Taishō no. 1183

Translated into Chinese by the Brāhmaṇa Vajrapuṇyāyus
during the Tang Dynasty (674)

Translated into English by Shaku Shingan (9.9.2025)

namo mañjuśriye kumārabhūtāya tadyāthā
oṃ śrikalpe mahākalpe alaṃkalpe samasamantakalpe svāhā!

𑖡𑖦𑖺 𑖦𑖗𑖿𑖕𑖲𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖰𑖧𑖸 𑖎𑖲𑖦𑖯𑖨𑖥𑖳𑖝𑖯𑖧 𑖝𑖟𑖿𑖧𑖯𑖞𑖯 𑖌𑖼 𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖰𑖎𑖩𑖿𑖢𑖸 𑖦𑖮𑖯𑖎𑖩𑖿𑖢𑖸 𑖀𑖩𑖽𑖎𑖩𑖿𑖢𑖸 𑖭𑖦𑖭𑖦𑖡𑖿𑖝𑖎𑖩𑖿𑖢𑖸 𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯

At that time, Mañjuśrī, the Prince of the Dharma, having spoken this dhāraṇī in the great assembly, all the tathāgatas of the ten directions, the devas, nāgas, and the eight classes of beings, and all the great assemblies together praised him, saying: "Sādhu! Sādhu! O Youth Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva Mahāsattva! Because of your great, compassionate vow-power, in this evil world, you wished to have compassion for sentient beings of scant merit; therefore, you are skilled in expounding this inconceivable, wish-fulfilling maṇi, the wonderful Dharma-treasury, enriching sentient beings and creating inexhaustible benefits.

At that time, Mañjuśrī said to the assembly: "I received this dhāraṇī from the buddhas of the past, and whenever, during the age of decline, the merit of beings is exhausted, I proclaim it there and then, causing sons of good family and daughters of good family, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās in that evil world to seek the bodhi path, leading all sentient beings to accomplish all wholesome deeds quickly and to cross the great ocean of birth and death; therefore I encourage them to receive and uphold these divine and wonderful phrases.[1]

“If sons of good family and good daughters diligently recite this dhāraṇī day and night, remember it, and do not forget it, or merely praise its inconceivable power, and encourage others to believe, take up, and wholeheartedly bear and recite this dhāraṇī, practising beneficial service, then for that son of good family or daughter of good family, the evil karmas and transgressions of all beginningless time, even the five heinous deeds and the like, will all be extinguished. They will never sink into the great ocean of birth and death and will have no fear of the three unwholesome realms. Wherever they are born, they will gain knowledge of their past lives; their six faculties will be purified; they will possess all the [thirty-two] marks; their bodies will have subtle colour and dignified appearance; their authoritative power will flourish; all that they seek will be obtained.

“First, if they hold any other mantras, all [their aims] will be accomplished, and all their endeavours will be extraordinary. If they can take up and bear this dhāraṇī, then, even if they have previously violated śīla, all faults and transgressions of the three karmas will be purified; all faults of breaking precepts will be eliminated; they will forever be freed from the unwholesome realms and will always be born among humans or devas; their faculties will be tamed and gentle, and their wisdom purified. In all circumstances, they will gain unobstructed efficacy, and in the True Dharma, they will obtain the power of deep faith. Whatever they say will be believed and accepted by listeners. They will always be especially victorious over their enemies; all enemies will forever cease their evil intentions and be unable to harm them; all devas and nāgas will constantly protect them; and they will spontaneously achieve vast merit. Those who see them will respectfully submit.

“By my deep and inexhaustible compassionate vows, may all sentient beings be enriched with blessings and benefits. May they be protected and cherished by all the tathāgatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas, empowered by all the noble ones; and, by the power of my vows, may all forms of liberation without exception be achieved.

“Now I will further describe the ritual of upholding this dhāraṇī, creating an image, establishing the maṇḍala, and making offerings.

“A practitioner seeking to accomplish this siddhi should first choose an auspicious day with favourable constellations. The painter should uphold the eight precepts and be pure. On white silk or fine plain silk, paint an image of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva as a youth with one topknot, golden in colour, seated in the half-lotus posture on a thousand-petalled white lotus. His left hand holds a blue lotus upon which is a wish-fulfilling cintāmaṇi jewel; his right palm faces outwards and downwards, with the five fingers forming the wish-fulfilling mudrā. He is joyful and smiling, and his body is adorned with various jewel necklaces, crowns, and other ornaments.

“After painting this image, thoroughly clean and prepare a square maṇḍala in a clean room. From the inside outwards, arrange and position seventeen deities in three courts, in accordance with the Pañcâkṣara-cakra-yoga ritual. Offer excellent fragrant cakes, fruits, and other sincere offerings. Place this image on the eastern side of the maṇḍala, and the practitioner, on the west, should face east, opposite the image.

“Begin reciting the mantra from the eighth day of the bright fortnight, reciting the mantra as mentioned earlier, eight hundred or one thousand times each day. Then lie down in front of the image, focusing the mind on me, Mañjuśrī, before going to sleep. Then one will surely see Mañjuśrī in a dream in the form of a small boy. If this sign is seen, know that empowerment has already been received: all wishes are fulfilled; all that they seek will be obtained, and the words one speaks are believed and accepted.

“Furthermore, as another rite: take milidi medicine,[2] recite the preceding mantra and empower it eight thousand times; hold this medicine in the mouth. If you go to the royal palace or the offices of officials, your words will be answered accordingly, all requests granted; what you say will be believed and obeyed, and none will dare defy you.

“Again, take diśipatnī,[3] empower it eight thousand times with the preceding mantra, place it in a bowl and carry it while begging for alms: whatever food, drink, clothing—even gold, silver, and the seven treasures—are needed will be obtained; people will love and respect you and compete to offer alms; in all places of dispute you will gain victory.

“Furthermore, on the eighth day of the bright fortnight, light lamps before this image of Mañjuśrī; eat the three white foods; also use white food and various white flowers; burn white sandalwood as offerings; recite this mantra eight thousand times; when the tally is complete, then sleep before the image. I, Mañjuśrī, will appear, manifesting my pure and wondrous form; all wishes will be fulfilled; each day, one thousand gold coins will be given. Do not hoard them, but use them entirely for offerings to the Triple Gem and to cultivate merit. Recite eight hundred times daily; make offerings according to your capacity; let there be no interruption.

“As another rite: empower a silver bowl one hundred and eight times, or eight hundred times, or twenty-one times; place it upon white silk before Mañjuśrī's image and cover it with another white cloth. After one night, in the morning, reach into the bowl and obtain eight hundred gold coins. This practice must be performed in secret; you must not let even one person know, save a single close companion who practises with you, shares the same vow, and seeks the same goal—beyond that, do not tell outsiders. Otherwise, the power of empowerment will be lost immediately. Success requires careful secrecy. If one can follow the teachings with caution, there will constantly be daily offerings of gold and no cessation of giving.

“The foregoing rites should not all be done at once; rather, accomplish each one according to one's inclination. Still, one must first purify body and mind, repeatedly drink the five pure products of a cow, arouse a compassionate heart, and, day and night, diligently rely upon the teaching without deficiency; then one will certainly attain the highest siddhis in this very life.

“The heart mantra is:

"oṃ samanta śri hūṃ svāhā!
𑖌𑖼 𑖭𑖦𑖡𑖿𑖝 𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖰 𑖮𑖳𑖽 𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯

"The mantra of accordance with one's wishes is:

"oṃ aśamaṇi hūṃ svāhā!
𑖌𑖼 𑖀𑖫𑖦𑖜𑖰 𑖮𑖳𑖽 𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯

"The mantra for establishing the maṇḍala boundary is:

"oṃ deśamaṇi hūṃ svāhā!

𑖌𑖼 𑖟𑖸𑖫𑖦𑖜𑖰 𑖮𑖳𑖽 𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯

"The mantra for establishing the boundary in the four directions is:

"oṃ samanatamaṇi hūṃ svāhā!

𑖌𑖼 𑖭𑖦𑖡𑖝𑖦𑖜𑖰 𑖮𑖳𑖽 𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯

"Using this mantra to empower water twenty-one times and scattering it to the four sides immediately forms a protected boundary.

“If one constantly chants this mantra before Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, not neglecting to do eight hundred recitations daily, one will continuously obtain five hundred gold coins each day, which should then be offered and dedicated to the Triple Gem, retaining only a share for one's own use. Do not seek to use it in places without benefit or contrary to the teaching and certainly do not hoard it.

“One should daily offer various cakes and fruits to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva; replace worn clothing in good time and do not allow uncleanness; keep one's own clothes extremely clean, washing them frequently so that they are not soiled.

“If you see non-Buddhist śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, or those with sallow, emaciated complexions, or with poor deportment and ugly form, you must not mock or slander them. The great sage Mañjuśrī manifests various bodies to test and train practitioners' minds, wishing to cause them constantly to arouse compassion and universally maintain equanimity, to give rise to a cherishing respect towards all sentient beings, with a mind free of discrimination, free of defiled attachment, without increasing clinging, vast and unobstructed, thinking completely that all will become buddhas in the future.

“If practitioners can dwell thus according to the teaching, upholding and reciting diligently without discrimination, the great sage Mañjuśrī will quickly fulfil their vows; their alms-bowl will transform and be daily filled to the brim, its use inexhaustible.

“As another rite, take *coho root,[4] empower it with the previous body-dhāraṇī[5] eight thousand times, and place it in the alms-bowl; carry this bowl into the city to beg, and whatever clothing is needed will be obtained at will.

“Again, take Persian incense, white sandalwood, and white candana—the three regularly used for offerings—everywhere declare that burning this incense must not be interrupted, and the desired wishes will quickly be fulfilled.

“As another rite, take a five-coloured thread one fathom long, chant the dhāraṇī, empower it one hundred and eight times, and tie a knot; make in full twenty-one knots; place the knotted thread in the alms-bowl and set it before the image; make offerings according to your ability: Mañjuśrī will daily manifest superior gold, twenty-one ounces, in this bowl. This gold must not be stored or accumulated, but used for making merit by giving and for offerings to the Triple Gem; its use will be inexhaustible. If it is hoarded, it will at once vanish and never reappear.

"Furthermore, there is a medicine named sarṣapatana or sarṣapa.[6] There is also a medicine named mahāmita (this medicine comes from the land of Shǔ). If there are prolonged gales and rain that will not clear, place these two medicines together and empower them with the body-mantra eight thousand times; cast them into the open sky, and the wind and rain will at once cease.

“When there is scorching drought and no rain, take a handful of śarṣapatana, empower it eight thousand times, scatter it into water where nāgas dwell, and immediately significant rain will fall.

“As another rite, generals may carry and scatter this empowered medicine into the midst of great battles: all swords, staves, bows and arrows will be unusable, or, if used, will certainly cause no harm.

“If scattered among grass, in groves, or across all fields of crops, no insects will cause injury or damage.

“If scattered in stone caves, among bamboo groves, or in fields of millet and the five grains, yields will immediately increase significantly and taking from them will be inexhaustible.

“If scattered upon one's own crown, in all places of conflict, one attains extraordinary success; if one enters royal palaces, or even the houses of high ministers and officials, all will receive one with respect and reverence.

“If scattered among merchants and traders, the merchandise will be free from theft, and bandits will be unable to plunder it.

“If scattered to the four directions, all ghosts, spirits, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and all demonic forces will be unable to cause harm.

“If scattered where there is fire, the fire will extinguish itself and will not burn things.

“If scattered in water, the flow will cease and be unmoving.

“There are many further rites which cannot be fully explained; but once the foregoing rites are accomplished and their efficacy verified, thereafter all actions performed according to one's will succeed, so there is no need for exhaustive explanation, and there is assuredly no doubt. This mantra possesses great authoritative power, radiant light, and inconceivable might, difficult to measure; it brings accomplishment to those who recite it, but not to those who do not apply their minds with sincerity.” 

Redactor’s Notes

This sūtra was translated on the eighteenth day of the ninth month in the first year of Shangyuan (674) by the brāhmaṇa Vajrapuṇyāyus (which, in the language of the Tang, means Vajra-fortunate-longevity), at the Lun Monastery, the Third Cloister of Kaiyuan Temple in Qinzhou, ... in the seventeenth year of the Zhenyuan era (801 CE), in the third month, the śramaṇa of the Translation Bureau again ... in the residence of the Commissioner of Baoxia within Zhongzhou. See the record of verification and inclusion in the canon by the Indian monk Feng.

The venerable guide [Mañjuśrī], who previously dwelt in the past as the Tathāgata Candrasūryapradīpa, was the teacher who guided the eight holy princes who transmitted the Dharma. He was also the ninth-generation ancestor-teacher of Śākyamuni Tathāgata. In the Suvarṇavarṇa World of the East, he is the Tathāgata Nāgagotrottarajñānāryarāja. Within the Garbhadhātu Ocean Assembly's Four Pāramitās, he is the second honoured one, the Prajñā-mother of tathāgatas for the four buddhas of the four directions, and a distinct manifestation of the same essence as Mahāvairocana Tathāgata. His body, in a single illumination, pervades the Dharma Realm; he is the mother of all sages of the three times, the mother of all compassion. Those who arouse bodhicitta find in him the fundamental source and foundation for realising the fruit of awakening.

Mañjuśrī's Compassionate-Protection Mantra:

oṃ buddha maitreyā kṣa haṃ! (To be recited in an impure place)

Mañjuśrī's Wrathful Dhāraṇī:

oṃ vajraṭikṣṇa krodha chinda chinda hūṃ phat!

Use this mantra for self-protection, to ward off evil, to establish boundaries, to purify all incense, flowers, and offerings. May all beings encounter this teaching, may Mañjuśrī become their good friend, may they quickly realise the meritorious knowledge of prajñā, and be the foremost honoured one among bipeds.

Mañjuśrī's Sore-Healing Mantra:

namo sarvabuddhānām āḥ cittayānubhūta rūpi hūṃ oṃ hrīḥ svāhā!

The Heart Mantra for Fever in the Seven Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguru Sūtra:

*tadyathā akṛtamālā gṛhamedhi mama gṛhiṇī hṛdayaḥ malāmala malāśubhiḥ prajñā svāhā![7]

Recite and write the names of the seven buddhas and the names of the twelve divine generals. Chant and write this dhāraṇī and tie it below the elbow. It will be effective. Please place it in a clean place (etc.).

[8]Yaśaḥkīrttiśrīrāja Tathāgata. Ratnacandrabuddhīndrarājaprabha Tathāgata. Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsa Tathāgata. Aśokottamaśrīrāja Tathāgata. Dharmasāgaravaramativikrīḍitābhijña Tathāgata. Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja Tathāgata.

Yakṣa Mantra:

oṃ kubera svāhā!

Written on the seventh day of the third month of the third year of Kōwa (1101) by Kenkaku.

Respectfully dedicated to the departed spirit of our late mother, may she be liberated from the cycle of birth and death and be reborn in Sukhāvatī.

　　　Compared and redacted with the abbot's personal copy.

Translator's Notes

[*] Sponsored by and dedicated to Suraj.

[1] Vidyāpādas.

[2] White pepper.

[3] Dried pattra bark.

[4] Unclear.

[5] Probably the heart mantra.

[6] White mustard seed.

[7] Transcription uncertain.

[8] It is unclear why only six buddhas are listed here, rather than seven. The list of the twelve generals is not provided.

This has some resemblance to other ritual manuals related to the Mañjuśrīyamūlakalpa. Here, the mantras in the base text were given with Siddham in the original, here transcribed with Siddham Unicode. The mantras in the redactor's notes were not given with Siddham. The opening dhāraṇī has been modified slightly to amend apparent typos. Uncertain words are marked with asterisks.