Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī
The ', also known as the ', or Great Compassion Dhāraṇī / Mantra, is a Mahayana Buddhist dhāraṇī associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.
The dhāraṇī was originally a recitation of names and attributes of the deity Nīlakaṇṭha, a Buddhist adaptation of Harihara said to have been recited by Avalokiteśvara, who was sometimes portrayed as introducing popular non-Buddhist deities into the Buddhist pantheon by reciting their dhāraṇīs. Over time, such deities became considered to be the various forms or incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, who was described in texts such as the Lotus Sutra as manifesting himself in different forms according to the needs of different individuals; the dhāraṇī thus came to be considered as addressed to Avalokiteśvara as Nīlakaṇṭha, now understood to be a manifestation of the bodhisattva. From Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara, this particular dhāraṇī eventually became associated with another of Avalokiteśvara's forms, namely the thousand-armed one, and became attached to Buddhist texts concerning the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara.
Different versions of this dhāraṇī, of varying length, exist; the shorter version, as transliterated into Chinese characters by Indian monk Bhagavaddharma in the 7th century, enjoys a high degree of popularity in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, especially in Chinese Buddhism, comparable to that of the six-syllable mantra Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ, which is also synonymous with Guanyin, who is Avalokiteśvara as venerated in China and other East Asian countries. It is often used for protection or purification. In China, Taiwan and [Overseas Chinese|overseas Chinese communities], it is typically chanted as part of daily morning liturgical services in Chinese Buddhist temples as well as recited during ritual and ceremonial contexts to purify the ritual space. In Korea, copies of the dhāraṇī are hung inside homes to bring auspiciousness. In Japan, it is especially associated with Zen, being revered and recited in Zen schools such as Sōtō or Rinzai.
Versions
Various different recensions of this dhāraṇī are in existence, which can be classified into two main versions: the shorter text and the longer text.Chinese
The text currently considered to be the standard in most of East Asia is the shorter version, specifically the one found in the so-called 'Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī' translated by a monk from western India named Bhagavaddharma between 650 and 660 CE.Twelve scrolls of texts in Chinese were found at Dunhuang along the Silk Road in today's Gansu province of China. One of the texts contains a colophon at the end: "Translated at Khotan by the śramaṇa Bhagavaddharma of Western India". The milieu of this transliteration is evident from Bhagavaddharma's rendering of the word Nīlakaṇṭha as 'Narakindi', a Central Asian form of the Sanskrit word.
Other notable Chinese versions of the dhāraṇī include:
- Two versions by or attributed to esoteric Buddhist teacher Vajrabodhi: 'Copy of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī' and 'Ritual Recitation Manual on the Vajraśekhara Yoga on the Great Compassionate King Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara' The former contains a Chinese transliteration of the dhāraṇī and its corresponding Sanskrit version, with the latter being an esoteric ritual manual.
- Three versions of the dhāraṇī proper by or attributed to Vajrabodhi's disciple Amoghavajra: The Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Great-Compassionate Heart Dhāraṇī is an extract from Bhagavaddharma's version, with interlinear glosses and an accompanying explanation of the forty hands of the Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, each with a mantra of its own; Sutra of the Bodhisattva Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara's Heart Dhāraṇī is a new transliteration, followed by a description of the iconography of Nīlakaṇṭha-Avalokiteśvara and his particular mudra; and The Greatly Merciful Greatly Compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara-lokeśvararāja's Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of Nīlakaṇṭheśvara Dharani is a Sanskrit -Chinese interlinear version with glosses.
- A version of the dhāraṇī proper by 14th century by Dhyānabhadra with the title Dhāraṇī of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara Unlike the aforementioned versions, Dhyānabhadra's text is based on the longer form of the dhāraṇī.
- Two translations by a monk named Zhitōng made between 627 and 649, both entitled Sūtra of the Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Mystic Dhāraṇī This is the earliest of the Chinese "Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara" sutras. Despite the title, the sutra's dhāraṇī is completely different from the Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī found in other versions.
- A translation made by north Indian monk Bodhiruci in 709 entitled Sūtra of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva-mother Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī-body Bodhiruci's version contains the same dhāraṇī as Zhitōng's.
Tibetan
A third version was made by Changkya Rölpé Dorjé in the 18th century. While claimed to be a reconstruction of Zhitōng's text using a Tibetan version as a base, Changkya Rölpé Dorjé's text actually completely follows the Tibetan readings, with significant differences from Chödrup's version in a number of places, rather than Zhitōng's.
Others
A manuscript fragment dating from around the 8th century containing the longer version of the dhāraṇī in both late Brahmi and Sogdian scripts was discovered by Sir Aurel Stein in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang and published by Robert Gauthiot and Louis de La Vallée-Poussin in 1912.The dhāraṇī's title is given in this manuscript as 1 LPw δsty ʾʾryʾβṛʾwkδʾyšβr nyṛknt nʾm tʾrny "the dhāraṇī of the names of Āryāvalokiteśvara-Nīlakaṇṭha with a thousand hands." The text shows a very close affinity to that found in Vajrabodhi's T. 1061 text. The dhāraṇī is followed by a short, unidentified mantra named wyspw ʾʾγδʾk δβrʾynʾk δrzyʾwr ptsrwm "hṛdaya mantra fulfilling all the wishes."
Background
Nīlakaṇṭha-lokeśvara
According to author Lokesh Chandra, the dhāraṇī in its original form was a recitation of the names of the deity Nīlakaṇṭha recited by the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara: "Avalokiteśvara was responsible for introducing popular deities into the Buddhist pantheon by pronouncing their dhāraṇīs which averted evils to the person who obtained his wishes as soon as he recited it." In Vajrabodhi's longer version, the dhāraṇī is explicitly referred to as Āryāvalokiteśvara-bhāṣitaṃ "uttered by noble Avalokiteśvara;" at this stage, Avalokiteśvara is portrayed as pronouncing the dhāraṇī, but is not identified with Nīlakaṇṭha.As late as the 15th century, the tradition knew at least that Avalokiteśvara is the dhāraṇī's locutor, as is clear from a Chinese manual of the liturgical service of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, presented to the Oriental scholar Samuel Beal by the monks of Hoi Tong Monastery on Henan Island. Its preface, authored by the Ming emperor Yongle, says thus:
It is reported by Kwan Tseu Tsai Bodhisattva, prompted by her great compassionate heart has engaged herself by a great oath to enter into every one of the innumerable worlds, and bring deliverance to all creatures who inhabit them.
For this purpose she has enunciated the Divine sentences which follow, if properly recited, will render all creatures exempt from the causes of sorrow, and by removing them, render them capable of attaining Supreme Reason.
During the process of transmission, however, Nīlakaṇṭha became increasingly identified with Avalokiteśvara, so that the dhāraṇī eventually became understood as being addressed to Avalokiteśvara as Nīlakaṇṭha, now considered to be one of Avalokiteśvara's various forms or manifestations - most of whom were themselves originally folk deities who were assimilated into Avalokiteśvara upon being integrated into Buddhist belief and practice |Cundi], Tara or Hindu gods [Vishnu">Hinduism">Hindu gods [Vishnu and Shiva, suggesting that Nīlakaṇṭha was in origin Harihara - a fusion of Vishnu and Shiva - assimilated into Buddhism.
This is more explicit in the longer version of the dhāraṇī, where Nīlakaṇṭha is invoked with more names and epithets associated with the two gods such as Tripūra-dahaneśvara, and Padmanābha as well as a short description of the iconography of Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara in Amoghavajra's version, which combines elements from depictions of Shiva and Vishnu.
Other examples are found in the following section:
The status of Shiva and Vishnu in the dhāraṇī follows a similar pattern to the one identified in the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra : the two gods are repeatedly invoked one after the other, indicating that they stand in a "complementary" relationship to each other. At the same time, however, Shiva is portrayed as the dominant of the two.
File:Dazu rock carvings - Baodingshan, 大足石刻-宝顶山摩崖造像, Chongqing, 2023.jpg|thumb|Tang dynasty rock statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin at Baodingshan at the Dazu Rock Carving in Chongqing, China.
The thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara
The first of many images of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara - a form of the bodhisattva that would subsequently become popular in East Asia - to appear in China was presented to the Tang Emperor by a monk from central India named Guptadeva somewhere between 618 and 626 CE. While as of yet, no trace of this iconographic depiction has been found within India itself, the depiction must have had an Indian origin: an image of this type was brought to China by an Indian monk, and all the Chinese texts on the thousand-handed Avalokiteśvara are translations from Sanskrit or Pali and contain Sanskrit hymns in transliteration. One possibility is that this form of Avalokiteśvara had its origins in Kashmir, whence the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra may also have originated. From Kashmir, the "thousandfold" Avalokiteśvara might have spread northward, but not southward into the Indian mainland, which could explain the dearth of Indian artifacts connected to this depiction.A thousand limbs are integral to the Indian tradition: the Puruṣa sūkta of the Ṛgveda, for instance, describes the cosmic man Puruṣa as having "a thousand heads... a thousand eyes, a thousand feet." Notably, the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra contains a Buddhist adaptation of the Vedic Puruṣa myth, with Avalokiteśvara as the all-pervasive cosmic being from whose body springs various gods:
"Āditya and Candra came from his eyes, Maheśvara came from his forehead, Brahmā came from his shoulders, Nārāyaṇa came from his heart, Devi Sarasvatī came from his canines, Vāyu came from his mouth, Dharaṇī came from his feet, and Varuṇa came from his stomach."
The epithets sahasra-bāhu or sahasra-bhuja commonly appear in Indian literature from the Ṛgveda onwards applied to various personages, including the gods Shiva and Vishnu. It has been suggested that the thousand arms of Avalokiteśvara is another example of an attribute of Shiva being assimilated into the bodhisattva, with the thousand arms being a symbol of the victory of Avalokiteśvara over Shiva, whose name 'Īśvara' he appropriates, and his cult. The thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara's eleven heads, meanwhile, are thought to be derived from the eleven Rudras, forms and companions of Shiva.
Originally portrayed as a servant or acolyte of the buddha Amitābha in some of the texts which mention him, Avalokiteśvara - originally 'Avalokita' - also later came to be depicted as one who brought popular deities into Buddhism by pronouncing their hymns, thereby according them a place in Buddhist scriptures and ritual. Eventually, however, these deities came to be identified as different forms or manifestations of the bodhisattva himself. Thus Avalokiteśvara gradually took on forms, attributes and titles originally ascribed to Shiva and/or to Vishnu such as sahasra-bhuja, sahasra-netra, Īśvara, Maheśvara, Hari, or Nīlakaṇṭha.
The emergence of Avalokiteśvara's thousand-armed form is linked with the interiorisation of Shiva into the bodhisattva as Viśvarūpa. The dhāraṇī of 'Nīlakaṇṭha' became attached to the sahasra-bhuja Avalokiteśvara, so that the thousand-armed form became seen as a bestower of royal authority, a trait carried over from Nīlakaṇṭha/Harihara. Indeed, in Sri Lanka, Tibet and Southeast Asia, Avalokiteśvara became associated with the state and with royalty.
Classic Mahayana teaching holds that Avalokiteśvara is able to manifest in different forms according to the needs of different individuals. In the Lotus Sūtra, it is stated that Avalokiteśvara can appear in different guises - which includes that of 'Īśvara' and 'Maheśvara' - to teach the Dharma to various classes of beings.
File:Nilakantha Avalokitesvara - Sandstone - Circa 6th Century AD - Sarnath - Archaeological Museum - Sarnath - Uttar Pradesh - Indian Buddhist Art - Exhibition - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-12-21 2344.JPG|thumb|200px|A sandstone sculpture of Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara from Sarnath circa 6th century CE. This particular depiction is based on the Hindu god Shiva about to swallow the halāhala poison.
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Akṣayamati: "O son of a virtuous family! If there is any land where sentient beings are to be saved by the form of a buddha, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a buddha.... To those who are to be saved by the form of Brahma, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Brahma. To those who are to be saved by the form of Śakra, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Śakra. To those who are to be saved by the form of Īśvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Īśvara. To those who are to be saved in the form of Maheśvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Maheśvara.... To those who are to be saved by the form of a human or of a nonhuman such as a deva, nāga, yakṣa, gandharva, asura, garuḍa, kiṃnara, or mahoraga, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into any of these forms."
A similar statement appears in the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra:
Bhagavat Śikhin replied, 'He completely ripens the many beings who circle in saṃsāra, teaches them the path to enlightenment, and teaches the Dharma in whatever form a being can be taught through. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a tathāgata to beings who are to be taught by a tathāgata. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a pratyekabuddha to beings who are to be taught by a pratyekabuddha. He teaches the Dharma in the form of an arhat to beings who are to be taught by an arhat. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a bodhisattva to beings who are to be taught by a bodhisattva. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Maheśvara to beings who are to be taught by Maheśvara. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Nārāyaṇa to beings who are to be taught by Nārāyaṇa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Brahmā to beings who are to be taught by Brahmā.... He teaches the Dharma in whatever particular form a being should be taught through. That, noble son, is how Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara completely ripens beings and teaches them the Dharma of nirvāṇa.'
Despite being a latecomer among the esoteric forms of Avalokiteśvara introduced into China, because of the promotion of his cult by the three esoteric masters and patronage by the imperial court, the sahasra-bhuja Avalokitesvara overtook and absorbed the fame of other tantric forms of the bodhisattva.
Bhagavaddharma's version (T. 1060) and its popularity
Out of the various transliterations of the dhāraṇī in Chinese, that of Bhagavaddharma has risen to become the standard in East Asia.Bhagavaddharma was a monk who came to China from western India around the mid-7th century, about whom nothing else is known; the Taishō Tripitaka has only two works in Chinese by him, both on the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara. The latter of these two works, the 'Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī', made at Khotan around 650-661 CE, has made him immortal. The popularity of his version is attested by surviving Dunhuang manuscripts dated to the 8th century, some of which are excerpts of the ten great vows contained in the sūtra.
In China itself, various anecdotes about miracles effected by the recitation of the dhāraṇī appear from the Tang dynasty onwards. As the dhāraṇī's efficacy became widely known, dhāraṇī pillars on which the dhāraṇī's text was inscribed began to be erected, the earliest of these dating from 871 CE. By the end of the period, both the sūtra text and the dhāraṇī circulated among the monks and the laity, with copies being made either as pious offerings or commissioned by the faithful to obtain religious merit. An abbreviated version of the sūtra, consisting of only the ten great vows recited by Avalokiteśvara within the text and the dhāraṇī itself, was also in circulation. Known as the 'Invocation of the Great Compassionate One', this text was probably used in a liturgical setting.
The reason behind the subsequent popularity of Bhagavaddharma's sūtra is thought to be due to its relative simplicity compared to other versions: while other sūtras on the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara contained detailed rules on how to visualize and depict this form of the bodhisattva, the very lack of such instructions in Bhagavaddharma's text might have contributed to its democratic appeal for ordinary people. In addition, Bhagavaddharma's version is the only one that contained the sections on the ten great vows and the blessing of the fifteen kinds of good deaths as well as protection from fifteen kinds of bad deaths. The dhāraṇī's concrete power over death and the comprehensiveness of Avalokiteśvara's vows might have been another factor that appealed to the masses.
Because of the great popularity enjoyed by this sūtra, the epithet 'Great Compassionate One' became identified specifically with the sahasra-bhuja Avalokiteśvara from the Tang period on, though previously it was used in other sūtras to describe Avalokiteśvara in general.
Summary of Bhagavaddharma's version
Bhagavaddharma's text begins with Śākyamuni Buddha in Avalokiteśvara's palace on the island Potalaka about to preach to a congregation of bodhisattvas, arhats, devas and other beings. Suddenly there is a great illumination and the three thousand realms become golden in color, shaking all over while the sun and moon become dull by comparison. One of the bodhisattvas present, Dhāraṇī King, asks the Buddha why this is happening; the Buddha reveals that Avalokiteśvara secretly emitted this light "in order to comfort and please all living-beings."Avalokiteśvara then begins to speak, revealing that innumerable kalpas ago, the Thousand-light King Tathāgata of Tranquil Abode entrusted to him the 'Dhāraṇī of the Great Compassionate Heart'. As soon as he heard the dhāraṇī, Avalokiteśvara - who had then been a bodhisattva of the first stage - quickly advanced to the eighth stage, and after reciting a vow, became endowed with a thousand hands and eyes: "So from that epoch long ago, I have kept the dhāraṇī. As a result, I have always been born where there is a buddha. Moreover, I have never undergone birth from a womb, but am always transformed from a lotus."
After giving this explanation, he then calls upon anyone who wants to keep this dhāraṇī to give rise to the thought of compassion for all sentient beings by making the following ten vows after him.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly learn all Dharma.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily obtain the eye of wisdom.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly save all sentient beings.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily obtain skillful means.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly sail on the prajñā boat.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily cross over the ocean of suffering.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly obtain the way of discipline and meditation.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily ascend the nirvāṇa mountain.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly enter the house of non-action.
Namaḥ Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily achieve the Dharma-Body.
If I face a mountain of knives, may it naturally crumble, if I face a roaring fire, may it naturally burn out, if I face hell, may it naturally disappear, if I face a hungry ghost, may it naturally be satiated, if I face an Asura, may its evil heart gradually become tame and, if I face an animal, may it naturally obtain great wisdom.
After making such vows, one should then sincerely call the name of Avalokiteśvara as well as the name of Amitābha Buddha, Avalokiteśvara's original teacher.
Avalokiteśvara stresses the dhāraṇī's efficacy by vowing that should anyone who recites it fall into an evil realm of rebirth, or not be born into one of the buddha lands, or not attain unlimited samādhi and eloquence, or not get whatever he desires in his present life, or, in the case of a woman, if she detests the female body and wants to become a man, he will not achieve complete, perfect enlightenment, unless those who recited it were insincere, in which case they will not reap its benefits.
Aside from such spiritual and mundane benefits as removing grave sins caused by heinous acts such as the five crimes or the ten evil acts or curing 84,000 kinds of illnesses, the sincere keeping of the dhāraṇī is said to also result in fifteen kinds of good rebirth and the avoidance of fifteen kinds of evil deaths.
Avalokiteśvara then recites the dhāraṇī; the earth shakes in six ways, while precious flowers rain down from the sky. As all the buddhas of the ten directions are delighted and practitioners of heterodox ways become frightened, all the assembled reach different levels of realization. Upon being asked by Mahābrahmā, Avalokiteśvara goes on to further explain the dhāraṇī's benefits, both spiritual and temporal, and recites a gāthā commanding various benevolent devas, nāgas and yakṣas to guard the keepers of the dhāraṇī.
Like all esoteric sūtras, this sūtra shows interest in ritual matters. As part of the sādhanā or ritual requirement, detailed instructions on constructing a sacred space or boundary are provided: the dhāraṇī is to be recited twenty-one times over a particular item such as a knife, pure water, white mustard seed, clean ashes, or five colored twine, which would then be used to demarcate the boundary. The sūtra also offers many recipes employing the dhāraṇī to deal with various mundane problems or to attain specific goals.
The sūtra then ends by identifying the names of the forty mudrās of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara - forty standing for the full number of a thousand - and the respective benefits they bestow on the worshipper. These mudrās are only described verbally on Bhagavaddharma's version; illustrated depictions are found in the version by Amoghavajra.
In Buddhist practice
The Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī, now firmly associated with the sahasra-bhuja form of Avalokiteśvara, enjoys a huge popularity in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism.Chinese Buddhism
The dhāraṇī is especially revered in China, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities, where the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, known commonly as Qianshou Guanyin, is the most popular among the bodhisattva's forms. It is most often called the 'Great Compassion Mantra' in popular parlance, an epithet also applied to a different, much shorter dhāraṇī, that of the Eleven-headed Avalokiteśvara. Musical renditions of this latter dhāraṇī are often labelled the Tibetan Great Compassion Mantra or The Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit in recordings, adding to the confusion.In most Chinese Buddhist temples, the Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī is traditionally chanted daily as part of the morning liturgical service known as the zaoke, and is also widely used in various common rituals. For instance, during the popular Shuilu Fahui ceremony, which is an extensive and elaborate ritual that usually takes place over several days with multiple altars, the dhāraṇī is chanted by monastics while invoking Guanyin to the Inner Altar in order to empower sacred water, which is then later sprinkled around the altar using a willow leaf to purify it. As another example, the dhāraṇī is utilized in a similar purificatory way during the widely practiced tantric Yujia Yankou ritual, where the central monastic carrying out the rite performs deity yoga with Guanyin. Notably, the popularity and ubiquitousness of the Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī in the Chinese Buddhist milieu is also exemplified by a widely practiced repentance rite inspired by the sūtra in which the dhāraṇī was expounded known as the Dabei Chan. This rite has remained a regular part of the Chinese Buddhist ritual field since its inception by the Song dynasty Tiantai Patriarch Siming Zhili, being performed at least once a month in most Chinese Buddhist temples in contemporary times. During a section of the ritual, Guanyin's ten vows in the sūtra are chanted before the Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī is recited up to fourteen or twenty-one times.
Korean Buddhism
In Korea, the dhāraṇī - usually referred to as Sinmyo janggu daedalani or as Cheon-su gyeong - is also a regular fixture of Buddhist ritual. Copies of the dhāraṇī are hung inside homes to bring auspiciousness.Japanese Buddhism
In Japan, the dhāraṇī is most often associated with the Zen schools of Buddhism such as Sōtō or Rinzai, where it is extensively used: as in many other parts of East Asia, it is chanted daily by Zen monks, and used in funerals as well as in hungry ghost feeding ceremonies.A version of the dhāraṇī is also found within the esoteric Shingon school: in the early 20th century it was apparently counted as one of three dhāraṇīs especially revered within the school, the other two being the Buddhoṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī and the Guhyadhātu Karaṇḍa-mudrā Dhāraṇī. Since then, however, the Root Dhāraṇī of Amitābha - once counted as an alternative candidate to the Nīlakaṇṭha dhāraṇī - seems to have overtaken its place.
Vietnamese Buddhism
In Vietnam, the dhāraṇī is called Chú Đại Bi, It is almost similar to the version of Bhagavaddharma, albeit with a different way of dividing the text. The text is available in two forms: either without the verse numbering, or with verse numbering. At the entrance of many pagodas, especially in tourist places, the Chú Đại Bi is made available to visitors, either printed on a single sheet in black and white, or as a color booklet on glossy paper. They are printed on the initiative of Buddhist practitioners who make an offering to the sangha.Texts and translations
There are numerous versions and editions of the Great Compassion Mantra. The different editions vary by length, content, and the way they are pronounced and written. Its textual history is characterized by a transition from early Indian Sanskrit origins to multiple Chinese and Tibetan recensions, primarily classified into "shorter" and "longer" versions. The mantra is unique for its syncretic nature, as it incorporates various epithets and attributes typically associated with Indian deities. The main versions of the dhāraṇī can be traced back to several key translators during the Tang Dynasty, who introduced the text to China from India and Central Asia.Key translators include Bhagavaddharma, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. The shorter version by Bhagavaddharma is the most pervasive in contemporary practice. In contrast, the longer versions, such as those preserved by Amoghavajra or found in the Tibetan Kangyur, contain additional invocations and more detailed descriptions of Avalokiteśvara's various forms. Modern practitioners also encounter a third category: the popular Sanskrit reconstructions made famous by 20th-century scholars like Lokesh Chandra. These versions aim to restore the classical Sanskrit phonetics that were often obscured by the phonetic constraints of Chinese characters. While these scholarly versions are widely used in modern musical recordings and international Buddhist gatherings, traditional lineages often maintain the older, transliterated Chinese or Tibetan pronunciations.
The short text
Besides some differences in dividing the text and a few variances in wording, the Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese versions of the dhāraṇī are substantially the same, being based either on the short version by Bhagavaddharma and/or a similar rendition of the short text by Amoghavajra.The form of the dhāraṇī as commonly written and recited in Chinese Buddhism is as follows. The Chinese characters are a transcription, not a translation, of the Sanskrit. For example, in the first line 喝囉怛那·哆囉夜耶 hēlàdánà·duōlàyèyé transliterates the Sanskrit ratna-trayāya but "three treasures" would be translated as 三寶 ''sānbǎo.''
Reconstructed Sanskrit text of Bhagavaddharma's version
The following is a reconstruction of the original Sanskrit text of Bhagavaddharma's version by Lokesh Chandra based on a comparison with other versions.Namo ratna trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya |Chandra's English translation is:
Oṃ sarva-bhayeṣu trāṇa-karāya tasya namaskṛtvā imaṃ āryĀvalokiteśvara-stavanaṃ Nīlakaṇṭha-nāma |
TADYATHĀ | Oṃ apaloka lokātikrānta ehi Hare mahābodhisattva sarpa-sarpa | smara smara mama hṛdayam | kuru-kuru karma | dhuru-dhuru vijayate mahāvijayate | dhara-dhara dharāṇi-rāja | cala-cala mama vimala-mūrtte re | ehy-ehi kṛṣṇa-sarp-opavīta | viṣa-viṣaṃ praṇāśaya | hulu-hulu malla | hulu-hulu Hare | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru | bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya maitriya Nīlakaṇṭha | darśanena prahlādaya manaḥ svāhā |
siddhāya svāhā | mahāsiddhāya svāhā | siddha-yogeśvarāya svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | Vāraha-mukhāya svāhā | Narasiṃha-mukhāya svāhā | padma-hastāya svāhā | cakra-hastāya svāhā | padma-hastāya? svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭha-vyāghrāya svāhā | Mahābali-Śankarāya svāhā ||
Namo ratna-trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya svāhā ||
1. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ārya Avalokiteśvarā, bodhisattva, mahāsattva, the Great Compassionate One. Oṃ. Having paid adoration to One who protects in all dangers, here is the of the names of Nīlakaṇṭha, as chanted by ārya Avalokiteśvarā.
2. I shall enunciate the 'heart' which ensures all aims, is pure and invincible for all beings, and which purifies the path of existence.
3. THUS. Oṃ. O Effulgence, World-Transcendent, come, oh Hari, the great bodhisattva, descend, descend. Bear in mind my heart-dhāraṇī. Accomplish, accomplish the work. Hold fast, hold fast, Victor, oh Great Victor. Hold on, hold on, oh Lord of the Earth. Move, move, oh my Immaculate Image. Come, come, Thou with the black serpent as Thy sacred thread. Destroy every poison. Quick, quick, oh Strong Being. Quick, Quick, oh Hari. Descend, descend, come down, come down, condescend, condescend. Being enlightened enlighten me, oh merciful Nīlakaṇṭha. Gladden my heart by appearing unto me.
To the Siddha hail. To the Great Siddha hail. To the Lord of Siddha Yogins hail. To Nīlakaṇṭha hail. To the Boar-faced One hail. To the One with the face of Narasiṃha hail. To One who has a lotus in His hand hail. To the Holder of a cakra in His hand hail. To One who sports a lotus in His hand hail. To Nīlakaṇṭha the tiger hail. To the mighty Śaṇkara hail.
4. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ārya Avalokiteśvarā, hail.
Analysis
While the most commonly used version in East Asia, the shorter version of the dhāraṇī as transcribed by Bhagavaddharma has been criticized as an imperfect rendering based on a defective recitation or manuscript copy. Amoghavajra's Siddhaṃ text in T. 1113b is also badly corrupted. In addition to the use of the Central Asian form 'Narakindi'/'Nilakandi'/'Narakidhi' for Sanskrit Nīlakaṇṭha and other grammatical quirks which betray a Central Asian milieu, certain other portions of the standard text are corrupt beyond recognition.For instance, the passage 室那室那 阿囉嘇佛囉舍利, is thought to be a corruption of kṛṣṇa-sarpopavīta "thou with the black serpent as the sacred thread", with the word for 'serpent' as written in Siddhaṃ script being misread as 2 arsa. Meanwhile, 薩婆菩哆那摩縛伽摩罰特豆 is a misrendering of sarva-bhūtānām bhava-mārga visodhakam, with dudu being a filler word to cover a portion of the text that was not perceived clearly.
Longer version
Vajrabodhi (Taishō Tripiṭaka 1061)
Vajrabodhi's Sanskrit text as reconstructed by Chandra :Namo ratna-trayāya | nama āryĀvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya sarva-bandhana-cchedana-karāya sarva-bhava-samudra-śoṣaṇa-karāya sarva-vyādhi-praśamana-karāya sarv-ety-upadrava-vināśana-karāya sarva-bhayeṣu trāṇa-karāya | tasmai namaskṛtvā imaṃ āryĀvalokiteśvara-bhāṣitaṃ Nīlakaṇṭha-nāma |
TADYATHĀ | oṃ āloka e āloka-mati lokātikrānta ehi Hare āryĀvalokiteśvara mahābodhisattva | he bodhisattva he mahābodhisattva
he virya-bodhisattva he mahākāruṇikā smara hṛdayaṃ | ehy-ehi Hare āryĀvalokiteśvara Maheśvara paramārtha-citta mahākāruṇikā | kuru-kuru karma | sādhaya-sādhaya vidyam | dehi-dehi tvaraṃ kāmam gama vihaṇgama vigama siddha-yogeśvara | dhuru-dhuru viyanta e mahā-viyanta e | dhara-dhara dharendreśvara | cala-cala vimal-āmala āryĀvalokiteśvara Jina | kṛṣṇa-jaṭā-makuṭā 'varama prarama virama mahāsiddha-vidyādhara | bala-bala mahābala malla-malla mahāmalla cala cala Mahācala | kṛṣṇa-varṇa dīrgha-kṛṣṇa-pakṣa-nirghātana he padma-hasta | cara cara niśācareśvara
kṛṣṇa-sarpa-kṛta-yajñopavīta | ehy-ehi mahāVarāha-mukha Tripura-dahan-eśvara Nārāyaṇa-balopabala-veśa-dhara | he Nīlakaṇṭha he Mahākāla halāhala-viṣa nirjita lokasya rāga-viṣa vināśana dveṣa-viṣa-vināśana moha-viṣa-viṇāśana hulu-hulu malla | hulu Hare Mahā-Padmanābha | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru muru-muru budhya-budhya bodhaya-bodhaya bodhayā maitriya Nīlakaṇṭha | ehy-ehi vāma-sthita-Siṃha-mukha | hasa-hasa muñca-muñca mahāṭṭahāsam | ehy-ehi bho mahāsiddha-yogeśvara | bhaṇa-bhaṇa vācaṃ | sādhaya-sādhaya vidyāṃ | smara-smara taṃ bhagavantaṃ lokita-vilokitaṃ Lokeśvaram tathāgataṃ | dadāhi me darśana-kāmasya darśanam | prahlādaya manaḥ svāhā |
siddhāya svāhā | mahāsiddhāya svāhā | siddha-yogeśvarāya svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | Varāha-mukhāya svāhā | MahāNarasiṃha-mukhāya svāhā | siddha-vidyādharāya svāhā | padma-hastāya svāhā | kṛṣṇa-sarpa-kṛta-yajñopavitāya svāhā | mahā-Lakuṭadharāya svāhā | cakr-āyudhāya svāhā | śaṇkha-śabda-nibodhanāya svāhā | vāma-skandha-deśa-sthita-kṛṣṇ-ājināya svāhā | vyāghra-carma-nivasanāya svāhā | Lokeśvarāya svāhā | sarva-siddheśvaraya svāhā |
Namo bhagavate āryĀvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya |
Siddhyantu me mantra-padāni svāhā ||
Analysis
, the longer version as preserved by Vajrabodhi provides evidence that the dhāraṇī, in its original form, was a recitation of Nīlakaṇṭha's names by Avalokiteśvara, suggesting that the two figures were not yet conflated with each other at this stage. This version also contains more epithets associated with Shiva and Vishnu than the standard shorter version, such as Maheśvara, Mahākāla, Tripura-dahaneśvara, Mahācala, Lakuṭadhara, halāhala-viṣa nirjita, vyāghra-carma-nivasana, Nārāyaṇa-balopabala-veśa-dhara, Padmanābha, or śaṇkha-śabda-nibodhana.Comparison of various Sanskrit versions
The following Sanskrit texts are synoptically arranged for comparison:- The Sanskrit of Amoghavajra
- A fragmentary manuscript of the dhāraṇī from Dunhuang
- A reconstruction of the standard text of the dhāraṇī based on Bhagavaddharma and Amoghavajra by Lokesh Chandra
- The underlying Sanskrit of the Korean version
- The Sanskrit of Vajrabodhi
- A transcription of the Sanskrit-Sogdian manuscript of the dhāraṇī from Dunhuang
- A reconstruction of the longer text of the dhāraṇī based on Vajrabodhi by Lokesh Chandra
Works cited