爾時世尊 擧身放大光明 徧照百千萬億恒河沙等諸佛世界 出大音聲 普告諸佛世界一切諸菩薩摩訶薩 及天龍鬼神人非人等 聽吾今日稱揚讚歎地藏菩薩摩訶薩 於十方世界 現大不可思議威神慈悲之力 救護一切罪苦之事 吾滅度後 汝等諸菩薩大士 及天龍鬼神等 廣作方便 護是經典 令一切衆生 證涅槃樂 說是語已 會中有一菩薩 名虛空藏 白佛言 世尊 我自至忉利天 聞於如來 讚歎地藏菩薩 威神之力不可思議 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
Ěr shí shì zūn jǔ shēn fàng dà guāng míng biàn zhào bǎi qiān wàn yì héng hé shā děng zhū fó shì jiè chū dà yīn shēng pǔ gào zhū fó shì jiè yī qiē zhū pú sà mó hē sà jí tiān lóng guǐ shén rén fēi rén děng tīng wú jīn rì chēng yáng zàn tàn dì zàng pú sà mó hē sà yú shí fāng shì jiè xiàn dà bù kě sī yì wēi shén cí bēi zhī lì jiù hù yī qiē zuì kǔ zhī shì wú miè dù hòu rǔ děng zhū pú sà dà shì jí tiān lóng guǐ shén děng guǎng zuò fāng biàn hù shì jīng diǎn lìng yī qiē zhòng shēng zhèng niè pán lè shuō shì yǔ yǐ huì zhōng yǒu yī pú sà míng xū kōng zàng bái fó yán shì zūn wǒ zì zhì dāo lì tiān wén yú rú lái zàn tàn dì zàng pú sà wēi shén zhī lì bù kě sī yì wèi lái shì zhōng ruò yǒu shàn nán zǐ shàn nǚ rén nǎi jí yī qiē tiān lóng wén cǐ jīng diǎn jí dì zàng míng zì huò zhān lǐ xíng xiàng dé jǐ zhǒng fú lì
Key Message
The Buddha personally praising Kṣitigarbha is the official declaration that Kṣitigarbha is the central bodhisattva for liberating beings of the degenerate age, and that this sūtra is the treasury of that teaching.
▸The Chapter on the Tathāgata's Praise is one of the climactic passages of the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra — the Buddha himself personally praising Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva's supernormal power and compassion.
The Chapter on the Tathāgata's Praise is one of the climactic passages of the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra — the Buddha himself personally praising Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva's supernormal power and compassion. The Buddha radiates great light from his entire body, illuminating buddha-worlds as numerous as the sands of a hundred billion Ganges rivers, and in a great voice announces to all the bodhisattvas, devas, dragons, and spirits: he praises the inconceivable supernormal power and compassion Kṣitigarbha manifests throughout the ten directions, rescuing and protecting all beings in the suffering of sin. He then entrusts all remaining bodhisattvas, devas, and dragons to protect this sūtra after his own parinirvāṇa, so that all beings may realize the bliss of nirvāṇa. Thereupon Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha (虛空藏菩薩) asks what blessings come to those who hear this sūtra and Kṣitigarbha's name or pay homage to his image.