Two Tales of the Bodhisattva Dìzàng
This brief reading is made up of slightly over half of chapter 4 of a scripture called the “Fundamental Vows of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva” (Dìzàng Púsà Běnyuàn Jīng 地藏菩萨本愿经)
This scripture is one of the most popular in the Chinese Buddhist canon, and it is considered the locus classicus on hell and its horrors. They are partially enumerated in chapter 5, but are far more elaborately drawn out in popular texts like Jade Calendar (Yùlì Bǎochǎo 玉历宝钞), translated elsewhere on this web site (link).
More importantly, it is the primary scripture detailing escape from hell through the extension of merit by the merciful Dìzàng. It tells us who he is, and how he comes to be so important. As far as I know, we lack the Sanskrit original of this work. The Chinese text was among those translated into Chinese in the late 600s by a monk from Khotan (Hétián 和田) in western Xīnjiāng 新疆 named Śikṣānanda in Sanskrit, Shíchā-nántuó 实叉难陀 in Chinese).
The text recounts a visit by the Śākyamuni Buddha (Shìjiāmóuní fó 释迦牟尼佛) to the so-called Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, where a variety of supernatural beings are assembled. The visit is intended to bring his teachings to his deceased mother, who also dwells here. (Tradition holds that the same visit for the same purpose was also made by other buddhas.)
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However it is also an occasion to appoint the bodhisattva Dìzàng wáng 地藏王 (Kṣitigarbha) to look after humanity after Sakyamuni’s death and before the arrival of the buddha of the future, Maitreya (Mílè 弥勒).
The name Dìzàng (like Kṣitigarbha) means “earth treasury,” and refers to his accepting a position overseeing the dark realms of the dead in hope of liberating souls from suffering insofar as their karmic balances will allow. He is appropriate for the task because of the great merit he has acquired over many incarnations, but at the beginning of our extract this fact is still unknown to some of the other figures in the assembly.
Chapter 4 begins with Sakyamuni heaping praise upon Dìzàng , seemingly excessively, for the many virtuous vows he has taken. Others wonder what is so special about Dìzàng. Finally this embarrassing and seemingly slightly ungenerous question is put by a prestigious “Great Being” (mahāsattva, or móhésà 摩诃萨) among them, namely a bodhisattva known by the title “King of Self-Mastery (Dìngzìzài wáng 定自在王).”
In answer to the king’s question, the Sakyamuni Buddha describes Dìzàng’s vows and merit. The two stories he relates in our extract involve past incarnations of Dìzàng, but are sometimes taken as independent (even competing) stories of his life on earth. Indeed, in the 1960s the second one of them became a full-length motion picture (called “The Saviour Monk” in English, “Dìzàng Wáng” 地藏王 in Chinese).
One technical point: In the second story there is talk of the “foul paths” (èdào 恶道). The reference is to one’s destined path after death, of which the conventional three worst are remaining in constant torment in hell, rebirth as an animal, and rebirth as a tattered beggar.
To simplify presentation here, lines are numbered to facilitate class discussion, and the text is divided into arbitrary “pages” to which I have added titles.
On page 1 we join the conversation in progress as the King of Self-Mastery asks his embarrassing question.
Go to page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
Sources & Additional Material
The Chinese text used here can be found on-line at the web site of the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association 電子佛典協會 (Main Link, this text). This extract runs from line T13n0412_p0780b29(06) through T13n0412_p0781b17(02). Although I have retained their quotation marks, I have replaced other punctuation with the more traditional punctuation used by Shì 1975: 280-285. (In one case I have repunctuated the line following Anonymous 1995, from which the upper illustration on each page was also taken.)
A full translation of the entire scripture, with a religious commentary, was published in book form as Anonymous 1974, which is available in a slight revision at the web site of the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (main link, this text).
Another full translation, although in my view an infelicitous one, is available at the web site of the Buddhism Study & Practice Group of SUNY Stony Brook (main link, this text).
Among them was a Great Being, who was called the King of Self-Mastery. He asked the Buddha:
2.“Tell us, World-Honored One, what are the vows that Dìzàng made over the ages to receive such praise now from the World-Honored one? We hope the World-Honored One will explain this.”
3. And so the World-Honored One replied to the King of Self-Mastery:
4. “Listen very carefully and pay special attention, and I shall give you some examples.
(The Buddha continues speaking.)
1.Long, long ago, measureless ages ago, there lived a buddha.
2.He was called the All-Knowing and All-Achieving Buddha, responding to offerings, perfect in knowledge, open in conduct, virtuous in death, worldly in understanding, insuperable as a scholar,
3.majestic in carriage, a teacher of heaven and earth, a buddha, a world-honored one That buddha’s life lasted sixty thousand kalpas.Before he became a monk, he had ruled over a small country, and was friends with the king of an adjacent country. Together they practiced the Ten Virtues, and brought benefit to all creatures.But the ordinary people of these neighboring countries did many evil things, and so the two kings devised a plan to improve the situation for all.
One king made a vow that he would early become a buddha and would rescue all without exception.The other king made a vow, saying: ‘Until I first rescue all of those suffering for their sins and bring them tranquility and lead them to wisdom, I do not want to become a buddha.’” The Buddha continued, directing himself especially to the King of Self-Mastery:“The king who vowed soon to become a buddha is called the All-Knowing and All-Achieving Buddha [whom I spoke of first] The one who vowed to save those suffering from their sins before becoming a buddha is the Bodhisattva Dìzàng.”
[The Buddha continued his account with a second story:] “Another time, many long ages ago, there came to earth a buddha called the Buddha of the Tranquil Lotus Eye. His life span was forty kalpas.
2. During his age, there was an arhat (luóhàn 罗汉) who had gained merit by saving living beings.
3. Through this teaching, he encountered a woman named Shining Eye (Guāngmù 光目), who offered him a meal.
4. The arhat asked her: ‘What is it that you want?’
5. Shining Eye answered: “The day my mother died, I did the meritorious acts to rescue her [from hell], but I don’t know to what destiny she has been reborn.”
6. The arhat pitied her, and went into trance and saw that Shining Eye’s mother had fallen into the place for those of bad destinies, where she was undergoing terrible torments.
7. The arhat asked Shining Eye: ‘When she was alive, what did your mother do? She is now in a place of those with terrible destinies, where she is undergoing terrible torments!’
8. Shining Eye replied, ‘It was my mother’s custom to enjoy eating things like fish and turtles, and especially their eggs, which she liked fried or broiled.
9. When she indulged in these tastes, if one counts up all their lives, there must have been tens of millions! Good master, be compassionate! How she can be rescued?
(The Buddha continues speaking.)
1. The arhat was sympathetic to her and employed his skills. He counseled her, saying:
2. ‘You must sincerely call upon the Buddha of the Tranquil Lotus Eye, and you must have paintings and statues made of him, and the benefit will go to both the living and the dead.
3. When Shining Eye heard this, she immediately gave up everything she had loved to have paintings and statues made, and to make offerings to them. Her heart was filled with deference, and she shed tears as she knelt before them.
4. Towards dawn she suddenly saw the Buddha [of the Tranquil Lotus Eye] himself in a dream, in gleaming gold, towering like Mt. Sumeru, radiating brilliant light.
5. He spoke to Shining Eye: ‘Your mother soon will be reborn into your own household. As soon as [the infant] can feel hunger and cold, it will be able to speak.’
6. Not long after this, a serving girl bore a little child. It wasn’t even three days old when it spoke to her, lowering its head and shedding a tear.
7. It said to Shining Eye: ‘The karma created by our actions during our life and death produces retribution that we must accept ourselves.
8. I am your mother. For a long time I have been in the dark afterworld. Since our parting, I have fallen over and over again into the great hells.
9. Through your merit, I have received rebirth, although as lowly person, and with a short life.
10. In thirteen years I shall fall once again into the foul paths [of hell and undesirable incarnation]. Do you have any plan by which I can avoid that?’
11. Shining Eye heard this, and she knew beyond doubt that this was truly her mother, and she sobbed with grief.
(The Buddha continues speaking.)
1. Shining Eye said to the serving girl’s child: ‘Since you are my mother, you know your own sins. What behavior caused you to fall into the foul paths?’
2. The serving girl’s child replied: ‘I am reaping the results of both killing and verbal abuse. If it had not been for your merit saving me from my hardship, these sins would still be having their effects, and I would not yet have been released.’
3. Shining Eye asked her: ‘What is it like to receive retribution for sins in hell?’
4. The serving girl’s child answered: ‘I don’t even want to talk about the suffering endured for one’s offenses. Even in a hundred thousand years it would be hard to discuss.’
5. Shining Eye heard this, and she broke down sobbing. Then she exclaimed to the empty air:
6. ‘I vow that my mother shall be liberated from the hells forever. After thirteen years, when she will no longer bear heavy sins, she shall not pass along the foul paths.
7. O Buddhas of the Ten Directions, have compassion and sympathy for me. Listen to the great vow that I am making for my mother.
8. If my mother never again enters the three lowest transmigrations, and is not born into a lowly class, or into a woman’s body,
9. then I vow, before the statue of the Buddha of the Tranquil Lotus Eye, that from now on through countless billions of kalpas, I shall respond to those on earth, in all the hells, in the three foul paths, yea to all who are suffering for their sins.
10. All of them shall I save from the foul destinies of hell, of becoming animals or hungry ghosts, and so on.
11. When all beings have finished their retribution for evil and have become buddhas, only then will I attain enlightenment.’
The Buddha continues speaking.)
1. When she had made her vow, she heard the Buddha of the Tranquil Lotus Eye, who said to her:
2. ‘Shining Eye, the virtue of your great compassion and sympathy shall profit your mother with this great vow.
3. I see your mother in thirteen years, having finished with this present retribution, being born as a Brahman and living a hundred years.
4. And when she has finished that retribution, [I see her] being reborn in lands without sorrow and living there for incalculable kalpas.
5. And after that [I see her] reaching buddhahood, saving people and gods alike, as many as the grains of sand along the Ganges.’”
And then the Buddha told the King of Self-Mastery: “The arhat whose merit supported Shining Eye is now the Bodhisattva of Inexhaustible Intention (Wújìnyì Púsà 无尽意菩萨). Shining Eye’s mother has become the Bodhisattva of Emancipation (Jiětuō Púsà 解脱菩萨).
2. And Shining Eye has become the Bodhisattva Dìzàng. For countless kalpas he has been sharing his mercy through vows as numerous as the sands along the Ganges to save all creatures.
3. The people of the future, be they male or female, though they fail to do good deeds and even commit sins, though they disbelieve in cause and effect, though they indulge in sinful sex or bald lies,
4. though they be two-tongued or foul-mouthed, though they defame Mahayana Buddhism, and although all who act so should suffer the bad destinies,
5. still, if they should they meet good and wise people, and be exhorted by them and take their refuge in the Bodhisattva Dìzàng, then all creatures should soon be liberated from the three foul paths.
6. Should they be determined and respectful, giving praise and worshipping, offering incense, flowers, and garments, and all kinds of jewels and treasures, or providing food and drink, then those who do these things shall enjoy the delights of all the heavens for countless billions of kalpas.
7. And when their time of celestial happiness ends and they are born as humans again, still for hundreds of thousands of kalpas they shall be emperors and kings, and able to remember the whole course of their karmic causes and effects
8. Know then, King of Self-Mastery, that such is the bodhisattva Dìzàng, and such too is his unimaginable spiritual power for the salvation of all creatures.
9. You bodhisattvas should all note this scripture and spread it abroad.”
10. The King of Self-Mastery replied to the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, do not worry. We, the thousands and billions of bodhisattvas and Great Beings will certainly be able to make use of Buddha’s great spiritual power to spread this scripture throughout the known world (jambūdvīpa; yánfútí 阎浮提) for the benefit of all creatures.”
11. And when the bodhisattva called the King of Self-Mastery had said this to the World-Honored One, he placed his hands together and bowed, and then departed. …
