虛空藏菩薩 釋隆門圓通法師
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva (Void Treasure Bodhisattva)
“Void” means the blue dome of heaven and is translated as “Void Nurture” in Garbhakosa-dhatu. His secret name is Ru Yi Vajra, Storage Vajra, and the like. He is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas in the Great Vehicle Buddhism. According to the sutra, Akasagarbha Bodhisattva was born covering the sky. He overrides the outstanding heroes and is endlessly big-hearted. He emits radiance that shines on the whole universe, and his virtue spreads over billions of living beings. He always resolves to be compassionate and has inexhaustible power. His wisdom is as vast and boundless as the Void.
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva (Void Treasure Bodhisattva)
The Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Sutra says, “Akasagarbha Bodhissattva abides in all fragrance-accumulated realms. His wisdom is as vast as the Void and his fortune is found throughout the Three Realms. He can satisfy the believers’ desires for wisdom, fortune, fame, and blissful dependents. He is often portrayed as one with a five-Buddha crown on the head, a sword that emits flames in the right hand, and a blooming lotus flower with wish-realizing pearls in the left hand.”
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva is the counterpart of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who represents the Great Earth. He stands in the middle of the Void Treasure Hall of the Tantra garbhakosa-dhatu Mandala and is one of the 16 Honored Ones of the Garbha Kalpa of the Vajra Realm. He is in charge of the sun, the moon, and other planets as well as wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Moreover, he can reinforce those who ask for hearing and abiding by the Dharma so that they can improve their memory and what they see or hear will not be forgotten. If believers often cultivate the Dharma, are mindful, and pray for something, countless wishes will come true and whatever is asked for will be attained immediately.
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Mahasattva has remarkable abilities. The Great Pleasure Vajra Non-emptiness Real Samaya Sutra mentions that
Akasagarbha Bodhissattva is the embodiment of Ratnasambhava Bodhisattva. Before other realms came into being, Akasagarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva had been transforming the Saha World with his magical power. He had got rid of all defilement. All the hills, rubble, brambles, pits, mounds, wilderness, dangerous narrow passages, windblown dust, clouds and mist had been cleared up.
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Mahasattva has remarkable abilities and can perceive the Saha World. The ground is made of seven jewels and is as flat as the palm. The woods are filled with numerous jewels and the branches and leaves are made of jewels. So are the famous flowers and soft herbs. Their strong smell of fragrance fumigates universally. All living beings in the Saha World are without any suffering. Blindness, deafness, dumbness, infirmity, deformity, and hundreds of diseases will be cured immediately. Those who bear grudge and disgust will all give rise to compassion. The painful sounds in the Hell Path and Hungry Ghost Path will all cease. Foods, drinks, clothes, and solemn utensils will naturally be abundant.
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Akasagarbha Bodhissattva is the most prestigious and virtuous. He has got rid of vexations and attained a silent mind. He has derived joy from the roots of goodness. With pure faith, he abides in the Three Jewels. He holds in both hands Cinta-mani pearls that brightly shine on the world. When the heavenly music is played, treasure clothes of all kinds and colors fall down like rain, and so do the various kinds of wondrous magnificent things like beautiful hair, canopies, treasure utensils, heavenly clothes, gold chains, pearl necklaces, and lotus flowers of different colors.
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In the Great Accumulation Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Asks Questions Sutra, Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva joins hands, praises the Buddha, and says the gatha (verse):
The wise Honored One with supreme Dharma and merits,
Has infinite purity and non-defilement.
He is like the sky that is equal, silent, and still.
Because he is incomparable, he is deeply worshipped.
He can manifest his body with a wondrous form, while he does not deviate from his Dharma body when showing this body.
He sympathizes sentient beings and his body universally manifests the form of a hundred blessings and magnificence.
When he has left, his voice cannot be heard anymore, and his speech is severed with no more instructions.
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In the Great Accumulation Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Asks Questions Sutra, Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva joins hands, praises the Buddha, and says the gatha (verse):
Although he knows that his speech is like an echo in the valley, he still lectures with great compassion.
He treats all sentient beings equally, knowing that the mind is illusory and without self-nature.
All know that the mind action is without contemplation, and the equal and utmost mind is the real one.
He manifests in different forms to rescue the world, and his appearance that leaves well has nothing to attain.
His wondrous merit body manifests as he pleases.
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In the Great Accumulation Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Asks Questions Sutra, Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva joins hands, praises the Buddha, and says the gatha (verse):
In the Dhama, there is nothing to attain, and the same is true of Buddhahood.
If one does not abide in the Dharma, he will be away from differentiation.
Knowing that the Dharma can transform living beings, he lectures expediently and non-stop.
The masses look at the Buddha’s body together, which manifests in different forms.
The World-Honored One has left the body and mind form, and whatever He manifests will make the masses happy.
When affinities match and harmonise, all dharmas come into being.
False and differentiating thoughts are unreal.
If we know that all dharmas are also unreal, we will attain true enlightenment and confirm Nirvana.
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In the Great Accumulation Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva Asks Questions Sutra, Great Akasagarbha Bodhissattva joins hands, praises the Buddha, and says the gatha (verse):
Since the differentiation mind has been severed and one has been away from the middle and the side, he will know that the mind is empty, silent, and without self-nature.
Though one knows that all dharmas have pure nature, he still lectures on karmic retribution without differentiation or violation.
In the Dharma, sentient beings, lifespan, and humans are all empty, are as silent as the Void, and are away from names.
Knowing that these sentient beings actually do not exist, one will bring them into the Sweet Dew Gate.
Billions of practices that have been cultivated are hard to contemplate.
One should diligently seek the supreme path.
From here the affinities have been achieved, then to the extent of non-practicing one will realize Nirvana.