Chapter Nine: Praising the Names of the Buddhas

:一切諸願速成就，永無業障能遮止。

and all vows will be quickly fulfilled, with no karmic obstruction able to block them.

:有人發心念經典，欲度群迷超彼岸，

There are those who resolve to recite the sutras, wishing to deliver the deluded multitudes to the other shore,

:雖立是願不思議，旋讀旋忘多廢失。

though they make this inconceivable vow, they forget as soon as they read and so often fail and lose it.

:斯人有業障惑故，於大乘經不能記。

Because this person has karmic obstructions and delusion, he cannot remember the Mahayana sutras.

:供養地藏以香華，衣服飲食諸玩具，

Make offerings to Ksitigarbha with incense and flowers, clothing, food and drink and playthings,

:以淨水安大士前，一日一夜求服之，

place pure water before the great being and ask to drink it after a day and a night,

:發殷重心慎五辛，酒肉邪淫及妄語，

with a solemn mind avoid the five pungent foods, wine, meat, sexual misconduct and false speech,

:三七日內勿殺害，至心思念大士名。

within three weeks do no killing, and with a sincere mind think of the name of the great being.

:即於夢中見無邊，覺來便得利根耳，

Then in a dream he will see the boundless body, and on waking will gain ears of sharp faculty,

:應是經教歷耳聞，千萬生中永不忘。

and any sutra teaching that passes through his ear will not be forgotten in thousands of myriads of lives.

:以是大士不思議，能使斯人獲此慧。

Because this great being is inconceivable, he is able to cause this person to gain such wisdom.

:貧窮眾生及疾病，家宅兇衰眷屬離，

Beings in poverty and illness, homes in misfortune and decline, relatives parted,

:睡夢之中悉不安，求者乖違無稱遂。

no peace even in sleep and dreams, and all they seek going contrary and unfulfilled,

:至心瞻禮地藏像，一切惡事皆消滅，

if they sincerely gaze and bow before the image of Ksitigarbha, all evil matters will vanish,

:至於夢中盡得安，衣食豐饒神鬼護。

until even in dreams they gain peace in all things, with abundant clothing and food and with protection from spirits and ghosts.

:欲入山林及渡海，毒惡禽獸及惡人，

Those who wish to enter mountains and forests or cross the sea, among poisonous beasts and birds and evil people,

:惡神惡鬼並惡風，一切諸難諸苦惱。

evil spirits, evil ghosts and also evil winds, all difficulties and all sufferings and afflictions,

:但當瞻禮及供養，地藏菩薩大士像，

need only gaze, bow and make offerings to the image of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, the great being,

:如是山林大海中，應是諸惡皆消滅。

and in such mountains, forests and seas all the evils will vanish.

:觀音至心聽吾說，地藏無盡不思議，

Avalokitesvara, listen sincerely to my words: Ksitigarbha is inexhaustible and inconceivable,

:百千萬劫說不周，廣宣大士如是力。

even in hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas I could not finish telling it, so I proclaim widely the power of the great being.

:地藏名字人若聞，乃至見像瞻禮者，

If people hear the name of Ksitigarbha, or even see his image and gaze and bow,

:香華衣服飲食奉，供養百千受妙樂，

offering incense, flowers, clothing, food and drink, making offerings for hundreds of thousands of times, they will enjoy wonderful joy,

:若能以此迴法界，畢竟成佛超生死。

and if they can dedicate this to the Dharma realm, they will in the end become Buddhas and transcend birth and death.

:是故觀音汝當知，普告恆沙諸國土。」

Therefore, Avalokitesvara, you should know this and proclaim it to all the lands as many as the sands of the Ganges."

爾時，世尊舉金色臂，又摩地藏菩薩摩訶薩頂，而作是言：「地藏！地藏！汝之神力，不可思議；汝之慈悲，不可思議；汝之智慧，不可思議；汝之辯才，不可思議。正使十方諸佛，讚歎宣說汝之不思議事，千萬劫中，不能得盡。地藏！地藏！記吾今日在忉利天中，於百千萬億不可說不可說一切諸佛菩薩、天龍八部、大會之中，再以人天諸眾生等，未出三界，在火宅中者，付囑於汝。無令是諸眾生，墮惡趣中一日一夜，何況更落五無間及阿鼻地獄，動經千萬億劫，無有出期。」

At that time the World-Honored One raised his golden arm and stroked the crown of the head of the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Ksitigarbha, and spoke thus: "Ksitigarbha! Ksitigarbha! Your spiritual power is inconceivable; your compassion is inconceivable; your wisdom is inconceivable; your eloquence is inconceivable. Even if the Buddhas of the ten directions praised and proclaimed your inconceivable deeds, they could not finish in tens of millions of kalpas. Ksitigarbha! Ksitigarbha! Remember that today, in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, in the great assembly of hundreds of thousands of millions of unspeakable, unspeakable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, devas, nagas and eight kinds of beings, I again entrust to you the humans, devas and other beings who have not yet left the three realms and are still in the burning house. Do not let these beings fall into the evil destinies for even one day and one night, how much less fall again into the five uninterrupted hells and the Avici hell, where they would pass tens of millions of billions of kalpas with no time of release."

「地藏！是南閻浮提眾生，志性無定，習惡者多，縱發善心，須臾即退，若遇惡緣，念念增長。以是之故，吾分是形，百千億化度，隨其根性而度脫之。地藏！吾今慇懃，以天人眾，付囑於汝。未來之世，若有天人，及善男子、善女人，於佛法中，種少善根，一毛一塵，一沙一渧。汝以道力，擁護是人，漸修無上，勿令退失。復次，地藏！未來世中，若天若人，隨業報應，落在惡趣。臨墮趣中，或至門首，是諸眾生，若能念得一佛名、一菩薩名、一句一偈大乘經典。是諸眾生，汝以神力，方便救拔。於是人所，現無邊身，為碎地獄，遣令生天，受勝妙樂。」

(The Buddha continued:) "Ksitigarbha! These beings of southern Jambudvipa have no fixed will or nature, and many are accustomed to evil; even if they give rise to a good mind, they retreat within a moment, and if they meet evil conditions, they grow with every thought. For this reason I manifest such bodily forms, transforming and delivering them in hundreds of billions of ways, delivering them according to their roots and natures. Ksitigarbha! Now I earnestly entrust to you the multitudes of devas and humans. In the age to come, if there are devas and humans, and good men and good women, who plant a small root of goodness in the Buddha Dharma, as small as a hair, a speck of dust, a grain of sand or a drop of water, protect this person with the power of your path, let him gradually cultivate the unsurpassed, and do not let him retreat or lose it. Again, Ksitigarbha! In the world to come, if devas or humans, according to karmic retribution, fall into the evil destinies, and as they are about to fall or have even reached the gate, if these beings can recite the name of one Buddha, the name of one Bodhisattva, or one line or verse of a Mahayana sutra, you should rescue these beings with your spiritual power and skillful means, appear in a boundless body before this person, shatter the hells for him, and send him to be born in heaven and enjoy supreme and wonderful joy."

爾時，世尊而說偈言：

At that time the World-Honored One spoke in verse:

:「現在未來天人眾，吾今慇懃付囑汝，

"The multitudes of devas and humans of the present and future, I now earnestly entrust to you,

:以大神通方便度，勿令墮在諸惡趣。」

deliver them with great spiritual powers and skillful means, and do not let them fall into the evil destinies."

爾時，地藏菩薩摩訶薩胡跪合掌，白佛言：「世尊！唯願世尊，不以為慮。未來世中，若有善男子、善女人，於佛法中，一念恭敬，我亦百千方便，度脫是人，於生死中，速得解脫。何況聞諸善事，念念修行？自然於無上道，永不退轉。」

At that time the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Ksitigarbha knelt with his right knee on the ground and joined his palms, and said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! I only wish that the World-Honored One will not be concerned. In the world to come, if there are good men and good women who have even one moment of reverence in the Buddha Dharma, I too will deliver this person by hundreds of thousands of skillful means, so that he is quickly freed from birth and death. How much more if they hear of the many good deeds and practice them in every thought? They will naturally never retreat from the unsurpassed path."

說是語時，會中有一菩薩，名虛空藏，白佛言：「世尊！我自至忉利，聞於如來讚歎地藏菩薩，威神勢力，不可思議。未來世中，若有善男子、善女人，乃及一切天龍，聞此經典，及地藏名字，或瞻禮形像，得幾種福利？唯願世尊，為未來現在一切眾等，略而說之。」

As he spoke these words, a Bodhisattva in the assembly named Akasagarbha said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! Since coming to the Heaven of the Thirty-three, I have heard the Tathagata praise the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's majestic spiritual power as inconceivable. In the world to come, if there are good men and good women, and all devas and nagas, who hear this sutra and the name of Ksitigarbha, or gaze and bow before his image, how many kinds of blessings and benefits will they gain? I only wish that the World-Honored One, for all the multitudes of the present and future, would tell it in brief."

佛告虛空藏菩薩：「諦聽！諦聽！吾當為汝分別說之。若未來世，有善男子、善女人，見地藏形像，及聞此經，乃至讀誦，香華飲食、衣服珍寶，佈施供養，讚歎瞻禮，得二十八種利益：一者天龍護念，二者善果日增，三者集聖上因，四者菩提不退，五者衣食豐足，六者疾疫不臨，七者離水火災，八者無盜賊厄，九者人見欽敬，十者神鬼助持，十一者女轉男身，十二者為王臣女，十三者端正相好，十四者多生天上，十五者或為帝王，十六者宿智命通，十七者有求皆從，十八者眷屬歡樂，十九者諸橫消滅，二十者業道永除，二十一者去處盡通，二十二者夜夢安樂，二十三者先亡離苦，二十四者宿福受生，二十五者諸聖讚歎，二十六者聰明利根，二十七者饒慈愍心，二十八者畢竟成佛。」

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Akasagarbha: "Listen carefully! Listen carefully! I will explain it to you in detail. If in the world to come there are good men and good women who see the image of Ksitigarbha and hear this sutra, and even read and recite it, give alms and make offerings of incense, flowers, food and drink, clothing and precious things, and praise, gaze and bow, they will gain twenty-eight kinds of benefit: first, protection and care from devas and nagas; second, good results increasing daily; third, accumulation of holy causes; fourth, no retreat from bodhi; fifth, abundant clothing and food; sixth, no plague or disease coming near; seventh, freedom from calamities of water and fire; eighth, no misfortune from thieves; ninth, being honored and respected by people; tenth, the help and support of spirits and ghosts; eleventh, women turning into male bodies; twelfth, being born as daughters of kings and ministers; thirteenth, an upright appearance and fine marks; fourteenth, being born often in the heavens; fifteenth, perhaps becoming emperors and kings; sixteenth, knowledge and the penetration of past lives; seventeenth, whatever is sought being granted; eighteenth, joy among relatives; nineteenth, all sudden misfortunes vanishing; twentieth, the paths of karma being forever removed; twenty-first, being able to go anywhere freely; twenty-second, peaceful and joyful dreams at night; twenty-third, the dead ancestors leaving suffering; twenty-fourth, being reborn through past blessings; twenty-fifth, praise from all the saints; twenty-sixth, intelligence and sharp faculties; twenty-seventh, abundant compassion and pity; twenty-eighth, in the end becoming a Buddha."

「復次，虛空藏菩薩！若現在未來，天龍鬼神，聞地藏名，禮地藏形，或聞地藏本願事行，讚歎瞻禮，得七種利益：一者速超聖地，二者惡業銷滅，三者諸佛護臨，四者菩提不退，五者增長本力，六者宿命皆通，七者畢竟成佛。」

(The Buddha continued:) "Again, Bodhisattva Akasagarbha! If in the present and future devas, nagas, ghosts and spirits hear the name of Ksitigarbha, bow before the image of Ksitigarbha, or hear of the original vows and deeds of Ksitigarbha, and praise, gaze and bow, they will gain seven kinds of benefit: first, quickly rising to the holy ground; second, evil karma being wiped out; third, protection and presence of the Buddhas; fourth, no retreat from bodhi; fifth, increase of one's original strength; sixth, penetration of past lives; seventh, in the end becoming a Buddha."

爾時，十方一切諸來不可說不可說諸佛如來，及大菩薩、天龍八部，聞釋迦牟尼佛，稱揚讚歎地藏菩薩，大威神力，不可思議，歎未曾有。是時忉利天，無量香華，天衣珠瓔，供養釋迦牟尼佛，及地藏菩薩已。一切眾會，俱復瞻禮，合掌而退。

At that time all the unspeakable, unspeakable Buddhas and Tathagatas who had come from the ten directions, together with the great Bodhisattvas, devas, nagas and eight kinds of beings, hearing Sakyamuni Buddha praise and proclaim the inconceivable great majestic spiritual power of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, sighed that they had never heard the like. At that moment, immeasurable incense, flowers, heavenly robes and pearl necklaces of the Heaven of the Thirty-three had been offered to Sakyamuni Buddha and the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. The whole assembly again gazed and bowed, and withdrew with palms joined.

*讚

Hymn of praise.

地藏本誓校量經因癃殘瘖瘂是前生今世諷大乘福利無窮決定寶蓮生

The original vows of Ksitigarbha, the causes in the sutra comparing alms; the crippled, mute and deaf were so in a former life, and in this life they recite the Mahayana; their blessings and benefits are endless, and they will surely be born on a precious lotus.

南無常住十方僧（三稱）

I take refuge in the eternally abiding Sangha of the ten directions. (Chant three times.)

*地藏讚

Hymn to Ksitigarbha.

地藏菩薩妙難倫化現金容處處分

The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha is wondrous beyond compare, with golden form appearing everywhere in transformation.

三塗六道聞妙法四生十類蒙慈悲

Beings of the three evil paths and six paths hear the wonderful Dharma, and the four kinds of birth and ten kinds of beings receive his compassion.

明珠照徹天堂路金錫振開地獄門

His bright pearl lights the road to heaven, and his golden staff shakes open the gates of hell.

累劫親姻蒙接引九蓮臺畔禮慈尊

Relatives through many kalpas are received and guided, and by the nine-lotus platform they bow to the compassionate Honored One.

南無九華山幽冥世界大慈大悲地藏菩薩摩訶薩

I take refuge in the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Ksitigarbha of great kindness and great compassion, of Mount Jiuhua and the dark underworld.

南無地藏王菩薩（數百千聲）

I take refuge in the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, King of the Earth Store. (Recite hundreds and thousands of times.)

;七佛滅罪真言

The Mantra of the Seven Buddhas for Eradicating Sin.

離婆離婆帝求訶求訶帝陀羅尼帝尼訶囉帝毗黎尼帝摩訶伽帝真陵乾帝娑婆訶(三遍)

This is the Mantra of the Seven Buddhas for Eradicating Sin, which has always been recited and not translated.

;補闕真言

The Mantra for Repairing Deficiencies.

南謨喝囉怛那哆囉夜耶佉囉佉囉俱住俱住摩囉摩囉虎囉吽賀賀蘇怛拏吽潑抹拏娑婆訶(三遍)

This is the Mantra for Repairing Deficiencies, which has always been recited and not translated.

;補闕圓滿真言

The Mantra for Perfect Fulfillment of Repairs.

唵呼嚕呼嚕社曳穆契娑訶(三遍)

This is the Mantra for Perfect Fulfillment of Repairs, which has always been recited and not translated.

;滅定業真言

The Mantra for Eradicating Fixed Karma.

唵缽囉末鄰陀寧娑婆訶(三遍)

This is the Mantra for Eradicating Fixed Karma, which has always been recited and not translated.

;迴向偈

Verse of Dedication.

願以此功德莊嚴佛浄土

May this merit adorn the Buddha's Pure Land,

上報四重恩下濟三塗苦

repaying above the fourfold kindness and relieving below the suffering of the three evil paths.

若有見聞者悉發菩提心

May all who see and hear this give rise to the mind of bodhi,

盡此一報身同生極樂國

and when this life's retribution body ends, be born together in the land of Utmost Bliss.

;三皈依

The Three Refuges.