爾時無盡意菩薩 即從座起 偏袒右肩 合掌向佛 而作是言 世尊 觀世音菩薩 以何因緣 名觀世音 佛告無盡意菩薩 善男子 若有無量百千萬億衆生 受諸苦惱 聞是觀世音菩薩 一心稱名 觀世音菩薩 即時觀其音聲 皆得解脫 若有持是觀世音菩薩名者 設入大火 火不能燒 由是菩薩威神力故 若為大水所漂 稱其名號 即得淺處 若有百千萬億衆生 為求金銀琉璃硨磲瑪瑙珊瑚琥珀眞珠等寶 入於大海 假使黑風吹其船舫 飄墮羅刹鬼國 其中若有乃至一人 稱觀世音菩薩名者 是諸人等 皆得解脫羅刹之難 以是因緣 名觀世音 若復有人 臨當被害 稱觀世音菩薩名者 彼所執刀杖 尋段段壞 而得解脫 若三千大千國土 滿中夜叉羅刹 欲來惱人 聞其稱觀世音菩薩名者 是諸惡鬼 尚不能以惡眼視之 況復加害
ěr shí wú jìn yì pú sà jí cóng zuò qǐ piān tǎn yòu jiān hé zhǎng xiàng fó ér zuò shì yán shì zūn guān shì yīn pú sà yǐ hé yīn yuán míng guān shì yīn fó gào wú jìn yì pú sà shàn nán zǐ ruò yǒu wú liàng bǎi qiān wàn yì zhòng shēng shòu zhū kǔ nǎo wén shì guān shì yīn pú sà yī xīn chēng míng guān shì yīn pú sà jí shí guān qí yīn shēng jiē dé jiě tuō ruò yǒu chí shì guān shì yīn pú sà míng zhě shè rù dà huǒ huǒ bù néng shāo yóu shì pú sà wēi shén lì gù ruò wèi dà shuǐ suǒ piāo chēng qí míng hào jí dé qiǎn chù ruò yǒu bǎi qiān wàn yì zhòng shēng wèi qiú jīn yín liú lí chē qú mǎ nǎo shān hú hǔ pò zhēn zhū děng bǎo rù yú dà hǎi jiǎ shǐ hēi fēng chuī qí chuán fǎng piāo duò luó chà guǐ guó qí zhōng ruò yǒu nǎi zhì yī rén chēng guān shì yīn pú sà míng zhě shì zhū rén děng jiē dé jiě tuō luó chà zhī nàn yǐ shì yīn yuán míng guān shì yīn ruò fù yǒu rén lín dāng bèi hài chēng guān shì yīn pú sà míng zhě bǐ suǒ zhí dāo zhàng xún duàn duàn huài ér dé jiě tuō ruò sān qiān dà qiān guó tǔ mǎn zhōng yè chā luó chà yù lái nǎo rén wén qí chēng guān shì yīn pú sà míng zhě shì zhū è guǐ shàng bù néng yǐ è yǎn shì zhī kuàng fù jiā hài
Key Message
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva hears the voice of every being who calls out in suffering and delivers them from every danger without exception — the bodhisattva of great compassion (mahakaruna).
▸The Chapter on the Universal Gate of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva (Guanshiyin Pusa Pumen Pin, 觀世音菩薩普門品) is the twenty-fifth chapter of the Lotus Sutra and, throughout the history of East Asian Buddhism, the chapter most widely recited independently as a scripture in its own right.
The Chapter on the Universal Gate of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva (Guanshiyin Pusa Pumen Pin, 觀世音菩薩普門品) is the twenty-fifth chapter of the Lotus Sutra and, throughout the history of East Asian Buddhism, the chapter most widely recited independently as a scripture in its own right. The bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intention (Wujinyi, 無盡意) rises and asks the Buddha why Guanshiyin is called by that name. The Buddha responds: if immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of sentient beings, tormented by suffering, hear the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and call upon it with single-minded devotion, the bodhisattva will immediately perceive (guan, 觀) the sound of their voices and liberate them all. Those who hold the bodhisattva's name will not be burned even should they enter a great fire, will reach shallow ground even if swept away by flood, and will be freed from the peril of demon kingdoms even if carried there by a dark storm at sea. The name 'Universal Gate' (pumen, 普門) signifies a gate open to all — describing the bodhisattva's power to manifest in thirty-three different forms, each perfectly suited to the being before it, making liberation universally accessible. In East Asia this chapter has long circulated as the independent scripture known as the 'Guanyin Sutra' (Guanyinjing, 觀音經).