Directing his gaze again at the realm of the Pure Abode, the blessed Śākyamuni said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Wherever, Mañjuśrī, this Dharma discourse is disseminated, you should know that I am present there myself, surrounded by the hosts of all the bodhisattvas, taking the place of honor among the congregation of śrāvakas, and attended upon by a retinue of all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, siddhas, vidyādharas, and other nonhuman and human beings. The Tathāgata resides there for the sake of protecting, sheltering, and defending.

“One should know, Mañjuśrī, divine youth, about the ten advantages obtained in any place where this Dharma treasury of the tathāgatas is written down in the form of a book, read aloud, memorized, or respectfully and sincerely worshiped with various implements such as yak-tail whisks, streamers, parasols, banners, flags, bells, music, garlands, scented oils, incense, or pleasant fragrances. These ten advantages are obtained in any place where this Dharma treasury is revered, reflected upon, or focused upon with an undivided mind. What are these ten?

“There will be (1) no danger in that [place] of military invasions or hunger; (2) no pestilence caused by Mahāmārī or other dangers from nonhuman beings; (3) no danger of fire or anything untoward; (4) no danger of drought or excessive rains; (5) no danger of hurricanes, tornadoes, or kravyādas; (6) no danger from Śakra or any rogues or robbers; (7) no danger of untimely death or fear caused by King Yama; (8) no danger from asuras or any gods, nāgas, yakṣas, or gandharvas; (9) no danger from mantras, venoms, or poisons; and (10) no danger of disease, fever, dysentery, indigestion, or other danger to body or limb. One should know that these ten benefits occur wherever this Dharma treasury of the tathāgatas, contained in this great extensive manual, is kept in the form of a book. Let us therefore write it down, read it aloud, worship it, memorize it, and rehearse it.

“This Dharma treasury of the tathāgatas is extremely occult, as it depends in every respect on the mantras. It must not be taught to those who have not received the samaya from the master or those who do not understand the samaya. Why is this? This is because it is secret; it is an occult teaching. It is a teaching [arising from] omniscience. No beings should ever reject or take it lightly.

“If [those who received it] do not worship [this Dharma treasury] and treat it with respect, they will incur a lot of negativity. One must not disclose it to others, as they could commit negative acts, such as suppressing the secret [practices], killing sentient beings, reporting [you] to the king, shortening lives, or causing other misfortunes. It can only be disclosed to beings who have taken up the secret practice of mantras and keep their samaya secret—to beings who are well established and trained in the study and practice of the Tathāgata’s instructions, who have good knowledge of the meaning of the Dharma, who keep their samaya concerning the sense bases and psychophysical elements, and who live by the Dharma and are thus true to their promises, firm in their observances, have entered the path of good conduct, and are compassionate. It can be disclosed only to them and not to others.”

The bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, rose from his seat, draped his robe over one shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, and asked the Blessed One with folded hands, “What is this Dharma discourse really, O Blessed One? What should I remember it as?”

The Blessed One replied:

“You should remember it as a basket of bodhisattva teachings, the thundering roar of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

“You should remember it as a text that contains the marvelous and wondrous Dharma instructions.

“You should remember it as the bodhisattvas’ instructions for taking up all the practices of the ‘mantra basket.’

“You should remember it as an extensive Mahāyāna sūtra with marvelous instructions.

“You should remember it as the root manual of Noble Mañjuśrī.

“You should remember it as the instructions that fulfill all the aims of the Dharma.

“You are a very powerful bodhisattva Who travels everywhere Throughout every realm where there are Those who practice the Dharma and those who do not.

“Do you not see that this profoundly secret teaching Is the best of the best among the sūtras That treat the subject of the mantra methods, As it removes the dangers related to the place of rebirth?

“Do you not see, O valiant one, That this supreme teaching has awakening as its goal? That an esoteric sūtra such as this Is adorned with the meaning that needs to be inferred?

“The diverse meanings of the sūtras Are presented here according to the mantra system. There is no other such sūtra in existence, Apart from this extensive manual of rites.

“One can obtain kingship, great comforts, The great fortunes of the gods, Prosperity, and fame, Both celestial and human.

“One will be able to avoid the eight unfree states, And bring about the eight freedoms. One will become a master of the three vehicles Destined to attain buddhahood.

“There is merit in memorizing this sūtra And there are the following advantages: Neither poison nor fire will be able To harm any part of one’s body,

“And whatever vetālas, grahas, Pūtanas, mātṛs, thieves, Rākṣasas, or piśācas there are,

“They will not be able to harm Someone who recites this sūtra, Memorizes it, or worships it, again and again, With offerings of various kinds.

“Fearless, one should worship it With music and anything that may be offered. One will then obtain The following advantages:

“If one is unwell, one will be freed from disease. If one experiences suffering, one will become happy. If one is poor, one will obtain wealth. If one is in bondage, one will be freed.

“One who has fallen into the suffering of saṃsāra With its five realms of rebirth Will attain the unwavering state Of well-being, happiness, and nirvāṇa.

“One will realize the awakening of a pratyeka­buddha Or attain the state of a śrāvaka. If one reads this sūtra aloud, One will attain buddhahood.

“The merit of reciting this sūtra is the same as All the merit that one would obtain through Worshiping the victorious ones, said to be As uncountable as the sand grains in the Gaṅgā.

“If one were to continually worship the names Of the buddhas as numerous as the atoms In the tens of millions of inconceivable [buddha]fields, However many there are in this world;

“If one were to offer to these buddhas various types Of food, drink, invigorating tonics, And various seats and beds, Giving them continually to all of them;

“And if one were to offer them various garments, Scented powders, robes, ornaments, Parasols, shoes, cloth, Fragrances, garlands, unguents,

“And various types of incense, With lamps all around, The merit thus obtained would be the same As the merit obtained by memorizing and reciting this teaching.

“However many pratyeka­buddhas there are In this world, or śrāvakas of great majesty, Or bodhisattvas, great beings Established on the tenth level,

“The merit that one would obtain Through worshiping them Would be the same as the merit of someone Who holds [this sūtra] volume in their hand.

“However many beings are said to dwell In the world with its spheres, Who are described as being free From the fever [of the afflictions],

“The merit that one would obtain Through worshiping them sincerely, again and again, Would be the same that a wise person would obtain Through worshiping this supreme teaching.

“Not even the most eminent, jewel-like victors Can obtain the same merit in tens of millions of eons That one can obtain through worshiping This finest Dharma treasury of the lords of the world.

“If one recites and memorizes the mantras Taught by Mañjughoṣa in this manual, This supreme teaching will become A precious wish-fulfilling jewel.

“It will become a cow of plenty for the reciter, And a source of great enjoyment and wealth. If someone with an indefatigable mind Accomplishes these mantras here on earth,

“They will bring results, as taught by the Sage, With the inferred meaning becoming the true meaning. If one performs the rites at the right time, One will become a vidyādhara on earth.

“All the places, it is said, will be replete for him With precious good fortune. His illustrious course of rebirths will be fruitful, And his actions will be praised by the good.

“Should a king memorize a single mantra From this excellent manual, He will obtain a royal fortune with all its benefits, And a long and prosperous life.

“Such a distinguished king will obtain A life of various pleasurable pursuits. He will not be harmed by weapons or poisons, Whether from animate or inanimate sources,

“Or the effects of inimical magical vidyās, Such as the mantras employed in the vetāla practices. Corrupt practitioners who engage in hostile rites Here on earth will not be able to harm him.

“He will not be in any danger of fire. Malevolent grahas or other such beings Will not assail his body, regardless of Whether he is a king or an ordinary person.

“The same applies to any person who memorizes And recites this excellent sūtra of great importance. Any king who, before a battle, Places it upon his head,

“So that it forms a parasol above it, And repeatedly pays homage to it, Will not be killed by lowly men With any of their various weapons.

“If he sends into battle An effigy of the princely youth, Seated on a peacock seat And mounted on the back of an elephant,

“The enemies, seeing the divine youth In his youthful form Adorned with ornaments, Will all become mutually hostile and retreat.

“If this [effigy], made of gold or silver, Is fitted onto a banner handle, Raised up on top of banners and flags, Well positioned and well set,

“And taken to a battlefield Swarming with enemies, Their various weapons raised At the commencement of fighting,

“Those enemies will perish through merely seeing it Or will become completely confused. The human and nonhuman beings; The human kings and the lords of gods;

“The siddhas and the vidyādharas Who rely on the mantra methods; The rākṣasas, even though they may be courageous; The kaṭapūtanas and the mātṛs;

“The different types of kravyādas; The yakṣas, kuṣmāṇḍas, and pūtanas— All will become incapacitated through merely seeing The raised banner with the divine youth perched upon it,

“All-accomplishing and possessing Many forms and aspects— The great being Mañjughoṣa himself, The supreme lord of the tenth level.

“There once was a great kṣatriya king, Who lived and reigned on earth. He had faith, was free from indecision or doubts, And was a fond patron of the Dharma.

“Having generated faith in the Sugata, With a mind filled with compassion And eager to find the esoteric meaning, He undertook to perform the rituals taught here.

“The victors who abide in the sphere of phenomena Taught these [rituals] as part of their doctrine. They taught them in this manual of rites that employ mantras And fit into the mantra system taught here on earth.

“The innumerable victors of the past Who dwell in the sphere of phenomena Taught this Dharma treasury On earth to human beings.

“In times past, while a dreadful war Was being waged between the gods and the asuras, The army of [Indra] Was destroyed by its enemies.

“Alone on the earth, dispirited, Without a chariot, He approached, at that time, Kāśyapa, The best of sages and the supreme Victor.

“ ‘What can I do?’ Were the words uttered by the husband of Śacī. ‘I have been defeated by the cruel asuras And now seek refuge here with you.’

“Having said this, the god of bounty Who has performed one hundred sacrifices Bowed to the distinguished sage, Touching his feet with the top of his head,

“And then the thousand-eyed Kauśika Sat down as before. The distinguished sage, brahmin Kāśyapa, Thus addressed,

“Replied in a voice as sweet As the song of a cuckoo bird, ‘In the past, the supreme victors praised in songs The divine youth who is the source of everything.

“ ‘He is the great being Mañjuśrī, Difficult to meet, endowed with one hundred thousand powers, And said to abide in the ultimate reality. He guides beings to the deep meaning.

“ ‘You should recollect him now, O lord of gods, As one who shows the Dharma to beings, Himself being without conceptual elaboration, Mental disposition, independent existence, or location.’

“Being thus caused by Kāśyapa to be recollected, And then recollected by Indra as one who abides in reality, Precisely at that moment, The omnifarious divine youth Arrived at the place where Blessed Kāśyapa And Maghavan, the lord of gods, were.

“After arriving, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī Saluted the supreme Victor. Having bowed to all the eminent victors And to Kāśyapa of great splendor, He pronounced the following mantra After first obtaining the sage’s consent:

“ ‘Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas who are perfect teachers!

“ ‘ Oṁ, kill, kill all those that pose danger! Destroy and annihilate them! Make them afraid! Crush, chop, and break them! Burn them, burn! Huṁ huṁ, phaṭ phaṭ, svāhā!’

“As soon as this mantra was pronounced by the great being, the divine youth Mañjuśrī, the earth with its mountains and oceans, up to its farthest reaches, shook in six different ways, and so did all the infinite buddhafields and world spheres up to their farthest limits. All the blessed buddhas empowered the words of the mantra.

“Śakra, the lord of gods, his fear gone and body hair bristling, struck with amazement and wonder, his eyes wide open, rose from his seat, bowed down to the feet of the Blessed One, and circumambulated him clockwise three times. Then, turning to and looking at the divine youth Mañjuśrī, he grasped and kept in his mind the words of the mantra. He mounted his chariot and rode to where all the asuras were. Confronted by him in their subterranean paradise, in their capital city that the ocean rests upon, they all attacked. However, seeing the lord of gods blazing like fire, the asuras became smitten and dazed in their minds, and their armies were struck with fear. They now grew weak and despondent, their haughty expressions changed, and they lost their weapons. They turned back and retreated to their own abodes.

“Śakra, the lord of gods, then addressed the gods in the realm of the Thirty-Three:

“ ‘Do not be afraid, friends, do not be afraid! We have defeated the asuras through the power of the Buddha. Now let us go home. Come, gentlemen! Having returned to your fine houses and abodes, each of you to his own, you can play, rejoice, and move around freely.’

“And so the gods, uplifted in their minds, turned around and went to their own abodes.

“Śakra, the lord of gods, thought, ‘If I make an effigy in the form of the divine youth and mount it atop a banner, there will be no danger for me from the asuras.’ The lord of gods, with his great might, procured then a precious gem called Shining with the Inner Light, fashioned from it a figure in the form of the divine youth, firmly fixed it on top of a banner, and placed it in Sudharmā, the assembly hall of the gods, at the top of the palace in the middle of his great city Sudarśana.

“From then on, the asuras, headed by Prahlāda and Vemacitri, stayed in their subterranean paradise. They did not travel upward, nor did they attack the gods. They were unable to work miracles or confront anyone in battle. This will last, in human reckoning, many hundreds of thousands of billions of years. Thus, there will now be no danger from the asuras.

“This celebrated [Dharma treatise] is thus a boon of infinite qualities; it promotes long life and good health, as taught by the blessed buddhas and the great beings, the bodhisattvas in the past. It is full of excellent qualities and brings infinite benefits, without beginning and without end.

“Anyone who contradicts this Dharma treatise, doubts it, or thoughtlessly steps over it will accumulate boundless nonvirtue. They will fall into one of the great hells or suffer the tribulations of birth in the animal realm or the Yama realm of the pretas. Those who claim that this Dharma treatise is not the word of the Buddha and that the mantras and the remedies in it do not come from the bodhisattvas, who deny the greatness of the bodhisattvas and their power to work miracles, who throw away or abandon this Dharma treatise claiming that it was originally taught by dishonorable people, they will proceed to the lower states of existence where they will be unable to understand this Dharma treatise or even hear it. When they depart from that state, they will have accumulated a great deal of nonvirtue, so it is said.

“Foolish people who reject This excellent teaching Taught in song by the eminent sages And the sagacious sons of the victors

“Will, because of this, go to hell, With its subdivisions lying above or horizontally, Such as Kālasūtra, Sañjīva, Kṣuradhārā, Gūthamṛttikā,

“Kuṇapa, Kṣāranadī, Where they will be seized in Jvaradhārā, The terrible Asipattra forest, Avava, Hahava,

“Or the hell for evildoers, Renowned in the world as Aṭaṭa. Those who bring harm upon the Dharma Will go to one of these hells.

“The terrible hell called Avīci Is well known in the world As a walled-in place for reviled evildoers, Who make up its population.

“People who destroy this teaching Will be roasted there. People who are always mindless will visit All of the hells as deep down as Avīci.

“They will experience death and subsequent rebirth Throughout the infinite hell realms. Those who reject this extensive sūtra That is the sum total of the Dharma

“Become reviled in the world And fall into the hells that end in Avīci, Completely deprived of their own will.

“This sūtra called the ‘Manual of Rites’ Is adorned with the knowledge of mantras. Through hundreds of wonderful accomplishments, It lays bare the ultimate reality,

“Which is experienced in meditation without support And constitutes the body of the sphere of phenomena. This extensive manual of rites With its detailed chapters

“Was skillfully laid down by Mañjughoṣa And duly worshiped by Śrīmati. Many original rites of Mañjuśrī Are presented here in full.

“This manual is free from both extreme views, Those of eternalism and of nihilism. It explains the stages in the right order And constitutes a collective body of mantras.

“It clearly explains Fire, wind, and space as empty. One who rejects this manual is always reborn, Going from one low birth to another.

“As the supreme Victor, I accumulated infinite merit In the course of many long eons, And attained awakening.

“I subsequently taught this root manual To fulfill the aims of the mantra system. By being an auspicious means of purification that destroys negativity, This manual wards off the dangers associated with the places of rebirth.

“It has been presented in detailed chapters That adorn this sūtra of definitive meaning. It includes the descriptions of the great qualities of kings Explained according to their relevant period and place.

“This sacred Dharma of the victors’ sons Was taught by the seventh sage, The best among the victors Who have taken human birth on earth.

“It was taught in the form of this extensive manual That produces splendor and good fortune. It is described as an extensive volume with a good foundation And is revered as part of the mantra system.

“Anyone on earth who rejects This excellent, important sūtra, This Dharma treasury endowed with power by the victors, Will fall, after death, into Avīci, the worst of hells, For many great eons, as described In different works.

“During his life as a human, Whenever this happens to be, He will be poor, diseased, and dumb. He will be born as a mleccha, Will be reviled in the world, And will contract leprosy.

“He will smell bad and inspire disgust. Blind and missing limbs, He will have a terribly unattractive form, Always be dirty, and look, here on earth, like a preta.

“He will be poorly clothed, depressed, With ugly nails, and generally detestable. He will be eaten by parasites And will be covered by sores and blisters.

“Stinking and utterly revolting, He will have no partner for conversation But will walk around absentmindedly, Becoming ever more feebleminded.

“One who rejects this Dharma treasury, This revered relic of the victorious ones, Will meet with a lot of pain And be without relatives, friends, or a protector.

“As a human being, one will experience Many times grief and suffering. Wherever one goes, One will never be happy. Different [negative] results will follow If one rejects this sūtra.”

The divine youth Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva great being, now rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over his shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, folded his hands, and, with wide open and unblinking eyes, knowing that all the gods who inhabit the Pure Abode and many orders of beings had assembled in order to hear the Dharma, said to Blessed Śākyamuni:

“It is wonderful, O Blessed One, that you have presented this Dharma treatise so eloquently. In the future time, O Blessed One, it will come to pass that beings will be overcome by dangerous greed, their minds will be dominated by the five degenerations, they will lack faith, and they will be deceitful, unruly, and undisciplined. They will not believe in the greatness of the of the art of mantras, nor will they appreciate the necessity to observe the restrictions regarding the time and the place of worship. Nor will they believe in the elaborate rituals with their injunctions pertaining to the mantra conduct, homa offerings, or mantra recitation. Thinking that this is not the Buddha’s teaching, they will reject it. They will develop mental anguish and die. They will thus experience intense suffering and feel sharp and acute pain. They will end up in the great hells. When beings suffer like this, O Blessed One, how can this be remedied? The lord buddhas are very compassionate, after all.”

The blessed Śākyamuni touched Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, on the head, and said, “Good it is, good indeed, that you, Mañjuśrī, are concerned about the welfare and the interests of all beings, and it is also good that you, Mañjuśrī, ask the Tathāgata about it. Listen well, then, and duly reflect upon what I will now tell you for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of all beings and to act kindly toward the world. There is, O divine youth, in your root manual with its detailed chapters, a most secret vidyārāja that should be remembered at the time of death by men and gods who strongly desire to take the final refuge in the supreme body of the dharmadhātu, thus taking the path to awakening that subsumes all mantra practices. So what is this vidyā?

“Homage to all the worthy tathāgatas, the fully realized buddhas!

“ Oṁ, the omnifarious form of the divine youth, come, come! Quick, quick! Bhrūṃ bhrūṃ, hūṁ hūṁ! O victorious Victor! Splendorous Mañjuśrī! Deliver me from all suffering! Phaṭ phaṭ! Pacify, pacify! You who arise from and are the source of immortality, destroy my negativity, svāhā!

“This, Mañjuśrī, is your ultimate heart essence that makes everything peaceful, removes all negativity, and releases from all suffering. It brings long life, good health, vigor, supreme well-being, and increases the powers of speech. It also stirs up the goodness in all the vidyā kings.”

As soon as the blessed Buddha Śākyamuni pronounced this mantra, this great earth with all its mountains, oceans, and animate and inanimate things, up to its farthest reaches, shook in six different ways, and the sufferings of all the beings of the different classes—the pretas, the animals, and all the beings in the worlds of Yama —completely ceased.

“This king of mantras, Mañjuśrī, should be kept in mind, so that, at that time, there will be no thought of giving up the sacred Dharma, the evil māras will not have any opportunity to cause harm, and all the vighnas and vināyakas will run away.

“The blessed buddhas will know my thoughts, if I should reflect, ‘What am I capable of? Will I accept or reject the inconceivable Dharma of the realization of the blessed buddhas?’ ”

When the Blessed One had finished teaching, the monks, the bodhisattvas, their retinues, and billions of other beings present above the Pure Abode such as gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, siddhas, and vidyādharas; as well as many prominent ṛṣis and the great bodhisattva beings including the divine youth Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteśvara, Maitreya, Mahā­sthāna­prāpta, Vajrapāṇi, and so forth; the blessed buddhas with the retinues of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas who dwell in innumerable world systems and in the infinite sphere of phenomena; and the inconceivable buddhas dwelling in the sky-like nature and the bodhisattva great beings, were all very pleased and praised the Blessed One’s teaching.

By order of the glorious ruler and renunciant king Jangchub O, this text was translated, edited, and finalized by the great Indian preceptor and spiritual teacher Kumārakalaśa and the translator Lotsawa and monk Śākya Lodrö.