Earth Store (Bodhisattva)

"Earth Store Bodhisattva is named after the earth, which not only gives birth to things and makes them grow, but can store a great many things within itself as well. Because this Bodhisattva is like the earth, he can produce the myriad things and make them grow. Anyone who believes in him may obtain the treasures stored in the ground: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of pearl, red pearls, and carnelian. . . .

"His Sanskrit name is , "Earth Store". There are ten aspects of the earth: it is wide and extensive; it supports all living beings; it is impartial; it receives the great rain; it produces grasses and trees; it holds all planted seeds; it holds many treasures; it produces medicines; it is not moved by the blowing wind; and it does not tremble at the lion's roar." (SPV 20 21)

"You could say that Earth Store Bodhisattva is the dumbest of the Bodhisattvas, and also the most intelligent. Why is he dumb? It is because he does things no one else wants to do. He can bear what others can't bear and yield when others can't yield. When his parents were extremely mean to him, it didn't make any difference; he was filial just the same. That is why within Buddhism Earth Store Bodhisattva is known as the Bodhisattva of great filiality and also as the Bodhisattva of great vows. He said, 'Until the hells are empty I will never become a Buddha.' Until every single living being is taken across, he doesn't want to attain proper and equal enlightenment. Take a look at that kind of vow-power- doesn't it seem kind of dumb? On the other hand, we can also say he is the most intelligent Bodhisattva. That is because he stands out above everyone else. He transcends all his peers. Someone asks, 'Is he trying to be special?' No. He does what others don't want to do and are not able to do. And so we can say that he is the most intelligent Bodhisattva. In short, it can be said of Earth Store Bodhisattva that he has great vows, great conduct, great wisdom, and great compassion. . . . Jyou-hwa Mountain is the sacred Wayplace devoted to Earth Store Bodhisattva." (SPV 136)

(Source: Epstein, 2003: p. 61)

1) Chinese Mandarin: , 2) Sanskrit: , 3) Pali: -----, 4) Alternate Translations: Bodhisattva Treasury/Womb of the Earth.

See also: The Eight Great Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Ksitigarbha, Vajrapani, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, dharani, mantra, Five School of Buddhism - Esoteric, Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva.

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: SPV, TT 136.

The Practice of Ksitigarbha
to Avert Danger and Purify Obstacles

The Practice
It is good to recite daily the sutra prayer (after the mantra) praised by Buddha to Ksitigarbha and the prayer that I have added below.
I prostrate, go for refuge, make offerings, please grant blessing. The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who has unbearable compassion for me and all sentient beings whose minds are obscured and who are suffering, who has qualities like the sky and liberates sentient beings from all the sufferings and gives all the happiness. (x 3)
With hands folded in prostration, visualize doing the prostrations to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas; that becomes prostration when you say the word prostrate. When you say the word refuge, think that you are asking to be free from the two obscurations (to be able to achieve enlightenment). When you say the word offering, you think that all the offerings that you have are then offered. When you ask for blessings, you think in your mind that the whole path to enlightenment is the blessing to be received.
This is the mantra that Ksitigarbha heard from Buddhas equaling the number of sand grains of the river Ganga. He made offerings to them and then received this mantra. This mantra is to be used for any difficulties, problems; it is the best one to do for any problems in any situation. Even reciting four or five times, just a few times, it is very powerful. It is powerful to recite or just to think of the name of the bodhisattva. It is very, very powerful.
tsimbo tsimbo / dze tsimbo / aga ga tsimbo / bagara tsimbo / om ah bara tsimbo / bara tsimbo / badzira tsimbo / aroga tsimbo / dehama tsimbo / tsatewa tsimbo / sadenewa tsimbo / bewaroga sharwa tsimbo / owashama tsimbo / nyana tsimbo / bagasama moni ran-nga tsimbo / chana tsimbo / begimaba ria tsimbo / shashe dala maba tsimbo / bea dahso / dama haley / dombay abbey / satasey / satabasaley / geley / gela garaba / bara baretey / hasaley / barebey / paresata bendaney / benra / tsatsa tsatsa / heleneley / agata / take takelo / tare tare / nelematey / nemtey gulemela / om gutsibatey / arregerey / gutashamaley / dunga dunga dungurey / huru huru huru / gunodumeley / marito / naretey / mendata / harakam rem / huru huru //

Alternative mantra, which Rinpoche advised to do in preference to the above one:

tayata muni mo re / muni gha bhe / muni ki li dha ye / muni rogi ba tza le / muni hali de /
muni gha me shu bha khye / mirla bhag /
khe bhaa la la bhag khye /
so ri kirta / tor na kir tsa le / bha tag sha kir te /
ku ku la mir le / ava khya sa re / er ha ki li bha /
muni bhaa thaba soha

Short Mantra
om ah khtiti garbha thaleng hung

Praise by Buddha to Kshitigarbha
You have generated stability of thought and pure thought (altruism / bodhicitta) and eliminated the sufferings of immeasurable sentient beings. I see (sentient beings) receiving happiness like the wish granting jewel, and like the vajra you cut the nets of the doubt (of others). You offer the Destroyer, Qualified-Gone-Beyond-Ones holy offerings with great compassionate thought and perseverance. You liberate the sentient beings from the sufferings with oceans of wisdom. Because you have no fear (delusions), you have gone beyond samsara.
This is especially beneficial for those who have heavy problems, serious health problems, big projects or financial difficulties. I will suggest it is extremely powerful to recite every day at least four or five times or more, depending on how crucial it is also, for protection. Even to grow crops well and to protect land and crops.
It explains in the sutra the extensive benefits and qualities, like the sky, of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, like skies of benefit to all beings. There have been experiences, similar benefits received by those who practice Ksitigarbha.

This practice was translated, compiled and checked by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Ksitigarbha
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JIZO BODHISATTVA
Jp. = Jizo Bosatsu, Jizou, Jizoo
Skt. = Ksitigarbha / Ksitegarbha

Origin = India

Guardian of Souls in Hell
Savior from the Torments of Hell

Master of Six States of Reincarnation.
Protector of Children, Expectant Mothers, Firemen, Travelers, and Pilgrims.
Protector of Aborted / Miscarried Babies.
Guardian of Children in Limbo

Ksitigarbha statue at Mt. Osore, Japan
Names
Simplified Chinese: 地藏菩萨, 地藏王菩萨
Traditional Chinese: 地藏菩薩, 地藏王菩薩
Pinyin: Dìzàng Púsà, Dìzàng Wáng Púsà
Wade-Giles: Ti Tsang, Ti Tsang Wang Pu Sa
Japanese | Kanji: 地藏, 地藏王菩薩
Romaji: Jizo, Jizo-o Bosatsu
Tibetan: Sai Nyingpo
Korean romanization: Jijang-bosal
Vietnamese: Địa Tạng, Địa Tạng Vương Bồ tát

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (地藏菩薩), often known by the Japanese name Jizō (地蔵) or the Chinese name Dizang (地藏 Dìzàng), is a popular Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva, usually depicted as a monk. The name Jizō or Dizang may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb."

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is often referred to, because of his vow to not achieve Buddhahood until all hells are vacated, as the Bodhisattva of the Hell beings. His famous vow recited by many Buddhists is "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; Not until all beings are saved will I certify to Bodhi."

Usually depicted as a monk with a nimbus around his shaved head, he carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness.

Contents [hide]
1 Overview
1.1 In Japan
1.2 In China
2 History
2.1 As Sacred Girl
2.2 As a Monk
3 Iconography
3.1 Traditional iconography
3.2 Misconceptions
3.3 Popular iconography in Japan
3.4 Akasagarbha
4 External links

[edit] Overview

[edit] In Japan
In Japan, Kṣitigarbha, known as Jizō, or Ojizō-sama as he is affectionately known, is one of the most loved of all Japanese divinities. His statues are a common sight, especially by roadsides and in graveyards. Traditionally, he is known to be the guardian of children, particularly children who died before their parents. Since the 1980s, the tendency developed in which he was worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko, the souls of stillborn, miscarried or aborted fetuses. In Japanese mythology, it is said that souls of children who die before parents are unable to cross the mythical Sanzu River on its way to the afterlife because they have not had the chance to accumulate enough good deeds and because they have made the parents suffer. It is believed that Jizō saves these souls from having to pile stones eternally on the bank of the river as penance, by hiding them from demons in his robe, and letting them hear mantras.

Jizō statues are usually accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld. The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. Jizō's features are also commonly made more babylike in order to resemble the children he protects.

As he is the saviour of souls who have to suffer in the underworld, his statues are common in cemeteries. He is also believed to be the protective deity of travellers, and roadside statues of Jizō are a common sight in Japan. Firefighters are also under the protection of Jizō, as he can go in the midst of hell, and remain calm.

[edit] In China
Kṣitigarbha is one of the four principal bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. The others are Samantabhadra, Manjusri, and Avalokitesvara.

At the pre-Tang Dynasty grottos in Dunhuang and Longmen, he is depicted in classical bodhisattva shape. After the Tang Dynasty, he became increasingly depicted as a monk, carrying rosaries and a staff.

His full name in Chinese is Dayuan Dizang Wang Pusa (Traditional Chinese: 大願地藏王菩薩; Simplified Chinese: 大願地藏王菩萨; Hanyu Pinyin: Dàyuàn Dìzàng Wáng Púsà), or the Bodhisattva King Dizang of the Great Vow. This is a reference to his pledge, as recorded in the sutras, to take responsibility for the instruction of all souls in Heaven, Earth, and Hell, in the era between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya Buddha. Because of this important role, shrines to Kṣitigarbha often occupy a central role in Chinese Buddhist temples of the Chan sect, such as at the famed Shaolin Temple.

Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui is regarded as Kṣitigarbha's seat. It is one of the four great Buddhist mountains of China, and at one time housed more than 300 temples. Today, 95 of these are open to the public. The mountain is a popular destination for pilgrims offering dedications to Kṣitigarbha.

In some areas, the admixture of traditional religions has led to Kṣitigarbha being also regarded as a Taoist deity. For example, in Taiwan, followers of Buddhism, Taoism or folk religion can be found venerating Kṣitigarbha, where he is often appealed to for protection against earthquakes. There, and in Hong Kong and among Overseas Chinese communities, his images are usually found in the memorial halls of Buddhist and Taoist temples.

[edit] History
The history of Kṣitigarbha is well described in the Sutra of The Great Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, one of the most popular Mahayana Buddhist sutras. This sutra is said to have been spoken by the Buddha towards the end of his life to the beings of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven as a mark of gratitude and remembrance for his beloved mother, Māyādevī. It stated that Kṣitigarbha practiced filial piety as a mortal, which eventually led to making great vows to save all sentient beings.

[edit] As Sacred Girl
In the Kṣitigarbha Sutra, the Buddha revealed that in the distant past aeons, Kṣitigarbha was a Brahman maiden by the name of Sacred Girl. She was deeply troubled when her mother died, because she had often been slanderous towards the Triple Gem.

To save her from the great tortures of hell, the young girl sold whatever she had and used the money to buy offerings which she offered daily to the Buddha of her time, known as The Buddha of Flower of Meditation and Enlightenment. She made fervent prayers that her mother be spared of the pains of hell and appealed to the Buddha for help.

One day at the temple, while she was pleading for help, she heard the voice of the Buddha advising her to go home immediately and there to sit down and recite his name if she wanted to know where her mother was. She did as she was told and while doing so, her consciousness was transported to a Hell Realm where she met a guardian who informed her that through her fervent prayers and pious offerings, her mother had accumulated much merit and therefore, she had already been released from hell and ascended to heaven. She was greatly relieved and should have been extremely happy, but the sight of the great suffering she had witnessed in Hell so touched her tender heart that she made a vow to do her very best to relieve beings of their suffering forever in her future lives of kalpas to come.

[edit] As a Monk
There is another legend about how Kṣitigarbha manifested in China, and chose his bodhimanda to be Mount Jiuhua, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of China in Buddhism.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Ming, Buddhism started to flourish, reaching its peak in the era of the Tang Dynasty, eventually spreading to Japan and Korea. At the time, monks and scholars arrived from those countries to seek the Dharma in China. One of these pilgrims was a former prince of Korea, which was at the time divided into three countries (Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje). The monk, whose Korean name was Kim Kiaokak (Ch: Jin Qiaojue) was a prince from Silla who became a monastic under the name of Earth Store (Also called Jijang, the Korean pronunciation of Dizang). He came to the region of Anhui to Mount Jiuhua. After ascending, he decided to build a hut in a deep mountain area so that he may be able to cultivate.

According to records, the monk was bitten by a poisonous snake, but did not move, thus letting the snake go. A woman happened to pass by and gave the monk medicines to cure him of the venom, as well as a spring on her son's behalf. For a few years, the monk continued to meditate in his hut, until one day, a scholar named Chu-Ke led a group of friends and family to visit the mountain. Noticing the monk meditating in the hut, they went and took a look at his condition. They had noticed that the monk's bowl did not contain any food, and that his hair had grown back.

Feeling pity on the monk, Scholar Chu decided to build a temple as an offering to the monk. The whole group descended the mountain immediately to discuss plans to build the temple. Mount Jiuhua was also property of a wealthy person named the elder Wen-Ke, who obliged to build a temple on his mountain. Therefore, Wen-Ke and the group ascended the mountain once more and asked the monk how much land he needed.

The monk replied that he needed a piece of land that could be covered fully by his kasaya. Bewildered that a piece of sash could not be enough land to build a temple, the monk surprised them as he threw the kasaya in the air, and the robe expanded in size, covering the entire mountain! Elder Wen-Ke had then decided to renounce the entire mountain to the monk, and became the monk's protector. Sometime later, Wen-Ke's son also left the home life to start his life as a monk.

The monk lived in Mount Jiuhua for seventy five years before passing away at the age of ninety-nine. Three years after his nirvana, his tomb was opened, only to reveal that the body had not decayed. Because the monk led his wayplace with much difficulty, most people had the intuition to believe that he was indeed the transformation body of Kṣitigarbha.

Monk Jijang's well-preserved, dehydrated body may still be viewed today at the monastery he built on Mount Jiuhua.

[edit] Iconography

Red-bibbed Jizō statues in Nikko
[edit] Traditional iconography
In Buddhist iconography, Kṣitigarbha is typically depicted with a shaven head, dressed in a monk's simple robes (unlike most other bodhisattvas, who are dressed like Indian royalty). In his left hand, Kṣitigarbha holds a wish granting jewel; in his right hand, he holds a monk's staff called in Japanese a shakujo (錫杖) (jingle staff), which is used to alert insects and small animals of his approach, so that he will not accidentally harm them. Such a staff is traditionally carried by high ranking monks of Chinese Buddhist temples. Usually, Kṣitigarbha will sometimes be seen wearing a crown depicting the Five Dhyani Buddhas, worn by Tibetan and Chinese monks in Tantric rituals.

In Japan, Kṣitigarbha is almost always depicted in a standing position; the posture of the adjacent picture is rather unusual.

Like other Bodhisattvas, Kṣitigarbha usually is seen standing upon a lotus base, symbolizing his release from the karmic wheel of rebirth. Kṣitigarbha's face and head are also idealized, featuring the third eye, elongated ears and the other standard attributes of an enlightened being.

[edit] Misconceptions
Many uninformed Buddhists, Taoists, and those who believe in Chinese folk religion, see Kṣitigarbha as identical with Yama, the judge of Hell, but this is a misconception.

Kṣitigarbha has also often been mistaken by many uninformed Buddhists to be Xuanzang, the famous Tripitaka master of the Tang Dynasty who made the hazardous journey to the west to seek the Buddhist scriptures, and the basis for the fictional character from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. This is mainly due to the robe and the Five Buddha crown which both are seen to wear.

[edit] Popular iconography in Japan

Little Jizō (here: Mizuko Jizô) statues at the cemetery in the Zojoji-temple in Tokyo.The Narihira Santosen Temple in Katsushika, Tokyo contains the famous "Bound Jizo" of Ōoka Tadasuke fame, dating from the Edo Period. When petitions are requested before the Jizō, the petitioner ties a rope about the statue. When the wish is granted, the petitioner unties the rope. At the new year, the ropes of the ungranted wishes are cut by the temple priest.

[edit] Akasagarbha
Kṣitigarbha has a twin known as Ākāśagarbha (虛空藏 ;Ch. Xūkōngzàng, Jap. Kokuzo), the "Void Store". While theologically equally important, Ākāśagarbha entirely lacks the popular cult of Kṣitigarbha.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Jizo
[edit] External links
Jizo Bodhisattva - Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhism: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jizo1.shtml
Jizo Bodhisattva: modern healing and traditional Buddhist practice (ISBN 0-8048-3189-0)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksitigarbha

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)

Primary Original Source: The Tripitaka Sutra, Shastra and Vinaya teachings
(as found in the scripture storehouse of the Indian Sanskrit-Siddham, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese traditions of the Nalanda Tradition of ancient Nalanda University) of Shakyamuni Buddha, and his Arya Sagely Bodhisattva Bhikshu Monk and Upasaka disciples.

These Good and Wise Advisors (Kaliyanamitra) Dharma Master teachers include Arya Venerables Nagarjuna, Ashvaghosha, Aryasura, Kumarajiva, Shantideva, Chandrakirti, Chandragomin, Vasubandhu, Asanga, Hui Neng, Atisha, Kamalashila, Dharmarakshita, Tsong Khapa, Thogme Zangpo, Patanjali, Sushruta, Charaka, Vagbhata, Nichiren, Hsu Yun, Hsuan Hua, Shen Kai, Tenzin Gyatso, Kyabje Zopa, Ajahn Chah, Vasant Lad, and other modern day masters. We consider them to be in accord with Master Hsuan Hua’s "Seven Guidelines for Recognizing Genuine Teachers"

Nalanda Online University's teachings are based especially on the Dharma Flower Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Ksitigarbha Sutra, the Bhaisajya Guru Sutra, the Dharani Sutra, the Vajra Sutra, the Prajna Paramita Hridayam Sutra, the Guhyasamaja, the Kalachakra and their commentaries (shastras) by the above Arya Tripitakacharya Dharma Masters.

At Nalanda Online University we practice daily and introduce you to (via downloadable multimedia MP3 audio and WMV video lectures) the teachings and practices of the Five Traditions transmitted by the Buddha Shakyamuni:

1. Teaching School (Mahayana Sutrayana - Paramitayana - Hua Yan and Tian Tai, Yogachara, Nalanda Prasangika Madhyamika, Theravada Sutta)

See also: Tripitaka (1. Sutras, 2. Vinaya, 3. Shastras or Abhidharma, or Tantra), Taisho Catalog Numbering System, Dharma, and names of individual sutras (such as Shurangama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra [Flower Adornment Sutra], Lotus Sutra [Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra], Earth Store Sutra, Dharani Sutra, Brahma Net Sutra, Medicine Master Buddha Sutra, Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra, Sutra in 42 Sections, Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching, et al.

2. Moral Regulations School (Vinaya Pratimoksha Shila - Bodhisattva Pranidhana - Vajrayana-Samaya - Yogic Yama)

3. Esoteric School (Vajrayana - Mantrayana - Tantrayana - Dharani - Secret School of the Mahayana)

4. Meditation School (Indian Dhyana Samadhi - Shamatha - Vipassana, Chinese Chan, Japanese Zen,
        Tibetan Mahamudra of Kagyupa, and Tibetan Dzogchen of Nyingmapa)

5. Pure Land Devotional School (Bhakti Puja - Buddha-Bodhisattva Mindfulness and Nama Japa --
         Name Recitation of Buddhas Amitabha-Amitayus, Medicine Buddha - Bhaisajya Guru - Akshobhya,
         and Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara-Guanyin-Chenrezig-Mahakala, Tara, Samantabhadra Universal Worthy,
         Manjushri-Kalarupa Great Wisdom, Maitreya Great Loving-Kindness, Mahasthamaprapta Great Strength,
         Ksitigarbha - Earth Store Great Vows, Vajrapani, Vajrasattva,
         Chandraprabha Moonlight Radiance, Suryaprabha Sunlight Radiance, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Medicine Superior Bodhisattva
         and others Dharma Protecting Dharmapala Lokapala Bodhisattvas, Gods and Goddesses)

Compilation Sources for the Above Material on the Teachings of the Buddha:

Primary Compilation Source: Epstein, Ronald B., Ph.D, compiler, Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z, Burlingame, California: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003. ISBN: 0881393533 Paperback: 284 pages. www.BTTSOnline.org www.Amazon.com
http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881393533/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20

Secondary Compilation Source: The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., San Francisco, California: Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 1998: www.budaedu.org.tw

Secondary Compilation Source: Muller, Charles, editor, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB], Toyo Gakuen University, Japan, 2007: Username is "guest", with no password.
http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb - Based in large part on the Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms with Sanskrit and English Equivalents (by Soothill and Hodous) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.

Secondary Compilation Source: Ehrhard, Diener, Fischer, et al, The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 296 pages. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5 www.Shambhala.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877735204/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20,
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-0-87773-520-5.cfm

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On the Buddha Shakyamuni's Birthday 2007,
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to liberate living beings suffering in samsara below by compassionately helping them to plant good roots in this and their future rebirths.

The merit is dedicated to anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

Increasing Effect Mantra:
Om Sambhara Sambhara (These Bhikshu Bodhisattva Bodhichitta Vows) Bimana Sara (Spread) Maha (Greatly) Java (Rapidly) Hum (recited 7x)

To increase by 100,000 times the merit created:
Tadyatha Om Pancha Griya (five offerings or five faces) Ava Bodhani Svaha (7x)

Om Dhuru Dhuru Jaya (Victory) Mukhe (Face or Mouth) Svaha (7x)

I Now Universally Transfer the Merit and Virtue of to All Beings to realize Anuttara-Samyak-Sam-Bodhi
(“Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment”)

Sarva Mangalam.
May all be Auspicious.

Arya Bhikshu Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara says:
Just as Manjushri works
To fulfill the aims of all limited beings
To the far reaches of space in the ten directions,
May my behavior become just like that.

For as long as space remains,
And for as long as wandering beings remain,
May I too remain for that long,
Dispelling the sufferings of wandering beings.

(Like Ananda says in the Shurangama Sutra introduction to the Shurangama Mantra,
"And even could the nature of shunyata melt away, my vajra-like Supreme Resolve would still remain unmoved.)

Whatever sufferings wandering beings might have,
May all of them ripen on me,
And through the Bodhisattva assembly,
May wandering beings enjoy happiness.

May the teachings,
the sole medicine for the sufferings of wandering beings
And the source of all happiness,
Continue to endure for a very long time,
With material support and shows of respect.

Updated May 10, 2008