No. 34 觀世音菩薩救苦經
GUANYIN’S SCRIPTURE TO SAVE FROM HARDSHIP
This is another guanyin-related apocrypha. It has some popularity. The sutra is a prayer to guanyin and various bodhisattvas against various kinds of mundane disasters. Like a lot of these apocrypha, I suspect they started off life as prayers that were eventually regarded as sutras.
The present text comes from the Manji Revised tripitaka (no 1 and 2 below). Some versions found online, have a lengthy verse section added to the end of the sutra. This verse is a description of 19 manifestations of guanyin, followed by a description of her salvific powers.
Although apocryphal, the text makes reference to other sutras. In the 'sutra proper' we find the line 'no need to break apart the neck ornament'. This is an allusion to an episode in the Guanyin Chapter of the Lotus sutra, where askyamati (Wujinyi, inexhaustible meanings) bodhisattva presents guanyin with a massive string of pearls, which Guanyin reluctantly accepts, and gives to the Buddha and the Many Treasure Buddha Pagoda.
In the verse section, the lines 'Recall Guanyin in the morning, Recall Guanyin in the evening...' are variations of a set of lines in the High King Guanyin Sutra/ King Gao's Guanyin sutra, and the Ten Sentence Guanyin Sutra which goes (in the translation found here https://www.sotozen.com/eng/library/glossary/individual.html?key=ten_line_kannon_sutra)
朝念觀世音。暮念觀世音。
念念從心起。念念不離心。
In the morning think of [Guanyin]
in the evening think of [Guanyin]
Thought after thought arises from mind;
thought after thought is not separate from mind.
I have been able to identify some of the manifestations of Guanyin in the gatha section: The Incense-mountain assembly refers to the famous Precious Scroll of Incense Mountain; the Fish Basket guanyin refers to another one of her manifestations (where she manifested as a fisherwoman to convert a village to buddhism https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23729988.2023.2210974 )
The Guanyin of the 53 views is an allusion to Guanyin's role in the Gandavayudha (Ru Fajie pin) of the Avatamsaka Sutra (flower ornament sutra) where she is one of the 53 spiritual friends Sudhana (Sancai Tongzi) meets on his pilgrimage.
The penultimate stanza 'Gods of heaven’s net! ..." is also identical to the mantra of the white robed great one 白衣大士神咒, another apocryphal but extremely popular incantation associated with Guanyin.
Versions consulted:
1-https://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/sutra/10thousand/X01n0034.pdf
2- https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/zh/X0034
3- https://archive.org/details/fojingtang/page/n9/mode/2up
Other versions with appended gatha:
4- https://eecarol.wordpress.com/2018/06/24/觀音佛祖大救苦真經/
5- https://tnews.cc/049/News/View/145170m
___TRANSLATION____
南無救苦觀世音菩薩。百千萬億佛。恒河沙數佛。無量功德佛。
I take refuge in the saviour from hardship, Guanyin Bodhisattva!; the hundred, thousand, myriad, ten million Buddhas! [and] Limitless Merit Buddha!
佛告阿難言。此經大聖。能救獄囚。能救重病。能救千災百難苦。若有人。誦得一千遍。一身離苦難。誦得一萬遍。合家離苦難。
The Buddha told Ananda “This sutra is most holy. It can save from imprisonment; it can save from severe illnesses, it can save from the thousand disasters, and the hundred hardships. If a person can chant it a thousand times, their bodies will be free from hardship; if they chant it ten thousand times, their entire families will leave hardship.
南無佛力威。南無佛力護。
使人無惡心。令人身得度。
I take refuge in the mighty power of the Buddha!
I take refuge in the mighty power of the Buddha!
It makes people free from evil in their hearts,
And allows them to be delivered
回光菩薩。回善菩薩。
Light Returning Bodhisattva!
Good Returning Bodhisattva!
阿耨大天王。正殿菩薩。
Heavenly King Anuo!
Bodhisattva of the Upright Hall!
摩邱摩邱。清淨比邱。
Moqiu! Moqiu!
Pure Bhikkikus!
官事得散。私事得休。
Official matters will scatter!
Private matters will come to rest!
諸大菩薩。五百羅漢。
All the great Bodhisattvas,
The Five Hundred Arhats!
救護弟子身。悉皆離苦難。
Protect your disciple’s body!
And let [me] leave all hardship!
自然觀世音。纓絡不須解。
Self-so Guanyin!
no need to break apart neck ornament (Yingluo)
勤誦千萬遍。災難自然得解脫。
Chant this thousand, ten thousand times,
[you will be] naturally freed from all disasters
信受奉行。即說真言曰。
They respectfully received this.
The True Words go:
今菩今菩提 陀羅尼帝 尼佉羅帝 菩提薩婆訶
Jin Pu! Jinputi! Tuoluonidi! Niqieluodi! Putisapohe!
*** <The appended Gatha> *****.
觀世音菩薩大慈悲﹐救度眾生無盡期﹐
左手提壺甘露水﹐右手執著楊柳枝﹐
Guanyin bodhisattva is most compassionate,
She saves all sentient beings endlessly.
頭上頂著牟尼佛﹐口中常念波羅尼﹐
On her head she wears [sakya]muni buddha
In her mouth she chants Dharanis (reading 波羅尼 as 陀羅尼)
有人念得觀音咒﹐火坑化作白蓮池﹐
If anyone can recall the mantra of guanyin,
The fiery pts will turn into pools of white lotuses.
朝念觀世音﹐暮念觀世音﹐念念從心起﹐念佛不離心。
Recall Guanyin in the morning,
Recall Guanyin in the evening,
Every recollection arises from mind
Recalling the buddha does not depart from mind
千眼千手觀世音﹐香山會上觀世音﹐
天竺靈山觀世音﹐普陀山上觀世音﹐
Guanshiyin of the thousand hands and eyes !
Guanshiyin of the incense-mountain assembly !
Guanshiyin of Numinous mountain in India !
Guanshiyin, of Mount Putuo!
朝雲洞裡觀世音﹐南海岸邊觀世音﹐
北海河頭觀世音﹐座蓮送子觀世音﹐
Guanshiyin in the Cavern of Dawn clouds!
Guanshiyin by the shores of the Southern seas!
Guanshiyin at the river’s head on the northern ocean!
Guanshiyin sitting on the lotuses who delivers sons!
風波浪上觀世音﹐本草靈山觀世音﹐
花化魚藍觀世音﹐白衣素現觀世音﹐
Guanshiyin riding on the wind and waves!
Guanshiyin on the herbs and grasses of numinious mountain!
Guanshiyin who transfomed with a fish-basket!
Guanshiyin, wearer of white robes and pure view!
紫竹林中觀世音﹐增福明王觀世音﹐
五輪法水觀世音﹐五十三參觀世音。
Guanshiyin in the purple bamboo forest!
Guanshiyin, the fortune-increasing brilliant king!
Guanshiyin of the five wheels of dharma water!
Guanshiyin of the 53 views!
七十二願觀世音﹐三十六願觀世音。
層層焰焰觀世音。
Guanshiyin of the 72 vows!
Guanshiyin of the 36 vows!
Guanshiyin of the layers of fire!
或是虛空雲裡見﹐或是下界救良民﹐
或是房中救難產﹐或是牢中救罪人﹐
Manifesting in the void, amongst the clouds,
Manifesting down on earth to save good people.
Manifesting in chambers to save from hardships in birth
Manifesting in jails to save sinners.
或是江海救災難﹐或是陰司度鬼魂﹐
三災百難俱離苦﹐四生六畜正超昇﹐
Manifesting in rivers and seas to save from calamities
Manifesting in the earthly bureau to save ghosts and souls,
Of the 3 disasters and hundred difficulties, all will leave hardship!
The four births and six animals will all ascend.
天羅神﹐地羅神﹐人離難﹐難離身﹐
一切災殃化為塵﹐南無摩訶般若波羅蜜﹐
Gods of heaven’s net! Gods of earth’s net!
May I leave hardship! May hardship leave my body!
May all disasters be transformed into dust!
Mahaprajnaparamita!
火臨身﹐火不燒﹐水臨身﹐水不漂﹐
有人念的觀音咒﹐三災百難一齊消。
Fire comes to me, I shall not be burnt!
Water comes to me, I will not be washed away!
If a person chants this incantation of guanyin,
The 3 disasters and hundred hardships will dissolve at once!