime minister is my right-hand man." He said, "It can be shifted to the people." Duke Jing said, "A ruler depends on the people." He said, "It can be shifted to the harvest." The Duke said, "If the harvest fails, the people suffer. For whom would I be ruler?" Ziwei said, "Heaven is high but hears what is below. You, lord, have the words of a true ruler. Mars should move." Then they observed it, meaning they watched its course. It indeed shifted three lunar mansions. A mansion covers seven degrees; a degree corresponds to one year. Thus, he extended his life by twenty-one years. Duke Jing reigned for sixty-four years and then died. See the \*Records of the Grand Historian\*, Annals of Song, supplementary notes. Mars retreating from its mansion is also seen in the \*Lüshi Chunqiu\*. Liu Zongyuan's poem "True Talisman" says: "The lord of Song, by the law-star, gained longevity.") Why did Wang Xuanmo escape punishment and execution under the army's banner? (A southern account says: Wang Xuanmo of Qi was greedy for wealth. At that time, the system had Assistant General Xiao Bin invading the north. Xuanmo was the vanguard. Xuanmo sold a bolt of cloth for eight hundred coins' profit. Because of this, he largely lost the hearts of the soldiers. His subordinates scattered and were almost all gone. Bin was about to execute him. Shen Qingzhi advised against it, so he stopped. Just before he was to be executed, Xuanmo dreamed someone told him to recite the \*Guanyin Sutra\* a thousand times, and he would be spared. Upon waking, he recited it. By dawn, he had reached a thousand times. The next day, as he was about to be executed, he still recited without stopping. Suddenly, he heard an order shouted to halt the execution.) Why did Xu Yi have his shackles removed in prison? (The \*Book of Jin\* says: Xu Yi, Left Chancellor of the false Qin under Fu Pi, was captured by Murong Yong. Shackles were placed on his feet, and he was about to be killed. He recited the \*Guanyin Sutra\*. In the middle of the night, the shackles fell off by themselves within the heavy confinement, as if someone guided him. Thus, he escaped and fled to Yang Quanqi. Quanqi made him magistrate of Luoyang.) The records of the past are clear; how can one not believe? If someone says, "I have prayed for a long time," let us examine recent events for proof of response. When benevolence and righteousness are not practiced, cunning and flattery arise. Human relations are still distant; how much more so the way of heaven? As for currying favor with the powerful, then there is no end to obsequiousness; if seeking to join with wealth and honor, then there is no fear of excessive courtesy. From this perspective, why pray to humans and not pray to the Buddha? Even if one has inner true virtue, one must still externally rely on cultivation practices. Why must one make one's body like clay and one's tongue like wood before it is considered the Way? Therefore, the bodhisattva's practice has conditional causes and fundamental causes. The fundamental cause refers to correct contemplation, the basis of wisdom and virtue. The conditional cause refers to supportive practices, the foundation of merit and virtue. These two causes are like cart wheels that cannot turn singly, like bird wings that cannot fly with only one. Therefore, the practice method first involves contemplation, then prostrations and recitation, etc., hoping to achieve both. The sutra says: "Only deep faith is required; do not give rise to doubt." Therefore, while compiling this record, I have briefly explained this. May all who hear and see this recite it for life.
## 觀自在菩薩如意輪呪課法