The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
Chapter 11

Now the blessed, thus-gone Śākyamuni addressed Śakra, Brahmā, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Kubera:

“O sublime beings, I have fully realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening in this buddha field, which is afflicted by the five degenerations and lacking in Dharma, through my compassionate dedication to sentient beings. In order to quell the pain of beings441 thrown into the darkness of ignorance and overwhelmed by the thieves and rogues of the afflictions,442 I have conquered the faction of Māra, raised the banner of the sacred Dharma, delivered countless beings from suffering, rained showers of the sacred Dharma, and defeated ten million māras.

“O sublime beings, {K159} this Dharma discourse and exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility, [F.266.a] has been consecrated {TK243} by infinite numbers of blessed buddhas and bodhisattva great beings, impossible to count, who have gathered from the world spheres in the ten directions; it has been consecrated by them to pacify the negativities of beings in this buddha field who depend for life on the earth’s vitality to bring them to maturity, to exhaust all their negative action, to ensure the long continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels, . . . and to completely fulfill all the buddhas’ intentions. So, too, you should bless it and protect it.

“I entrust you with the responsibility for the formation of merit through the roots of virtue of anyone who protects this sacred Dharma method. Likewise, I entrust you with the responsibility for the formation of merit through the roots of virtue of anyone who imparts the scriptures or recites, memorizes, pronounces, or explains them, goes for refuge in the Three Jewels, maintains lay vows, or observes pure conduct. I also entrust you with the responsibility for the formation of merit in the process that begins with entry into the first concentration and continues until the cultivation of the cessation of perception and sensation, as well as the process that begins with actualizing the fruit of entering the stream443 and continues until actualizing the awakening of buddhahood. I entrust you with the responsibility for the formation of the roots of virtue of these kinds of accumulations of merit in the present and in the future, as well as the formation of merit that results from shining the lamp of the sacred Dharma. I entrust you with the responsibility for the formation of merit for anyone who strives to propagate the Dharma methods blessed by the thus-gone ones. Anyone in the future who retains, or even writes down, this Dharma in the form of a book and carries it will purify all karmic action through this Dharma discourse. Friends, whether in a town, a home, or another place, should a Dharma preacher bathe, put on new garments, and sit on a lion throne strewn with various flowers, censed with fragrant incense, and covered with fine fabrics and linens to teach this Dharma discourse from the tip of his tongue, or even just write it down and recite it, will you care for the Dharma teacher and student? Will you protect the Dharma students? [F.266.b] {TK244} If you do not go there to exhaust the nonvirtue of both yourselves and others, you will have deceived us and will have become deluded with regard to the development of the path.”

Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, then made a pledge to the Blessed One, “Now or in the future, as long as this sacred Dharma method still exists, should a Dharma teacher, or a faithful noble son or daughter‍—whether a monk or a nun, a layman or a laywoman‍—in any village, town, city, country, border town, capital, temple, forest, palace, brahmin household, merchant household, or common household, first bathe, anoint their body, and put on new garments and then, in a courtyard adorned with various flowers, take a seat on a lion throne that is covered with fine fabrics and linens, censed with fragrant incense, and surrounded by delicious foods and teach this dhāraṇī-seal extensively to others from the tip of their tongue or, alternatively, write it down or read it, if I do not come, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of members of my retinue, to protect that Dharma teacher and clear away the afflicted karmic actions of those Dharma students‍—both myself and others444‍—and to ripen their virtuous qualities, to nurture this great Dharma method, and set them on the supreme path of the great light of wisdom‍—if I do not come to care for those villages . . . and common households and fill their treasuries and granaries with wealth and grain, then I will have transgressed the unprecedented vow I took before the blessed buddhas. [F.267.a] {TK245}

“My dhāraṇī is as follows: aṃ guha aṃ guha dhaṅga pura hana yami kha kha kha kha kha kha khava khava klinnakhava svāhā!

“Blessed One, if I do not come to support and satisfy those Dharma teachers and students with treasuries and granaries of wealth and grain, then I will have transgressed my vow.”

All the blessed buddhas, bodhisattva great beings, gods, humans, and asuras expressed their approval of Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world.

Then Kauśika repeated Brahmā’s vow and said, “My dhāraṇī is khavam rikha khavam rikha na lagha amudaña amuvaha akaṭaṭa akha aśakha jinavrakhe svāhā! Blessed One, if I do not follow through on my pledge, then I will have transgressed my vows.” Everyone then expressed their approval of Śakra, lord of the gods.

Next Virūḍhaka spoke up as well, repeating the same vow {TK246} before saying, “My dhāraṇī is ukhana­vana vasa­vana samudra­saṅṅidjña tathachyudta varuṇa vavārājā svāhā!”445 Everyone also expressed their approval of Virūḍhaka, the great king.

Now Virūpākṣa spoke up, [F.267.b] repeating the same vow before saying, “My dhāraṇī is jalaugha atogha amama mogha amasarājana­caryayamuja svāhā!” Everyone expressed their approval of Virūpākṣa, the great king.

Next Dhṛtarāṣṭra spoke up as well, repeating the same vow before saying, “My dhāraṇī is bindu­java khava javara­mukha kṣa sāra {TK247} pukavaha amārgavaṭa svāhā!” Everyone expressed their approval of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the great king.

Then Kubera spoke up as well, repeating the same vow before saying, “My dhāraṇī is kṣutre kṣu kṣu kṣutre kha kṣutre atikṣutre anayana­kṣutre hrīda­kṣutre sagara­hrīda­kṣutre saṃkusu­kṣutre dharma­kṣaya­mutre svāhā!” Everyone also expressed their approval of Kubera, the great king.

After this, twelve hundred great yakṣa commanders who live in this world system of four continents and guard it; forty thousand who live in other four-continent systems; and other gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, [F.268.a] and mahoragas of great magical power all said with one voice, “Blessed One, now or in the future, as long as this sacred Dharma lamp still shines, should a Dharma teacher, or a faithful noble son or daughter‍—whether a monk or a nun, a layman or a laywoman‍—in any village, town, city, country, border town, {TK248} capital, forest, palace, brahmin household, merchant household, aristocratic household, or common household, first bathe, anoint their body, and put on new garments and then, in a courtyard adorned with various flowers and censed with fragrant incense, take a seat on a lion throne that is covered with fine fabrics and linens and surrounded by delicious foods and teach this dhāraṇī-seal extensively to others from the tip of their tongue or, alternatively, write it down or read it, if any one of us does not come surrounded by hundreds of thousands of members in our retinues to such places to protect the Dharma teacher and the students, protect their assemblies, protect other beings, and bring beings to maturity; or if we and our retinues do not heed their command and protect them; or if we do not come there and fill their treasuries and granaries with much wealth and grain; or if we do not avert beings’ discord, quarrels, famines, diseases, foreign invasions, untimely rains, storms, cold snaps, and heatwaves, then we will have deceived, betrayed, and displeased the blessed buddhas of the past, present, and future. [F.268.b] Our bodies will then be struck by leprosy, our sight will deteriorate, and our bodies will rot. We and our retinues will propagate this Dharma method of the blessed {TK249} thus-gone Śākyamuni in both the present and the future in this four-continent world. We will teach this Dharma discourse. We will protect people who have faith in this Dharma discourse. We will nurture them. We will make them mature. {K160}446We will encourage any Dharma teacher to teach this Dharma discourse in order to purify bad actions. We will cause the wealth, grain harvests, enjoyments, and pleasures of these Dharma teachers and students to increase. We will support the doctrine of the victorious ones so that it is not destroyed.”

Hearing this, all the blessed buddhas applauded all the human and nonhuman beings. The bodhisattva Kautūhalika, the great being, asked the thus-gone Śākyamuni, “Blessed One, what is this? Are all the billions of māras here with their retinues?”

“Yes, they are here with their retinues,” the Blessed One replied.

The bodhisattva Kautūhalika then asked, “Have all of them and their retinues developed faith in the Three Jewels?”447

“No, O noble son!” answered the Blessed One. “Māra, the evil one, who has thousands of servants, has not developed faith. He is outraged and frustrated now and will still be so in the future. He will wait and watch for the opportunity, for as long as this method of the sacred Dharma is glorified, to strive [F.269.a] to bring about {K161} its destruction and disappearance. Likewise, the eighty māras with their thirteen thousand servants, and the two hundred māras with their twenty-one servants, have not developed faith in the Three Jewels. They are outraged and frustrated now and will still be so in the future. As long as this method of the sacred {TK250} Dharma proliferates, they will wait and watch for the opportunity to harm my doctrine. They will strive to destroy and obliterate it. Why is this?448

“It is because they are under the sway of their previous enmity. They have not planted any roots of virtue, have been taken in by evil companions, have no desire for the happiness of nirvāṇa, and are discouraged by virtue. Because they have not made any aspirations, they are unable to put their thoughts together, cannot be faithful, are never pleased, and do not become liberated. However, simply because they have seen this great gathering of the buddhas and heard this profound dhāraṇī discourse, they will later develop faith in unsurpassable and perfect awakening.”449

450“Blessed One, it is incredible,” marveled the bodhisattva Kautūhalika, {K162} “that if beings who have not produced roots of virtue hear this Dharma discourse, that in itself becomes a cause for their unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Blissful One, it is incredible.”

At that time there was a māra named Agasti who had worshiped former victors, developed roots of virtue, discovered unfailing faith in the Three Jewels, and received his prophecy of unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Appearing in the guise of a great sage, he sat before the thus-gone Śākyamuni. He rose from his seat and, gazing ahead, joined his palms together. Invigorated by the blessed buddhas, he filled the entire buddha field with his voice, saying, [F.269.b] “Buddhas and bodhisattva great beings, please give me your attention! Gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, {TK251} mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, māras and your retinues, heed my words! This teacher, the blessed Śākyamuni, is a lord of great compassion. He is a teacher who eliminates all degenerated buddha fields and perfects them with a complete array of positive attributes. It is through his past aspirations that he fully awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in this kind of buddha field, which is rife with the afflictions and the five degenerations. Thus he proceeded to mature the minds of beings who have committed the acts of immediate retribution, who spurn the sacred Dharma, slander noble beings, develop roots of nonvirtue, and indulge in evil deeds. He set out to turn them back from the three lower realms, to bring them to maturity in the three vehicles, to establish them in absorption, dhāraṇī, and acceptance, to purify the buddha field, and to ensure that the lineage of the Three Jewels remains uninterrupted.

“I implore you to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that this Teacher’s doctrine remains for a long time, so that this way of the buddhas is put into practice and does not perish. Otherwise, whether now or in the future, should this doctrine of the victors that the Thus-Gone One teaches be deprecated, threatened, or assailed by anyone, whether a māra or their retinue, then I implore you all to prevent this situation and dispel distractions and the obstacle to virtue. The same applies should Māra, the sons or daughters of Māra, his male or female retinue, or his messengers wait and watch for the opportunity to harm those who uphold this sacred Dharma, who exert themselves in it or teach it; or if they do so to monks or nuns, laymen or laywomen, or any noble sons or daughters who have faith and listen to the Dharma; or if they do so to those who are diligent in body, speech, and mind, delight in the creation of merit, [F.270.a] and exert themselves in {TK252} acts of venerating the Three Jewels; or if they do so to those who exert themselves in discarding the afflictions ubiquitous in the three realms; or if they do so to those who seek to completely free all beings from suffering.

“I pray to all the blessed buddhas of the present: please bestow the mastery of activity upon me! All bodhisattva great beings, retinues of Māra, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, please be on my side! All who abide on the earth within this buddha field, please be on my side in order to benefit all beings and ensure the longevity of the Buddha’s teaching, the way of the sacred Dharma. Bestow the mastery of mantra upon me! I shall then oppose Māra and his retinues by intoning a mantra that serves to destroy, disturb, harm, and intimidate them and destroy their magical powers. This mantra will hurt Māra, the sons or daughters of Māra, his male or female retinue, and his messengers, should they persist in arousing just a single faithless attitude toward the blessed ones’ teaching, or should they develop intentions to harm a monk, or even disturb his mind and the like for a brief moment, or cross-examine him. Should they decide to endanger any village, town, city, country, {TK253} capital, or border town; [F.270.b] or should they desire to cause strife, discord, famine, disease, or foreign invasions, or untimely winds, rain, cold, or heat, or any flooding, earthquakes, fissures in the earth, or falling meteors in a place where this Dharma discourse is taught; or should they spoil the nutrients in leaves, flowers, fruit, grain, or herbs, then, as soon as they form that wish, I will ravage them with plagues. I will make their bodies heavy, dark, degenerate, stinky, inefficient, and unable to get up. I will then tie them down with a fivefold noose and the like, until they are unable to move their limbs. I will then bring darkness upon them such that they no longer can see the shining sun. Because of the loss of their magical powers,451 their minds will then become disturbed and their six sense faculties will be unable to apprehend objects. The dhāraṇī is:

By the blessing of the omniscient ones, the ephemeral dominions of Māra faded away and became ineffective. The same happened to all those who harbored ill will. All the blessed buddhas applauded Kautūhalika, and so did all the bodhisattva great beings, the gods, and the other human and nonhuman beings. [F.271.a] Simultaneously, the earth in that area trembled, the waters were stirred,452 and the kings of mountains quaked. Except for those who had faith in the Buddha’s teachings and the bodhisattvas among them who had attained acceptance, Māra, his retinue, and the kaṭapūtanas were shaken.453

Māra, the evil one, inquired of the bodhisattva Dṛḍhamati, “O noble son, where has the power of the māra Agasti gone? And where is his might, if, because of the cruel Buddha, his own followers and also the power and valor of my own realm have been destroyed, the dark factions have been defeated,454 and the followers of the monk Gautama who preaches the extreme form of nihilism have been elevated? I myself, after hearing that dhāraṇī, have become stinky {TK255} and sweaty and unable to act. It has grown dark for me in all directions, and I can’t see the light. I am burning with great anguish.”

“The māra Agasti, O evil one, has brought about the ruin of the entire realm of Māra, along with its power and valor,” replied the bodhisattva Dṛḍhamati. “This transpired through the blessing of all the buddhas, involving the power of all human and nonhuman beings. {K164} He pronounced this dhāraṇī with its mantra words that cannot be conquered by others. So please, evil one, be inspired with faith in the presence of the thus-gone ones and develop the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening, so that you may be freed from the suffering of your body, speech, and mind.”

Māra, the evil one, retorted, “I would rather endure worse suffering of my evil body, speech, and mind than this, far into the unreckonable future, than to develop the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”