The Power of Mantra -- Dharma World

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Date Posted: 10:05:38 10/05/02 Sat
Author: kypoh
Subject: The Power of Mantra

The Power of Mantra

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Mantra of Redemption from Karmas

Text/mind-string

Translator/Franches chow

During the end of Ming Dynasty, the roving bandits Chang and Li, and others
started an armed rebellion, leading to casualties involving the loss of
many lives. The central plain and various areas were haunted with famine.
At that time, living at Nine-Flower-Mountain was an eminent monk named
master Wan Yi. He set up a dharma mandala for a period of one hundred days,
chanting on one mantra for five million times. Later, he preached some
devoted lay people, and together they chanted for a billion times. It has
the affect of redemption from the karmas of killing during the time period
of Sung Ching. What they were chanting was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's [Om
Pramani Dani Svaha].

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is one of the five Bodhisattvas in Mahayana
Buddhist tradition. They are: Manjusri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra
Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, compassionate Maitreya, and vowing
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. All the five Bodhisattvas have manifested their
air of unselfish elegance; have set an example to the Triloka and the six
realms of desire.

" When the hell is not yet empty of beings,

I vow that I will not attain enlightenment;

When all beings are rid of sufferings,

then will I have my perfect wisdom realized."

How great is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva! Due to the vows he has made, he has
to stay in the fiery hell for a lengthy period. Therefore, he has been
known as "the master of the world of the lower realm of existences." He
would be the last of all the six realms of desires to attain Buddhahood.
Even big villains who have committed any unforgivable sins and evil
conducts will attain Buddha hood earlier than him. How many beings in the
Triloka can make such big vows that startle the heaven and the earth, the
divine and the spirits? However, the great vowing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
is brave enough to make such declaration, which makes the heaven and earth
to rejoice, and which moves the Triloka.

When Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, he ascended to Tavatimsa heaven and
expounded the scripture concerning Ti-Ts'ang's fundamental promises for the
sake of repaying his mother's favor; he mentioned, during the previous
birth of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, he was a millionaire's son. One day while
he was in the open wild, met a holy saint who glows with golden brightness.
He was in fact one of the Buddha. He felt immeasurable joy and deep
respect. Then, he asked the Buddha how is he able to be solemn like him.
The Buddha said, "The appearance of my material body is the result of a
prolonged compassionate effort in saving all living-beings, and in order to
do this, you have to get my material appearance out of your mind." He knelt
down with much joy, made his declaration, "Buddha, I am willing from today
onwards till the time of infinite future, for the sake of the suffering
living-beings in the six realms of desire, I would exert any possible
convenience to save all living-beings, and until after that will I attain
Buddha hood. Up till now, there are many living-beings and Bodhisattvas who
started their cultivation on the path much later, and yet they have all
attained Buddha hood. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, for the sake of all
living-beings, is still staying in the six realms of desires working
unceasingly in order to save them, do not want to attain Buddha hood yet.
During one of his past lives when he was a king, he was dismay to realize
that the neighbor country could not go on a positive direction, he had made
his vow that, "If I do not relieve all living-beings from sufferings, and
lead them towards realization of the truth in an easy way, I would not want
to attain Buddha hood."
Besides, in one of his past lives, he was a girl of filial piety. Gowan
and Brahmin woman, for the sake of saving their mother from suffering, had
also vowed, "I am willing from today onwards save all beings from the
sufferings in hell and various evil states of existences, so that they will
be relieved from hell, hungry ghosts, beasts, until they attain Buddha hood
will I attain realization of Truth."

Buddha advised Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the sutra: " All sentient
beings, when not yet realized, are still in the unceasing samsaric
existence of the five realms of desire which is much to worry. Since you
have made the same vows for repeated past births, there is no need to
worry!" Such great vows from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has made him the
compassionate mother of all sentient beings, caring for them all. In the
Buddhist sutras, the benefits of the Ksitigarbha has six: benefits to the
devas, the living-beings who are near death, the beings of filial piety,
the beings who have their wishes, the beings who aspire for
wisdom-mind(bodhicitta), and uncountable benefits that is to be seen and
heard.

There are so many devoted Buddhists, and each one also wants to gain
realization to the Truth, and attains Nirvana. However, Ksitigrabha
Bodhisattva will wait until everyone attains enlightenment before he will
do likewise. Such attitude of mind is so extensively unlimited! Such brave
act of declaration naturally leads to powerful words of mantra, the
Ksitigrabha Bodhisattva's mantra: [ Om Pramani Dani Svaha ] has the power
of exhausting all accumulated karmas.

By chanting the mantra with one-pointed ness of mind, Ksitigrabha
Bodhisattva's electric waves will be connected, charging with the energy of
his great vows, the darkness of previous karmas will be exhausted so as the
heavy burdens of defilements, thereby, convert dangerous situations to
safety. According to ancient recordings, someone, because of that, has help
his father ascends to heaven, expel evil spirits, survive from epidemics,
extend one's life span, convert living from dying, free from bandits,
recover from serious sickness, aspire for wisdom-mind, such great
reflection is so unaccountable.

Most people when they learn about the dharma according to Buddha dharma,
they would suppose Buddha's teaching is pessimistic. In fact, they do not
understand the impact of karma is so terrifying! If they realized the fact
of karma they would certainly be astonished. Buddhist lay-people understand
the impact of karma, and often times they are so astonished that they feel
somewhat helpless. Ksitigrabha Bodhisattva's mantra of redemption from
karma can empower you with the blessing of the mantra, defending the evil
army and previous karmas, aids in getting the earthly happiness, and
enlists help from fellow Buddhists, especially in this world of descending
period, disasters and human casualties are so frequent. One should even
recite more often the Ksitigrabha Bodhisattva's mantra of redemption from
karma [ Om Pramani Dani Svaha ]. To exhaust the karma of killing. You do
not have to worry that Ksitigrabha Bodhisattva would leave you alone and
walk away. He had solemnly made his vow that, he would attain Buddha hood
after you.

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