Infinite Resolve! Such are the meritorious deeds done by Gwan
Shr Yin, the Bodhisattva who roams throughout the world and appears
in various forms to rescue living beings. Therefore you should all
wholeheartedly make offerings to the Bodhisattva Who Listens to the
Sounds of All the World.
In times of terror, crisis, and trouble, the Great Bodhisattva Gwan
Shr Yin can bestow courage and dispel all fears. Therefore, all
throughout the Saha world we call him Giver of Courage.
The Bodhisattva Infinite Resolve said to the Buddha, "World
Honoured One, I will now make an offering to the Bodhisattva Gwan
Shr Yin."
And so saying, he removed his rosary of pearls, worth hundreds of
thousands of taels of gold and presented it to the Bodhisattva with
these words: " O Humane One, please accept my offering of Dharma,
this rosary of precious pearls."
But Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva would not accept the pearls. Infinite
Resolve once more entreated Gwan Shr Yin, "O Humane One, out of
pity for us, please receive the rosary."
Then the Buddha said to Gwan Shr Yin, "Out of compassion for
Infinite Resolve and the Four Assemblies, for the gods, dragons,
yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans,
and nonhuman beings, and the rest, accept this rosary."
Then Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva, out of pity for the Four Assemblies,
for the gods, dragons, humans, non humans, and the rest, accepted
the rosary and divided it into two parts. One strand he offered to
Shakyamuni Buddha, the other to the stupa of the Buddha Many
Jewels.
Infinite Resolve! With such sovereign spiritual powers does the
Bodhisattva Gwan Shr Yin traverse the Saha World. Then the
Bodhisattva Infinite Resolve put his questions into verses and
asked them once again:
"World Honoured One,
Complete with Wondrous Hallmarks,
Several questions I would ask again.
How did this disciple of the Buddha,
Earn the name Gwan Shr Yin?
Then the World Honoured One, his every feature full, answered in
melodious verse to Infinite Resolve:
Come listen and I'll tell you Gwan Yin's story
How deftly he responds to every side;
Spanning ages past the ken of numbers,
With oceanic vows both deep and wide.
Serving ancient Buddhas, several billions,
His pure and lofty vows in brief I'll tell.
Whoever sees his face or learns about him,
Who can hold this Bodhisattva's name,
Will leave behind the sorrows of existence,
And so this cultivation's not in vain!
Should you be pushed into a raging fire,
By enemies so harmful, mean, and cruel,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva
The blaze will turn into a limpid pool.
If cast adrift upon the mighty ocean,
Where dragons, ghosts, and sharks in turn surround,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
You'll float atop the waves and will not drown.
Suppose an evil person pushed you headlong,
From atop the peak called Wondrous Tall,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
And like the sun in space you will not fall.
Perhaps you tumble down from Vajra Mountain,
Fleeing wicked ruffians who pursue,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
And not the slightest harm will come to you.
Surrounded by a mob of heartless bandits,
Their weapons drawn, with murder on their minds,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
Their evil hearts will soften and turn kind.
If you are on the verge of execution,
Sentenced by the State, condemned to die,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
The sword will break to pieces just in time.
If bound and chained, restrained by ropes and shackles,
With hands and feet confined in stocks and gyves,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
The fetters by themselves will fall aside.
Hexes, poison, magic spells, and voodoo,
Cast by those who plot to do you in,
Return to curse the sorcerer who sent them,
When you invoke the power of Gwan Shr Yin.
If you meet with evil Rakshashas,
Lethal dragons, ghosts, and vicious beasts,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
None will dare to harm you in the least.
Circled round and trapped by savage creatures,
With razor fangs and claws that terrify,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
And they will quickly flee to every side.
Facing vipers, scorpions, and pythons,
Belching poisons, fumes, and scorching flames,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
They'll shrink and turn away before his name.
When thunder-clouds explode and lightning crackles,
Dumping sleet, and hail, and heavy rains,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
The skies will clear, the storms will drift away.
Living beings harassed and vexed, and troubled,
By countless sorrows, burdened without cease,
This Bodhisattva's wondrous wisdom-power.
Can help the suffering world obtain relief.
Perfect and complete in psychic power,
Widely versed in wisdom's subtle skills,
In lands throughout the ten directions,
The Bodhisattva manifests at will.
The agony amid the Evil Pathways,
The torments of the ghosts, the beasts, the hells,
The pains of birth, the aged, sick, and dying,
The Bodhisattva gradually dispels.
O Thou of true regard, of pure regard,
Regard far-reaching, wise, and truly great,
Thy loving-kindness, sympathy, and deep regard,
I vow to ever laud and venerate.
Your wisdom-sun can break apart the darkness,
Immaculate, your virgin light unfurls,
To quell disasters, winds, and storms, and fires,
A universal light for all the world.
Wellspring of compassion, precepts' thunder,
Your wondrous cloud of kindness covers all.
Extinguishing the fires of life's afflictions,
As the rain of sweet-dew Dharma falls.
In trials, suits, and civil confrontations,
When fear runs high, when warring armies near,
Evoke the strength of Gwan Yin Bodhisattva,
Vengeance and bad feelings disappear.
Fine and wondrous sound: Gwan Shr Yin!
Brahma-sound, steady as the tides.
A name transcending every worldly sound,
Gwan Yin! Stay forever in my mind.
Let not a single doubt arise to haunt us,
For Gwan Yin Bodhisattva, Holy Sage,
Amid life's troubles, and the pains of dying,
Will ever be our refuge, and our aid.
O Holy One! Replete with every virtue,
Your kindly gaze beholds all living beings.
A boundless sea you are, of every blessing.
And let us bow to offer our esteem!"
Then Bodhisattva, Guardian of the Earth arose from his seat, went
before the Buddha and proclaimed, "O! World Honoured One, living
beings must have abundant merit and virtue to hear this chapter on
Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva's sovereign deeds, and how he universally
responds with his spiritual power."
And while the Buddha spoke this Universal Door Chapter, eighty-four
thousand living beings from among the assembly set their minds on
achieving Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi!
(Recite the Great Compassion Mantra) (3x or 7x)
