Sutra of the Prophecy Bestowed upon Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva 《观世音菩萨授记经》

Introduction

The Sutra of the Prophecy Bestowed upon Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva recounts one of the past lives shared by the great Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta, together with Shakyamuni Buddha. From this sutra, we learn about some of the great foundational vows made by these Bodhisattvas on their causal ground.

Shakyamuni Buddha tells us that countless kalpas ago, in the Buddha-land of Golden Light Lion Frolic Tathagata (金光师子游戏如来), He was a king named Awesome Virtue (威德). While the king was in meditation, two boys, now the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta, were miraculously born from lotuses on his left and right. They went with the king to see the Buddha and made a series of profound vows: to never tire of saving infinite beings, to avoid all defilements (greed, anger, ignorance), to reject self-benefiting paths (Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas), and to aspire for a future Buddha-land of supreme purity, surpassing all others, populated only by Mahayana Bodhisattvas.

When asked to expound on Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva’s future Buddhahood and the qualities of His Buddha-land, Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that countless kalpas in the future, after Amitabha Buddha eventually enters Parinirvana, the Western Pure Land will continue to teach the Dharma via all of its ponds, trees, and innumerable treasures. All those who have attained Nianfo Samadhi will still constantly be able to see Him. Then, in the same world, Avalokiteshvara will attain Buddhahood under a Bodhi tree, and His realm will be of unsurpassed splendour, populated solely by Great Bodhisattvas. Mahasthamaprapta will serve and uphold the Dharma throughout Avalokiteshvara's period of teaching. After Avalokiteshvara enters Parinirvana and His True Dharma ends, Mahasthamaprapta will then attain Buddhahood to succeed Him. His Buddha-land, lifespan, and Dharma duration will be exactly equal to those of Avalokiteshvara.

The Buddha said:

“Good man, although Amitābha Buddha’s lifespan will last innumerable hundreds, thousands, and koṭis of kalpas, it will finally come to an end. Good man, after incalculable distant kalpas to come, Amitābha Buddha will enter parinirvāṇa. After His parinirvāṇa, the true Dharma will continue for as long as His lifespan. The number of sentient beings that will be delivered will equal that during His life. After Amitābha’s parinirvāṇa, some sentient beings there will not be able to see a Buddha. However, Bodhisattvas who have attained the Thinking-of-Buddhas Samādhi will constantly see Amitābha Buddha. Furthermore, good man, after His parinirvāṇa, all the precious things, such as bathing ponds, lotus flowers, and jeweled trees in lines, will continue to sound Dharma tones, in the same way as during that Buddha’s life.
    “Good man, [the night] Amitābha Buddha’s true Dharma ends, after the midnight period, when the dawn breaks, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, seated cross-legged under the bodhi tree made of the seven treasures, will attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. He will be called Universal Radiance Virtue Mountain King, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha, Knowledge and Action Perfected, Sugata, Understanding the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher to Gods and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One. His Buddha Land will be naturally made of the seven treasures. Even in kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, Buddha-Bhagavāns will not be able to finish describing its splendors. Good man, I now give you an analogy. As Golden Light Lion Frolic Tathāgata’s land was magnificent, Universal Radiance Virtue Mountain King Tathāgata’s land will surpass it billions of times, koṭis of times, koṭis of billions of times, even beyond reckoning. The names ‘voice-hearers’ and ‘Pratyekabuddhas’ will be nonexistent in that Buddha’s land. Only Bodhisattvas will fill His land.”
    Flower Virtue Store Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, will that Buddha’s land still be called Peace and Bliss?”
    The Buddha replied, “Good man, that Buddha’s land will be called Adorned with Gathering of Multitudinous Treasures. Good man, until His parinirvāṇa, Universal Radiance Virtue Mountain King Tathāgata will be attended personally by Great Might Arrived Bodhisattva and will receive his offerings. After His parinirvāṇa, His true Dharma will be upheld [by Great Might Arrived Bodhisattva] until its end. After the end of the true Dharma, Great Might Arrived Bodhisattva will, in that land, attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. He will be called Well Established Virtue Treasure King, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha, Knowledge and Action Perfected, Sugata, Understanding the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher to Gods and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One. His land, His radiance, His lifespan, His Bodhisattvas, and even the duration of His Dharma will be just like those of Universal Radiance Virtue Mountain King Tathāgata. If, among good men and good women, there are those who have heard the name Well Established Virtue Treasure King Tathāgata, they will not regress from their resolve to attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.”

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amituofo!

南无阿弥陀佛!

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All of the sutra text on this page is sourced from sutrasmantras.info.

You can read the full English Translation here.

A Chinese version can be found here.