Toh 270, Toh 512, Toh 852 — The Seven Buddhas

Saptabuddhaka

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

The Seven Buddhas

F.22.aF.13.bF.39.aF.65.a^[1] Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling on the summit of Kailāsa in the abode of the gods close to where the sages live. He was accompanied by a great monastic saṅgha of around five hundred monks and five hundred bodhisattvas, including the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha, Samantabhadra, Infinite Flowers, Samantakusuma, and others, all of whom were bodhisattvas who were just one birth away from awakening.

The Blessed One saw that a monk in that alpine forest had been possessed by a spirit, had collapsed, and was lying there naked and wailing with his arms raised up.

The bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, bowed to the Blessed One with his hands joined, and addressed him. “Blessed One, what is this great lamenting that fills the sky, and who is this naked monk raising his arms in distress?”^[2]

The Blessed One told the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha, “Ākāśagarbha, this monk is ill. He has contracted an illness.”

The bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha then asked the Blessed One, F.14.aF.22.bF.39.b “Will the Blessed One please teach a vidyāmantra that can pacify all manner of diseases and exorcise all manner of spirits?” F.65.b

The Blessed One emanated the seven buddhas: six tathāgatas appeared in the sky, with the seventh being the Blessed One himself, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.

The tathāgata Vipaśyin hovered in the sky above them and spoke these root verses of the secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, pacify all manner of illnesses, and exorcise all manner of spirits:

The tathāgata Vipaśyin addressed the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha, saying, “Ākāśagarbha, whoever bears this vidyāmantra in mind, recites it, or masters it will not be slain by a weapon, nor will they die from drowning, fire,^[6] or a painful illness. They will not suffer an unnatural death. Even poison they have eaten will become like food.

“If you recite the vidyāmantra seven times over your food and drink before consuming it, no one else can harm you, you will not contract any illnesses, and you will live for a long time, understand what you have studied, and have a vision of the seven tathāgatas.

“Recite this vidyāmantra in the ear of someone who has been wounded with a weapon and anoint them with jasmine oil incanted with the vidyāmantra.^[7] If you anoint those who are afflicted with diseases such as leprosy or tumors with incanted oil that contains a mixture of jasmine, blue lotus, dill, and wild asparagus, they will recover from all their illnesses. This mantra can be used for all rites.”

Then the tathāgata Śikhin hovered in the sky above them F.14.b and spoke these root verses of the secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, pacify all manner of illnesses, F.23.aF.40.a and exorcise all manner of spirits: F.66.a

“Ākāśagarbha, I and millions of Buddhas have taught this secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, to completely pacify all manner of illnesses, to ward off spirits that harm one’s meditation and cause nightmares, and to prevent untimely death. Now you must uphold it.

“Ākāśagarbha, if someone focuses on my heart mantra three times a day, they will not be harmed by others, they will meet the Tathāgata in their dreams, and they will not suffer a horrible death. When they die, they will meet with the tathāgatas and serve them.

“You can also use the rite to bind the patient with a protection cord against all manner of illnesses. In cases where an illness is the result of a humoral imbalance, you can incant jasmine oil with the mantra and give it to the patient. You can perform the rite of sealing off the directions with water incanted with the mantra, and you can use an incanted cord to protect yourself. You can tie a blue protection cord incanted with the mantra on a child to guard against seizers that possess children. You can whisper the mantra seven times in the ear of someone who has been struck down with a weapon, and you can use it to control others with your mind.”

Then the tathāgata Viśvabhū hovered in the sky above them and spoke these root verses of the secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, pacify all manner of illnesses, and exorcise all manner of spirits:

“Ākāśagarbha, these root verses of the secret mantra are taught by all the past, future, and present tathāgatas of the fortunate eon, and now I have spoken them as well. F.23.bF.40.b Ākāśagarbha, you must F.66.b uphold these root verses of the secret mantra.

“If someone bears in mind, recites, or masters them, they will not be harmed by a weapon, affected by poison, or affected by poisonous brews, nor will they become infected with plague. They will not drown, die of unnatural causes, or die from a weak constitution, unless these are karmic obscurations that result from a previous lifetime. Any monk, nun, or layperson who rises in the morning, washes their head, and recites this secret mantra one hundred and eight times before an image of the Tathāgata will be able to purify all their karmic obscurations.

“Once the dhāraṇī has been spoken to any hostile beings or kings, you will have power over all of them. You will master all fears. Wearing a white protection cord incanted with the mantra will guard against all manner of quarrelsome men and women, as well as any argument or dispute. An incanted protection cord made with fiber from a date tree can be used against diseases of the eye and hung on one’s ear. To paralyze an army, perform a fire offering one hundred and eight times with incanted popped rice that has been soaked in yogurt and honey while reciting the following mantra each time:

rājanāṃ^[13] rājāmātraṃ vā vaśī karotu^[14] kāmena |^[15]

“To purify all your own and all beings’ obscurations and misdeeds and to obtain great prosperity and wealth, recite the dhāraṇī while offering sesame seeds one thousand times into a fire altar^[16] that has been kindled with date palm branches.^[17] To purify all your misdeeds, F.15.b master all vidyāmantras, or to ritually cleanse yourself you should wash with dill, spikenard,^[18] foxtail millet, sirisa, valerian, saffron, nut grass, bitter gourd, bodhi tree, and mango flowers.^[19] Next, fast for an entire day in front of a buddha image, and then place these ingredients in a fresh vase. On the full moon, bathe in front of an image of the Buddha while reciting the heart mantra F.24.aF.41.a one thousand and eight times.

“To neutralize poison F.67.a sit before an image of the Buddha and use a ladle made of teak to offer cow dung^[20] onto a ritual fire while reciting the victim’s name one hundred and eight times. The poison will then be neutralized. This mantra protects one from seizers^[21] and works for any rite associated with the spirits and the like. It will pacify them.”

“Then the blessed tathāgata Krakucchanda hovered in the sky above them and spoke the following root verses of the secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, pacify all manner of illnesses, and exorcise all manner of spirits:

“Ākāśagarbha, this has been taught by tathāgata, arhat, perfect complete buddhas bearing the name Krakucchanda in numbers equal to the grains of sand in the Ganges river, and now you must maintain this joyous root mantra.

“If this is received, born in mind, and mastered, then in the future, when monks, nuns, and laypeople gain faith in the Three Jewels, perform the bathing rite, and make offerings of flowers, incense, and perfume to the Buddha while reciting^[24] this sacred mantra one hundred and eight times, F.16.a they will be able to recall their past lives for seven lifetimes. They will become the greatest among gods or wheel-turning kings among humans. If they perform this rite correctly, this will be their final human birth. After they die, they will be born in Sukhāvatī.

“If they constantly recite the mantra, they will be free from all manner of illnesses in this lifetime and understand what they study. If they recite the mantra seven times over their food and drink and then consume it, they will be cured of any illness. F.24.bF.41.b Or, if they wish to quench their thirst, they should wash their food while reciting the mantra one thousand and eight times. F.67.b

“A copper needle incanted with the mantra can be used to remove a tumor. If recited seven times, the mantra will free you from all manner of quarrels, disputes, and bondage. Your wealth will also continually increase, and you will be free from all manner of obstructing beings and corrupting beings.

“Or, if you wish to have a vision of the Tathāgata, draw a maṇḍala on a clean spot in the vicinity of a stūpa,^[25] fumigate it with aloeswood, recite the mantra one thousand and eight times, and then lie on a cushion in front of the maṇḍala’s eastern side. When you fall asleep you will have a vision of the Tathāgata. He will teach you whatever you ask^[26] and can tell you anything you wish such as your lifespan, your strength, and whether you will be defeated or victorious in battle.”

Then the tathāgata Kanakamuni hovered in the sky above them and spoke these root verses of the secret mantra to benefit all beings, pacify all manner of illnesses, and exorcise all manner of spirits:

The tathāgata Kanakamuni addressed the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha, saying, “Ākāśagarbha, whoever upholds this heart mantra and continuously recites it will not fear any weapon, nor will they die from fire, drowning, or lightning. They will be able to consume poisons as easily as food. They will not suffer an unnatural death or die due to a weak constitution. They will have a long life and be extremely prosperous. They will always be in the company of the Tathāgata and F.25.aF.42.a be blessed by him. If they recite the mantra at the three times of the day, F.68.a they will purify all their karmic obscurations from previous lifetimes.

“If you want to cure another person’s illness, perform a cast offering according to your means, fumigate the room with incense or aloeswood, and wash all the food. For leprosy, tumors, and a swollen liver, pick some fresh sweet flag, mix it with honey, incant it with the mantra one thousand and eight times before an image of the Blessed Buddha, and rub the mixture on the affected area. The leprosy will fully heal.

“For a fever that returns every four days, recite the mantra one thousand and eight times over a garland of jasmine flowers before an image of the Blessed Buddha. Tie it around the patient’s head, and they will recover from the four-day fever.

“If you recite the mantra in the ear of someone who has been struck with a weapon, they will be cured of their amnesia.

“For those who have been possessed by a kaṭapūtana, fumigate the patient with flowers that have been offered to the Buddha. That and all other such rituals may be performed with this heart mantra, thus it is acceptable for any rite.”

Then the tathāgata Kāśyapa hovered in the sky above them and proclaimed these root verses of the secret mantra in order to benefit all beings, to pacify all manner of illnesses, and exorcise all manner of spirits: F.17.a

The tathāgata Kāśyapa addressed the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha, saying, “Ākāśagarbha, blessed buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in thirty-two Ganges rivers have taught this heart mantra in the past. Now, Ākāśagarbha, you must preserve this heart mantra. You must master it.

“If someone who has received, recited, and mastered it recites it three times per day and three times per night, then, in brief, they will have a vision of the Tathāgata in their dreams F.25.bF.42.b and purify all their karmic obscurations F.68.b except for any karma from their past lives. This mantra can be used for any rite.

“For illnesses such as leprosy and vitiligo,^[33] offer flowers to the Buddha and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times over them before an image of the Buddha. After the patient has recited the mantra and bathed, they will recover. For a headache, one should place a flower offered to the Buddha before an image of the Buddha and recite the mantra before the image one thousand and eight times.^[34] This mantra can be used in any ritual.”

Then the Blessed One, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, hovered in the sky above them and spoke this vidyāmantra for the benefit of all beings:

The Tathāgata Śākyamuni addressed the bodhisattva F.17.b great being Ākāśagarbha, saying, “Ākāśagarbha, to treat a headache, you should recite the mantra using your forefinger and the palm of your hand. You can disperse clouds using an incanted wand made of oleander wood. You can use incanted water to overcome poisoning. You can also perform any other rituals using the mantra, and you can include a bathing rite. It can be used for any rite in any context.”

After the Blessed One had said this, the bodhisattva great being Ākāśagarbha was delighted and praised the Blessed One’s words.

This concludes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Seven Buddhas.”

Notes

Two sets of folio references have been included in this translation due to a discrepancy in volume 88 (rgyud ’bum, na) of the Degé Kangyur between the 1737 par phud printings and the late (post par phud) printings. In the latter case, an extra work, Bodhimaṇḍasyālaṃkāralakṣadhāraṇī (Toh 508, byang chub snying po’i rgyan ’bum gyi gzungs), was added as the second text in the volume, thereby displacing the pagination of all the following texts in the same volume by 17 folios. Since the eKangyur follows the later printing, both references have been provided, with the highlighted one linking to the eKangyur viewer.
In the Toh 512 version of the text there is a slight discrepancy in the folio numbering between the 1737 par phud printings and the late (post par phud) printings of the Degé Kangyur. Although the discrepancy is irrelevant here, further details concerning this may be found in toh512.html#UT22084-068-004-257 of the Toh 512 version of this text.
In the Toh 512 version of the text there is a slight discrepancy in the folio numbering between the 1737 par phud printings and the late (post par phud) printings of the Degé Kangyur. Although the discrepancy is irrelevant here, further details concerning this may be found in toh512.html#UT22084-068-004-257 of the Toh 512 version of this text.
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S, D (Toh 512, Toh 852): lag pa bstod pa; D (Toh 270): lag pa stong pa.
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D (Toh 270): hulu hulu.
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D (Toh 270): hiliya.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Tadyathā oṃ hala hala hili hili hilāya. Homage to the world and homage to the guide. Homage to you, svāhā.
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The Tibetan for fire (me) does not appear here in D (Toh 270).
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The Tibetan does not always make it explicit that the materia medica used to treat various illnesses in the text should be incanted with the vidyāmantra, so this has been rendered explicit by the translator throughout the text where it is appropriate.
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D (Toh 270, Toh 512): cchindaya.
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D (Toh 512, Toh 852): varaviānāṃ.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Oṃ cook cook, cook them out cook out all the spirits. Pierce and pin down the enemy’s vidyā beings svāhā.
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S: kulotsādanaṃ; D (Toh 270): kula udsadhanaṃ; D (Toh 512): kulotsādhanānāṃ; D (Toh 852): kulotsādhanānāṃ. The Stok Palace Kangyur contains the only truly viable transliteration of a Sanskrit term, so the transliteration and translation of this mantra follows the Stok Palace Kangyur.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Oṃ kala kala kili kili kulu kulu destroy the clans of all seizers svāhā.
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D (Toh 270): rājanāṃ; D (Toh 512, Toh 852), S: rājānāṃ. The term rājana is a patronymic derived from the Sanskrit term for king (rājan) and thus means “belonging to a king.” Here the term might be in the feminine singular accusative to signify the queen, or perhaps in a masculine plural accusative in which the nasal has been transcribed as anusvara. The context for the mantra and the inclusion of the phrase “or just the king” (rājāmātraṃ vā) indicates that the term rājanāṃ is likely meant here to signify the king’s army.
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D (Toh 270): vaśikarotu; D (Toh 512, Toh 852): vaśikaratu; S: vāśikāratu. The transliteration preserved in D (Toh 270) is the proper imperative third person singular form of kṛ.
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Tentative English translation: Bend the king’s army (or just the king) to my will.
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D: me bus; this is taken here as a scribal error for me bud, which is a contracted compound for the Tibetan me bud pa’i gnas (Skt. agnikaraṇasthānam), a term that is commonly used to signify a fire altar.
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D (Toh 270 and Toh 512) repeat the line ’o ma can gyi shing gi sbar shing gis me bus la bsreg bya til dag lan stong sbyin sreg bya’o. It has only been rendered once in translation.
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D (Toh 270): na la da; D (Toh 512, Toh 852): na la. This translation follows D (Toh 270). Nalada is a medicinal plant that is attested in the Atharvaveda and Suśrutasaṃhitā.
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D (Toh 270): a mra’i mgo lcogs; D (Toh 512, Toh 852): a mra’i mgo thogs. This translation follows D (Toh 270), which is a Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit āmrastabaka.
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D: seng ldeng gi thur ma ba’i lci bar smyugs; S: seng ldeng gi phur ma spyi bor bsnyugs.
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D (Toh 270): gdon bsrung ba dang/ ’byung po la sogs pa’i; D (Toh 512): gdon dang / srung ba dang / ’byung po la sogs pa’i; D (Toh 852): gdon dang srung ba dang ’byung po la sogs pa’i; S: gdon dang / bsrung ba dang / ’byung po la sogs pa’i. This translation follows D (Toh 270). The variants in D (Toh 512, Toh 852) suggest that the term srung ba was read as another class of being in series with the terms gdon (graha) “seizer” and ’byung po (bhūta) “spirit.” This is taken as a scribal error based on lack of evidence for any class of being translated into Tibetan as srung ba. The tathāgata Viśvabhū’s mantra is also explicitly directed at grahas. It is also possible to read the phrase gdon bsrung ba as graharakṣā, which could refer to an amulet used to protect one from grahas. The translation here remains ambiguous on this point and allows for this interpretation.
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S, D (Toh 512): kiṭāpaya; D (Toh 270): kitāpaya; D (Toh 852): kiṭāvaya.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Homage to the tathāgata, arhat, perfect and complete buddha Krakucchanda. oṃ kaṭa kaṭa kaṭha kaṭha kiṭi kiṭi kiṭhi kiṭhi kiṭāpaya. Homage to you svāhā.
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D (Toh 270): brjod par gyur; D (Toh 512): brjod ’byor par ’gyur; D (Toh 852): ’byong bar ’gyur; S: brjod par ’gyur.
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D (Toh 270): mchod rten gyi ’khor sar; D (Toh 512, Toh 852), S: ’jig rten gyi ’khor sar.
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D (Toh 852), S: yid la ci smos pa; D (Toh 270): yid la ci smon pa; D (Toh 512): yid la ci snos pa.
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D (Toh 270), S: sīrāya.
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D (Toh 512 and Toh 852) are missing the fourth occurrence of dhuma here, but it is attested in D (Toh 270) and S. This also fits the pattern established by the previous line of the mantra.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Homage to the tathāgata, arhat, perfect and complete buddha Kanakamuni. tadyathā oṃ sara sara sara sara siri siri siri siri sirāya dhama dhama dhama dhama dhuma dhuma dhuma dhuma dhumāya. Homage to the tathāgata, arhat, perfect and complete buddha Kanakamuni svāhā.
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D (Toh 270): hara hara hara; S, D (Toh 512, Toh 852): hara hara hara hara.
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D (Toh 512): mantrapada; D (Toh 270): mantrapadaiḥ; D (Toh 852), S: mantrapāda. None of the Tibetan variants indicate the term mantrapada in the nominative plural, but the third person imperative plural verb sidhyantu requires a nominative plural, so the phrase mantrapada has been translated below as mantrapadāḥ.
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Tentative English translation: Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Dispel dispel dispel dispel ha ha ha. Homage to the tathāgata, arhat, perfect and complete buddha Kāśyapa. May these mantra verses be effective svāhā.
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D (Toh 270): sha bkra; D (Toh 512, Toh 852), S: sha gar. The Tibetan sha bkra translates the Sanskrit for several different skin diseases, all of which refer to a kind of white spot on the surface of the skin. This may account for the Tibetan variant sha gar. See glossary entry.
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D (Toh 270, Toh 512), S: lan stong rtsa brgyad; D (Toh 852): lan bdun.
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