地藏王菩薩12大願 釋隆門圓通法師
The Twelve Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva:
1. Substitute the Hell pain karma of sentient beings.
2. Substitute the starvation karma of sentient beings.
3. Substitute the torture pain karma of sentient beings.
4. Remove the pain karma of chaos of war of sentient beings.
5. Solve the delusion of sentient beings.
6. Extend the lifespan of sentient beings.
7. Substitute the pain of diseases of sentient beings.
8. Substitute the pain of national disasters.
9. Eliminate the pain brought by thieves.
10. Eliminate the pain of poverty.
11. Help those who want to be reborn to get reborn.
12. If I cannot rescue the living beings in the present life, I will rescue those in another world.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
3. If a woman who is tired of female bodies whole-heartedly makes offerings to the painting of Earth Store Bodhisattva or his images made by using clay, stone, lacquer, copper, or iron day after day, and make offerings with flowers, incense, food, drink, clothing, colored silks, banners, or jewels, when such a good woman finishes her current female retribution, throughout hundreds of thousands of kalpas she will never be born in a world that has women, let alone be a woman again. Unless she compassionately vows to be a woman to transform living being, through the force of her offerings to Earth Store Bodhisattva and the power of her virtues, she will not be born with a female body for hundreds of thousands of kalpas.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
4.If a woman has got tired of her ugly appearance or sickness, she can sincerely gaze at and bow to the image of Earth Store Bodhisattva for even just a meal’s time. Then she will always be born with full and perfect appearances throughout countless lives. If such an ugly woman does not hate women’s bodies, then she will be born to be a king’s daughter, or a queen, or a child in a prominent family, or a daughter of a great elder with upright, full, and perfect appearances throughout countless lives. Because she has reverently gazed at and worshipped Earth Store Bodhisattva, she will gain blessings like this.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
6.If in the future there are men or women who are bedridden for a long time and are unable to get well or to die as they wish, others should offer possessions that belong to these sick people in front of the sutra and the Bodhisattva’s image. They may offer sutras or images, or make images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or build stupas or monasteries, or light oil lamps, or give to the monastery. After all these are done, they should tell the sick people three times about what has been done until they understand. If their consciousnesses are scattered and they are about to stop breathing, then for one, two, three, four, and even seven days, others should continue to inform them clearly and to read this Sutra aloud. After these sick people pass away, they will be liberated from all heavy guilt they committed in previous lives, and even the Five Relentless guilt. They will be reborn in places where they will always know past lives.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
7. If good men or good women can copy this Sutra themselves or instruct others to do so, or carve or paint the images of this Bodhisattva themselves or instruct others to do so, the karmic rewards they receive will be very great.
Therefore, Universally Expansive, if you see people reciting this Sutra or even having a single thought of praise for it, or if you meet someone who reveres it, you should apply hundreds of thousands of expedients to persuade these people to be diligent and not withdraw so that they will gain hundreds of billions of incredible merits now and in the future as well.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
8.If in the future there are people of low status, or slaves, or those who have lost freedom who are aware of their past karmas and wish to repent, they may sincerely resolve to gaze at and bow to the image of Earth Store Bodhisattva and recite his name ten thousand times within seven days. Then after these people’s retribution in this life is finished, they will always be born into wealthy and honorable families for thousands of lives, and will not go through the sufferings of the Three Evil Paths.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
9. If in the future in Jambudvipa when the wives of Kshatriyas, Brahmans, elders, Upasakas, all men and those of ethnicities with other names have given birth to sons or daughters, the family members should recite this incredible sutra and the Bodhisattva's name ten thousand times within seven days after birth. If these newborn babies, whether male or female, have disaster retributions brought from their past lives, they will be liberated from those retributions. They will be peaceful and happy, and are easy to raise, and their lifespans will be extended. If these babies are born with blessings, then their peace, happiness, and lifespans will increase.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
The Buddha speaks of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva benefits humans and Heavenly beings:
10. Any act or rise of thought of the living beings in Jambudvipa will create karma or guilt, let alone killing at will, stealing, sexual misconduct, improper speech and hundreds of thousands of other kinds of guilt. If they can recite this sutra once during the ten vegetarian days in front of the images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or sages, then there will be no disasters within a hundred yojanas (about 700 miles).
The members in such families, whether old or young, now or in the future, will exempt from the Evil Paths for hundreds of thousands of years. If they can recite this sutra once on each of the ten vegetarian days, then in present life there will be neither accidents nor illnesses in the family, and there will be abundant foods and clothing.
The Book of Songs (Shi Jing) goes, “I admire the high mountain and walk on the wide road. Though I cannot be there, I yearn for it.” Vows are like a firm will that can set sail for a man’s life. Vows and actions together can lead to a glorious life.
The Sanscrit name for 地藏 is Ksitigarbha. 地refers to earth which is calm, tolerant, and unshaking. 藏refers to deep, quiet, meticulous consideration. So the two characters together stand for the Bodhisattvas whose great compassion is as vast as the earth. When Sakyamuni Buddha was speaking Dharma in the Trayastrimsha Heaven, he also instructed Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to stay in the human world to educate living beings during the non-Buddha period between Sakyamuni Buddha’s entering Nirvana and Maitreya Buddha’s birth.
Hence, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva often manifests in the Heaven, human world or Hell to rescue sentient beings. He made a vow that he would not be a Buddha unless all the sentient beings in the Six Paths were rescued. The vow goes like this, “I will not attain Buddhahood if the Hell is not empty. Only when all living beings are rescued will I attain Bodhi.”
The Twelve Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva:
1. Substitute the Hell pain karma of sentient beings.
2. Substitute the starvation karma of sentient beings.
3. Substitute the torture pain karma of sentient beings.
4. Remove the pain karma of chaos of war of sentient beings.
5. Solve the delusion of sentient beings.
6. Extend the lifespan of sentient beings.
7. Substitute the pain of diseases of sentient beings.
8. Substitute the pain of national disasters.
9. Eliminate the pain brought by thieves.
10. Eliminate the pain of poverty.
11. Help those who want to be reborn to get reborn.
12. If I cannot rescue the living beings in the present life, I will rescue those in another world.
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva
A Eulogy of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
I bow to the originally pure realm and the great compassionate honored one of Buddha treasure.
In the southern realm, fragrant clouds and rain as well as flowery clouds and rain emerge.
There are various kinds of treasure rain and clouds that are auspicious and solemn.
The Heavenly beings ask the Buddha why so, and the Buddha says that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is coming.
The Tathagatas of three generations praise him jointly, and the Bodhisattvas in the Ten Directions take refuge in him together.
Now, with the good karmas I have planted, I praise the real merits of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.