Gwan Shi Yin Bodhisattva

Guan Yin speaks in detail.
M1 He explains how he received a prediction from a former Buddha.

Sutra:

Then Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet and said to the Buddha:

Commentary:

Above, Great Strength Bodhisattva told how he cultivated the dharma door of mindfulness of the Buddha, which is a very appropriate method for people in this day and age. It's quite effective. Why? The sutras tell us that in the Dharma-ending Age, not even one in a million people who cultivate will attain the Way. That many people cultivate and not even one person among them attains to the Way! Then what shall we do? Don't worry. It goes on to say, "Only by mindfulness of the Buddha are they taken across." The dharma door of reciting the Buddha's name is very easy. With the dharma door of mindfulness of the Buddha,

One transcends the three realms
through the side door (horizontally),
And carries one's karma into that rebirth.

What does it mean to transcend the three realms through the side door? It's like an insect in a piece of bamboo. If the insect were to gnaw its way out through the length of the bamboo, it would have to go through all the sections; it would take a long time. If the insect were to gnaw a hole in the side of the bamboo instead, it would get out very easily. People who are mindful of the Buddha are like the insect who goes out the side of the bamboo; they escape the three realms on a horizontal plane, right at the level they are. "One carries one's karma into that rebirth." The karma one carries is former karma, not current karma, it is old karma, not new karma.

This means that before you understood the method of being mindful of the Buddha, you created offenses. You can take that karma with you when you go to rebirth in the Pure Land. But you shouldn't continue to create bad karma once you know about reciting the Buddha's name, because you can't take that karma along. Once you know about mindfulness of the Buddha, you should change your ways. Don't keep creating bad karma. If you do, you will be piling karma on top of karma, adding offenses to offenses. That's called "knowing clearly and transgressing intentionally," in which case, the offenses are tripled.

You can take your old karma with you, but now that you understand the Buddhadharma, you can't say, "Oh, I can recite the Buddha's name on the one hand and create bad karma on the other hand, because in the future I can take my karma with me to the Land of Ultimate Bliss." That's a mistake. Not only will you be unable to take that karma with you, you won't be able to be reborn there at all, because you will be hindered by your karma. We people who believe in the Buddha should take care not to create any further offenses once we know about mindfulness of the Buddha. This section of text concerning Great Strength Bodhisattva's perfect penetration through mindfulness of the Buddha is extremely important.

Everyone should know what the dharma door of mindfulness of the Buddha is all about.

Why should we be mindful of the Buddha? Because we have great causes and conditions with Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha Buddha became a Buddha ten kalpas ago. Before that, he was called Bhikshu Dharma Treasury. At that time he made forty-eight great vows. In making his thirteenth and fourteenth vows he said, "If the living beings throughout the ten directions say my name and do not become Buddhas, I will not attain the right enlightenment." In other words, if people who recite his name do not become Buddhas, he will not become a Buddha. And because of the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows, everyone who recites his name can get reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Pure Land dharma door comprises one of the five schools of Chinese Buddhism:

1. the Chan school (dhyana),
2. the Teaching school,
3. the Vinaya school,
4. the Secret school,
5. the Pure Land school.

The Pure Land sect will be the last of the five to endure. In this world, during the Dharma-ending Age, the Shurangama Sutra will be the first sutra to disappear. After that, the other sutras will disappear also, until only the Amitabha Sutra is left. While the Amitabha Sutra remains in the world, it will take many people across. After another hundred years, it will also be gone. Dharmaending simply means that the dharma will entirely disappear. Once the Amitabha Sutra has vanished, all that will be left will be the phrase, "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

This tremendous phrase will also take many people across; then, after another hundred years, it, too, will disappear. All that will be left then will be the name "Amitabha Buddha," which will remain in the world yet another hundred years and then vanish as well. At that point there will be no Buddhadharma remaining in the world. While we are still at the advent of the Dharma-ending Age, we should practice and uphold the events of the Proper Dharma Age. That's called "Requesting that the Buddhas dwell in the world to turn the dharma wheel." In the Dharma-ending Age, we should not fear any suffering or difficulty. I don't fear the trouble of lecturing the sutra for you, and you should not fear the trouble of coming to listen. Strike up your spirits! Don't say you're tired and have to go rest. Forget yourself for the sake of the dharma.

Take a look at how Shakyamuni Buddha dwelt in the Snowy Mountains for six years for the sake of seeking the dharma. We haven't gone to the mountains for six years, but the least we can do is investigate Buddhism. Take the Buddhadharma as you would food to eat. "If I don't get to hear this sutra lecture, it'll be like not getting to eat for several days" that should be your attitude. "I must hear the dharma. I will certainly work to understand it truly." Where do you go to gain genuine understanding of the Buddhadharma?

You listen to a lot of sutras. Without hearing the sutras, you will be unable to open your wisdom. This is especially true of the Shurangama Sutra, for it is the sutra that opens one's wisdom. Just take as an example this section of the method for obtaining perfect penetration, which the twenty-five sages are explaining. Some accomplished their cultivation by means of the fire-light samadhi. Some reached success by cultivating the water-contemplation samadhi. Some reached perfection by means of the wind, some from emptiness. Some cultivated their eyes and won success, and some used their ears. Each of the six sense-organs was cultivated by one or another of them. Every one of the eighteen realms was cultivated by someone. Hearing these principles, you should apply them to yourself.

"Through which sense organ should I cultivate?" you ask. Don't be nervous. It is the very organ of the ear which Guan Yin Bodhisattva used that is best for you. Guan Yin Bodhisattva perfected his cultivation through the organ of the ear, and Ananda will follow him in cultivating the same method. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of former times have left us such a wonderful dharma door that we should also follow the method of cultivating the organ of the ear to perfect penetration. This is the easiest method. Then Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet and said to the Buddha. "Gwan" means to contemplate.

Using the wisdom capable of contemplation,
One contemplates the objective realm.

With the capability of wisdom, one regards the state that is being contemplated. The wisdom capable of contemplation is inherent in the self-nature of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. The objective realm which is contemplated is that of the sounds made by all living beings. You should look into the sounds of suffering, the sounds of happiness, the sounds of what is neither suffering nor happiness, the sounds of goodness, the sounds of evil, the sounds of truth, the sounds of falseness, contemplate all kinds of sounds.

"Shr" is the world, in the sense of time, the past, present, and future. Contemplate living beings' past causes and effects. Contemplate the karma that living beings are now creating. Contemplate the rewards and retributions that living beings will have to undergo in the future. "Why is that person suffering so much?" you reflect, and then you realize: "Oh, in his last life he was not filial to his parents and he wasn't kind to people in general. That's why this time his retribution is unfortunate." Contemplate all kinds of sounds, "Yin."

"Bodhisattva" means "one who enlightens living creatures." It also means "a living being with a great mind for the Way." A Bodhisattva is also known as "an enlightened living being": that refers to his self-enlightenment. When we say he is "one who enlightens living beings," we are referring to his enlightenment of others. Together these mean he is an enlightened living being who wants to cause all living beings to become enlightened. What Bodhisattvas do is enlighten themselves and enlighten others, benefit themselves and benefit others. You who study the Buddhadharma should remember the definition of Bodhisattva. Don't let it be like the people who held a meeting of the "United Sangha," but when someone asked them what "Sangha" meant they were left speechless. Inconceivable!

Sutra:

World Honored One, I remember when, as many kalpas ago as there are sands in the Ganges, there was a Buddha in the world named Contemplating the World's Sounds. It was under that Buddha that I brought forth the Bodhi-resolve. That Buddha taught me to enter samadhi through a process of hearing and reflecting.

Commentary:

Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva said to Shakyamuni Buddha: World Honored One, I remember when, as many kalpas ago as there are sands in the Ganges, passing back through an incredibly long time, unreckonable aeons as numerous as the Ganges' sands, there was a Buddha in the world named Contemplating the World's Sounds. "Contemplating the World's Sounds" is the English translation of the name Guan Shi Yin. This is the Guan Yin of old.

That Thus Come One, Guan Shi Yin, also cultivated perfect penetration by means of the organ of the ear. It was under that Buddha that I brought forth the Bodhi-resolve. I resolved to attain the Way of enlightenment. That Buddha taught me to enter samadhi through a process of hearing and reflecting. The Guan Yin Buddha of old taught him the process of hearing and reflecting. It is from the wisdom of hearing, the wisdom of reflecting, and the wisdom of cultivating that he entered samadhi. Here "reflection" does not refer to the thinking of the sixth mind-consciousness. Rather, it has the meaning of quiet consideration, the skill of Chan.

M2 He gradually unties the knot, cultivates, and is certified.

Sutra:

Initially, I entered the flow through hearing and forgot objective states. Since the sense-objects and sense-organs were quiet, the two characteristics of movement and stillness crystallized and did not arise. After that, gradually advancing, the hearing and what was heard both disappeared.

Once the hearing was ended, there was nothing to rely on, and awareness and the objects of awareness became empty. When the emptiness of awareness reached an ultimate perfection, emptiness and what was being emptied then also ceased to be. Since production and extinction were gone, still extinction was revealed.

Commentary:

Initially, I entered the flow through hearing and forgot objective states. With the wisdom of hearing, one listens inside, not outside. Not chasing after the objects of sound means not following them out. Earlier, the text spoke of not following the six sense-organs and not being turned by them. This is known as, Returning the hearing to hear the self-nature.

Returning the hearing means not listening to external sounds but turning back instead to hear your own self-nature. It means,

Gathering in your body and mind.
It means not seeking outside.
Turn the light around and shine it within.

Here the text says that Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva "entered the flow," which means he returned and listened to the self-nature. Enter the flow of the dharma-nature of a sage. He "forgot the objective states." All the "dust", the defiling objects of the six-sense objects as perceived by the six sense-organs, was forgotten.

Since the sense-objects and sense-organs were quiet, the two characteristics of movement and stillness crystallized and did not arise. The source of the six sense-organs and six sense-objects ceased to be. It was severed. Here he entered the flow of his own self-nature. When that happens, your self-nature is still and quiet. When this quietude reaches an ultimate point, the appearance of movement and stillness ceases as well.

Basically, movement appears as movement and stillness as stillness, but now, although these two characteristics are as clear as crystal, they do not arise. After that, gradually advancing, the hearing and what was heard both disappeared. As this pure and clear state of quiet increased, as day by day it became more full and complete, the hearing that was capable of hearing the self-nature eventually disappeared. It, too, was gone.

The ability to hear and the objects of hearing both vanished. The organ of the ear was capable of hearing, and the self-nature was what was being heard, but now they, too, were gone. Once the hearing was ended, there was nothing to rely on. Since the hearing-nature was gone, there was no attachment. At that time it was "producing the mind that does not dwell anywhere."

Awareness and the objects of awareness became empty. Even the perception of awareness vanished, was emptied out. When the emptiness of awareness reached an ultimate perfection, emptiness and what was being emptied then also ceased to be. The emptiness of the nature of awareness reached an ultimate state of perfection. Then the mind capable of creating vanished, as did the states that were made empty, so that then there wasn't even any emptiness! As long as emptiness remains, you're still attached to emptiness. But now, for Guan Yin Bodhisattva there wasn't even any emptiness.

Since production and extinction were gone, still extinction was revealed. Since the mind subject to production and extinction vanished, the genuine bliss of still extinction manifested. That state is inexpressibly blissful.

M3 He explains how in accord with the substance he gives rise to the function.
N1 He lists the two sources.

Sutra:

Suddenly I transcended the mundane and transcendental worlds, and throughout the ten directions a perfect brightness prevailed. I obtained two supreme states.

Commentary:

When still extinction manifested, suddenly I transcended both the mundane and transcendental worlds. This refers to the world of sentience and the world of material objects. And throughout the ten directions a perfect brightness prevailed. He was united as one with the worlds of the ten directions without any difficulty. I obtained two supreme states.

Sutra:

First, I was united above with the fundamental, wonderfully enlightened mind of all the Buddhas of the ten directions, and I gained a strength of compassion equal to that of all the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones.

Commentary:

His compassionate mind was exactly like the compassionate mind of all Buddhas.

Sutra:

Second, I was united below with all living beings in the six paths, and I gained a kind regard for all living beings equally.

Commentary:

Second, I was united below with all living beings in the six paths. What are the living beings in the six paths? Looked at in terms of a single person, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are living beings in the six paths. They are the cycle of the six paths, as are forms, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas; these are also the revolutions of the six paths. They are the six paths of living beings in our own self-natures. There is a connection between these six paths within and the six paths outside. The external six paths are the path of heavenly beings, asuras, people, animals, hungry ghosts, and dwellers in the hells.

The category of asuras includes all beings who like to fight. Asuras who use their pugnacious natures beneficially join the armed services and protect the country. Asuras who use their propensity to fight in a bad way end up as thieves, robbers, and gunmen. Asuras may live in the heavens, among people, in the animal realm, or as ghosts. Sometimes asuras are counted as part of the three good paths, that is, the gods, asuras, and humans. Sometimes they are placed with the four evil destinies, that is, the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras. When you put them together: gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-dwellers, you have the cycle of the six paths.

The Buddhas are above Guan Yin Bodhisattva, so the Bodhisattva says, "I was united above with the compassion of all Buddhas." Beings in the six paths are at a lesser level than Guan Yin Bodhisattva, so the Bodhisattva says, "I was united below with beings in the six paths." Living beings ( zhong sheng) are defined as those born ( sheng) from a multitude ( zhong) of conditions. There are many factors involved in the birth of beings. The Bodhisattva goes on, "I was united with living beings, and I gained a kind regard for all living beings equally." Beings contemplate and seek the kindness of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

N2 He explains in three parts.
O1 Thirty-two response bodies.
P1 He relies on the compassionate power.

Sutra:

World Honored One, because I served and made offerings to the Thus Come One, Guan Yin, I received from that Thus Come One a transmission of the vajra samadhi of all being like an illusion, as one becomes permeated with hearing and cultivates hearing. Because I gained a power of compassion identical with that of all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, I became accomplished in thirty-two response-bodies and entered all lands.

Commentary:

World Honored One, because I served and made offerings to the Thus Come One, Guan Yin, I received from that Thus Come One a transmission of the vajra samadhi of all being like an illusion, as one becomes permeated with hearing and cultivates hearing. It is said to be like an illusion because one cultivates without cultivating; without cultivating, one cultivates. It means that one is always aware of what is going on at any given moment and never forgets about it. And yet, though one does not forget, one does not really think about it, either. Without thinking about it, one has nonetheless not forgotten it.

"Permeated with hearing" means that every day he cultivated the method of returning the hearing to hear the self-nature, until he was infused with skill. This is the method of the vajra samadhi. When one succeeds in this concentration, one has attained the vajra samadhi.

Because I gained a power of compassion identical with that of all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, I became accomplished in thirty-two response-bodies and entered all lands. I gained a compassionate power identical to the Buddhas, and it enabled me to make thirty-two transformation-bodies out of my own body. Then I went to all countries to teach and transform living beings.

Sutra:

World Honored One, if there are Bodhisattvas who enter samadhi and vigorously cultivate the extinction of outflows, who have superior understanding and manifest perfected penetration, I will appear in the body of a Buddha and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Commentary:

World Honored One, if there are Bodhisattvas who enter samadhi and vigorously cultivate the extinction of outflows, they have attained samadhi and wish to progress in their cultivation and attain a genuine state of no outflows, nirvana without residue. They are those who have superior understanding and manifest perfected penetration. Their wisdom is extremely wonderful, and they display the state of perfect penetration of the six organs.

I will appear in the body of a Buddha and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation. When I encounter living beings like this, I'll manifest the physical form of a Buddha. Although I have not become a Buddha myself, the power of my compassion is identical with that of all Buddhas. Based on this power of compassion, I will manifest as a Buddha and speak dharma for these Bodhisattvas, so that they may succeed in becoming liberated.

Sutra:

If there are those who are studying, who are tranquil and have wonderful clarity, who are superior and miraculous and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of a solitarily enlightened one and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Commentary:

If there are those who are studying, who are tranquil and have wonderful clarity. "Those who are studying" refers to those prior to the fourth stage of arhatship. Those who are superior and miraculous and manifest perfection are those who have attained the bliss of tranquility and wisdom which is wonderfully clear. Their wisdom is supreme, and they display perfect penetration. "I will appear before them in the body of a solitarily enlightened one. For that kind of living being I will manifest as one who is solitarily enlightened," that is, a person of the two vehicles who awakens to the Way when there is no Buddha in the world. They cultivate the twelve links of conditioned causation and become enlightened.

In the spring they contemplate
the blossoming of the white flowers;
In the fall they observe
the falling of the yellow leaves.

They awaken to the principle of the natural process of birth and extinction of the myriad things and events in the world. That's how they become enlightened. The Bodhisattva will appear as a solitarily enlightened one and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Sutra:

If there are those who are studying, who have severed the twelve links of conditioned causation, and, having severed the conditions, reveal a supreme nature, and who are superior and wonderful and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of one enlightened to conditions and speak Dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Commentary:

If there are those who are studying, who have severed the twelve causal conditions, and, having severed the conditions, reveal a supreme nature. Again, "those who are studying" refers to the first three stages of arhatship.

The twelve links of conditioned causation have been explained
before. They are extremely important:

1. Ignorance, which conditions activity;
2. Activity, which conditions consciousness;
3. Consciousness, which conditions name and form;
4. Name and form, which condition the six sense organs;
5. The six sense organs, which condition contact;
6. Contact, which conditions feeling;
7. Feeling, which conditions love;
8. Love, which conditions grasping;
9. Grasping, which conditions existence;
10. Existence, which conditions birth;
11. Birth, which conditions;
12. Old age and death.

This is the door of mutual arising.
When ignorance is extinguished,
activity is extinguished;
when activity is extinguished,
consciousness is extinguished;
when consciousness is extinguished,
name and form are extinguished;
when name and form are extinguished,
the six sense-organs are extinguished;
when the six sense-organs are extinguished,
contact is extinguished;
when contact is extinguished,
feeling is extinguished;
when feeling is extinguished,
craving is extinguished;
when craving is extinguished,
grasping is extinguished;
when grasping is extinguished,
becoming is extinguished;
when becoming is extinguished,
birth is extinguished;
when birth is extinguished,
old age and death are extinguished.

This is the door of returning to extinction. People who cultivate toward arhatship become very clear about ignorance and the connections that bring about birth. From birth comes death, and one is born and dies again, cyclically. They put an end to the cycle by first extinguishing ignorance. Once ignorance is extinguished, the other links are extinguished in turn. Once they sever these conditions, they discover a supreme nature. "They become those who are superior and wonderful and manifest perfection, I will appear," says Guan Yin Bodhisattva, "before them in the body of one enlightened to conditions and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation."

Sutra:

If there are those who are studying, who have attained the emptiness of the four truths, and cultivating the Way, have entered extinction, and have a superior nature and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of a Sound Hearer and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Commentary:

If there are those who are studying, who have attained the emptiness of the four truths, and cultivating the Way, have entered extinction. Perhaps there are sound-hearers, arhats, who understand the principle of emptiness with regard to the four truths, who have cultivated the Way and have attained the bliss of nirvana. They have a superior nature and manifest perfection. They display a state of perfect penetration and fusion. I will appear before them in the body of a sound-hearer and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Why does the Bodhisattva manifest the body of a sound-hearer? It's because in doing so he becomes like them, and it is easier to communicate. He becomes a good friend and there is mutual trust established. If one has no affinities with people, then no matter how well one may speak, one won't be believed. He appears like them in order to teach and transform them. sound-hearers awaken to the Way upon hearing the Buddha's sound. They are people of the two vehicles.

Q2 He responds to the seeking of the gods.
R1 Heavenly kings.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who wish to have their minds be clear and awakened, who do not engage in mundane desires and wish to purify their bodies, I will appear before them in the body of a Brahma king and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.

Commentary:

If there are living beings, these beings are not sound-hearers, nor those enlightened to conditions, nor Bodhisattvas; they are ordinary beings in the six paths. They are those who wish to have their minds be clear and awakened. They want to attain enlightenment, genuine understanding. They are those who do not engage in mundane desires. They abstain from greed and desire (sexual desire) in the wearisome mundane world, because they wish to purify their bodies, I will appear before them in the body of a Brahma king and speak dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation. I will appear as the Great Brahma Heaven lord and explain the dharma for them so that they can
become free.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who wish to be the Heavenly Lord, leader of heavenly beings, I will appear before them in the body of Shakra and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who wish to be the Heavenly Lord: this refers to the Christian God. They want to be the leader of heavenly beings. They want to rule the heavens. I will appear before them in the body of Shakra and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. I will manifest as Shakra for that kind of living being. Shakra is the heavenly lord God. Did you know that the Holy Mother of Catholicism is Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva? Catholics believe in the Holy Mother, because they want to be born in the heavens. So Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests as a goddess to teach and transform them, enabling them to be born in the heavens.

Of course, they will have to come back again from the heavens, but gradually they will make progress. Why does Guan Yin manifest and speak a dharma to help people get born in the heavens? His ultimate aim is to get them to believe in the Buddha. But since at present their wish is to be born in the heavens, he teaches them how to get reborn there. When they return from there, they will eventually come to believe in the Buddha. Ordinary people feel that the time involved in this process is quite long, but actually in the Buddhas' eyes, it is a mere moment, a blink of an eye.

This method can be likened to that of parents who want their child to master an excellent profession, but whose child does not wish to study that profession. The parents comply and allow the child to study what he wishes, but after several false starts, he eventually winds up studying that excellent profession his parents suggested. Guan Yin Bodhisattva's method for teaching and transforming living beings is to fulfill whatever wishes they might have. But the ultimate aim is always to bring living beings to the accomplishment of Buddhahood.

Sutra:

If living beings wish to attain physical self-mastery and to roam throughout the ten directions, I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of self-mastery and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If living beings wish to attain physical self-mastery. They want to be free and at ease so that they can do whatever they want. I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of self-mastery and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. The gods from the Heaven of Self-Mastery can roam at will, going wherever they want.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who wish to attain physical self-mastery and fly through space, I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of great self-mastery and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who wish to attain physical selfmastery. They want to be free and at ease, to have their bodies change forms at will. They want to be able to fly through space. Since they have this wish, I will ground myself in the spirit of the Buddha's compassionate strength from above and I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of great self-mastery and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. The lord of the Heaven of Great Self- Mastery is extremely independent and blissful. Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests as this god in order to cause living beings to succeed in their wish.

R2 Heavenly ministers.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who are fond of ruling over ghosts and spirits in order to rescue and protect their country, I will appear before them in the body of a great heavenly general and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who are fond of ruling over ghosts and spirits in order to rescue and protect their country. Some beings like to command ghosts and spirits. They do this out of a sense of patriotic spirit for their country, in order to save it and guard it. I will appear before them in the body of a great heavenly general and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who like to govern the world in order to protect living beings, I will appear before them in the body of one of the four heavenly kings and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who like to govern the world in order to protect living beings. They want to rule the world. They want to be leaders in the world in order to protect the living beings in it. I will appear before them in the body of one of the four heavenly kings and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. The four heavenly kings are:

1) Maintaining-the-Country (dhirtarashtra) who oversees the eastern continent Purvavideha;

2) Increasing (virudhaka) who oversees the southern continent Jambudvipa;

3) Vast Eyes (virupaksha) who oversees the western continent Aparagodaniya; and

4) Learned (vaishravana) who oversees the northern continent Uttarakuru.

For people who want to rule the country and protect the people, Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests in response as one of the four heavenly kings.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who enjoy being born in the heavenly palaces and to command ghosts and spirits, I will appear before them in the body of a prince from the kingdoms of the four heavenly kings and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who enjoy being born in the heavenly palaces to delight in heavenly blessings. While they are in the heavens, they can command ghosts and spirits. They order the ghosts to do things for them. They summon the spirits and put them to work. Actually the ability to command ghosts and spirits is rather ordinary. People may find it strange, but actually it isn't. For those who like to order the ghosts and spirits around, I will appear before them in the body of a prince from the kingdoms of the four heavenly kings and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Q3 He responds to the seeking of the human destiny.
R1 Kings, ministers, citizens.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who would like to be kings of people, I will appear before them in the body of a human king and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If someone wants to rule over people, I will appear as a ruler of people and speak the dharma for them.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who enjoy being heads of households, whom those of the world venerate and yield to, I will appear before them in the body of an elder and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who enjoy being heads of households. They like being wealthy and ruling over a large clan. They want to be people whom those of the world venerate and yield to. People venerate them and bend to their wishes. People are extremely respectful of such a one and trust him. I will appear before them in the body of an elder and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. I will appear as a mighty and wealthy elder to speak the dharma for them. A person must have ten kinds of virtuous conduct in order to earn the title of elder. They are:

1. His name is honored.
2. His position is lofty.
3. His wealth is great.
4. His deportment is awesome.
5. His wisdom is profound.
6. His life is long.
7. His conduct is pure.
8. His propriety is perfect.
9. He is praised by those above him.
10. He is a refuge for those below him.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who delight in discussing the classics and who keep themselves lofty and pure, I will appear before them in the body of an upasaka and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who delight in discussing the classics. Perhaps they like poetry, or they are interested in the writings of famous authors. They can recite much of this material from memory. They keep themselves lofty and pure. If asked to do something they consider beneath them, they won't have anything to do with it. I will appear before them in the body of an upasaka and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. I will appear as a layman and speak dharma for them.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who enjoy governing the country and who can handle matters of state decisively, I will appear before them in the body of an official and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who enjoy governing the country and who can handle matters of state decisively. They legislate the great matters of the country. I will appear before them in the body of an official and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. I will appear as a minister or official and speak the dharma for them.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who like reckoning and incantation and who wish to guard and protect themselves, I will appear before them in the body of a brahman and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who like reckoning and incantation. "Reckoning" refers to mathematics and divination. "Incantation" refers to the black arts, various dharma-devices. It also refers to the spells and mantras of externalist ways. The former Brahma Heaven mantra of the Kapila religion that Matangi's mother used as an example of this. These beings wish to guard and protect themselves. They figure that if they learn a mantra or dharma, it can protect them. I will appear before them in the body of a brahman and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Brahmanism is a religion in India. The name means "descended from the pure" and represents their cultivation of pure practices. These people have a lot of dharmic devices. They can recite mantras and have many devious magic tricks. And because Guan Yin Bodhisattva constantly accords with living beings, he also appears as a brahman to speak the dharma, so that these kinds of people can have what they wish for.

R2 Sangha members.

Sutra:

If there are men who want to leave the home-life and uphold the precepts and rules, I will appear before them in the body of a bhikshu and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are men who want to leave the home-life and uphold the precepts and rules. These men study the sutras and decide they want to leave the home-life. What home do they leave? They leave three types of homes:

1. They leave the ordinary worldly home.
2. They leave the home of afflictions.
3. They leave the home of the triple realm.

The ordinary worldly home refers to one's family. The home of affliction means dwelling in ignorance. One should get out of ignorance. The triple realm, also known as the three realms of existence, refers to existence in the desire realm, existence in the form realm, and existence in the formless realm. It is not until you have left the triple realm that you can be certified to the fruition of arhatship.

When these men leave home, they will uphold the precepts and rules. Precepts and rules are extremely important. One who holds the precepts cannot lie or exaggerate. At the very least, one should maintain the five precepts, which prohibit killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants or drugs. Here, "precepts and rules" does not just refer to the first five, however. These men uphold the five precepts, the eight precepts, the ten major and fortyeight minor Bodhisattva precepts, and the two hundred and fifty bhikshu precepts. They guard and protect the precepts and do not violate them. I will appear before them in the body of a bhikshu and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. "Bhikshu" has three meanings:

1. mendicant;
2. frightener of Mara;
3. destroyer of evil.

Every day bhikshus would take their bowls and go out to beg for food. They did not prepare their own food. So they are called mendicants. There are three precept platforms for receiving the complete precepts. When one ascends to the bhikshu platform, the karmadana asks, "Are you a great hero?"

The answer is, "I am a great hero."

The karmadana asks, "Have you already brought forth the resolve for Bodhi?"

The answer is, "I have already brought forth the resolve for Bodhi."

Then one is given the bhikshu precepts, and an earth-traveling yaksha informs a space-traveling yaksha about it, and the word is passed among the flying yakshas until it reaches the heavenly demons in the sixth desire heaven. They report: "Someone in the world has just left the home-life and become a bhikshu." This terrifies the demon king, who says, "My retinue is less by one and the Buddha's retinue has increased by one."

What evil do bhikshus destroy? The evil of affliction. Without really knowing why, people from time to time give rise to affliction. When they become afflicted, they lose all their talent except for the capacity to turn to evil. For instance, a vegetarian may get upset, and the first thing he decides to do is stop his practice of pure eating. "I'm going to eat meat," he decides.

As soon as people's afflictions arise, they forget everything except how to do bad things. Or, suppose there's someone who stopped smoking for a long time. When he gets upset, however, the first thing he does is reach for a cigarette. And pretty soon he's back on heroin, opium, and cigarettes all in the same inhale! He's puffing and smoking up a storm. He's inhaling and exhaling so fast that it's as if he'd become an immortal who can breathe clouds and spit fog.

A person who likes to drink vows that he'll never touch another drop. But then he gets angry about something and he goes out and buys a bottle to get drunk and drown his sorrows. Who would have guessed that the more he drinks, the more depressed he becomes, but he doesn't realize it, because he's drunk. When he wakes up from the spree, every bone in his body aches. Ask anyone who drinks and they'll tell you that the morning after is terrible. If he's broke by then, there's nothing he can do but endure it. But if he's got any money left, the chances are that he'll go buy another bottle and start in again. Getting drunk is all he knows how to do.

In general, when your afflictions rise up, you do things that you ordinarily wouldn't do. It even happens that someone swears he would never kill anyone, but when he gets afflicted, he totally disregards everything and decides to kill everyone in the world. And he takes a knife and starts doing just that! So, affliction is something to avoid. Don't give rise to affliction. You want to leave the home of afflictions.

One also wants to get out of the home of the triple world, and so "leaving home" has these three meanings.

Sutra:

If there are women who would like to leave the home-life and hold the pure precepts, I will appear before them in the body of a bhikshuni and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are women who would like to leave the home-life and hold the pure precepts. They also want to study the Buddhadharma.

They also leave the worldly home, the home of afflictions, and the home of the triple realm. Women have more precepts than men. They hold three hundred forty-eight precepts. Women are said to have a body with five outflows. So they have a lot more precepts. I will appear before them in the body of a bhikshuni and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are men who want to uphold the five precepts, I will appear before them in the body of an upasaka and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. If there are women who wish to base themselves in the five precepts, I will appear before them in the body of an upasika and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are men who want to uphold the five precepts, that is, no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no intoxicants, I will appear before them in the body of an upasaka and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. I will manifest as a layman and speak the Dharma for them. If there are women who wish to base themselves in the five precepts, they also want to uphold these precepts. I will appear before them in the body of an upasika. I will manifest as a laywoman and speak dharma for them,
enabling them to accomplish their wish.

R3 Wives of officials.

Sutra:

If there are women who govern internal affairs of household or country, I will appear before them in the body of a queen, first lady, or noblewoman and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are women who govern internal affairs of household or country. Perhaps these women look after matters, or perhaps they work for governmental departments which handle a country's internal affairs, and they govern matters of state. I will appear before them in the body of a queen, first lady, or noblewoman and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. Perhaps Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests as the female ruler of a country, or as the wife of the ruling man. Perhaps she appears as an influential matron or a woman versed in social graces. In this way she fulfills the wishes of such women.

R4 Virgin youths.

Sutra:

If there are virgin lads I will appear before them in the body of a pure youth and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are virgin lads. For youngsters who have not known women and are still chaste, I will appear before them in the body of a pure youth and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are maidens who want to remain virgins and do not wish to marry, I will appear before them in the body of a gracious lady and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are maidens, that is, women who have never known men and have never married, who want to remain virgins and do not wish to marry. They do not wish to get near men, to marry, or to undergo the experience of being taken. I will appear before them in the body of a gracious lady and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Q4 He responds to those who wish to leave the eight divisions.

Sutra:

If there are heavenly beings who wish to escape their heavenly destiny, I will appear in the body of a god and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are heavenly beings who wish to escape their heavenly destiny. These gods or goddesses don't want to stay in the heavens; they would like to transcend the triple realm. I will appear in the body of a god and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. Since they want to transcend the heavens, I manifest before them and, using all kinds of dharmas, enable them to get what they want.

Sutra:

If there are dragons who want to quit their lot of being dragons, I will appear before them in the body of a dragon and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are dragons who want to quit their lot of being dragons. The average opinion in this day and age is that dragons do not exist. Some people will accept myths about ancient dragons, frightening and immense. There's no way to say for sure about those, but dragons do exist. Where do they live? In dragon palaces in the sea.

"We've explored the depths; why haven't we ever run across them?" you wonder. If you can detect their whereabouts, they're not true dragons, because dragons are spiritual creatures. They have spiritual powers and can make themselves big or little at will. They can grow as big as empty space itself. They can shrink to the size of a mote of dust if necessary. They can disappear suddenly, and reappear just as unexpectedly. Their spiritual powers give them the ability to transform themselves in endless ways.

Why do they have such powers but only the body of an animal? As cultivators in previous lives, they brought forth the resolve for the great vehicle, but they didn't hold the precepts. They were "quick with the vehicle but slow about the precepts." They were very casual. Since they were "quick with the vehicle," they obtained spiritual powers. But since they did not accept the precepts, they fell into the animal realm. If dragons decide they want to transcend the realm of dragons, Guan Yin Bodhisattva will appear before them in the body of a dragon and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are yakshas who want to get out of their present fate, I will appear before them in the body of a yaksha and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are yakshas. "Yakshas" is a Sanskrit word which means "speedy" (jie yi). It also means "courageous and strong" (yong jian). Yakshas are a kind of ghost. There are three main types of ghost:

1. Earth-travelling ghosts;
2. Flying ghosts;
3. Space-travelling ghosts.

A line on the Shurangama Mantra reads, "Yau Cha Jye La He." It refers to the yakshas. In the mantra, the names of the kings of various kinds of ghosts are called. Each king of ghosts rules over a lot of lesser ghosts, and when the name of the ruler is called, all the other ghosts must also respectfully obey one's commands. If the yakshas want to get out of their present fate, if they don't want to be ghosts, I will appear before them in the body of a yaksha and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. Guan Yin Bodhisattva will manifest as a yaksha ghost and help them obtain their wish.

Sutra:

If there are gandharvas who wish to be freed from their destiny, I will appear before them in the body of a gandharva and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are gandharvas. "Gandharva" is a Sanskrit word that means "incense skandha" ( xiang yin), because the act of smelling incense forms their consciousness. They are musicians for the Jade Emperor. When the Jade Emperor lights "sinking-in-the-water incense" wood, they smell the fragrance and are attracted. They come and enjoy making music for the Jade Emperor. These gandharvas may wish to be freed from their destiny as gandharvas. They do not want to be gandharvas any more. I will appear before them in the body of a gandharva and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are asuras who wish to be liberated from their destiny, I will appear before them in the body of an asura and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are asuras who wish to be liberated from their destiny. They want to leave the retinue of asuras. I will appear before them in the body of an asura and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

This section includes the beings of the eightfold division of ghosts and spirits, but in the Shurangama Sutra the garudas are not included. In the "Universal Door Chapter" of the Lotus Sutra, it is related that Guan Yin Bodhisattva appears in the body of a garuda also. "Garuda" is a Sanskrit word; it means "great golden-winged Peng bird (da peng jin chi niao)". Garudas are also part of the eight divisions, and the fact that the sutra does not include them here is perhaps the fault of an omission in copying the text, or perhaps they are understood to be included in the general category of "living beings" mentioned below.

Garudas diet exclusively on dragons. Their wing-span is three hundred thirty great yojanas. A small yojana is forty Chinese miles (one Chinese mile is approximately one-third of an English mile). A middle-sized yojana is sixty miles. A great yojana is eighty miles. With one flap of its wings, the golden-winged Peng bird flaps away all the waters of the seas. Its strength is that great. Once the waters of the seas are gone, the dragons are exposed. In this way, the garuda was just about to finish off the entire population of dragons. So the dragons went to see the Buddha to seek rescue.

The great golden-winged Peng bird is about to cause the retinue of dragons to become extinct. What can be done?They sought the Buddha's compassion in helping them out; they hoped he would forbid the Peng bird to eat them. The Buddha gave the dragons pieces of his kashaya for them to attach to their horns. After that, the Peng bird dared not eat them. With nothing to eat, the Peng bird also went to the Buddha to ask him to save his life. "No one is eating you," said the Buddha. "Why have you come and asked to be saved?"

"It's true that no one is threatening me, but without anything to eat, I will die of starvation," said the Peng. "You don't permit me to eat dragons anymore, and with nothing to eat, I'm about to die of hunger." So he asked the Buddha to be compassionate and think of a way to help him.

"You don't have anything to eat? All right, after this, I will feed you. Every time I and all my disciples eat, we will offer something to you to eat. You don't have to eat dragons any more." That is why, during the high meal offering at noon, a little of the food is taken outside and offered to the great golden-winged Peng bird. This sutra does not mention the garuda, but we should be aware that the eightfold division of ghosts and spirits includes this kind of being.

Sutra:

If there are kinnaras who wish to transcend their fate, I will appear before them in the body of a kinnara and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are kinnaras who wish to transcend their fate. "Kinnara," also a Sanskrit word, means "questionable spirit" (yi shen). They are so called because they appear to be human, but on their heads is a horn. They are another type of music spirit that plays music for the Jade Emperor. I will appear before them in the body of a kinnara and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Sutra:

If there are mahoragas who wish to be freed from their destiny, I will appear before them in the body of a mahoraga and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are mahoragas. "Mahoraga" is a Sanskrit word which means "great python spirit" (da mang shen) and also "earth-dragon" (di long). The dragons mentioned above can roam in space and are called heavenly dragons. This python, also called a dragon, is confined to the earth. It does not have spiritual powers. Mahoragas are also one of the beings of the eightfold division of ghosts and spirits. If mahoragas wish to be freed from their destiny, I will appear before them in the body of a mahoraga and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Q5 He responds to people who seek to be people.

Sutra:

If there are living beings who like being people and want to continue to be people, I will appear in the body of a person and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are living beings who like being people and want to continue to be people. They want to be people life after life. They like being a person and always want to be a person. So Guan Yin Bodhisattva says: I will appear in the body of a person and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. He will speak Dharma for these kinds of beings and help them to be successful in their wish.

Q6 He responds to those non-humans who wish to leave their non-human state.

Sutra:

If there are non-humans, whether with form or without form, whether with thought or without thought, who long to be freed from their destiny, I will appear before them in a body like theirs and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.

Commentary:

If there are non-humans. This refers to animals and creatures other than people who are with form or without form, with thought or without thought. If there are beings like this who long to be freed from their destiny, I will appear before them in a body like theirs and speak dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. "With form" means that they have a tangible, visible shape. "Without form" means that they have no visible shape. There are many kinds of beings "with thought." Beings "without thought" include earth, wood, metal, and stone. Beings "without form" originally were sentient beings, but they have dispersed into emptiness and fallen into oblivion. This is usually a temporary state, and at some point they can again go through rebirth and become a person.

P3 Concludes with the name and the reasons.

Sutra:

This is called the wonderful purity of the thirty-two response-bodies, by which one enters into all lands and accomplishes self-mastery by means of the samadhi of becoming permeated with hearing and cultivating hearing and by means of the miraculous strength of effortlessness.

Commentary:

This is called the wonderful purity of the thirty-two response-bodies, by which one enters into all lands and accomplishes self-mastery by means of the samadhi of becoming permeated with hearing and cultivating hearing. One develops the skill of turning back the hearing to hear the self-nature by cultivating every day. And one applies the miraculous strength of effortlessness. "Effortlessness" refers to wonderful principle of the unconditioned. With it, there is no need to go through the conception of an idea and the thought-process of working out the idea, as people must when they want to do something. The Bodhisattva does not have to conceive the idea or think it through.

Within samadhi he can do all kinds of things. In the samadhi of becoming permeated with hearing and cultivating hearing he can attain the miraculous power of effortlessness. And in this way he accomplishes self-mastery. Very naturally, matters are taken care of.

O2 Fourteen fearlessnesses.
P1 He relies on kindness.

Sutra:

Also, World Honored One, using this vajra samadhi of becoming permeated with hearing and cultivating hearing, and using the miraculous strength of effortlessness, because I have a kind regard equally for all living beings in the six paths, I go throughout the ten directions and the three periods of time and cause all living beings who encounter bodies of mine to receive the meritorious virtue of fourteen kinds of fearlessness.

Commentary:

Also, World Honored One, using this vajra samadhi of becoming permeated with hearing and cultivating hearing, and using the miraculous strength of effortlessness, because I have a kind regard equally for all living beings in the six paths, I have a regard for the kindness of the Buddhadharma, just as do all beings in the six paths of gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and beings in the hells. I go throughout the ten directions and the three periods of time, past, present, and future. I cultivated the practice of being permeated with hearing until I attained the vajra samadhi, and I did not need to conceptualize or think about things in order to be able to do them. I cause all living beings who encounter bodies of mine to receive the meritorious virtue of fourteen kinds of fearlessness. I have attained fourteen kinds of virtue in bestowing fearlessness.

P2 He lists the fourteen fearlessnesses.
Q1 Fearlessness in the eight difficulties.

Sutra:

First: because I do not contemplate sounds for my own sake, but rather listen to the sounds of those whom I contemplate, I can enable living beings throughout the ten directions who are suffering and in distress to attain liberation by contemplating their sounds.

Commentary:

This is the first of the fourteen kinds of fearlessness. First: because I do not contemplate sounds for my own sake, but rather listen to the sounds of those whom I contemplate, I can enable living beings throughout the ten directions who are suffering and in distress to attain liberation by contemplating their sounds. It's not that he just takes note of his own sound; he contemplates the sounds of beings in the world. "Since my skill at returning the hearing to hear the self-nature is accomplished, there is no need for me to contemplate myself. I can contemplate all the living beings in the world and enable those who are anguished to be freed. I listen, regarding their sounds of suffering, and I enable them to attain liberation."

Sutra:

Second: since my knowledge and views have turned around and come back, I can make it so that if living beings are caught in a raging fire, the fire will not burn them.

Commentary:

Second: since my knowledge and views have turned around and come back, that is, since Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva has the skill of returning the light to illumine within, I can make it so that if living beings are caught in a raging fire, the fire will not burn them. If such a living being can recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and can cultivate, then if he enters a great fire, the fire will not be able to burn him.

Sutra:

Third: since contemplation and listening have turned around and come back, I can make it so that if living beings are floundering in deep water, the water cannot drown them.

Commentary:

Someone says, "I will test Guan Yin Bodhisattva to see if he'll really respond. I'll sit on a pile of wood and set it afire and see if I burn up." In that case, you'll certainly burn. "But why does the sutra say that if you enter a great fire it will not burn you?" That's because the "if" means that it happens to you without your intending it.

Someone else says, "Guan Yin Bodhisattva says that if one is caught in deep water, one will not be drowned, so I'll just jump into the ocean and see if I drown." Again, you're sure to drown. It is when you unexpectedly meet with suffering or difficulty that Guan Yin Bodhisattva will rescue you. But if your intention is to test him out, he will pay no attention to you, because basically you don't believe in Guan Yin Bodhisattva. If you really believed in him, there would be no reason to test him out. The safest thing would be not to test him out.

Sutra:

Fourth: since false thinking is cut off, and my mind is without thoughts of killing or harming, I can make it so that if living beings enter the territory of ghosts, the ghosts cannot harm them.

Commentary:

If false thinking is cut off, and you don't have any ideas of killing or harming, and if you can recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, you can enable beings who enter the region of rakshasa ghosts to not be harmed by the ghosts.

Sutra:

Fifth: since I am permeated with hearing and have brought hearing to accomplishment, so that the six sense-organs have dissolved and returned to become identical with hearing, I can make it so that if living beings are about to be wounded, the knives will break into pieces. I can cause swords of war to have no more effect than if they were to slice into water, or if one were to blow upon light.

Commentary:

Fifth: since I am permeated with hearing and have brought hearing to accomplishment, so that the six sense-organs have dissolved and returned to become identical with hearing, that is, when the skill of cultivating the return of the hearing to hear the self-nature is accomplished, the six sense-organs function mutually. Then I can make it so that if living beings are about to be wounded, the knives will break into pieces.

For instance, suppose someone takes up a knife with the intent of cutting off someone's head. Just as the blade is about to fall, the knife of itself breaks into pieces. I can cause swords of war to have no more effect than if they were to slice into water, or if one were to blow upon light. I can cause the sharp weapon which is about to cut into someone's shoulder to have the effect of slicing into water: that is, once it has passed through, it is gone, and no injury is sustained. Or, I can make the cut of the blade have the effect of blowing upon light: that is, no effect, since no matter how much you blow on light, it will not move.

Sutra:

Sixth: when the hearing permeates and the essence is bright, light pervades the dharma-realm, so that absolutely no darkness remains. I am then able to make it so that, though yakshas, rakshasas, kumbhandas, pishachas, and putanas may draw near to living beings, the ghosts will not be able to see them.

Commentary:

Sixth: when the hearing permeates and the essence is bright, that is, when the skill of returning the hearing to hear the selfnature is perfected, light pervades the dharma-realm, so that absolutely no darkness remains. The darkness disappears. I am then able to make it so that, though yakshas, rakshasas, kumbhandas, pishachas, and putanas may draw near to living beings, the ghosts will not be able to see them. "Yakshas" are male ghosts, "rakshasas" are female ghosts. Both kinds are extremely fierce. Their diet consists of human corpses. They have certain mantras which are powerful enough to remove the stench of the corpse so they can stand to eat the flesh.

"Kumbhanda" is also the name of a king of ghosts. Kumbhanda are shaped like barrels and give people nightmares. For instance, when people are asleep they may see a weird apparition; though in their dream they are mentally alert, they can't move physically. They become paralyzed through the efforts of the nightmare ghosts. Sometimes, if a person's yang energies are weak and his yin energies prevail, the person can be paralyzed for a long time, and the ghost can eventually cause the person's death. This kind of ghost abounds in this world.

"Pishachas" are ghosts that eat human essence and energy and also the essence of grains. "Putanas" are "rulers of fevers." They can cause people to get sick and have a fever. If you cultivate the skill of returning the hearing to hear the self-nature, or if you recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, then these ghosts cannot see you, though they may come right up beside you, because you emit light which they fear. Actually, owls and bats can see at any time. Since the ghosts belong to yin, they cannot see you if you have yang light. They can only find you if you give off yin energy.

Sutra:

Seventh: when the nature of sound completely melts away and contemplation and hearing return and enter, so that I am separate from false and defiling sense-objects, I am able to make it so that if living beings are confined by cangues and fetters, the locks will not hold them.

Commentary:

Seventh: when the nature of sound completely melts away and contemplation and hearing return and enter, so that I am separate from false and defiling sense-objects. There is no sound, and even the nature of sound disappears when one returns the act of contemplating and listening back to oneself. One leaves behind the defiling sense objects and all false thinking. Then I am able to make it so that if living beings are confined by cangues and fetters, the locks will not hold them. If you recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the locks fall open by themselves. This happens quite often; a lot of people have had this experience. It's not just a manner of speaking. If people sincerely recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, there can be responses like this.

Once there was a person who committed a crime and was put in jail. He and seven or eight other prisoners recited the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. How did he know about doing that? He knew a monk and had asked the monk to save him from his plight. The monk had said, "If you want me to save you, you must singlemindedly recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva; then you will be able to get out of this predicament."

The prisoner recited Guan Yin Bodhisattva's name for three days and three nights and then the locks on his cangue and chains spontaneously opened and he was free to go. But he did not go. "What meaning would there be in my going if the others have to stay here?" was his thought. So he taught the others to recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. After two more days of recitation, the locks on the other prisoners also fell away. They all returned to their homes. After that, they singlemindedly recited the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva; they recited so sincerely that they caused everyone in the village to take up the practice as well.

Sutra:

Eighth: when sound is gone and the hearing is perfected, an all-pervasive power of compassion arises, and I can make it so that if living beings are travelling a dangerous road, thieves will not rob them.

Commentary:

Eighth: when sound is gone and the hearing is perfected, an all-pervasive power of compassion arises. The sounds of the mundane world cease, and by turning the hearing back to hear the self-nature, one's hearing is perfected, which means that without using the mind to cognize the hearing, one can hear all sounds. I can make it so that if living beings are travelling a dangerous road, thieves will not rob them.

Q2 Fearlessness with the three poisons.

Sutra:

Ninth: when one is permeated with hearing, one separates from worldly objects, and forms cannot rob one. Then I can make it so that living beings with a great deal of desire can leave greed and desire far behind.

Commentary:

The ninth fearlessness is to be separate from greed and desire. When one is permeated with hearing, one separates from worldly objects, and forms cannot rob one. If one cultivates day after day until the skill of returning the hearing to hear the selfnature is perfected, one can be apart from all superficial states. In particular, one can separate from the realm of the defiling objects of form.

People should not think that beautiful forms are good to get involved with. If you love a beautiful form, it will plunder the treasures of your household. It will take your most ancient and valuable gems and steal them away from you. Rather, it should be that:

Eyes contemplate the shapes of forms,
but inside there is nothing.
Ears hear the worldly sounds,
but the mind does not know.

When you see a beautiful form, your attitude of mind should be that it is as if you had not seen it. If you see a beautiful form and your mind moves, ask yourself why your mind didn't move before you saw it. Don't let forms rob you of the wealth of your household. Guan Yin Bodhisattva says: I can make it so that living beings with a great deal of desire can leave greed and desire far behind.

A passage in the "Chapter on the Universal Door of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva" of the Lotus Sutra reads: "If people with a great deal of desire can constantly be mindful and respectful of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, they can get rid of their desire." That is the meaning of the present lines of text, as well. "A great deal of desire" specifically refers to sexual desire. The biggest problem in human life, the one that is nearly impossible to resolve, is sexual desire. To see through the involvements of men and women and put them down is genuine liberation. If you can't see through them and put them down, you cannot get free, and you cannot become enlightened.

If you are really adept in your skill, then when you eat you won't know you're eating, and when you are dressed you won't know you're wearing clothes. If you can forget about eating and wearing clothes, you will be even more able to renounce external things. If men can forget about their girlfriends and women can forget about their boyfriends, if you can smash through that state, then your skill will have some substance to it. How much the less should you get hung up with your sisters and brothers, your sons and daughters, and the whole lot of relatives.

To study the Buddhadharma, you have to put everything down. During the period in which you are studying the Buddhadharma, you should pay no regard to anything else. You should be like a new person just beginning again, and you should forget about all the events of the past. In that way the water of Dharma can moisten your Bodhi heart. If you can't put this down and can't renounce that, then the water of Dharma has no way to nourish your Bodhi heart. If you can constantly recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and pay respect to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, then your thoughts of desire will disappear.

The most important aspect of cultivating the Way is cutting off thoughts of sexual desire. If you cannot do that, you cannot get out of the triple realm. You can't decide that you want to become enlightened and still not be able to part with the experiences of this world. If you can't separate from the affairs of this world, you cannot become a Buddha. You can't have both. Mencius said it well:

You can't have fish and bear-paws at the same time. Although one may like to eat fish and to eat bear-paws, there is no way one can eat both in the same bite. By the same token, you cannot have worldly pleasures and transcendental bliss at the same time. You want to become a Buddha, but you can't part with mundane wealth, forms, fame, food, and sleep. There's no way you can bring that off.

Sutra:

Tenth: when sound is so pure that there is no defiling object, the sense-organ and the external state are perfectly fused, without any complement and without anything complemented. Then I can make it so that living beings who are full of rage and hate can leave all hatred.

Commentary:

The tenth fearlessness: when sound is so pure that there is no defiling object, the sense-organ and the external state are perfectly fused. When one returns the hearing to hear the selfnature, the sound becomes pure, which just means that there isn't any sound. The sound is empty, and the defiling object disappears. Then there is fusion of the six sense-organs and the state of the six sense-objects. In this world, anything evil, no matter what it is, can become good if you know how to deal with it. And good things can turn evil if you cannot deal with them.

Earlier in the sutra the Buddhas of the ten directions told Ananda that the six thieving sense-organs are what causes one to fall, and that the six sense organs are also what enables one to accomplish Buddhahood. It is the six sense-organs and nothing else. If you use them well, they can help you. If you are unable to use them, they can destroy you. It's just like money: when you have it, if you realize that you should do meritorious things with it and perform all kinds of good deeds to benefit beings, then your money has not be spent badly. But if you use the money to gamble and for opium and various other unwholesome things, then you have used your money to commit offenses. The principle is the same with the six sense-organs.

When the sound is gone and the organs and objects are in perfect accord, there is no complement or anything complemented. They are non-dual; they have become one. They are united and so there aren't any sense-organs or sense-objects, and yet the sense-organs are just sense-organs, and the sense-objects are just sense-objects. There is no matching of sense-organs with senseobjects when one reaches this state. Then I can make it so that living beings who are full of rage and hate can leave all hatred. I can cause living beings' big tempers and fiery natures and their massive hatred to disappear. "Hatred" refers to getting angry and having afflictions. The Dharma Flower Sutra says: "If people who have a lot of anger can constantly be mindful and respectful of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, they can get rid of their hatred."

The essential point here is being constantly mindful. It's not that you recite today but not tomorrow; recite this morning but not tonight; it's not that you recite this month but not next month. You must recite every day for your practice to be worthy of being called constant mindfulness. And "respectful" does not mean that you recite but never really believe in the Buddha. You harbor a doubt: "Can it really be this way? Is there such a power?" Once you start to question it, you won't be able to be successful. So with faith and constant mindfulness and respect for Guan Yin Bodhisattva, you won't have a temper any more. You won't be so fiery, and you won't have such huge afflictions. You'll leave them far behind.

Sutra:

Eleventh: when the dust has gone and has turned to light, the dharma-realm and the body and mind are like crystal, transparent and unobstructed. Then I can make it so that all dark and dull-witted beings whose natures are obstructed, all atyantikas, can be forever free from stupidity and darkness.

Commentary:

Eleventh: when the dust has gone and has turned to light. When the states of the six sense-organs and six sense-objects melt away, we emit a light. Then, the dharma-realm and the body and mind are like crystal. The body and mind are the dharma-realm, and the dharma-realm is the body and mind. They become one. The body and mind pervade the dharma-realm; isn't that the state of a Buddha? That's also the way Guan Yin Bodhisattva is. The body and mind become like crystal, transparent and unobstructed. From inside one can see outside, and from outside one can see inside. There is no inside, outside, big, or little. That's like the monk, Da Xiu (Great Rest), from Ling Yen mountain. He deserved his name. He built himself a tomb out of rock just big enough to sit in. Then he made a door for it out of stone and carved a couplet beside it, one line on either side of the door. The couplet went like this:

No big, no little, no inside or out.
I cultivated, I understood, and
I took care of myself.

That is, he did his own cultivation, came to understand by himself, and then made his own funeral arrangements. After he finished the couplet he sat down in the tomb, closed the door, and completed extinction. He entered nirvana. That is an inconceivable state. So when he took his rest, it was indeed a great one. How vast was his liberation! How free he was! I met this monk at Su Zhou at Ling Yen mountain. He cultivated for himself and took care of everything else as well. He wasn't any trouble for anyone.

Then I can make it so that all dark and dull-witted beings whose natures are obstructed, all atyantikas, can be forever free from stupidity and darkness. They have no wisdom and so they cannot see through and clearly understand anything, just like a dull knife that can't cut clean. They mistake right for wrong and wrong for right. But Guan Yin Bodhisattva can enable these beings to be separate from obstructions that cover them over.

"Atyantikas" is a Sanskrit word that means "unwholesome mind." If you suggest that such a being do something good, he cannot. Rather than give up a penny for some good use, he grips it clutched in his fist with such force that the copper melts. If you tell him to help someone, his reaction is that it's stupid. "My money's for me to spend. Why should I help other people?"

However, Guan Yin Bodhisattva can help such people get out of their stupidity, their dark viewpoint. Someone who doesn't help others doesn't have any light in his own self-nature, and therefore is the stupidest kind of person there is. The passages just previously discussed greed and hatred. This section concerns stupidity. The Dharma Flower Sutra says, "If people with a lot of stupidity can constantly be mindful and respectful of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, they can get rid of their stupidity."

Once there was an extremely wealthy man who really loved money and was loath to give it up. He had three sons. He named the first son "Gold." "Silver" was the name of the second son. The third son, he was afraid, would do good deeds with his money instead of hoarding it, so he named him "Karmic Obstacle." When he was about to die he called his first son to his side and said, "I'm about to go. Will you go with me?"

Gold said, "You're nuts. How could I die with you? You ordinarily love me best. Why is it when it comes time for you to die you want to harm me?" Gold would not go with him.

"Well, I'll talk it over with the second son," the father thought, and he called in Silver. "Your older brother won't accompany me in death. Will you? You're usually very filial."

The second son said, "If you're dying, do it by yourself. Although I'm your son, I can't follow you into death. You're getting eccentric. I'm too young to die." Gold wouldn't go with him, and neither would Silver.

He called in his third son, Karmic Obstacle. "Usually you're very disobedient, so I'm not very fond of you. But now I'm about to die, and Gold and Silver won't go with me. Can you think it over and decide if you can accompany me?"

Karmic Obstacle said, "There's no need for me to think it over. Of course I'll go. Now you see that Gold and Silver, whom you're so fond of, don't stand up to the test. But I, Karmic Obstacle, will follow you wherever you go. In birth I will accompany you, and in death I will join you. So who's most filial after all, tell me?" None of the myriad things can go. Only karma will follow you. The old man reflected upon all the gold and silver he had accumulated that would go for the pleasures of his first and second son, while he himself had to die. He experienced deep regret. "If only I had built a temple or a Bodhimanda while there was still time," he thought. "But now that I'm dying, it's too late." The moral of the story is, don't be like the old man. If you have the means, do good deeds.

Q3 Fearlessness for those with the two kinds of seeking.

Sutra:

Twelfth: when matter dissipates and returns to the hearing, then unmoving in the Bodhimanda I can travel through worlds without destroying the appearance of those worlds. I can make offerings to as many Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, as there are fine motes of dust throughout the ten directions. At the side of each Buddha I become a dharma prince, and I can make it so that childless living beings throughout the dharma-realm who wish to have sons, are blessed with meritorious, virtuous, and wise sons.

Commentary:

Twelfth: when matter dissipates and returns to the hearing, when the physical body is transformed and goes back to the nature of hearing, then unmoving in the Bodhimanda I can travel through worlds without destroying the appearance of those worlds. "The unmoving Bodhimanda" means that he stays in his original Way-place. For instance, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is here at the Buddhist lecture hall, but although he is here, he can travel throughout the world. He hasn't moved from here, but his transformation bodies are in all places. And the worlds are not destroyed.

With his Dharma body he can make offerings to as many Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, as there are fine motes of dust throughout the ten directions. He goes throughout the ten directions doing the Buddha's work. At the side of each Buddha I become a Dharma prince, and I can make it so that childless living beings throughout the dharma-realm who wish to have sons, are blessed with meritorious, virtuous, and wise sons.

Sutra:

Thirteenth: with perfect penetration of the six sense organs, the light and what is illumined are not two. Encompassing the ten directions, a great perfect mirror stands in the empty treasury of the Thus Come One. I inherit the secret dharma-doors of as many Thus Come Ones as there are fine motes of dust throughout the ten directions. Receiving them without loss, I am able to make it so that childless living beings throughout the dharma-realm who seek daughters are blessed with lovely daughters who are upright, virtuous, and compliant and whom everyone cherishes and respects.

Commentary:

Thirteenth: with perfect penetration of the six sense-organs, the light and what is illumined are not two. Encompassing the ten directions, a great perfect mirror stands in the empty treasury of the Thus Come One. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are unobstructed and perfectly interpenetrated. Everything comes together to one. The six organs function interchangeably.

It is as if a huge mirror were set up and the treasury of the Thus Come One is empty. I inherit the secret dharma-doors of as many Thus Come Ones as there are fine motes of dust throughout the ten directions. Receiving them without loss, I am able to make it so that childless living beings throughout the dharma-realm who seek daughters are blessed with lovely daughters who are upright, virtuous, and compliant and whom everyone cherishes and respects. If someone wants a daughter, they will have a daughter who is proper, has virtue, and is easy to get along with. Everyone who sees this girl will be fond of her and respect her. She will be a lovely girl with perfect features.

Q4 Fearlessness in those who hold the name.

Sutra:

Fourteenth: in this three-thousand-great-thousand world system with its billions of suns and moons, as many dharma princes as there are grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers appear in the world and cultivate the dharma. They act as models in order to teach and transform living beings. They comply with living beings by means of expedients and wisdom, in different ways for each.

Commentary:

The fourteenth kind of fearlessness: this three-thousandgreat- thousand world system with its billions of suns and moons, as many Dharma princes as there are grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers appear in the world, they are living in the world right now, and cultivate the dharma. They act as models in order to teach and transform living beings. They comply with the wishes of living beings by means of expedients and wisdom. They use skill-in-means and provisional wisdom in different ways for each kind of living being that is ready to be taught, since each being is different.

Sutra:

However, because I have obtained the perfect penetration of the sense-organ and have discovered the wonder of the ear entrance, after which my body and mind subtly and miraculously included all of the dharma-realm, I am able to make it so that living beings who uphold my name obtain as much merit and virtue as would be obtained by a person who upheld the names of all those Dharma princes who are as many as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers.

Commentary:

However, because I have obtained the perfect penetration of the sense-organ and have discovered the wonder of the earentrance. I, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, obtained perfect penetration through the organ of the ear and realized the subtleties of the ear, after which my body and mind subtly and miraculously included all of the dharma-realm. This subtle state pervaded everything throughout the dharma-realm. Therefore, I am able to make it so that living beings who uphold my name, who recite the name of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, obtain as much merit and virtue as would be obtained by a person who upheld the names of all those dharma princes who are as many as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers. One person recites only the name of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, and another person recites the names of as many Bodhisattvas as there are sands in sixty-two Ganges Rivers. The reward of blessings each person obtains will be identical. This shows how magnificent the merit and virtue of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva are.

Sutra:

World Honored One, there is no difference between the merit of my one name and the merit of those many other names, because from my cultivation I obtained true and perfect penetration.

Commentary:

World Honored One, there is no difference between the merit of my one name, the name, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, and the merit of those many other names, that is, the Bodhisattvas who are as many as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers. How can this be? How can the merit of one name be the same as that of so many? It is because from my cultivation I obtained true and perfect penetration.

P3 Concludes with the name and shows the benefits.

Sutra:

These are called the fourteen powers of bestowing fearlessness; with them I bless living beings.

Commentary:

These are called the fourteen powers of bestowing fearlessness; with them I bless living beings. I come to their aid. Whenever someone seeks something, I will respond.

O3 Four inconceivables.
P1 He bases himself on the comfort and power of perfect penetration.
P2 The inconceivable identical embodiment of mantras.

Sutra:

Moreover, World Honored One, because I obtained perfect penetration and cultivated to certification of the unsurpassed path, I also became endowed with four inconceivable and effortless wonderful virtues.

First: as soon as I obtained the miraculous wonder of hearing the mind, the mind became essential and the hearing was forgotten, therefore, there was no distinction between seeing, hearing, sensation, and knowing. I achieved a single, perfect fusion, pure and precious enlightenment. For this reason, I am able to manifest many wonderful appearances and can proclaim boundless secret spiritual mantras.

Commentary:

Moreover, World Honored One, because I obtained perfect penetration and cultivated to certification of the unsurpassed path, I also became endowed with four inconceivable and effortless wonderful virtues. What are these four inconceivable virtues? First: as soon as I obtained the miraculous wonder of hearing the mind, the mind became essential and the hearing was forgotten. When I first acquired the skill of returning the hearing to hear the self-nature, that wonder of wonders, my mind became essential and the hearing was forgotten. The true mind manifests, and one reaches an essential and wonderful place.

Once the hearing disappeared, there was no distinction between seeing, hearing, sensation, and knowing. The other sensations were interfused and could not be divided. I achieved a single, perfect fusion, pure and precious enlightenment. This means he accomplished a oneness without any distinctions between self and others. For this reason, I am able to manifest many wonderful appearances and can proclaim boundless secret spiritual mantras.

Sutra:

For example, I may make appear one head, three heads, five heads, seven heads, nine heads, eleven heads, and so forth, until there may be a hundred and eight heads, a thousand heads, ten thousand heads, or eighty-four thousand vajra heads.

Commentary:

Not only does Guan Yin Bodhisattva have a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, but also myriad heads, as many as eighty-four thousand of them. The appearances which Guan Yin Bodhisattva makes include, he says, one head, three heads, the three-faced Guan Yin, five heads, the five-faced Guan Yin, seven heads, the seven-faced Guan Yin, or nine heads, eleven heads, and so forth, until there may be a hundred and eight heads, a thousand heads, ten thousand heads, or eighty-four thousand vajra heads. "Vajra" means strong and firm.

Sutra:

Two arms, four arms, six arms, eight arms, ten arms, twelve arms, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen arms, or twenty arms, twenty-four arms, and so forth until there may be a hundred and eight arms, a thousand arms, ten thousand arms, or eighty-four thousand mudra arms.

Commentary:

Guan Yin Bodhisattva can also manifest two arms, four arms, six arms, eight arms, ten arms, twelve arms, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen arms, or twenty arms, twenty-four arms. Or perhaps he manifests a hundred and eight arms, a thousand arms, ten thousand arms as many as eighty-four thousand mudra arms. "Mudra" is a Sanskrit word that means "seal-hand." On one's hand there is a seal-imprint.

Sutra:

Two eyes, three eyes, four eyes, nine eyes, and so forth until there may be a hundred and eight eyes, a thousand eyes, ten thousand eyes, or eighty-four thousand pure and precious eyes, sometimes compassionate, sometimes awesome, sometimes in samadhi, sometimes displaying wisdom to rescue and protect living beings so that they may attain great self-mastery.

Commentary:

The dharma body of Guan Yin Bodhisattva can manifest two eyes, three eyes, four eyes, nine eyes, and so forth until there may be a hundred and eight eyes, a thousand eyes, ten thousand eyes, or eighty-four thousand pure and precious eyes. How can Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva manifest so many transformations and appearances? It is because he cultivated the Great Compassion Mantra and the Forty-two Hands and Eyes on the cause-ground, so that, on the ground of fruition, when his cultivation was perfected, he had endless transformations.

Sometimes compassionate, sometimes awesome, sometimes in samadhi, sometimes displaying wisdom. His eyes are perhaps compassionate, or maybe their light is awesome. Perhaps his eyes display the light of samadhi or of wisdom. He appears this way in order to rescue and protect living beings so that they may attain great self-mastery.

P3 The inconceivable embodiment of different mantras.

Sutra:

Second: because of hearing and consideration, I escaped the six defiling objects, just as a sound leaps over a wall without hindrance. And so I have the wonderful ability to manifest shape after shape and to recite mantra upon mantra. These shapes and these mantras dispel the fears of living beings. Therefore, throughout the ten directions, in as many lands as there are fine motes of dust, I am known as one who bestows fearlessness.

Commentary:

The second effortless, wonderful virtue: Because of hearing and consideration, I escaped the six defiling objects. I cultivated the wisdom of hearing and the wisdom of consideration and got out of forms, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas. I was not attached to them. It was just as a sound leaps over a wall without hindrance. And so I have the wonderful ability to manifest shape after shape and to recite mantra upon mantra. These shapes I appear in and these mantras I recite dispel the fears of living beings. They have the power of bestowing fearlessness. Therefore, throughout the ten directions, in as many lands as there are fine motes of dust, I am known as one who bestows fearlessness.

P4 The inconceivable destruction of greed in response to those who seek.

Sutra:

Third: because I cultivated fundamental, wonderful, perfect penetration and purified the sense-organ, everywhere I go in any world I can make it so that living beings renounce their physical and material valuables to seek my sympathy.

Commentary:

Third: because I cultivated fundamental, wonderful, perfect penetration and purified the sense-organ. He is referring to the fundamental purity of the ear-organ, the hearing nature. Everywhere I go in any world I can make it so that living beings renounce their physical and material valuables to seek my sympathy. They will give up their very bodies and lives and their valuable possessions in search of my aid.

P5 The inconceivable offerings to Buddhas and aid to living beings.

Sutra:

Fourth: I obtained the Buddhas' mind and was certified as having attained the ultimate end, and so I can make offerings of rare treasures to the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions and to living beings in the six paths throughout the dharma-realm.

Commentary:

The fourth inconceivable and effortless, wonderful virtue: I obtained the Buddhas' mind and was certified as having attained the ultimate end. I obtained the true mind of the treasury of the Thus Come One. "Ultimate end" means the final fruition of Buddhahood. And so I can make offerings of rare treasures to the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions and to living beings in the six paths throughout the dharma-realm. Whatever they want, I will fulfill their wishes.

Sutra:

If they seek a spouse, they obtain a spouse. If they seek children, they can have children. Seeking samadhi, they obtain samadhi; seeking long life, they obtain long life, and so forth to the extent that if they seek the great nirvana, they obtain great nirvana.

Commentary:

Whatever living beings in the six paths wish will be granted them. Guan Yin Bodhisattva realizes that everyone wants a good spouse, so if they seek a spouse, they obtain a spouse. If they want a good wife, they will find a beautiful one. That's the foremost wish of living beings. Once they have a spouse, they hope for good children. So the second thing Guan Yin Bodhisattva does is grant children. If they seek children, they can have children. If they want sons, they get sons. If they wish for daughters, they will have daughters.

Third, he says, seeking samadhi, they obtain samadhi; seeking long life, they obtain long life. If one has a wife and children and still feels that there is no meaning to human life and so brings forth a resolve to transcend the world and seek samadhi, then one can attain samadhi. Some are seeking long life, and so they obtain long life. They want to become immortal and never die, and they are able to do so. And so forth to the extent that if they seek the great nirvana, they obtain great nirvana. If beings seek to become a Buddha, they can attain the fruition of Buddhahood.

M4 He concludes his answer about accomplishing perfect penetration.

Sutra:

The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. From the gateway of the ear, I obtained a perfect and illumining samadhi. The conditioned mind was at ease, and therefore I entered the appearance of the flow, and obtaining samadhi, I accomplished Bodhi. This is the foremost method.

Commentary:

The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. The Buddha asks all his disciples how they first obtained the expedient of perfect penetration. From the gateway of the ear, I obtained a perfect and illumining samadhi. I cultivated the nature of hearing and accomplished samadhi-power. The conditioned mind was at ease, and therefore I entered the appearance of the flow, and obtaining samadhi, I accomplished Bodhi. This is the foremost method. The mind that climbs on conditions was gone, and I attained self-mastery. I returned the hearing to hear the self-nature, and the nature accomplished the Unsurpassed Way. This is the best method.

Sutra:

World Honored One, that Buddha, the Thus Come One, praised me as having obtained well the dharma-door of perfect penetration. In the great assembly he bestowed a prediction upon me and the name, Guan Shi Yin.

Commentary:

World Honored One, that Buddha, the Thus Come One, praised me as having obtained well the dharma-door of perfect penetration. "That Buddha" refers to the Guan Shi Yin Thus Come One of old. He praised the ease with which I obtained perfect penetration. In the great assembly he bestowed a prediction upon me and the name, Guan Shi Yin. He named me "Contemplator of the Worlds" Sounds," the same name he had himself.

Sutra:

Because my contemplation and listening is perfectly clear throughout the ten directions, the name Guan Shi Yin pervades all the realms of the ten directions.

Commentary:

Because my contemplation and listening is perfectly clear throughout the ten direction, that is, because every place throughout the ten directions, to the bounds of the dharma-realm, came together, and I experienced a perfect clarity, therefore, the name Guan Shi Yin pervades all the realms of the ten directions. In every Buddhaland throughout the ten directions the name Guan Shi Yin is known.