Once, the Buddha was dwelling near Shravasti, at the Anathapindada Garden in
the Jeta Forest. At that time the World-Honoured One was contemplating and
observing the sentient beings of the future. Out of great compassion for them,
the Buddha decided to expound on the Dharani of Cundi, the heart of the mother
of seven kotis of buddhas.
Thus, the Buddha revealed the mantra:
NAMO SAPTANAM
SAMYAKSAMBUDDHA KOTINAM. TADYATHA: OM! CALE, CULE, CUNDI SVAHA!
If any bhiksu and bhisuni, upasaka and upasika upholds and recites this
dharani 800,000 times, all his or her deadly karmic transgressions created since
beginningless time shall be eliminated. The individual shall earn the opportunity
to meet all buddhas and bodhisattvas wherever he or she is born, and shall be
endowed with all accumulations of merit as the individual wishes. The individual
shall gain the opportunity to renounce worldly existence in every lifetime,
maintaining all the precepts and vows of a bodhisattva.
The individual shall
always be born in the human and heavenly realms and avoid encountering
rebirth in the evil paths, and will always be protected by heavenly beings. If any
layperson should uphold and recite this dharani or mantra, his or her household
shall be free from affliction and harm of calamity and illness. Everything the
person does shall be auspicious; his or her words shall gain the trust and
acceptance of others.
If one should complete a recitation of this mantra 100,000 times, one shall
dream of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas and sravakas, and see a
black substance being vomited out of one's mouth.
Should an individual commit
a heavy karmic transgression, upon reciting the mantra 200,000 times he or she
shall dream of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and will also, in his or her dreams,
vomit a black substance.
If the individual has committed one of the five deadly
transgressions, and is unable to receive this auspicious dream, it is advisable
that he or she recite the mantra 700,000 times. After this, the individual shall
receive the auspicious dream and signs. When the individual dreams of vomiting
a white substance such as a thick paste of rice, it clearly indicates that he or she
has gained the pure sign of karmic purification.
I shall now elucidate what this great dharani may achieve. One may stand before a statue of a buddha or find some clear ground before a stupa. Pour gomaya (cow dung, considered in India as clean and purifying) over the ground and create a square mandala shrine, adorning it with offerings of flowers, incense, canopies, food, lamps and candles, according to the size of the mandala. Make these offerings within one's capacity. Then recite the mantra and spray perfume in the four directions, as well as above and below, to set a protective spiritual boundary. Place a bottle of perfume in each of the four corners and also in the center of the mandala shrine. The practitioner should enter the mandala, kneel and face the East. Recite the mantra 1080 times and the perfume bottles shall rotate on their own. Hold a variety of flowers with both hands, which are overlapped in a crossed position, and recite the mantra 1080 times to empower the flowers. Upon completion, cast the flowers at a mirror. After this, face the mirror and recite the mantra 1080 times. One should then be able to see the appearance of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Recite the mantra again 108 times over some flowers and cast them in the air as an offering. Ask any questions and they shall be answered.
If someone should contract an illness traced to spiritual entities, recite the mantra over some cogon grass and sweep the cogon grass over the patient. The patient shall be healed. If a child is possessed by spirits, take five different colored strands of thread and have a young girl weave them into a single thread. Take the weaved five-colored thread and tie a knot with each recitation of the mantra and complete 21 knots. Tie the thread of 21 knots over the neck of the child, recite the mantra 7 times over a handful of mustard seeds and cast the mustard seeds over the face of the child and the child shall be cured of the possession.
Other applications of this mantra include the following methods:
1) For a sick person who is afflicted by spirits, while the person is present, draw
the body features of the sick person on a piece of paper. Recite the mantra over
a willow stick and strike the drawing of the sick person with the stick. This may
cure the sick person of his or her illness. If a sick person affected by spirits
resides in a distant place, recite the mantra over the willow stick seven times,
and send another person with the stick. Have him or her draw the illustration
before the sick person and strike the illustration of the sick person with the stick.
This should heal the person of his or her illness.
2) If one recites this mantra while traveling, there shall be no fear of meeting
thieves, robbers or wild beasts.
3) If one should constantly recite this mantra, he or she shall be on the winning
end of any dispute. If one should cross the ocean, recite this mantra and one
shall not meet any harm caused by the evil beings of the ocean.
4) If one is being locked up and handcuffed, recite this mantra and one shall be
freed.
5) If a country suffers from a flood, drought, or a prevailing epidemic, prepare
cream, sesame seeds and polished non-glutinous rice. Using any three fingers,
grab a portion of each to prepare one mixture. Recite the mantra once over the
mixture, and cast it into a fire. Do this continuously for 12 hours over a period of
seven days and all calamities shall be eliminated.
6) Seal an imprint of a stupa image into the sand beside a river bank with each
recitation of the mantra. Do this 600,000 times. One should either see the
appearance of Guan Yin Bodhisattva or Tara herself. Or perhaps, one will see
the appearance of Vajrapani. Whatever you pray for shall be fulfilled. One might
even be given spiritual medicine or receive a prediction of attaining
enlightenment.
7) If you circumambulate the image of a bodhi tree clockwise and recite the
mantra up to ten million times, you shall witness a bodhisattva preaching the
Dharma to you and be allowed to follow the bodhisattva.
8) If you make offerings of food and recite this mantra often, you shall be out of
danger from any evil person or fierce dogs. If you should first complete 300,000
recitations of this mantra in front of a pagoda, or a statue of a buddha, or a
stupa, and subsequently make a very large offering of food on the fifteenth of
suklapaksa (the bright, first half of the month), reciting the mantra for a day while
fasting from food, you shall gain an audience with Vajrapani and receive an
invitation to go to his palace.
9) If you should stand before the stupa erected to mark where the dharma wheel
was first turned, or the stupa erected to mark where the Buddha was born, or the
stupa built to mark where the Buddha descended the precious steps from
Trayastrimsas Heaven, or any stupa containing relics, circumambulate the stupa
clockwise and recite the mantra. You shall see the Aparajita Bodhisattva and the
Bodhisattva Hariti. Your wishes shall then be fulfilled. If you should need any
spiritual medicine, it shall be given to you, and you will also receive a spiritual
discourse on the bodhisattva way.
10) If an individual who recites this mantra is not in a spiritual place, he shall
receive a visit from all the bodhisattvas, regardless of where he or she is. This
great dharani of Cundi is a great luminous mantra that has been expounded by
the buddhas of the past, and shall be expounded by the buddhas of the future. In
fact, all buddhas of the present expound this mantra, as I do today. This is done
to benefit all sentient beings so that they may attain Supreme Enlightenment.
Should any sentient being who is lacking in merits and has little good karmic
root, and has none of the natural capacity and factors of enlightenment be so
fortunate to receive this dharani, he or she shall swiftly attain the Supreme and
Perfect Enlightenment (Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi). If one constantly
remembers to recite this mantra, infinite good karmic roots shall ripen into
accomplishments.
When the Buddha spoke of the Dharani of Cundi, infinite sentient beings were elevated from their impurities, and they received the merits of the Great Dharani of Cundi, the Great Luminous Mantra, and witnessed the presence of the buddhas, bodhisattvas and holy beings of the ten directions before they prostrated and left.
The Outer Aspects of Cundi
Cundi Bodhisattva appears with eighteen arms and three eyes. She is adorned
with a jeweled crown which is mounted with a figure of a manifested buddha. Her
body is light yellow in color, adorned with all kinds of jade and pearl ornaments.
She wears jade and pearl arm ornaments, and wears a white celestial garment.
Seated on a lotus throne, her eighteen arms, with the original two hands forming
the Root Mudra, hold different implements, in a clockwise direction: a wish-
fulfilling banner, a lotus, a bathing vase, a lasso, an eight-spoked wheel, a
conch, a precious vase, a wisdom chest, a head-dress, a vajra scepter, a hook,
an axe, a heavenly fruit, mala beads, a wisdom sword, and the Fearless Mudra.
The Uniqueness of Cundi
The eighteen arms of Cundi are said to express the eighteen merits of attaining
buddhahood. These are the eighteen uncommon qualities. Her arms are the
symbolic expression of these secrets, endowed with the significance of profound
principles. In the Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra, these eighteen characteristics of a
buddha (the avenikadharma ) distinguish a buddha from a bodhisattva. They
are:
01. His perfection of body
02. His perfection of speech
03. His perfection of memory
04. His perfection of impartiality to all
05. His serenity
06. His self-sacrifice
07. His unceasing desire to salvage sentient beings
08. His unflagging zeal to salvage sentient beings
09. His unfailing thought to salvage sentient beings
10. The unceasing wisdom to salvage sentient beings
11. The powers of deliverance
12. The principle of the powers of deliverance
13. Revealing perfect wisdom in deed
14. Revealing perfect wisdom in word
15. Revealing perfect wisdom in thought
16. Perfect knowledge of the past
17. Perfect knowledge of the future
18. Perfect knowledge of the present
As the eighteen arms of Cundi represent the eighteen uncommon qualities, they are able to eliminate all the negative karma of sentient beings, hence the name Most Victorious Vajra. One who practices this deity yoga is able to eradicate all past negative karma and avoid all calamities. All that he or she wishes for in this lifetime, and all siddhis of worldly and transcendental practices, shall swiftly manifest.
As Cundi is also known as the Subjugation Vajra, and the practice of Cundi
constitutes a special practice of Tantrayana, this practice is regarded as
supreme. It is wish-fulfilling and can subjugate all maras and heretics. It
embodies infinite power and merits, and through this practice the practitioner
shall gain a round and perfect aura.
The printing of this sutra and all other sutras will benefit oneself and others, and
help to remove all forms of calamity. It helps one gain great merits and
blessings, and bridges others to the teachings of Buddhism.
The Symbolism and Meaning of the Eighteen Arms of Cundi
Some images of Cundi Bodhisattva depict different gestures, such as forming
the root mudra or holding mala beads. The meaning remains the same,
regardless. The gestures represent the eighteen merits of Cundi Bodhisattva.
You may visualize the hands clearly and recite the mantra so that you may attain
realization swiftly and liberate sentient beings from their suffering.