(黃慧音) Imee Ooi - Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra

~ Website: To quote the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra, “... if someone hears this Dharani even for just a moment, he will not undergo karmic retribution from the evil karma and severe hindrances accumulated from millions of lifetimes, that would otherwise cause him to revolve in the cycles of birth and death - in all kinds of life forms in the evil paths - hell, hungry ghost, ferocious animals, crawling creatures and even ants and other life forms ... he will be reborn in the Buddhalands, together with all the Buddhas, or in a distinguished, wealthy and reputable family. Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra was translated a total of eight times from Sanskrit to Chinese between 679-988 CE. It gained wide circulation in China, and its practices have been used since the Tang dynasty, from which it then spread to the rest of East Asia. The Usṇisa Vijaya Dharaṇi is connected with Mount Wutai, which in the Chinese Buddhist tradition is considered the bodhimanda of Manjusri. Sacred stone tablets with the Usṇisa Vijaya Dharaṇi carved into them have been distributed broadly in a few areas of the Far East. The Usnisa Vijaya Dharani originated from a blessing given to a man named Devaputra Susthila. This man now lives in one of the great Primordial Worlds of Heaven, because of his actions on earth, after his death, he was destined to fall into the animal realm for seven successive lives. Following that, he would fall into hell to endure incredible sufferings. Only after he had undergone this punishment in hell would he be born as a human. Even then, he would be born in a poor and disreputable family. He was then destined to be born without eyes for seven hundred successive lifetimes. Before his death, Devaputra prayed to the Lord of Heaven for benevolence. Out of empathy for Devaputra Susthita, the Amida Buddha gave him a great blessing. According to the legend, The Amida Buddha, together with more than 100 million other Buddhas, proclaimed The Usnisa Vijaya Dharani for Devaputra. Instantly, various beams of light emanated from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, enlightening the world in all ten directions. In this way, Devaputra Susthita was liberated from falling into the paths of lower existence. Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra benefits: The motivation of this sutra is said to be to help sentient beings in a troubled and tumultuous world. According to this sutra, beings will leave suffering and obtain happiness, increasing in their prosperity and longevity, remove karmic obstacles, eliminate disasters and catastrophes, remove enmity and hatred, satisfy all wishes, and quickly be led onto the Buddha’s way. It is held by some that when the mantra is heard, it can imbue the alaya consciousness with immaculate seeds that will help to lead one to buddhahood