Chapter 8: The Dhāraṇī of Golden Victory

8.1Then the Bhagavat said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sukhavihāra within that vast assembly, “Noble one, there is a dhāraṇī called golden victory, and any noble man or noble woman who wishes to directly see, honor, and make offerings to the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present should possess it. Why is that? It is because this dhāraṇī is the mother of the past, future, and present buddhas.

8.2“Therefore, whoever possesses this dhāraṇī will possess great merit and is someone who has planted good roots with countless buddhas of the past and so now possesses this dhāraṇī. Know that someone who has pure, faultless, correct conduct will enter through the gateway of this profound Dharma without impediment and without doubts.”

The Bhagavat then taught the rite for practicing the mantra:

8.3“Recite these names of the past buddhas and bodhisattvas and then with a one-pointed mind pay homage to them; [F.75.a] after that, recite the mantra:

8.4“I pay homage to all the buddhas in the ten directions.

8.5“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

8.6“I pay homage to all the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and āryas.

8.7“I pay homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni.

8.8“I pay homage to the Buddha Akṣobhya in the east.

8.9“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaketu in the south.

8.10“I pay homage to the Buddha Amitāyus in the west.

8.11“I pay homage to the Buddha Dundubhisvara in the north.

8.12“I pay homage to the Buddha Vast Qualities above.

8.13“I pay homage to the Buddha Appearance of Qualities below.

8.14“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnagarbha.

8.15“I pay homage to the Buddha Samantaprabha.

8.16“I pay homage to the Buddha Samantāvabhāsa.

8.17“I pay homage to the Buddha King Pile of Courage.

8.18“I pay homage to the Buddha Completely Victorious Lotus.

8.19“I pay homage to the Buddha Equally Seeing.

8.20“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaśikhin.

8.21“I pay homage to the Buddha Highest Jewels.

8.22“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaprabha.

8.23“I pay homage to the Buddha Vimalaraśmi.

8.24“I pay homage to the Buddha Courageous Intention.

8.25“I pay homage to the Buddha Completely Pure Moonlight Sign Renowned King.

8.26“I pay homage to the Buddha Flower Array Radiance.

8.27“I pay homage to the Buddha Aṃśurāja.

8.28“I pay homage to the Buddha King of Beautiful Splendor Stainless Reputation.

8.29“I pay homage to the Buddha Lord of Fearless Thought.

8.30“I pay homage to the Buddha Abhayakīrti.

8.31“I pay homage to the Buddha Supremely Victorious King . [F.75.b]

8.32“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.

8.33“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha.

8.34“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha.

8.35“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī.

8.36“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi.

8.37“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra.

8.38“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati.

8.39“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāsthāma­prāpta.

8.40“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya.

8.41“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sumati.

8.42“Having paid homage to them, recite this dhāraṇī:

8.43namo ratnatrayāya | tadyathā | kuṭi kuṭini imirito koṣaṇi imiriṇi irī svāhā |”

8.44Then the Bhagavat said to the bodhisattva Sukhavihāra, “This dhāraṇī is the mother of the buddhas in the three times. Therefore, any noble man or noble woman who obtains and possesses this dhāraṇī will generate immeasurable, endless merit. They will have honored, made offerings to, venerated, and praised countless buddhas. Those buddhas will have given to them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest enlightenment.

8.45“Sukhavihāra, someone who possesses this dhāraṇī mantra will attain the fulfillment of their wishes, such as clothes, food, wealth, jewels, precious materials, becoming learned and wise, becoming healthy, and having a long life, and their merit will increase greatly. Whatever it is that they wish for, there is nothing that will not be accomplished.

8.46“Sukhavihāra, those who possess and hold this mantra will always, until their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment, be accompanied by the bodhisattva Golden Mountain Citadel, [F.76.a] the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Sāgara , the bodhisattva Samantāvalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Mahāpiṅgala, and so on, and those bodhisattvas will protect them.

8.47“Sukhavihāra, know this! When reciting this dhāraṇī mantra, one should perform this rite: First, repeating it ten thousand and eight times, perform the propitiation rite. Then, adorn a maṇḍala inside a solitary building, and on the first day of the month, wash and put on new clothes. Burn incense, scatter flowers, and make various kinds of offerings, including food, which you place inside the maṇḍala.

8.48“At the beginning, recite the names of the buddhas and bodhisattvas as previously described. With a very focused mind, regret your past actions, and then kneel with your right knee on the ground and repeat the mantra a thousand and eight times. Then sit up straight and think about that which you wish for. Then, at sunrise, eat one pure meal within the maṇḍala. Then, if after fifteen days have passed, when the person comes out from the maṇḍala they will have inconceivable merit and majesty and there is no aspiration of theirs that will not be fulfilled.

8.49“If their wishes are not fulfilled, they should reenter that maṇḍala and do the recitation continually, without forgetting it, until their wishes are fulfilled.”

8.50This concludes “The Dhāraṇī of Golden Victory,” the eighth chapter of “The Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”