Words of Earth-Holding Bodhisattva and Eighty-Four Thousand Beings Who Aroused the Mind

Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.

Original text

爾時持地菩薩即從座起。前白佛言。世尊。若有眾生。聞是觀世音菩薩品自在之業。普門示現神通力者。當知是人功德不少。佛說是普門品時。眾中八萬四千眾生皆發無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。《妙法蓮華經・觀世音菩薩普門品》 (Lotus Sutra, Universal Gate Chapter of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva), translated by Kumarajiva

Plain-language explanation

This lesson covers the last section of the Universal Gate Chapter (〈普門品〉). In the sutra it belongs to the circulation section, which is the close of the whole chapter.

First, the opening line: 「爾時持地菩薩即從座起。前白佛言。」 Earth-Holding Bodhisattva rises from his seat, goes before the Buddha and speaks. This is the scene of the sutra: the chapter began with questions from Akshayamati Bodhisattva, and here another bodhisattva steps forward to conclude it.

The main point of what Earth-Holding Bodhisattva says is 「若有眾生。聞是觀世音菩薩品自在之業。普門示現神通力者。當知是人功德不少。」 According to this line, the source of the merit is hearing: hearing of the sovereign works of Guanyin Bodhisattva described in this chapter, and of the spiritual power of the universal-gate manifestations. The sutra sets no other condition, and does not say how great the merit is, only that it is 「不少」 (not small).

The last sentence is: 「佛說是普門品時。眾中八萬四千眾生皆發無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」 When the Buddha spoke this Universal Gate Chapter, eighty-four thousand beings in the assembly all aroused the 「無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 (the unequalled, supreme, perfect enlightenment mind). The arousing of the mind is the result given at the very end of the chapter: the sutra closes with beings arousing such a mind.

Past commentators also offer ways of reading this. Chengguan, in his Commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra (《大方廣佛華嚴經疏》), says that the "Guanshiyin" of the Universal Gate Chapter lays weight on the sound that is observed; when the nurturing influence of body, speech and mind is complete, it is called "Observing Sovereignly" (觀自在). Zhanran, in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (《法華文句記》), lists the chapters "Skillful Means" (〈方便〉), "Peaceful Practices" (〈安樂〉), "Lifespan" (〈壽量〉) and "Universal Gate" (〈普門〉) as the origin of the root and its traces, and Tiantai matches the Universal Gate Chapter with "function" (用). These are readings by past commentators, not the words of the sutra itself.

A modern reading offered by this site: this section can be seen as a closing reminder. The whole chapter speaks of the many manifestations of Guanyin Bodhisattva, yet it ends by returning to the listener, saying that those who hear gain no small merit, and concludes with beings arousing the mind. At its close, the Universal Gate Chapter returns to hearing and to the arousing of the mind.

Key terms

自在之業

The one Earth-Holding Bodhisattva speaks about refers to the works of Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara). Hearing of the sovereign works described in this chapter is the starting point of the merit the sutra speaks of.

普門示現神通力

"Universal Gate" is the name of this chapter. The sutra uses this term to describe the manifestations and spiritual powers of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and says that those who hear of them gain no small merit.

八萬四千眾生

The sutra records the number of listeners present who aroused the mind when the Buddha spoke this chapter. This is the sutra's record of the result on that occasion.

無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心

The mind aroused by beings. The sutra only says that they aroused such a mind; it is the result reported at the very end of the chapter.

One line to remember

當知是人功德不少

Written by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from the scriptures and collections on this site, and checked against the Guanyin Volunteer Charter. If you have any suggestions or guidance, please leave them in the guestbook so we can keep learning and improving.