Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara Heart Dharani Sutra
The Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha Sūtra (Chinese:佛说十一面观世音神咒经; Japanese:十一面神呪心經 Jūichimen-jinshushin-gyō) is a Buddhist text first translated from Sanskrit into Chinese on the 28th day of the third lunar month of 656 CE, by
Xuanzang. The title in Tibetan language is Spyan-ras-gzigs-dbang-phyug-shal bcu-gcig-pa, while the Sanskrit title recovered from the Tibetan translation is Avalokiteśvara ikadaśamukha dhāraṇī. Alternatively, the sutra's title has been translated as the Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara Heart Dharani Sutra by Professor Ryuichi Abe.
This sutra introduces the dhāraṇī Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha (Chinese:圣十一面观自在菩萨根本咒). In the text, the Buddha introduces and talks about the benefits and the incredible power of this dhāraṇī.
The Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha Sūtra
The text introduces the heart dharani of the Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara, as the following lines, translated by Prof. Abe indicate:
世尊我此神咒有大威力。若誦一遍即能除滅四根本罪。及五無間令無有餘。況能如說而修行者。 Bhagavat World-Honored One; the Buddha), this dhāraṇī of mine Avalokiteśvara is impregnated with magnificent power. A single recitation will instantaneously eliminate the four cardinal sins and release all the sinners in the five eternal hells. How much greater power will be attained by the practitioner who studies it as I will describe now!
Later, the Bodhisattva states:
若有稱念百千俱胝那庾多諸佛名號。復有暫時於我名號至心稱念。彼二功德平等平等。諸有稱念我名號者。一切皆得不退轉地。離一切病脫一切障一切怖畏。及能滅除身語意惡。況能於我所說神咒。受持讀誦如說修行。 There may be a practitioner who recites the names of all the Buddhas for hundreds, thousands, millions and billions of times. However, if there is a practitioner who recites my name even for a short moment, the latter's merit will equal that accrued by the practice of the former...Then much how much greater merit will be attained by those who chant my dhāraṇī, memorize it and practice it as I will describe now!
The sutra is used in various Buddhist ceremonies, including the famous Shuni-e ceremony at Todaiji Temple in Japan. There is no extant, full English translation at this time.
The Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha
The Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha (Chinese:圣十一面观自在菩萨根本咒/十一面观音心咒) is the dhāraṇī introduced in Heart-dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha Sūtra. Below is the romanized Sanskrit version:
Namo Ratna Trayāya Namaḥ Ārya Jñāna Sāgara Vairocana Vyūha Rājāya Tathāgatāya Arhate Samyak Sambuddhaya Namah Sarva Tathagatebyah Arhatebhyaḥ Samyaksaṃbuddhe Byaḥ Namaḥ Arya Avalokite Śvarāya Boddhisattvāya Mahāsattvāya Mahākāruṇikāya Tadyathā Oṃ Dhara Dhara Dhiri Dhiri Dhuru Dhuru Ite Vatte Cale Cale Pra Cale Pra Cale Kusume Kusume Vare Ili Mili Citijvala māpanāye Svāhā
Relationship to the Great Compassion Mantra
It is generally believed that this dhāraṇī has no direct relationship with the The Great Compassion Mantra in Mahayana Buddhism. However, it is often falsely named as Tibetan Great Compassion Mantra (藏传大悲咒) or The Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit (梵音大悲咒) in Chinese-speaking regions.
Some people believe that this dhāraṇī is told by the Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara, an esoteric bodhisattva in Tibetan Buddhism, and that it is the equivalent Tibetan version of The Great Compassion Mantra in Mahayana Buddhism. This is why it is often being referred to as Tibetan Great Compassion Mantra. However, this opinion is not accepted by most Mahayana Buddhists.
In Buddhist music
The chanting of this dhāraṇī is perhaps the most frequently performed Buddhist song by Chinese-speaking musicians. Basically all the versions of this chanting follow the same melody, and this rhythm became so well known that even non-religious people in Chinese-speaking regions are familiar with it.
However, many recordings of this chanting is falsely named Tibetan Great Compassion Mantra (藏传大悲咒) or The Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit (梵音大悲咒) among Chinese-speaking musicians because they want the name to be familiar to the audience.
