[F.63.a] I pay homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus have I heard at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagṛha, on the southern slope of Vulture Peak Mountain in the luminous grove of jewel trees, the domain of the Buddha, together with a large monastic assembly of 1,250 monks. This assembly included venerable Śāriputra, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Mahākāśyapa, venerable Gayākāśyapa, venerable Nadīkāśyapa, venerable Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, venerable Nandika, venerable Mahākātyāyana, venerable Bakkula, venerable Vāṣpa, venerable Koṣṭhila, venerable Vāgīśa, venerable Aśvajit, venerable Subhūti, venerable Suvāhu, venerable Aniruddha, venerable Uruvilvā­kāśyapa, venerable Revata, and venerable Ānanda, among others.

At that time, the Blessed One and his monastic assembly were venerated, revered, honored, and worshipped by Ajātaśatru, king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, who offered them clothes, food, bedding, medicine, and other material necessities. Just then, the earth shook tremendously, a massive cloud formation appeared, there was an untimely wind, strong hail began to fall, and a heavy rain fell from the massive cloud. Thunder roared and lightning flashed. Chaos erupted throughout the ten directions. A thick darkness then settled, such that the stars disappeared and even the sun and moon were dimmed. [F.64.a] No longer gleaming and luminous, they ceased to shine.

With his pristine, divine vision, superior to that of humans, the Blessed One saw those frightening things occur in the city of Vaiśālī. He saw that villages belonging to certain Licchavi people of Vaiśālī were afflicted with elemental spirits. He saw that some of the village youth, astrologers, councilors, prime ministers, court members, servant men and women, laborers, messengers, and attendants were also afflicted with elemental spirits. He saw that the monks and nuns and the men and women with lay vows throughout the entire land of Vaiśālī were all frightened, looking up to the sky, and crying out in horror. They paid homage to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. He saw that from among the brahmins and householders without particular devotion toward the Buddha’s teachings, some paid homage to Brahmā; some paid homage to Śakra; some paid homage to the guardians of the world; and still others paid homage to Maheśvara, Māṇibhadra, Pūrṇabhadra, Hārītī, the sun, the moon, the planets, the stars, or those spirits that dwell in mountains, forests, thickets, trees, rivers, fountains, ponds, pools, wells, and reliquaries. He saw that everyone was sitting and wondering, “How can we be freed from the peril of such a calamity?”

The Blessed One then manifested a miraculous feat by which a sound was heard throughout all realms of the trichiliocosm, causing the world of gods, humans, and demigods to have faith and assemble. [F.64.b]

At that point, Brahmā, master of the world; the gods of the Brahma realm; Śakra, lord of the gods; the gods of the realm of the Thirty-Three; the four great kings and the gods of their realm; the twenty-eight yakṣa generals; the thirty-two great yakṣa warriors; and Hārītī with her sons, together with their retinues, all with sublime complexions, used their respective complexions and powers to bathe Vulture Peak Mountain in bright light, like a pristine dawn once the night has passed. Approaching the Blessed One, they bowed their heads to his feet, sat to one side, then praised the Blessed One in verses of unified phrasing, cadence, and meter:

The Blessed One remained silent for a moment, then said to the four great kings, “Great Kings! It would be improper to think that your assembly could harm my assembly. That is because [F.65.a] it is in this world of humans that the Buddha has appeared, the sublime Dharma has been eloquently taught, and the Saṅgha has excellently practiced it. The seed planted from this has yielded buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, arhats, and śrāvakas in the world. Based on generating the roots of virtue with respect to them, beings of the world are born into any of the thirty-two divine realms. And kings, moreover, with their four-division army, become cakra-ruling kings with dominion over the four continents. They exercise righteous rule over the entire earth all the way to the oceans. They also come to possess a thousand sons, valiant, courageous, handsome in all respects, with the impetuousness of the power of great champions, who vanquish opposing groups and take possession of the seven kinds of precious substances. Thus, you should worry little about such a thing happening in this world.”

Then, the great king Vaiśravaṇa arose from his seat, draped his upper robe on one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Bowing to the Blessed One with palms joined, he said to him, “Blessed One, we have houses, abodes, and estates, including villages, gardens, mansions, apartments, and residences scented with incense censers and strewn with flowers, with porticos, archways, and small windows. Everywhere is festooned with beautiful and bright multi-colored silk streamers and studded with bell and pearl lattice. There we dwell, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of girls, fully8 embroiled in the five sense pleasures. Venerable Blessed One, since we are intoxicated and thus remain without a care, our entourages venture out everywhere throughout the ten directions in search of food and drink. [F.65.b] They thus steal life force, harm, obstruct, murder, and take the lives of men, women, boys, girls, newborns, and animals.

“We will reveal the physical characteristics of our own respective entourages before the fourfold retinue, in the presence of the Venerable Blessed One. There should be formed a magnificent image, along with a shrine, of the great king to whom a particular graha belongs. The patient should proclaim the name of that great king and scent with his own hand the image and the shrine with various fragrances. Having strewn the earth with flower petals and offered burning butter-lamps, the patient should then perform worship at that shrine.

“The symptoms of being afflicted by a yakṣa graha belonging to my entourage, Venerable Blessed One, are as follows:

“May my mantra syllables be fulfilled! May the name, power, sovereignty, and might of the great king Vaiśravaṇa bring me well-being! Svāhā!”

Next, the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra arose from his seat, draped his upper robe on one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Bowing to the Blessed One with palms joined, he said to him, “The symptoms of being afflicted by a gandharva graha from my entourage, Blessed One, are as follows: [F.66.a]

“Through the name, power, sovereignty, and might of the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, may I be free of all grahas and misfortunes! Svāhā!”

Then it was the great king Virūḍhaka who arose from his seat, draped his upper robe on one shoulder, and kneeled on his right knee. Bowing to the Blessed One with palms joined, he said to him, “The symptoms of being afflicted by a preta kumbhāṇḍa from my entourage, Blessed One, are as follows:

The great king Virūpākṣa now arose from his seat, draped his upper robe on one shoulder, and kneeled on his right knee [F.66.b]. Bowing to the Blessed One with palms joined, he said to him, “The symptoms of being afflicted by a fine-winged nāga graha from my entourage, Blessed One, are as follows:

“Through the name, power, sovereignty, and might of the great king Virūpākṣa, may I have well-being!”

At this, the Blessed One sounded a lion’s roar before the whole assembly:

“I, replete with the ten powers and emboldened by the four types of fearlessness, will perfectly roar out a great lion’s roar like the leader of the pack amid the assembly. I will turn the wheel of Brahmā.

“May the name, power, sovereignty, and might of the Thus-Gone One bring me well-being! Svāhā!”

At this point, the Blessed One thought, “The blessed buddhas have not come into the world for the sake of a single kingdom. The blessed buddhas have not come into the world for a single city, township, province, town, home, or being. Rather, blessed buddhas have come into the world for the sake of the whole world, with its gods, Māra, and Brahmā; [F.75.a] and for the sake of creatures, including mendicants and priests, gods, humans, and asuras—in the same way that a master physician, a healer learned in the field of medicine, appears in the world neither for a single kingdom, nor for a single land or being. Why so? It is thought that humans and non-humans could not be harmed wherever blessed buddhas were dwelling. Thus, I too should venture out to the big city of Vaiśālī. I will then secure the welfare of the populace in the big city of Vaiśālī and there perform buddha activities on their behalf.”

So, sure enough, in the morning the Blessed One donned his robes, picked up his alms bowl, and came down from Vulture Peak Mountain together with 1,250 monks.

Brahmā, master of the world, took five hundred divine parasols and offered them to the Blessed One on his right. Having made the offering, Brahmā sat, fanning the Blessed One with a chowrie.

Śakra, lord of the gods, took five hundred divine parasols and offered them to the Blessed One on his left. Having made the offering, he sat, fanning the Blessed One with a chowrie.

Each of the four great kings then took five hundred divine parasols and offered them to the Blessed One from behind. Having made the offering, they sat, fanning the Blessed One with a chowrie.

Finally, the divine son Maheśvara, the twenty-eight great yakṣa generals, the thirty-two great yakṣa warriors, and Hārītī with her sons, all with their entourages, each took a divine parasol, offered it to the śrāvakas, then sat, fanning them with chowries. [F.75.b]

Having received such accolades, respect, and reverence, the Blessed One came down from Vulture Peak Mountain together with the saṅgha of monks and set out for the city of Vaiśālī. From a distance the Licchavi people of Vaiśālī saw the Blessed One coming. He was handsome and inspiring, and his senses were stilled. His mind was serene, his sense faculties were restrained, his mind was temperate, and he had attained the perfection of sublime tranquility. His sense faculties were isolated and withdrawn. He was as well trained as an elephant, and as lucid, limpid, and clear as a lake. His body was adorned with the thirty-two characteristics of a great being, and he was ornamented with the eighty fine marks. He had the body of a thus-gone one, bedecked like the king of sal trees. Like the sun, he emitted a profusion of light rays everywhere. He was like a conflagration raging atop a mountain peak in the middle of a dark night, and brilliant and shining like a golden mountain.

As soon as the Licchavi people of Vaiśālī saw the Blessed One, they gained faith in him. With faith they swept, anointed, cleansed, and strewed with flowers the path on which the Blessed One was traveling to the great city of Vaiśālī. Having decorated the road with various silk wreaths, bells, parasols, standards, and banners, and having scented it with various incenses and perfumes, they approached the Blessed One and bowed at his feet.

Then, with his stainless hand, radiating hundreds of light rays, tender and smooth, shining brighter than the rays of the sun, adorned with the signs of past virtuous conduct, as soft as the bulb of a lotus flower, and whose palm had the design of a thousand-spoked wheel, the Blessed One stroked the heads of the Licchavi people and instructed them.

Reaching the great city of Vaiśālī, the Blessed One [F.76.a] stepped across the city threshold at midday. Looking throughout the four directions, he extended his golden arm, adjusted his upper garment, and said, “This queen of all incantations, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, is a Dharma teaching that liberates from all grahas. It is the seal of many buddhas, as many perfectly awakened, thus-gone arhats as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. Any monk or nun, or any man or woman with lay vows, who in the future worships the physical relics of the Thus-Gone One, even those as small as a mustard grain, and who receives, holds, reads aloud, teaches, and masters this teaching will never be afflicted by any fever, peril, harm, epidemic, assault, strife, fight, bondage, argument, dispute, or slander. Such a person will be unaffected by the painful karma arising from non-virtuous, evil deeds. Such a person will be unaffected by any harm doers.”

Then, Brahmā, master of the world, asked the Blessed One, “Venerable Blessed One, what is the queen of secret mantras called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, the Dharma teaching that liberates from all grahas, the seal of the buddhas, as many perfectly awakened, thus-gone arhats as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges?”

The Blessed One answered Brahmā, master of the world, “Brahmā, listen well and keep in mind what I am going to tell you!”

“As you say, Venerable One,” responded Brahmā, master of the world, to the Blessed One, and he paid attention as the Blessed One had instructed.

The Blessed One then said to him:

Concerning this he continued, “Bodily mindfulness, tranquility and insight, the three absorptions, the four bases of supernatural power, the four thorough relinquishments, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four concentrations, the four truths of the noble ones, the five faculties, the five powers, the six kinds of mindfulness, the seven aspects of awakening, the eightfold path of the noble ones, the nine successive stages of meditative equipoise, the ten powers of a thus-gone one, the eleven liberated sense fields, the twelve links of dependent origination, the twelvefold wheel of Dharma, the sixteen recollections of inhaling and exhaling the breath, the eighteen unique attributes of a buddha, and the forty-two letters—all this, Brahmā, is in the queen of incantations called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm. This is the sūtra that delivers from all grahas, the buddha seal of as many perfectly awakened, thus-gone arhats as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. It is the accomplishment of the Buddha, the accomplishment of the Dharma, and the accomplishment of the Saṅgha. It is the accomplishment of Brahmā, the accomplishment of Indra, the accomplishment of the guardians of the world, and the accomplishment of Īśvara. It is the accomplishment of the truth, the accomplishment of the path, and the accomplishment of dependent origination. It is the accomplishment of the moon, the sun, the planets, and the stars.

Then, the Blessed One uttered these verses:

“Brahmā, this queen of incantations called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, which delivers from all grahas, is the buddha seal of as many perfectly awakened, thus-gone arhats as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. It is the abode of the Buddha, the abode of the Dharma, and the abode of the Saṅgha. It is the abode of Brahmā, the abode of Indra, the abode of the guardians of the world, and the abode of Īśvara. It is the abode of great sages, the abode of the elements, the abode of the eyes, the abode of causes, the abode of spatial extension, and the abode of the teachings. It is the complete and perfect awakening of all buddhas. It is touched by śrāvakas, blessed by Brahmā, praised by Indra, revered by the world protectors, worshipped by Īśvara, extolled by the gods, and saluted by yoga practitioners. It delights scholars. It is praised by sages. It is adorned by priests. It is praised by the gods. It is cleansed by those who perform ritual ablutions. It is delighted in by the world of the four castes. It is the domain of all buddhas, the garden of pratyekabuddhas, the abode of sages, the nirvāṇa of śrāvakas, the abode of yoga practitioners, and the source of the qualities of awakening. It is the destroyer of afflictions. It uproots latent pains. It fully teaches the path of the noble ones. It opens the gates to liberation. It eradicates all beliefs in the transitory collection. It demolishes the mountain of pride. It dries the ocean of saṃsāra. It liberates all sentient beings who have fallen into the ocean of saṃsāra. [F.78.b] It severs Māra’s noose. It frightens Māra’s entourage. It scatters Māra’s spit. It overcomes the army of afflictions. It inducts one into the city of nirvāṇa.

“May I and all sentient beings be safe from all perils, calamities, and misfortunes! Svāha!

“This queen of incantations called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm is the sūtra that delivers from all grahas. It is the buddha seal of as many perfectly awakened, thus-gone arhats as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. It seals the world with its gods, humans, and asuras and poises it for the supreme city of nirvāṇa. For its sake, the previous perfect and complete buddhas—the fully awakened ones—as well as the pratyekabuddhas and śrāvakas are honored like parents, objects of veneration, and gurus. For its sake, chastity is practiced, discipline is observed, generosity is enacted, and the perfection of compassion is fulfilled. The attainment of awakening is accomplished. Māra is vanquished.”

Then, paying homage to the Blessed One, Brahmā, master of the world, Śakra, lord of the gods, and the four great kings simultaneously, with a single thought and in the same cadence, said to the Blessed One:

When this queen of incantations called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm was being expounded, this great trichiliocosm shook, rumbled, trembled, and quaked in six ways. The yakṣas and flesh-eating rākṣasas throughout the four directions loudly proclaimed:

Then, the Blessed One transformed the ground into vajra, and the bhūtas fled throughout the four directions.

The four great kings then manifested a great conflagration of flames throughout the four directions, and the bhūtas ran off into the sky.

Brahmā, master of the world, then transformed the sky into metal, and the bhūtas ran off farther into the sky, suspended in the air at the height of seven palm trees.

Śakra, lord of the gods, then brought down a rain of swords, arrows, spears, lances, javelins, trees, and mountains.

At that time, the five thousand yakṣas who had assembled from everywhere in the universe, vanquished by the curse of the incantation, crazed and weakened by fever, fell to the Blessed One’s feet exhausted and said:

The Blessed One then embraced those guhyaka lords with love, and induced them to take up the bases of training.

Just then all the illnesses, perils, calamities, diseases, and disturbances raging throughout the city of Vaiśālī ceased. The yakṣas, rākṣasas, humans, and non-humans ventured out from their respective domains. Swans, parrots, myna birds, kokila cuckoos, peacocks, wild geese, jīvañjīva pheasants, and flocks of other birds all melodiously warbled. The kiṃnaras became free of physical ailments, like divine daughters. Jeweled utensils clanged without being touched. Kettledrums, conch shells, clay drums, small kettledrums, lutes, and flutes sounded right where they stood. Pomegranate trees, wood-apple trees, āmalakī trees, banyan trees, bodhi trees, plakṣa trees, kapittha trees, udumbara trees, sal trees, and tamāla trees all released their fragrances. A hundred thousand gods exclaimed, “Ah, Ah!” A rain of flowers fell from the sky, and the fragrances of non-humans manifested in the world.

Then, with palms joined, the four great kings said to the Blessed One, “Venerable Blessed One! This Dharma teaching, the king15 of sūtras, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, is the buddha seal that delivers from all grahas. Whoever observes the bases of training, dons the saffron-colored robes, [F.80.a] and receives, holds, recites aloud, explains, masters, writes out, binds into a book, and wears it will be unaffected by any inauspicious phenomena, ranging from illness, peril, misfortune, disease, disturbance, fighting, contention, bondage, argument and dissension, and slander. They will overcome all harm.

“Villages, towns, regions, the kingdom, crossroads, and homes should be cleansed of heaps of rubbish by one seeking to demarcate the kingdom’s borders, who has performed his ablutions, seeks the three white foods, abstains from the five impure foods, observes the bases of human training, possesses equanimity for all beings, and is adorned with fine garments and jewelry. The ground at the center of the king’s palace should be strewn with flower petals and scented with various fragrances. In the four directions should be placed four girls who have performed their ablutions. They should be well adorned and hold weapons in their hands. Each of them should also have a bell, and a jewel vessel.16 In the morning, when the sun has risen, the incantation should be read out loud, and the sūtra should be recited and chanted. It should be written out and fastened to the tops of large shrines, tall trees, and tall standards, and then worshipped for up to half a lunar month with various flowers and fragrances. It should be chanted once each day. Thus, the kingdom will be delivered. Thus, the villages, cities, regions, country, kingdom, palaces, sacred sites, temples, homes, fields, government offices, trees, orchards, meadows, gardens, cowsheds, and stables will be divested of heaps of rubbish. [F.80.b]

“Khadira and jujube woods should be lit, the ground should be strewn with flower petals, and the porticos should be scented with various fragrances to the right and left. All seeds should be smeared with clarified butter and scattered to the four directions. Threads of various colors should be tied to the passageways. All the animals should be released and then rounded up again. The incantation should be chanted. It should be written out or bound into a book, fastened to some high place, and then worshipped. In front of the patient a buddha image, a buddha reliquary, or an image of Brahmā, Śakra, or the four great kings should be placed on a stool or on a casket17 and marked with the four seals.18 The three jewels should be worshipped with various flowers and fragrances, and in the names of Brahmā, Śakra, the four great kings, Maheśvara, the yakṣa generals, the yakṣa warriors, Hārītī, and so forth. ‘By their power, majesty, and might may I have well-being! May I be protected! May I be delivered from all illnesses!’ All of the patient’s food, drink, and medicine should be bestowed enchanted with this incantation.

“As counteraction to interferences devised by kākhordas19 or vetāḍas, a man or a woman who has fasted for a single day and night and been ritually cleansed and well adorned should strew the ground with flower petals, scent it with various fragrances, light a fire from khadira and jujube woods, and scatter seeds throughout the four directions. The seeds should also be scattered into the fire. All roots and flowers should be wound into cords of various colors and fastened to swords, tridents, spears, and arrows. Many varieties of perfumed water should be mixed together and then poured into a large pot. The one who is afflicted by the kākhorda should be tied up with the cord and cleansed with the liquid from the pot. The cord should then be cut with a sword and tossed into the fire. This sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, should then be uttered:

“ ‘These mantra syllables cause all the deities20 to shear, eliminate, vanquish, and overcome all kākhordas, vetāḍas, medicinal herbs, mantras, poisons, and potions. Svāha!’

“One who endeavors to be free of goiters, herpes, insanity, boils, blisters, rashes,21 and the drinking of poison should be ritually cleansed and well adorned, and say the following incantation while sitting on a fine seat:

“Then, one who wishes to be victorious in all skirmishes, fights, arguments, dissensions, and battles against opposing armies and enemies should first worship a large shrine. Then, he should recite the following queen of incantations, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm:

Then the omniscient teacher uttered these verses:

In unison, the gods then proclaimed this verse:

Then, Brahmā, Great Brahmā, arose, and bowing with palms joined said:

Having thus bowed down to the feet of the Buddha, Brahmā said:

Then, the omniscient teacher expressed these incantations:

The great king Vaiśravaṇa now draped his upper robe on one shoulder and, paying homage to the Blessed One with palms joined, said to him, “Venerable Blessed One, certain śrāvakas ought to receive, hold, teach, recite, and master this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, and thereby strive to learn it well and strive in the worship of reliquaries with it. On the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth lunar days, they should perform elaborate worship at a reliquary and recite the incantation there. [F.84.b]. On the eighth lunar day people of the four great kings26 should reflect on that sūtra in the presence of the four kings. They should also recite the names of the four great kings. On the fourteenth lunar day they should reflect on it in the presence of the four great kings and recite their names. And on the fifteenth lunar day, they should reflect on the four great kings and recite their names.

“The Blessed One’s śrāvaka who takes up, holds, teaches, recites, and masters this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, benefits and cares for all creatures. Venerable Blessed One, we four great kings will ensure that he has no worries about procuring monk’s robes, alms, bedding, cushions, medicines for illness, and other necessary utensils. He will be honored by all beings. He will be venerated, revered, and worshipped by kings and ministers. He will be worshipped, moreover, by non-Buddhists, ascetics, priests, practitioners, mendicants, and among friends and foes alike. He will become a pure, faithful son or daughter of noble family.27 He will have a pure body, and pure food, adornments, bedding, cushions, and utensils. He will not meet with unfortunate states. He will not associate with bad companions. He will not encounter those who dwell in bad states. Whoever recollects28 this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, before someone who has been seized by a bhūta graha ensures that the four great kings themselves guard, protect, and conceal him.

“Venerable Blessed One, such is the great power of this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, that whoever genuinely contemplates it inside their home for either a single night, or a single day, ensures that non-humans will not enter there for up to a single year. [F.85.a] He will be worthy of veneration by all assemblies of bhūtas. If even the four great kings show their faces when one holds this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, how much more so will yakṣas, rākṣasas, and other ordinary beings? Why is that? It is because those who perform incantations in the world for the sake of healing sentient beings render these secret mantra syllables supreme, principal, exalted, sublime, profound, vast, authentic, impenetrable, and unique—it is the seal of the Dharma.”

Then, at dusk, the Blessed One emerged from his meditative composure and said to the monks,

“Monks! Receive, hold, recite, teach, and master the sūtra called Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm! It will be for the long-term welfare, benefit, happiness, and comfort of the world with its gods!

“Monks! If any of my monks were to tie a cord to a barren tree with this sūtra, Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, then leaves, flowers, and fruits would grow on it. So it goes without saying what it can do for a body endowed with consciousness—unless, that is, the ripening of prior karma precludes it.”

When the Blessed One had spoken, the monks then asked him, “The five great sūtras taught by the Venerable Blessed One are Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm, Great Peahen, Great Cool Grove, Great Amulet, and Great Application of Secret Mantra. Venerable Blessed One, you have instructed that these sūtras should be upheld by those who refrain from the five kinds of impure food.32 You have also said that we should take ordination and live on alms. However, Blessed One, there are very few alms that are unmixed with the five kinds of impure food. In this way, since there are many more that are mixed with the five kinds of impure food, how, Venerable Blessed One, should we conduct ourselves in this regard?”

The Blessed One answered the monks, “Monks, it is precisely for this reason that, in order to protect oneself, one who holds the sūtra Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm should also hold the Dhāraṇī of the Unblemished Gem. In this way one should think of food as being agreeable when taking alms. [F.86.b] One should even consider food mixed with the five kinds of impure food as being unmixed with the five kinds of impure food. One should also consider all compounded phenomena as impermanent, impermanence as suffering, and suffering as selfless. Where are the five kinds of impure food? Who has the five kinds of impure food? Who eats the five kinds of impure food? No sentient being is perceived.

“If alms are adulterated with the five kinds of impure foods, one should protect oneself on the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth lunar days. On those days, a girl of royal caste, who has been well cleansed, well adorned, and who has fasted for a day and taken the five precepts, should wind four red strings into a cord. Then, while the incantation is being recollected by a holder of the secret mantra, a knot should be tied in the cord. Next the cord should be cut with a new knife and burned. Then, the cord should be laid in a jewel or metal vessel filled with water, covered with flowers, and scented with various fragrances. This incantation should then be recited until the cord surfaces inside the vessel. The cord should then be tied to the wrist and the following should be recited:

At these words from the Blessed One, the monks rejoiced, and praised what the Blessed One had said.